Big Ten Power Rankings: Week 7

1. Michigan State- They're still undefeated and they're still rolling. Most well rounded team east of the Mississippi, no joke.

2. Iowa- The defense is pretty damn good and Kirk Ferentz is an amazing coach. Their doors are wide open to the Big Ten Championship with consistent play from a decent offense.

3. Wisconsin- They beat the number 1 team in the country, and lost to my #1 in the Big Ten power rankings. The offense is led by the greatness of the White/Clay combo on offense, and a hard nosed defense.

4. Ohio State- Lost to a tough Wisconsin team, but still in position to win 11 games this season with Pryor and that defense at the helm.

5. Michigan- The defense has not improved all year but that Michigan offense is absolutely dominant, but they need help from the defensive side of the ball. Turnovers will be huge if they want an 8 win season up in Ann Arbor.

6. Illinois- Zook still has this team with some passion, but their talent is still not quite there in order to win the games necessary for eight wins. 6-7 wins is very realistic, though.

7. Purdue- No Robert Marve, no problem as Purdue has gotten back to 4-2 after their open week. This team looks good enough for 6 MAYBE 7 wins right now.

8. Northwestern- With a bye week this week, the Wildcats were able to recoup after their loss to Purdue after joining the Top 25 for the first time this season. 8 wins are a possibility.

9. Penn State- Penn State is not there mentally or physically. The offense is always stagnant and the defense is doing pretty well, but a bowl game would be the best case scenario.

10. Indiana- Good offense, tough schedule, bad defense. 6 wins is possible, but I do not see it happening.

11. Minnesota- Tim Brewster is gone and this team does not have anything to look forward to. 6-6 is the best POSSIBLE case scenario, but we all know that will not happen.

SEC Power Rankings: Week 7

Shortened, but ask me for explanation if need be. This is what I think the power rankings should be.

1. Auburn- Defense still is not there, but still dominant enough to beat any team in the country by 10 points or more. (Any given Saturday). Oh, hey Cam Newton

2. LSU- Did not get up for MSU coming into the Bayou but their toughest test lies @Auburn. Wanted: A quarterback

3. Alabama- Did not look supremely good against Ole Miss, but good enough to win by 13. I still like their chances to go 11-1, but their offense (McElroy) has to perk up

4. Mississippi State- Looked good enough to beat a Florida team that still has enough talent to go around. MSU is 1 win away from BOWL ELIGIBILITY (5-2)

5. South Carolina- Should not have lost to Kentucky. Dumb calls at the end of the game helped the Wildcats big time.

6. Arkansas- Bobby P's offense can still function without Mallett if he can't go next week, but that is a pretty tough loss. The defense was lit up by Newton, but still very solid as a defense.

7. Kentucky- Randall Cobb and Mike Hartline are playing above their heads right now. Cobb is a runner up for the SEC player of the year behind Newton at this point and that Kentucky defense is decent enough to get to a bowl.

8. Georgia- And just like that, Georgia is back in the SEC East division race. It didn't take much against Vanderbilt, though. 43-0 is pretty damn telling.

9. Florida- Offense = Bad. Defense is extremely good but Brantley is NOT the answer Gator fans thought he would be.

10. Mississippi- Looked O.K. against Alabama, but still a long way to go until they can fight for 8 wins again.

11. Tennessee- Tennessee had a bye, but they still looked pretty bad. Alabama will have no mercy. Good luck Vols

12. Vanderbilt- Shut out against Georgia. Lost to Connecticut. But, they did beat Eastern Michigan!

Big 12 Power Rankings: Week 6

1. Nebraska- A supposed trap game against Kansas State was quickly dismissed by Taylor Martinez and company. Nebraska's offerense averaged 25 points per game last year. This year, they are averaging 41.1 points per game. Insane, right? Jared Crick is a great player and I am a big Roy Helu fan at running back as well. This team has everything it takes to go Shipping this January. Just don't get tripped up by a desperate Texas team.

2. Oklahoma- Oklahoma may be considered the best team in the conference by many, but they still have something to show me. They need that killer instinct to throw away opponents that should not be bothering them. (Oh, what's up Utah State?) Landry and Demarco are potent enough, but add the best receiving corps in the Big 12 and you've got a National Title contender. Mark my words though, the day the Sooner defense gives up more than 30 points, they will lose.

