Rusty’s Top 15 – After weekend of December 1, 2011

Before we get to the Top 15 let me state that I think LSU and Alabama are certainly the top 2 teams in the country. I also think the system that we have in place is a disaster; it essentially doesn’t even matter if Georgia manages to upset LSU this weekend in the SECCG. The Tigers are going to the BCS Championship Game no matter what. And Alabama – who lost AT HOME to LSU – is going to get a 2nd shot. Why should LSU have to beat the Crimson Tide twice? How will LSU fans feel if the series ends this year tied at 1 game each, with the LSU win having come on the road?

I don’t think Oklahoma State (should they beat Oklahoma) or Virginia Tech are better 1 loss teams than Alabama. But the system is awful – we don’t throw out the results of the MLB post-season and let the Phillies play the Yankees in the World Series and say “hey, they were the 2 best teams.” Alabama lost what was effectively a playoff game, and LSU may lose one as well, and those 2 teams will meet for the National Championship anyway. Maybe this series of events will get us closer to a playoff.

The Top 15:

1)    LSU
2)    Alabama
3)    Oklahoma State (I have no idea how they blew the big lead at Iowa State)
4)    Virginia Tech
5)    Stanford
6)    Arkansas
7)    Houston (only because they’re undefeated)
8)    USC (they may be the 3rd best team in the country)
9)    Oregon
10)    Boise State
11)    Georgia (hotter than almost anybody – with a real chance to win Saturday)
12)    Michigan State
13)    Oklahoma
14)    South Carolina
15)    Wisconsin

Rusty’s Top 15 – After weekend of November 12

Several weeks ago it looked like we would definitely wind up with at least 3 or 4 undefeated teams at the end of the year. As it turns out, history lessons are important – and history tells us that going unbeaten is extremely difficult and in most years only a team or two will manage to do it.
So with 2 games to go, there are only undefeated teams left (with apologies to the University of Houston).

LSU has a breather at Ole Miss this weekend, and then they close out the season against Arkansas. The Razorbacks have to travel to Baton Rouge, so it would be a very big upset if Arkansas were to win.

Oklahoma State also has a breather this week, playing at Iowa State. Then after a week off, they close out the regular season (and there is no longer a Big 12 Championship Game) against Oklahoma. The Cowboys will be at home, but the Sooners will be a huge challenge.

If the two unbeatens win out, you’ve got your no-brainer championship game. But what if Oklahoma State loses? Who gets to play the Bayou Bengals then? A rematch with Alabama (who will not even have won their DIVISION in the SEC?) or a rematch with Oregon (who looks really tough – and unlike ‘Bama didn’t lose at home) or maybe Oklahoma (although that home loss to Texas Tech was terrible).

And what if – what if – Georgia upsets LSU in the SEC Championship game? Could the Bulldogs cost the SEC a shot at a 6th straight BCS Championship by pulling off the upset?

It should be a fun 2 weeks.

The Top 15:

1)    LSU
2)    Oklahoma State
3)    Alabama
4)    Oklahoma
5)    Oregon
6)    Arkansas
7)    Clemson
8)    Virginia Tech
9)    Stanford
10)    Boise State
11)    Georgia – Does anybody still want to fire Richt and Bobo? Anyone…..?
12)    Houston – Don’t really think they’re #12 in the country, but they are unbeaten
13)    Michigan State
14)    South Carolina
15)    Wisconsin

Rusty’s Top 15 – After weekend of October 29th 

LSU is still #1 and Alabama is still #2 – and that will either be really solidified or reversed this weekend. On a neutral field I would take LSU, but I can see a scenario where Trent Richardson runs crazy in the 4th quarter and the Tide wins a close one. Either way, Saturday night is must-see TV.

Boise State stays #3 in our Top 15, even though they’ve dropped in the BCS rankings.

Georgia Tech and Georgia are both admittedly higher ranked here than anywhere else – but what a terrific weekend it was for the home teams! The Dogs exorcised some demons, and Tech just seems to own Clemson (If they both go to the ACC Championship Game, the Yellow Jackets will have a chance to win 4 of 5 from the Tigers in just 3 years)

It’s very possible both of the teams from the Peach State could wind up in the conference championship games. That’s good news for Tech and bad news for the Dogs. Tech has proven time and again that they can handle the fighting Dabo’s.
Georgia (and anybody else in the country for that matter) has no chance against an undefeated LSU or Alabama. Georgia just needs to win out - and hope South Carolina wins out; let the Gamecocks get beat up and watch Georgia get a better bowl game.

