Editor's note: Staff writer J.P. Giglio is one of 60 AP voters. This is his weekly ballot.
• JP Top 25 archive
• AP, USA Today polls
As always, the preseason poll is an educated guess and the actual season goes by results.
Alabama still has a ton of questions on defense, and an injured Mark Ingram, but there's no denying the Tide is the most talented team in the country. At some point, you have to factor in the "eye test" and Alabama's the Kate Beckinsale of the "eye test."
Boise State, my preseason No. 1, beat Virginia Tech in a fantastic football game on Monday. The Broncos proved (again) that they are one of the best teams in the country but I wanted, and expected, to see more against an inexperienced VT team.
Utah (17), who jumps in after beating Pitt (25) in a wild game, is one of five new teams.
It's only one week but I feel even stronger about where I have the SEC East teams: South Carolina (10) and Florida (15). The Gamecocks were unranked in the preseason by the AP, while the Gators were No. 4. Florida looked totally and completely discombobulated in a brutal showing against a 1-11 Miami (Ohio) team.
Week 1
1. Alabama (2)
2. Boise State (1)
3. Nebraska (3)
4. Miami (5)
5. Ohio State (6)
6. TCU (10)
7. Auburn (7)
8. Iowa (8)
9. Oregon (11)
10. South Carolina (14)
11. Virginia Tech (19)
12. Oklahoma (9)
13. Texas (12)
14. Florida State (18)
15. Florida (15)
16. Wisconsin (16)
17. Utah (NR)
18. Georgia Tech (20)
19. Arkansas (21)
20. Stanford (23)
21. USC (13)
22. Georgia (NR)
23. West Virginia (NR)
24. Arizona (NR)
25. Pitt (4)
Last week (in parenthesis)
In: Utah (17), Georgia (22), West Virginia (23), Arizona (24)
Out: UNC (17), Penn State (22), Temple (24), SMU (25)
Comments
Penn State-another good call
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 12:49 — JPDOhioBased on their performance Saturday, they do not belong in the top 25. YSU played them tough and almost even until half-time. The Penguins are a young team with a new coach and promising potential, but they aren't top 25 in 1-AA, yet.
This week's game against Alabama will tell us a lot about the Nittany Lions. It could be a bloodbath.
not that a big of a deal in week 2 ...
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 10:38 — gvillegatrbut how in the HELL does UNC fall out fo the top 25 altogether?
Is this a poll on how a football team performs or how a timeout chair should work?
Something tells me if Zack would have made the TD, UNC still would be outside the top 25 ...
gatr
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 11:30 — joegiglio (author)They lost. You don't see LSU in there either, do you?
— JPG
"altogether"
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 13:55 — gvillegatrthat word implies the AP Poll, not just you, Joe.
But, you do like to play different games amongst why you place teams where you do and UNC was a great candidate for not leaving the Top 25 based off of not having 13 players and an oppurtunity to win the game.
UNC is only going to get better. No big deal. My main point was in b/tn the lines ... the timeout chair.
good call
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 12:45 — JPDOhioThe team that UNC put on the field is not a top 25 team. Neither is LSU based on what I saw Saturday night.
However, when (and if) UNC gets most of the players back that they left behind, they may work their way back in. But, for now, you have to base your pick on who is available.
Agree
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 14:35 — SurferLSU is not top 25 and neither is the UNC team that played Sat night. Sorry to disappoint you izzy, just give UNC a few more weeks perhaps?
we'll see...
Thu, 09/09/2010 - 03:11 — izzykareemi agree we'll see, and aside from being my normal annoying self to you guys, i will step back a minute and just put on reality goggles for a sec.
I went back and watched the 3rd and 4th qtrs of the LSU game. LSU was running all over you guys. Now, i think your guys on D will come around, but, can they do it now without the presence of Blake? LSU had their 2nd stringers in the game on that TD, not UNC's fault, you guys took advantage, but once the Big Mo swung your way, you had it.
And i know ive joked about it, but in all seriousness/fairness, your OL + TJ is still the biggest achilles Heel (swidt?) for you guys to rise above the 7-8 win mark (i know he threw for 400+ yards, but that's a statistical outlier and can be easily explained due to the circumstances). My fear, if i actually feared for your team, would be to go down to GT and get absolutely demolished in that read-option meat grinder and then it affects the psyche of the team (and your schedule is NOT easy) and all that of course if there is no other damning news on the agent/academic issue. Again, this is an honest look at your team, based on what ive seen so far, and granted that's the first game, but there are too many young kids back there who are going to make alot more mistakes than they get it right at least this year.
nobody home
Thu, 09/09/2010 - 13:30 — gvillegatrIf UNC travels down to Atlanta to play GT in two weeks, they'll be the only folks there. The game is in Chapel Hill.
Um
Thu, 09/09/2010 - 09:30 — Heels20We outgained LSU by 100 yards. Our achilles heel is obviously our special teams coverage. They may have had their second stringers in, but we had our second stringers in the entire game on D. We have an extra week to prepare for the spread option. Did you see what we did to GT 2 years ago when we had a bye week before we played them? And that was with less talent.
Sorry, bud. It's easy to criticize our team without being completely biased, but you were unable to do that in the previous post. The biggest thing I'm worried about against GT is their 3-4 defense, as UNC has struggled against Al Groh's defenses over the past few years.
I agree with Izzy and 20. I
Thu, 09/09/2010 - 22:41 — unc098I agree with Izzy and 20. I know that is weird. Gt is not a complicated team offensively. Yes they run the option but if you prepare for that ( which we have had a week extra to do ) one can stop them. See last years bowl game against Iowa.
The real problem is all the distraction from the investigations. I predict UNC will have a decent offensive game and its possible they may win or keep it close. I agree that this team as it stands is not a top 25 team. It appears that the mess is deeper and muckier than first perceived. Will they fire Butch early or mid season? Its a possibility. If that happens it will be up to the players to determine what kind of season they will have. NOT pretty.
The sooner the better
Fri, 09/10/2010 - 00:23 — JPDOhioI am hoping this gets resolved soon, for everyone's sake.
In the LSU game, the controversy may have helped pull UNC together as a team for that game. But the longer this drags on, the more it will take its toll. Uncertainty is worse than bad news. The sooner UNC knows what the punishment will be, the sooner they can move on and focus on football.
If this is still hanging over their heads a week from Saturday, they won't beat GT.
I have a bad feeling
Fri, 09/10/2010 - 01:13 — Heels20that Butch is about to resign.
Why drop LSU?
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 11:40 — izzykareemThey dominated the heels for 3+ qtrs and they left at least 10 pts on the field.
and oh yesssss, how can you drop the beloved heels from the rankings, they just got there, the mean-old NCAA is just on a witch hunt, you'll see... (wooooo, haha, let me compose myself here).
LSU
Wed, 09/08/2010 - 13:25 — joegiglio (author)I didn't have them in the preseason top 25
— JPG
my bad...
Thu, 09/09/2010 - 03:01 — izzykareemthe way i read your intial comment was that they were also in the top 25 and you knocked them out.