RT2020 Poll: Week of September 9

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

Frauds and Impostors: #17 Boise State, #18 Virginia Tech (told ya so), #19 Oregon State (my bad), #21 Miami, and #23 Hawaii

Sorry, had to do it: #6 Appalachian State and #25 TCU

Banished For a Fortnight: Auburn and, well, that Team Up North

New Arrivals: Georgia Tech, Washington, Oregon, South Florida, and Clemson

First off, I should probably refrain from picking the score of Michigan's game for the rest of the season, holy mother of God. I guess Lou Holtz's ESPN.com stump speech did little to stop Dennis Dixon. For the second straight week, a stunning score: 7-39. Mike Hart, despite limps, had another fine day, but Michigan got smoked by the spread yet again, never fear, it is possible that a Big 10 ti... oh, I'll just shut my mouth.

Hey, pollsters, any questions? I thought not. Yes, I called it back in December, but oh my goodness, 598 total yards on the Hokies, this crew is like a pack of hounds out for Vick's blood. Better saddle up, Gators.

Speaking of Florida, we're already starting to see some holes in that D, and it's going to catch up with them, so, alas, I have to put USC at #2. What a conformist. Oklahoma, though, posted the second-most impressive victory of the day, slicing Miami's proud defense for fitty-one in (twenty year) payback for the bruisings of the 1980s. I had them winning it, but not by that much. Number three, pending USC's presumed drive-by of Nebraska... which got caught looking ahead and barely escaped at the Grove. Keller was OK, but not nearly as poised as Colt McCoy, as Texas finally began the 2007 season with a second half smoking of a good (possibly BCS) TCU team.

Credit the OBC for, once again, destroying another promising Bulldog season. Still, I couldn't drop Richt's boys out completely, their defense allowed only one touch, and they're still better than Kentucky (pending the Louisville game). The 'Cocks, well thought of in this blog's preview, now have a serious chance to actually win the SEC East... and get drop-kicked by the Bayou Bengals in Atlanta. Meanwhile, all the Yellow Jackets had to do was cast aside Reggie Ball, and continue the defensive pressure. I'm starting to buy an ACC title.

Cal and Bucky slid past game opponents on the road, and both therefore had a better day than the offensively disinclined Ohio State Buckeyes, a prime candidate to get shoved out of the Top 25 next week, but a D that allows zero points and forces fourteen punts is still a Big 10 title contender, even if #10, #7, #11, and #25 are not walking through that door anymore.

In just a few weeks, might we be looking at #1 LSU v. #4 Florida, and #3 Oklahoma v. #5 Texas. Wow, two national championship eliminators, with the caveat that the Gators, if not utterly humiliated, would have a shot via a rematch in the SEC Championship Game, but, well, they need Jarvis Moss and Reggie F______ Nelson to have any real chance of keeping LSU from rolling to N'Orleans and the Not Sugar.

If LSU is not #1 in your poll, you're likely far too into USC. Two BCS conference teams, two games of 40+, two games of >10. Yes, a long road to hoe, but the beginnings of one of those special teams, and perhaps suitable competition for the Big Red Machine of 1995.