Wisconsin, Kansas State, and Michigan State drop out of the rankings.

1.    LSU (Last week #1)
2.    Alabama (2)       
3.    Boise State (3)
4.    Stanford  (4)
5.    Oklahoma State (6)
6.    Oregon (7)
7.    Arkansas (8)
8.    Oklahoma (9)
9.    Clemson (5)
10.    Nebraska (13)
11.    South Carolina (14)
12.    Virginia Tech (15)
13.    Michigan (NR)
14.    Georgia Tech (NR)
15.    Georgia (NR)

Rusty’s Top 15 – After weekend of October22nd

The last 3 weeks makes it clear to me that LSU should me #1 alone – so we drop Alabama to #2 this week.
LSU is getting their 3 suspended players back in time for the Alabama game (you didn’t really have any doubts, did you?) and they looked amazing last week without those guys. The 2 teams each have this weekend off before the biggest regular season game in recent history (next Saturday night at 8)

Oklahoma and Wisconsin both drop after the upsets last week. Boise State is hanging around at #3.
The folks out there in Idaho are huge Georgia Bulldog fans for the rest of the season – the Georgia win is the biggest by far for the Broncos, and every Georgia win from here on helps out the computer rankings.

Stanford, Clemson, and Oklahoma State are the other undefeated teams in the BCS conferences, but I’m thinking all 3 eventually lose in the regular season – or in a conference championship game.
So how do you like the idea of an LSU-Boise State BCS Championship game?

Among Big East teams (for now, anyway) West Virginia (future Big 12) drops out after a dreadful loss to Syracuse (future ACC).


1.    LSU (Last week #1)
2.    Alabama (1a)       
3.    Boise State (4)
4.    Stanford  (5)
5.    Clemson (6)
6.    Oklahoma State (8)
7.    Oregon (9)
8.    Arkansas (10)
9.    Oklahoma (3)
10.    Kansas State (11)
11.    Wisconsin (7)
12.    Michigan State (12)
13.    Nebraska (13)
14.    South Carolina (15)
15.    Virginia Tech (NR)

10/18/11

Rusty’s Top 15 – After weekend of October 15th

The 1st BCS standings were released Sunday, and you’ll notice that our Top 15 was not a part of the official calculations. The Q105.3 law team was worried that the integrity of our poll would be compromised if a BCS berth were at stake. Maybe next year, though.

Anyway, LSU, Alabama, and Oklahoma did nothing to cause any shakeup at the top. As a matter of fact, there are no changes from last week’s Top 10.
Georgia Tech was 11th last week – and after their 1st loss the Yellow Jackets are out of the Top 15. You could really see that loss brewing for the last 2 or 3 games. I don’t know what happened to Tech; yes the competition has picked up, but the Ramblin’ Wreck offense in that 1st month of the season could’ve scored on just about anybody. Looks like Tevin Washington has lost his confidence in throwing the ball, and teams are loading up against the run with little worry of the receivers. We’ll see if the Jackets come out more focused this weekend at Miami.

Illinois was 12th last week and Michigan was 14th, and both of those Big 10 teams drop out after losses as well.
South Carolina is back in, but the injury to Marcus Lattimore will make it almost impossible for the Gamecocks to win the SEC East. Like we said last week, Georgia is now the favorite on the “weak” side of the conference.

By the way, Georgia Tech is 19th in the Coach’s Poll and 20th in the AP (and 22nd in the BCS). Georgia is still unranked in the Coach’s poll and - after the ugly win at Vanderbilt - tied for 24th in the AP.



1.    LSU (Last week #1)
1.    Alabama (1)       
3.    Oklahoma (3)
4.    Boise State (4)
5.    Stanford  (5)
6.    Clemson (6)
7.    Wisconsin (7)
8.    Oklahoma State (8)
9.    Oregon (9)
10.    Arkansas (10)
11.    Kansas State (13)
12.    Nebraska (15)
13.    West Virginia (NR)
14.    Michigan State (NR)
15.    South Carolina (NR)

10/11/11

Rusty’s Top 15 – After weekend of October 8th

I’m tempted to include Oklahoma in the tie for the top spot – that was an impressive win over Texas. But for now, we’ll stick with the 2 SEC schools who are headed for an amazing showdown on November 5th (in Tuscaloosa, by the way)

Texas, obviously, drops out of the Top 15 after just 1 week.

