JP Top 25: Week 3

Note: J.P. Giglio is one of 65 voters in the AP Top 25. This is his ballot.

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USC is No. 1 for the foreseeable future, unless the NCAA decides to shut them down. Given the Pac-10's performance on Saturday, it's a safe bet the Trojans will be in Miami on Jan. 8 and not just on a visit to South Beach.

I almost left Ohio State out of the Top 25 but we know the Buckeyes are better than the rest of the Big Ten, especially Penn State, so they fall from No. 9 to No. 15, one slot ahead of the Nittany Lions.

It's a race for No. 2 and I jumped Oklahoma over Georgia because South Carolina is not a good football team and the Dawgs needed a goal-line stand to beat the Gamecocks.

South Florida (8) returns to the top 10 after an inspiring comeback against Kansas (17) on Friday night.

1. USC

Record: 2-0
Last week: 1 (beat No. 15 Ohio State, 35-3)
Next: @ Oregon State (Thursday, Sept. 25)

I've heard from some USC fans chastising my preseason ranking of the Trojans (No. 5). How you can lose four starting offensive linemen and still be that good is beyond reason (Just ask Clemson).

I'm the biggest believer in the regular-season being a playoff and presenting pitfalls (as USC learned in 2006 @ UCLA) but I just don't see any losses on USC's schedule, I barely see a challenge (@ Arizona on Oct. 25?)

All of USC's tough conference games — Oregon, Arizona State, Cal — are at home. Maybe Stanford (I know), could give the Trojans a run again (Nov. 15 at Stanford). If not, the BCS title game awaits on Jan. 8.

The last time USC won the BCS title, it beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl. Deja vu, anyone?

2. Oklahoma

Record: 3-0
Last week: 3 (beat Washington, 55-14)
Next: TCU (Sept. 27)

Oklahoma has scored 57, 52 and 55 points in the first three games. Just two years ago, this was the team with no offense.

What a difference a quarterback makes.

3. Georgia

Record: 3-0
Last week: 2 (beat South Carolina, 14-7)
Next: @ Arizona State

Whether we like it or not, style points count. The Dawgs need to put it on Arizona State on Saturday because there will be a direct comparison with what USC does to ASU.

4. Florida

Record: 2-0
Last week: 4 (off)
Next: @ Tennessee

Florida beat Tennessee 59-20 last year and Tennessee ended up winning the SEC East. Go figure.

Transitive comparisons are flimsy but Tennessee lost to UCLA, who lost to BYU by 59. That doesn't bode well for the Vols chances against the rested Gators.

5. Missouri

Record: 2-0
Last week: 5 (beat Nevada, 69-13)
Next: Buffalo

I repeat: No matter how many big numbers Chase Daniel puts up, the Tigers are just biding their time until the trip to Nebraska on Oct. 4.

6. LSU

Record: 2-0
Last week: 6 (beat North Texas, 41-3)
Next: @ Auburn

The home team has won eight in a row in the series with Auburn. This game's at Auburn, which scored just three points last week vs. Mississippi State. Will that streak end?

7. Alabama

Record: 3-0
Last week: 7 (beat Western Kentucky, 41-7)
Next: @ Arkansas

Picked up the pace against the Hilltoppers after slugging it out with Tulane. Arkansas is more on WKU's level than Tulane's.

A trip to Georgia looms next Saturday.

8. South Florida

Record: 3-0
Last week: 15 (beat Kansas, 37-34)
Next: @ FIU

The Big East is there for the Bulls' taking. Great comeback against Kansas. We'll get to see them in person on Sept. 27 (@ N.C. State).  

9. Wisconsin

Record: 3-0
Last week: 11 (beat Fresno State, 13-10)
Next: @ Michigan (Sept. 27)

Not pretty but the Badgers went out west and came home with a "W." After an off week, they'll try to win for just the second time since 1965 to win at Michigan.

