CFI Top 25 - Week Ten

1. Alabama Crimson Tide (2)
Record: 9-0 (5-0)
Coaches Poll: 1
Associated Press: 1
Last Week: Won vs. Arkansas St. 35-0
A year after the Louisiana-Monroe debacle (a 21-14 loss), Alabama was not going to look past another Sun Belt foe, which was a bad thing for Arkansas St. (Alabama’s first shutout since 1995).
Up Next: 11/8: @ LSU; 11/15: vs. MSU

2. Texas Tech (9)
Record: 9-0 (5-0)
Coaches Poll: 3
Associated Press: 2
Last Week: Won vs. Texas 39-33
Sophomore Michael Crabtree was a man among boys on the game-winning score. The fact that the Red Raiders out-rushed Texas and scored nine points on defense should not be forgotten.
Up Next: 11/8: vs. Oklahoma St.; 11/15: BYE

3. Penn St. Nittany Lions (3)
Record: 9-0 (5-0)
Coaches Poll: 2
Associated Press: 3
Last Week: BYE
While the Longhorns’ loss theoretically helps Penn St. long term, in the short term, another Big 12 team from Texas leapfrogs the Nittany Lions.
Up Next: 11/8: @ Iowa; 11/15: vs. Indiana

4. Texas Longhorns (1)
Record: 8-1 (5-1)
Coaches Poll: 7
Associated Press: 5
Last Week: Lost @ Texas Tech 39-33
Texas produced 17 yards on their first 20 plays, but they fought back to take a late fourth quarter lead. With wins over Oklahoma, Oklahoma St. and Missouri, they are the best one-loss team.
Up Next: 11/8: vs. Baylor; 11/15: @ Kansas

5. Oklahoma Sooners (4)
Record: 8-1 (4-1)
Coaches Poll: 5
Associated Press: 6
Last Week: Won vs. Nebraska 62-28
You want action? In less than three minutes, Oklahoma ran for a touchdown, returned one of two interceptions to paydirt, recovered a fumble and threw for two scores.
Up Next: 11/8: @ Texas A & M; 11/15: BYE

6. Florida Gators (8)
Record: 7-1 (5-1)
Coaches Poll: 5
Associated Press: 4
Last Week: Won vs. Georgia 49-10
The Gators’ defense did not allow an end zone celebration of any kind until late in the fourth quarter. Urban Meyer’s team excels at taking advantage of the opposition’s mistakes.
Up Next: 11/8: @ Vanderbilt; 11/15: vs. USC

7. Southern Cal Trojans (6)
Record: 7-1 (5-1)
Coaches Poll: 6
Associated Press: 7
Last Week: Won vs. Wash. 56-0
Easy wins over winless clubs will do the Trojans no good, no matter how impressive. Through no fault of their own, the Men of Troy will be punished for being in the Pac-10.
Up Next: 11/8: vs. California; 11/15: @ Stanford

8. Oklahoma St. Cowboys (7)
Record: 8-1 (4-1)
Coaches Poll: 8
Associated Press: 8
Last Week: Won vs. Iowa St. 59-17
Zac Robinson (395 yards, five touchdowns) and Dez Bryant (nine receptions, 171 yards, four touchdowns) were unstoppable on Saturday.
Up Next: 11/8: @ Texas Tech; 11/15: @ Colorado

9. Utah Utes (10)
Record: 9-0 (5-0)
Coaches Poll: 9
Associated Press: 10
Last Week: Won @ New Mexico 13-10
The Utes connected on a hook-and-lateral in the red zone from quarterback Brian Johnson to wide receiver Jerome Brooks to wide receiver Brent Casteel. How do you not love it?
Up Next: 11/6: vs. TCU; 11/15: @ San Diego St.

10. Georgia Bulldogs (5)
Record: 7-2 (4-2)
Coaches Poll: 14
Associated Press: 14
Last Week: Lost vs. Florida 49-10
The Dawgs are still on pace for another 10 win season and top ten finish, but the goals of winning a National Championship or the SEC are gone after a mistake-filled game versus Florida.
Up Next: 11/8: @ Kentucky; 11/15: @ Auburn

11. Ohio St. Buckeyes (11)
Record: 7-2 (4-1)
Coaches Poll: 12
Associated Press: 12
Last Week: BYE
Buckeyes best chance at a BCS bowl is for Penn St. to make it all the way to the title game.
Up Next: 11/8: @ Northwestern; 11/15: @ Illinois

12. Missouri Tigers (12)
Record: 7-2 (3-2)
Coaches Poll: 13
Associated Press: 14
Last Week: Won @ Baylor 31-28
They struggled to get by Baylor, who is in last place in the Big 12 South. The defense allowed 438 yards and surrendered a 21-7 halftime lead before the offense rallied for the win.
Up Next: 11/8: vs. Kansas St.; 11/15: @ Iowa St.