It’s still looking like we’ll have multiple undefeated teams this year: Either LSU or Alabama, Oklahoma or Oklahoma State, Boise State, Stanford, and Wisconsin are all good candidates. I think Clemson will eventually lose to a lesser team (although they look like the class of the ACC) and I think Georgia Tech will wind up 10-2.

Tech, incidentally, is ranked 12th in both major polls this week.
Georgia is still unranked, but they look like the clear favorites now to win the SEC East. The schedule is really favorable. Of course, their “reward” will be a matchup with either Alabama or LSU in the SEC Championship game.


1.    LSU (Last week #1)
1.    Alabama (1)       
3.    Oklahoma (3)
4.    Boise State (4)
5.    Stanford  (5)
6.    Clemson (6)
7.    Wisconsin (7)
8.    Oklahoma State (8)
9.    Oregon (9)
10.    Arkansas (10)
11.    Georgia Tech (11)
12.    Illinois (13)
13.    Kansas State (14)
14.    Michigan (15)
15.    Nebraska (NR)

10/5/11

Rusty’s Top 15 – After weekend of October 1st

In hindsight, dropping Alabama from #1 to #2 made very little sense. So the Tide move back to the top, although LSU doesn’t move down. Those 2 teams are clearly the best in the country (at least through 5 weeks) so we’ll take the easy way out and name them co-#1’s this week.

It seems almost a certainty that the winner of the LSU/Alabama game will play for the National Championship. But against whom? Oklahoma? Maybe Boise State (who will almost surely go undefeated) or Stanford, or Wisconsin, or Clemson? Every year it looks like 5 or 6 teams will run the table…and then upsets start happening and things sort themselves out. But I’m prepared to guarantee that in 2011 at least 3 teams – and probably 4 or 5 – will finish 12-0. 

Last week’s 6, 7, and 8 teams (Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and South Carolina) drop all the way out of the Top 15 – as does Florida.

Georgia Tech is ranked 13th in both major polls this week.
Georgia is still unranked, but now 2 of the 60 voters in the AP Poll have the Dawgs ranked. They could creep into the Top 25 with a win in Knoxville this weekend.


1.    LSU (Last week #1)
1.    Alabama (2)       
3.    Oklahoma (3)
4.    Boise State (4)
5.    Stanford  (5)
6.    Clemson (12)
7.    Wisconsin (10)
8.    Oklahoma State (9)
9.    Oregon (13)
10.    Baylor (14)
11.    Georgia Tech (15)
12.    Texas (NR)
13.    Illinois (NR)
14.    Michigan (NR)
15.    Kansas State (NR)

9/26/11

Rusty’s Top 15 – After weekend of September 24th

LSU has to be #1, so we drop Alabama to #2 (after a very impressive home win over Arkansas) and Oklahoma drops to #3.

Texas A&M, Florida State, West Virginia, and Arkansas drop out of the top 15. Florida, Clemson, Baylor, and Georgia Tech move into the rankings.

Yes, I am biased, but the Yellow Jackets moved the ball at will against a UNC defense loaded with NFL talent. Tech scored 35, but left at least 17 points on the field. The Jackets should be 7-0 (games against NC State,  Maryland, and Virginia) when they play at Miami in week 8.

Seth Emerson – the University of Georgia beat writer for the Macon Telegraph – must be biased, too. He has 4 SEC teams in his top 10 – including Arkansas at #9 (despite Saturday’s blowout loss). It’s amazing that a sports writer in Macon, GA, just 75 miles from the Georgia Tech campus, is one of only 4 AP voters not including the Yellow Jackets in his Top 25 ballot. Tech, by the way, is ranked 21st in both major polls this week.

And Georgia got 8 votes in this week’s AP poll. Again, all 8 were from Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News. He moved the Dawgs up to #18 this week.


1.    LSU (Last week #3)
2.    Alabama (1)       
3.    Oklahoma (2)
4.    Boise State (4)
5.    Stanford  (6)
6.    Nebraska (7)
7.    Virginia Tech (8)
8.    South Carolina (9)
9.    Oklahoma State (10)
10.    Wisconsin (11)
11.    Florida (NR)
12.    Clemson (NR)
13.    Oregon (14)
14.    Baylor (NR)
15.    Georgia Tech (NR)

9/22/11

9/14/11