3. Missouri- It shouldn't be too suprising that Missouri is undefeated thus far due to their schedule, but I loved their win against Colorado. Although they are still Colorado, Missouri was able to shut them out and pay them back for 20 years of agony. Blain Gabbert is awesome, but the loss of Derrick Washington has to come back to bite them sooner or later.

4. Oklahoma State- Picked by many to be last in the South, Oklahoma State is playing very well right now. Dana Hogerson's offense is playing to perfection. Mike Gundy is looking like a man! The defense has given up over 20 points in 4 of their first 5 games, so their downfall is already being set up for them. For now, though, they are playing well this season.

5. Texas- Two straight losses sucks, but the defense is still there. As long as the defense is able to play the way it does, I still like Texas to win 8 this season. Garrett Gilbert is still going through growing pains and Texas hates running backs....

6. Kansas State- Bill Snyder and family were dealt a tough blow against Nebraska, but don't count KSU out of a 7 win season quite yet. Daniel Thomas is an amazing talent and may be able to win 1 or 2 games by himself against some of these Big 12 defenses. Go Cats!

7. Texas Tech- With their offensive talent, they still have the ability to win every game on their schedule. The loss to Iowa State was very, very poor. The defense looks a bit shaky in the games I saw, and they might only be favored in 3 of their last 7 games. Tuberville needs a moment.

8. Texas A&M- I like the Aggies, I really do. With Jerrod Johnson at quarterback, they are very unstable. He's a solid player, but Johnson throws WAY too many interceptions. The defense will not be able to help this team every game of the season, so turnovers are critical to their success.

9. Baylor- As long as Robert Griffin is present, I like Baylor's chances at a bowl game. Griffin is the key to that first bowl game since 1994. The defense has actually been very good despite your presumptions after looking at the Texas Tech score.

10. Iowa State- The Cyclones looked like world beaters after defeating Texas Tech. Utah quickly brought them back down to earth. Austen Arnaud and his offense does a pretty good job, but the defense is pretty difficult to watch. After losing 4 of 5 top tacklers last year, ISU must win very high scoring games if they want to visit their second consectutive bowl.

11. Colorado- Well, they beat Georgia. That's a good thing for Dan Hawkins, I guess. Colorado has three wins right now, but at this pace, a bowl game may not even be in their thoughts. Their offense is deplorable with the coaches son at the helm (mostly).

12. Kansas- Kansas is just bad news thus far. They lose to North Dakota State, beat a ranked Georgia Tech, but lose to Southern Mississippi. The defense does not look too good at all and a solid running back must be necessary so Kale Pick can continue to develop as a quarterback.

SEC Power Rankings: Week 6

1. Auburn- Auburn continues to win week after week. They went into Lexington and beat a very rebellious Wildcat team. Their defense isn't quite there yet, but I like some of the pieces they have to beat Arkansas next week. LW: 2

2. LSU- LSU is another team that wins even when all the odds are against them. It took a bit of Miles magic against Florida, but they got it done. The athletes on LSU such as Terrance Toliver, Ruben Randle, Patrick Peterson, and even Jordan Jefferson for that matter give the Tigers a chance every Saturday in the SEC. Next stop, the Cowboys of Mcneese State in Tiger Stadium. Yeah LSU, you better be scared. LW: 3

3. South Carolina- Beating the #1 Team in the country is pretty damn awesome, awesome enough to be ranked third in the Power Rankings. South Carolina's offense was extremely balanced with a hint of boiled peanuts (just the way Coach Spurrier likes em'). The defense was solid as hell against the running back duo and Mr. I don't lose-a-lot too. Keep it up Gamers. LW: 5

4. Alabama- Eh, Alabama lost but still is one of the most quality teams in the SEC. I will take Alabama every saturday. Their offense was not as relient on the run as I would have expected against USC, but their defense seemed weak. They better get their ish together as they host Ole Miss at home next week. LW: 1

5. Arkansas- Beating Texas A&M is nice. What's even nicer is the fact that Arkansas has a solid defense to back up a great offensive unit. Holding down a sometimes boisterous Aggie offense is not all that easy. Arkansas @ Auburn will be a BATTLE baby. LW: 6

