Clark's Top 25

Well there were some pretty interesting games last weekend that shook up the middle of the rankings but the top teams stood pat. That seems to be a growing trend.

1. Alabama (1) - The Crimson Tide defense clamped down on Mississippi State as the Tide rolled 31-3. Mark Ingram had another great game on the ground with 149 yards and 2 TDs, while QB Greg McElroy was solid, going 13-19 for 192 yards and 2 TDs. Up next: a layup against Chattanooga.
2. Texas (2) - The Longhorns were out for blood early against Baylor and they got it. Jordan Shipley had 2 TDs receiving but the real development was the running of Cody Johnson who had 109 yard and 2 TDs. The Longhorns now face reeling Kansas before the rivalry battle with A&M.
3. Florida (3) - Tebow was efficient enough to get the Gators a 10-point win against South Carolina with 199 yards and a TD. UF is now done with SEC play and will face Florida International and FSU to end the season.
4. TCU (4) - The Horned Frogs had a big opportunity to look good in a pivotal game against Utah this week and they didn't disappoint. RB Edward Wesley ran for 137 yards and unsung QB Andy Dalton had 207 yards and a TD to keep the Frogs unbeaten. Up next: hapless Wyoming.
5. Cincinatti (5) - The Bearcats needed the whole game to put away West Virginia Friday but were able to squeeze out a win with another solid performance from QB Zack Collaros and a couple relief pitches from Tony Pike. The Bearcats have a non-conference tilt against Illinois before the Big East game of the year against Pitt.
6. Boise State (6) - Last week was the game that I thought might cost Boise the BCS but the Broncs persevered and thrashed upstart Idaho 63-25. QB Kellen Moore tossed 5 TDs to lead the Broncs. Now Boise plays the waiting game.
7. Georgia Tech (7) - In a game where many pundits thought Duke could pull the upset GT looked more dominant than ever. The Yellow Jackets won 49-10 and sewed up the Coastal Division of the ACC. Up next: an intrastate squabble with Georgia.
8. Pittsburgh (8) - With all the talk swirling around Charlie Weis' possible firing there was a chance for ND to rally around its coach and get a win. But Pitt was too good, especially defensively. Now Pitt has its two toughest games of the year against WVU and Cincy.
9. Ohio State (9) - I'm not overly impressed with the Buckeyes needing overtime to put away an Iowa team playing with a first time QB. But the Bucks got the win against a 9-1 team and are going to the Rose Bowl. Now they have to face the Wolverines who have nothing to lose.
10. Oklahoma State (10) - The Cowboys certainly didn't dominate Texas Tech but they did enough to win, especially on the defensive side as safety Parrish Cox looked stellar in coverage. The Pokes get a game against Colorado before closing out against OU.
11. Oregon (13) - The Ducks got back on track with a 44-21 win against Arizona State. After Stanford's thrashing of USC in L.A., the loss to the Cardinal doesn't look that bad. Now Oregon has another big test against Arizona.
12. LSU (11) - The Tigers looked a bit shaky against Louisiana Tech but they did enough to get the win. LSU was without QB Jordan Jefferson and needed a big game by RB Keiland Williams to get the win.
13. Iowa (16) - That's right. I'm raising Iowa after a loss. After Ricky Stanzi went down it would have been easy for Iowa to go in the tank when it went into the Horseshoe but the Hawkeyes didn't. Ohio State needed overtime to win and Iowa should be rewarded for a good year. Now the Hawkeyes finish against Minnesota.
14. Virginia Tech (15) - The Hokies dominated the fighting Ralph Friedgen's of Maryland as Tyrod Taylor had 268 yards and 3 TDs through the air. V Tech won't be playing for an ACC title but it can finish strong against NC State.
15. Penn State (17) - The Nittany Lions struggled early with Indiana before putting the Hoosiers away. Darryl Clark had 194 yards and a TD to lead PSU. If the Nittany Lions can finish strong against Michigan State they can get into a good bowl.
16. Stanford (25) - Its pretty obvious to me that USC is in an incredible tailspin and seems to have no defense whatsoever. That said, winning 55-21 in LA Coliseum is still impressive. With 178 yards and 3 TDs rushing in LA, Gerhart has to be a serious contender for the Heisman.
17. Miami (12) - The Hurricanes dropped a game to surging North Carolina 33-24 but QB Jacory Harris still looked good with 319 yards passing. The Canes can't make the ACC title but can take their frustrations out on Duke next week.
18. Wisconsin (22) - The Badgers have rebounded from a horrible '08 season with a 8-2 record. UW withstood a strong Michigan offense to get the win last week and can possibly finish 10-2 after games against Northwestern and Hawaii.
19. BYU (23) - The Cougars looked much better than their Mormon brothers the Utes on Saturday but didn't look stellar in a 24-19 win against terrible New Mexico. Up next: Air Force.
20. Clemson (NR) - The Tigers beat up on NC State 43-23 to take a step toward locking up the ACC Atlantic Division in Coach Dabo Swinney's first year. Up next: Virginia.
21. West Virginia (21) - I'm not going to drop WVU after what was a pretty good performance against the #5 team in the country. The Moutaineers can show some real fortitude if they beat Pitt this week.
22. Rutgers (NR) - After the way the Scarlet Knights started the '09 season there is no way I would have expected them to be at 7-2 at this point in this season. Rutgers dismantled South Florida and may do the same to Syracuse next week.
23. Oregon State (NR) - The Beavers clamped down on Washington last week winning 48-21 after a 159 yard, 2 TD performance by Jacquizz Rogers. Up next: the doormat of college football, Washington State.
24. California (NR) - Cal edged out a hot Arizona squad with a 159 yard rushing performance by backup RB Shane Vereen. It seems the Golden Bears are about to crank out another great running back.
25. USC (14) - I flirted with the idea of dropping USC completely out of the poll but I decided I would keep them in just to make fun of how far they've fallen. Losing at home is one thing. But getting blasted by the IVY League West 55-21 is quite another. I'm not sure how USC comes back from this. I'm not sure if losses to UCLA and Arizona to end the season are out of the question.