Rusty’s Top 15 – After opening weekend

Most impressive opening week teams: LSU (like we said last week, what a defense!) and Boise State (Georgia had better athletes across the board, but you’d never know by watching that game)
Auburn wasn’t ranked here last week, so they didn’t drop from the Top 15, but the defending champs may be in real trouble.
We didn’t have TCU in the Top 15 last week either (unlike the AP and the coaches). So only Southern Cal drops out – Arkansas is the new team in.

1.    Alabama (Last week #1)       
2.    Oklahoma (2)
3.    LSU (5)
4.    Boise State (8)
5.    Florida State (3)
6.    Virginia Tech (7)
7.    Stanford  (6)
8.    Nebraska (9)
9.    South Carolina (10)
10.    Oklahoma State (11)
11.    Wisconsin (12)
12.    Texas A&M (13)
13.    West Virginia (15)
14.    Oregon (4)
15.    Arkansas (unranked)

Rusty’s Top 15

9/1/11

Expect major shake-ups in a few weeks once we’ve actually seen some teams perform on the field – having said that, here’s our 1st crack at a Top 15:

1.    Alabama – Nick Saban looking for another National Championship
2.    Oklahoma – should be the class of the Big 12
3.    Florida State – I really think this is the year they can officially say “we’re back!”
4.    Oregon – last year’s runner-up returns plenty
5.    LSU – what a defense
6.    Stanford – as long as Andrew Luck stays healthy, anyway
7.    Virginia Tech – that’s a National Championship schedule they’ve got
8.    Boise State – will drop out of sight if they lose to the Dogs
9.    Nebraska – might win the Big 10 in their inaugural year
10.    South Carolina – can Spurrier win 2 straight SEC east titles?
11.    Oklahoma State
12.    Wisconsin
13.    Texas A&M
14.    Southern Cal
15.    West Virginia

Also, Georgia has the talent to be ranked, but can they learn to win again? They’ll be in the top 10 if they start 2-0. Let’s not think about what will happen if they’re 0-2.

Georgia Tech will be better than the experts think; best case scenario 10-2, worst 7-5.