6. Mississippi State- The Bulldogs are riding a three game winning streak heading into the swamp. I love their offensive prowess this year with the two-quarterback system they have. Tyler Russell is somewhat inconsistent, but when Russell and Reif are on their game, they're able to win games. The defense isn't too shabby either, as I really like the young talent they have on the defensive line. 4 in a row? Don't count them out. LW: 7

7. Mississippi- The Rebels were able to win against the BYE week and prepare for the trip to Tuscaloosa. Spurrier and his Gamecocks gave teams a blueprint to beating Alabama: Don't make mistakes and make that game your best game. Ole Miss' defense isn't too strong this year but Masoli is finally settling down and becoming the leader Nutt wants him to be. LW: 8

8. Florida- When's the last time they lost two in a row, you ask? 2007 as a matter of fact. That team went 9-4 and I believe this team will as well. The young gators will continue to grow as the toughest part of their schedule is behind them. LW: 4

9. Kentucky- Operation: Lose, but lose playing tough, is working for Joker Phillips. The Wildcats have a pretty good offense as Mike Hartline is asserting himself well. Playmakers are scarce, though, and Kentucky will have to take care of business against other bowl potential teams in the SEC if they want to get to last years record. LW: 9

10. Georgia- A win is a win. Georgia won a game that would seem like an afterthought in the preseason. As I said before, Aaron Murray is a star in the making and the defense is improving pretty well. Georgia SHOULD go 2-0 heading into their rivalry game in Jacksonville against Florida. LW: 12

11. Vanderbilt- Vandy already has an SEC win to their name this season and thats where they are likely to stay, unfortunately. Their defense is too weak and their offense is still going through some growing pains. LW: 10

12. Tennessee- Tennessee showed signs of life @LSU but were dead once again while playing Georgia. The defense has absolutely no depth and Matt Simms is NOT the answer to their problems. LW: 11

Big Ten Power Rankings

1. Ohio State- Ohio State nearly got ZOOK’d but Sweatervest realized that he was at a football game later on in the 2^nd half and quickly brought the game out of reach. Terrelle Pryor is PO’d that he isn’t able to utilize his god given talents, but hey, that’s what you get when you commit to the largest, smallest city in the Mid-West. Ohio State’s defense is too dominant to consider TOSU anything but #1 in the Big Ten until a loss comes their way.
2. Iowa- Yes, Iowa has a loss. No, it was not against a conference opponent. Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeye’s loved ruining the lives of Penn State fans across the world as they beat down on Coach Joe Paterno and his band of players exponentially younger than him. Iowa and the Adrian Clayborn defense is too good to be true at this point as they have (aside from Arizona) have allowed 4.25 points per game. Even Ricky Stanzi can’t ruin that statistic.
3. Michigan State- The Dantonio-less Spartans beat a Wisconsin team to improve to 5-0. Despite having no “big name” players on their offense, Kirk Cousins continues to get it done for the East Lansigan’s. The defense it’s pretty damn stout, but that’s not the real reason why this team is 5-0 right now. They just know how to win.
4. Michigan- Denard Robinson. Without Nard-Dog, Michigan would be 3-2 right now. Robinson is the Heisman favorite at this point and deservedly so. The defense of Michigan is as leaky as my faucet (it’s pretty damn leaky) and their secondary isn’t actually a secondary. Many called it before the season; Michigan would have to win shootouts to win at all. No more pounding on the Verines though, they are 5-0 and deserve the high ranking at this point. The Big House better get rowdy for that BIG ONE against little bro.
5. Wisconsin- Scott Tolzien under whelms, but that’s expected from Wisconsin. I never believed they had a chance to win against Sparty once the second half came around. The Badger defense has a few problems but nothing a tune up game against Minnesota can’t fix. John Clay’s Heisman hopes aren’t where they were at the beginning of the season and nor should they be. Minnesota, Ohio State, and at Iowa. Godspeed, Wisconsin.
6. Penn State- Joe Pa and his rowdy (or lack thereof) bunch could only muster three points against a very good Iowa defense. The defense seems fine by me, but Evan Royster a Stephfon Green needs to prove their worth come this Saturday against Illinois.
7. Northwestern- I like Pat Fitzgerald, I really do, but he was lucky with that win against Minnesota. Dan Persa is becoming a very good replacement to an extremely good Mike Kafka this year. Northwestern is a very young team and learning how to win these tight games will only help them in the long run. 5-0 is very good, but I would like to see some more fight out of these Catz...
8. Indiana- the Hoosiers have a very good offensive attack. I learned this while watching the Michigan game. The defense is obviously an issue but Chappell and his gang could win a few games for IU. Getting three other wins looks like a tough road but I believe Lynch and his gang can get there.
9. Illinois- Zook and his bros. actually gave the Fighting faithful some hope against Ohio State, but there are still more steps to be taken. A bowl season may seem like a bit of a stretch with the schedule they have right now but stay Zook’d, Champaign.
10. Purdue- Robert Marve is out for the year, which really sucks. The defense is making some inroads to improvement but I don’t really like a Marve-less offense at this point. Hopefully the open week did them some good schematically because Northwestern is looking to avenge a near embarrassment.
11. Minnesota- Tim Brewster is long gone. He’s a lame duck coach at this point after the Gophers have lost to the likes of South Dakota and Northern Illinois. On top of that, Minnesota arguably has the toughest schedule in the Big Ten this year. The atrocious defense improving may be their only salvation.