13. TCU Horned Frogs (13)
Record: 9-1 (6-0)
Coaches Poll: 11
Associated Press: 11
Last Week: Won @ UNLV 44-14
TCU took care of UNLV—the same Rebels that upset Arizona St. and gave BYU a scare a week ago—and did so rather easily on both sides of the ball. They did not allow UNLV to run or pass.
Next: 11/6: @ Utah; 11/15: BYE

14. Boise St. Broncos (14)
Record: 8-0 (4-0)
Coaches Poll: 10
Associated Press: 9
Last Week: Won @ New Mexico St. 49-0
The Aggies’ Chase Holbrook was coming off a 324-yard performance and was completely shut down by the Broncos, who limited him to a mere 64 yards passing (out of 150 total yards).
Next: 11/8: vs. Utah St.; 11/15: @ Idaho

15. LSU Tigers (15)
Record: 6-2 (3-2)
Coaches Poll: 15
Associated Press: 15
Last Week: Won vs. Tulane 35-10
Charles Scott (114 yards) turned in his sixth 100-yard game of the season. However, quarterback Jarrett Lee (8-of-20, 99 yards) did not look sharp in LSU’s prep for Nick Saban and No. 1 Alabama.
Up Next: 11/8: vs. Alabama; 11/15: vs. Troy

16. California Golden Bears (22)
Record: 6-2 (4-1)
Coaches Poll: 22
Associated Press: 21
Last Week: Won vs. Oregon 26-16
It was the Bears, not the Ducks, who looked comfortable in water as the rain came down in Berkeley. Nate Longshore and Kevin Riley each connected on touchdown passes for Cal.
Next: 11/8: @ USC; 11/15: @ Oregon St.

17. Michigan St. Spartans (23)
Record: 8-2 (5-1)
Coaches Poll: 17
Associated Press: 18
Last Week: Won @ Michigan 35-21
Sparty was gutty in their come from behind win on Saturday in East Lansing. Trailing 24-13 in the fourth quarter, State overcame the Badgers and their own mistakes to pull off the win, scoring on their final three possessions.
Up Next: 11/8: vs. Purdue; 11/15: BYE

18. Brigham Young Cougars (18)
Record: 8-1 (4-1)
Coaches Poll: 16
Associated Press: 17
Last Week: Won @ Colorado St. 45-42
Quarterback Max Hall (389 yards, five touchdowns) took care of his top targets—tight end Dennis Pitta (nine receptions, 156 yards, three touchdowns) and wide out Austin Collie (12 receptions, 156 yards, two touchdowns).
Up Next: 11/8: vs. San Diego St.; 11/15: @ Air Force

19. Ball St. Cardinals (21)
Record: 8-0 (4-0)
Coaches Poll: 18
Associated Press: 16
Last Week: BYE
The Cardinals continue to climb up the polls, but the tough part of their schedule has just begun. Next up, a visit from Northern Illinois (Wednesday), who almost upset Minnesota.
Up Next: 11/5: Northern Illinois; 11/11: @ Miami

20. North Carolina (25)
Record: 6-2 (2-2)
Coaches Poll: 19
Associated Press: 19
Last Week: BYE
The Tar Heels were able to enjoy their bye week knowing they were already bowl eligible, but they have their goals set higher. UNC is one of four Coastal Division teams with two losses.
Up Next: 11/8: vs. Ga. Tech; 11/15: @ Maryland

21. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (NR)
Record: 7-2 (4-2)
Coaches Poll: 20
Associated Press: 22
Last Week: Won vs. Florida St. 31-28
Who says Paul Johnson’s triple-option offense can’t be quick strike? Jonathan Dwyer averaged 11.2 yards on his 13 carries, as he went off for 145 yards and two touchdowns (one for 66 yards).
Up Next: 11/8: vs. North Carolina; 11/15: BYE

22. West Virginia Mountaineers (NR)
Record: 6-2 (3-0)
Coaches Poll: 23
Associated Press: 20
Last Week: Won @ Connecticut 35-13
The Mountaineers’ defense forced five turnovers, while Jock Sanders found the end zone three times—twice rushing (45 yards on seven carries) and once receiving (21 yards on three receptions).
Up Next: 11/8: vs. Cincinnati; 11/15: BYE

23. South Carolina Gamecocks (NR)
Record: 6-3 (3-3)
Coaches Poll: NR (30)
Associated Press: NR (32)
Last Week: Won vs. Tennessee 27-6
The Gamecocks have won five of six on the strength of their defense, which limited Tennessee to 207 total yards. Eric Norwood recorded a pair of sacks and a pair of hurries.
Up Next: 11/8: vs. Arkansas; 11/15: @ Florida

24. Northwestern Wildcats (NR)
Record: 7-2 (3-2)
Coaches Poll: 25
Associated Press: NR (26)
Last Week: Won @ Minnesota 24-17
No Tyrell Sutton? No C.J. Bacher? No problem. Backup Mike Kafka threw for 143 yards to go with his whopping 217 yards on the ground.
Up Next: 11/8: vs. Ohio St.; 11/15: @ Michigan

25. Minnesota Golden Gophers (17)
Record: 7-2 (3-2)
Coaches Poll: NR (29)
Associated Press: NR (29)
Last Week: Lost vs. Northwestern 24-17
Playing to win burned the Gophers when Adam Weber’s pass went off Eric Decker’s hands and into the arms of Brendan Smith, who took the interception 48 yards to paydirt, stunning all.
Up Next: 11/8: vs. Michigan; 11/15: @ Wisconsin

Dropped Out: Tulsa (16), Florida St. (19), South Florida (20), Oregon (24)

Five to Watch: Kentucky, Maryland, Oregon St., Pittsburgh, Troy

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media