RT2020 Poll: Week of September 16

1. Louisiana State (NC)
2. Southern California (NC)
3. Florida (+1)
4. Oklahoma (-1)
5. West Virginia (+1)
6. California (+6)
7. Penn State (+3)
8. Rutgers (+3)
9. Texas (-5)
10. Wisconsin (-2)
11. South Carolina (+2)
12. Ohio State (+6)
13. Alabama (+9)
14. Boston College (NR)
15. Georgia (+2)
16. Clemson (+7)
17. KENTUCKY! (NR)
18. Oregon (+2)
19. Louisville (-11)
20. Texas A&M (+4)
21. Virginia Tech (NR)
22. Nebraska (-7)
23. Purdue (NR)
24. Hawaii (NR)
25. Arkansas (-6)


Banished: #7 (ugh) UCLA, #14 (huh?) Georgia Tech, #16 (yeah, I bit) Washington, #19 (you know what you have to do) South Florida, #25 (hey, the 1995 team got roasted at the Swamp too!) Tennessee

Took We a Tumble: #9 Louisville (#20 now), #15 Nebraska (#23 now), #19 Arkansas (#25 now)

Shaky, shaky: #5 Texas (now #9), #8 Wisconsin (now #10)

Validation: #2 USC (NC), #18 Ohio State! (+6)

Starting to Believe: Rutgers, California, South Carolina

I guessed 2006, I was too kind: Notre Dame, reprising their 2003 effort at UM

Well, I haven't felt so good about being so wrong in some time! Starting at the top, the LSU Destroyers continued on their rampage to the national championship game--that's now seven points allowed in three games...

USC nicely stepped up and won the first of five tough roadies this season, although, admittedly, the bout at Seattle no longer looks as challenging. Careful, however, because Oregon and California, both of which Pete Carroll's Dynasty* faces away from the Coliseum, can put up the points too.

Urban Meyer, top coach in America? Only one to defeat Ohio State in twenty-three games, no losses to UF's hard triangle, just asking... Tennessee's "defense" has embarrassed their late-1990s, sans NEB games, units. Where have you gone, Al Wilson, Raynoch Thompson, and D'wayne Goodrich, Rocky Top turns its lonely eyes to you...

Wisconsin, even though I'm sure they'll top OSU and possibly win the Big 10, continues to unimpress, P. J. Hill not withstanding. At the moment, Penn State is the best team in the Big 10, though neither team has gone on the road to beat a worthy adversary... great job, Bucks!

Nick Saban cannot win a national championship in his FIRST year, can he? Too much youth, too many flaws, yet one SEC West foe conquered, two more to go, and one of them just lost to Mississippi State, which admittedly makes South Florida's win on the Plains look more pedestrian than last week.

Oh yes, there was a little quarrel at the Commonwealth last evening... YES!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally, against an opponent that had laughed and snorted at UK for years, Louisville gets its comeuppance, albeit in yet another game that has me seeing 50s and 60s for LSU and Florida. C'mon D, can you hold either to under 30??? Yes, I'll say it, the best win of Rich Brooks's career (you mean better than the NFL days?). Tennessee looks more and more beatable, whilst outscoring Georgia now seems plausible, even if between the hedges.

UK!!!!!!!!!!! UK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WELCOME TO THE AP POLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bonus BCS Preview:

OCT 6: Gators at the Tigers, D-Day in the SEC.