10. Texas

Record: 2-0
Last week: 11 (vs. Arkansas, ppd.)
Next: Rice

It's Rice then a bye week and then a tough two-game stretch — at Colorado and Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout.

11. Auburn

Record: 3-0
Last week: 8 (beat Mississippi State, 3-2)
Next: LSU

Do you punish the Tigers' offense or reward their defense? A three-spot drop seems about right. The new spread offense needs to get right to beat LSU. A healthy Brad Lester would help.

12. Texas Tech

Record: 3-0
Last week: 12 (beat SMU, 43-7)
Next: UMass

Wake me when Texas Tech plays someone.

13. ECU

Record: 3-0
Last week: 14 (beat Tulane, 28-24)
Next: @ N.C. State

Avoided a classic letdown loss with late heroics from Patrick Pinkney. Look out, State, here comes ECU's fastball.

14. Utah

Record: 3-0
Last week: 16 (beat Utah State, 58-10)
Next: @ Air Force

Given the performance of the Mountain West this weekend — 4-0 vs. the Pac-10 — it wouldn't surprise me if either Utah or BYU lost before their big showdown on Nov. 22.

15. Ohio State

Record: 2-1
Last week: 9 (lost to No. 1 USC, 35-3)
Next: Troy

So far the Buckeyes have a win over a I-AA team, a 12-point win over a MAC team and they managed to score three points vs. the No. 1 team in the country.

Impressive.

16. Penn State

Record: 3-0
Last week: 17 (beat Syracuse, 55-13)
Next: Temple

The offense is certainly improved with quarterback Daryll Clark but the competition has been awful. We'll know more when Illinois comes to Beaver Stadium on the 27th.

17. Kansas

Record: 2-1
Last week: 10 (lost to No. 8 South Florida, 37-34)
Next: Sam Houston State

The most misunderstood part of college football — it's relatively easy to go from four wins to 10, the real challenge is staying at 10 wins.

KU lacked the "eye of the tiger" from 2007 against USF, the hungry KU trying to prove it wasn't just a basketball school in 2007, letting a 20-3 second-quarter lead turn into a three-point loss.

18. Oregon

Record: 3-0
Last week: 18 (beat Purdue, 32-26 2OT)
Next: Boise State

The Ducks were lucky to escape at Purdue. Boise State, which has always been two touchdowns worse on the road, should offer an easier target on Saturday.

19. BYU

Record: 3-0
Last week: 20 (beat UCLA, 59-0)
Next: @ Air Force

Still not as good as the proper AP ranking (14) but 59-0 is 59-0.

20. Florida State

Record: 2-0
Last week: 19 (beat Chattanooga, 46-7)
Next: Wake Forest

Look who's in the proper AP poll? And you said I didn't know football.

Get those e-mails ready, Wake fans, we'll see who was right in August and who was wrong.

21. Wake Forest

Record: 2-0
Last week: 22 (off)
Next: @ No. 20 Florida State

Just like 2006, right Wake fans?

22. Clemson

Record: 2-1
Last week: 24 (beat N.C. State, 27-9)
Next: S.C. State

Still waiting for the Tigers of '07 to make an appearance.

23. Illinois

Record: 2-1
Last week: 25 (beat Louisiana-Lafayette, 20-17)
Next: @ Penn State (Sept. 27)

Not exactly impressive but they get their chance next Saturday to show me something.

24. Nebraska

Record: 3-0
Last week: Not ranked (beat New Mexico State, 38-7)
Next: Virginia Tech (Sept. 27)

Just a guess, but the Hokies will beat UNC on Saturday and then go to Lincoln and lose on the 27th.

25. Ball State

Record: 3-0
Last week: Not ranked (beat Akron, 41-24)
Next: @ Indiana

I'm the only voter with the Cards on the ballot but QB Nate Davis and up-and-coming coach Brady Hoke won't be incognito for long.

In: Nebraska (24), Ball State (25)
Out: Cal (21), Arizona State (23)