Another Week at No. 2

 

The Texas Longhorns (4-0), who had to struggle to beat No. 14 Tennessee, 17-14, yesterday, are still good enough in the eyes of 62 of the AP Poll voters to stay at No. 1. However, six sagacious voters chose the University of Georgia Bulldogs (4-0) to be No. 1 after the Dawgs 41-13 win over the unranked Oklahoma Sooners. The six first-place votes are twice as many voters as last week, so at least there's some progress.

AP Polls are meaningless. The only poll that matters is the final Selection Committee rankings and everything else is just a beauty pageant. Still, it's nice to be recognized. 

Notre Dame (4-0) is still No. 3 and didn't get any first-place votes - no one thinks they're anything more than third best. No. 4 Miami (4-0) got three first-place votes and No. 6 Indiana (5-0) got one. No. 5 Ohio State (3-1) didn't get any first-place votes because you're not No. 1 with a loss hanging around your neck.

Half of the Top 10 teams are in the SEC (Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Old Miss). Alabama (4-0) is ranked No. 7 and Florida (4-0) moved up 13 places to No. 8 after beating then-No 4 (now No. 9) Ole Miss, 52-28. 

I don't know if the Gators are finally back or just got lucky yesterday, but the Bulldog's schedule just got a whole lot tougher. With a Week Nine game against No. 8 Florida and road games at No. 7 Alabama and No. 9 Ole Miss this season, any whiners about Georgia playing an easy schedule had better shut up after the Dawgs run that gauntlet.

In all, ten SEC teams are in the Top 25. In addition to the five teams in the Top 10, LSU (3-1) is No. 11, Mississippi State (4-0) is No. 16, Tennessee (3-1) is No. 17, Kentucky (3-1) is No. 24, and Missouri (3-1) is No. 25.  Polls are meaningless beauty contests, etc., but the Big 10 has only six teams in the Top 25, and only two in the Top 10.

Next weekend, No. 8 Florida plays No. 25 Missouri, so at least one SEC team will probably drop out of the Top 25. Also, No. 7 Alabama plays at No. 16 Mississippi State, and depending on the final score, two teams might drop out. 

Despite an interception and 11 incompletions, Georgia's Gunner Stockton still has a QB rating of 209.1 after last weekend, second only to No. 4 Miami's Darian Mensah (228.2). Overall, the Bulldogs lead the FBS in points per game (54.8), but Florida is right behind them at No. 2 with 53.5 points. making that Week Nine matchup all the more ominous. Georgia is tied with four other teams for third in total touchdowns (12). 

Defensively, Georgia is fourth in fewest yards given up per game (232.5), but 18th in points per game (13.3, tied with Texas, incidentally). Next week's opponent, Vanderbilt, has given up 21.8 points per game, 60th in the FBS, but still better than Florida's 22.8 (69th). The Dawgs will romp over the unranked Commodores, but then after that things will get real interesting, with games at No. 7 Alabama (4-0), home against unranked Auburn (3-1),  No. 8 Florida (4-0) here in Atlanta, at No. 9 Ole Miss (3-1), and then No. 25 Missouri (3-1) in Athens. 

In other words, whoever wins the SEC this season will have EARNED it.