SEC Power Rankings

1. Alabama: There isn't a better team in the country right now and I believe Alabama only has three more tests this year until they reach yet another SEC championship. Bama's offense scares every team to death at this point, and their young, talented defense is turning heads as well. Nick Saban is proving his coaching worth to the entire world right now. This week Alabama will face their first of three tests to end the year as they travel to Columbia, South Carolina. After this Saturday, Alabama could be telling their friends, "DUDE THAT WAS SUCH AN EASY TEST." But a test is a test, and easy or hard, we will find out what Alabama has to offer once again.

2. Auburn: Cameron Newton is the best quarterback in the Conference. Without Newton, Auburn would lose either the Mississippi State game or the Clemson game. His poor first halfs are erased by his miraculous second halfs. This team is better with a very good rushing attack that includes Mario Fannin and Mike Dyer AND Onterio McCalebb. With the general turmoil that exists in Baton Rouge with their coaching/offensive situation, Auburn stands as the lone threat to Alabama right now. Nick Fairley is putting on a smokeshow for all to see right now. Can you imagine a 11-0 Auburn team heading into an 11-0 Tuscaloosa bunch? Damn..

3. LSU: Ok, the offense can't score with relative ease and the head coach is a bit off his rocker.. LSU is still 5-0 ladies and gentlemen and their on field talent keep them there. Russell Shepard and Patrick Peterson are two of the best athletes in the S-E-C Conference right now. The LSU defense has been and will always be stout as well. Innocent until proven guilty.. #3 until they are beaten by the Swamp Gators..

4. Florida: The Gators were beaten soundly (I'm being nice) by a better Alabama team. 6 points won't cut it against the reigning National Champion, but anyway, that game is behind us. Florida is still the favorite to win in a very weak East division, but their offense needs to prove they can actually reach the endzone (I know you were in, Trey, but I'm just supersaying here). I still have FLA in the SECCG and you should too... because trusting Mark Richt or Steve Spurrier to trip up Meyer is not too great of an idea.

5. South Carolina: Alabama will face their best defense since Penn State when they travel to play the Gamecocks. South Carolina, though, has problems that span past their defense. Stephen Garcia is not, and probably will never be the answer for such an antsy coach like Coach Spurrier. By the same token, playing Connor Shaw, a true freshman against the undisputed #1 team in the country is not a good idea. (Robert B. spit it out) USC is still 3-1 and deserve to be considered a darkhorse in the SEC East.. nothing more though.

6. Arkansas: Well, Ryan Mallett ruined his chances at a Heisman trophy while putting his Razorbacks in a huge hole in the SEC West. 2 negatives equal a positive? Mallett still has the ability. Class is permanent. I really like the Arkansas defense this year, too. A team who couldn't stop Joe Cox from putting 52 up last year (Shocking, I know) to holding a special Alabama offense to 24 points and 2 turnovers? I really like Arkansas, but that win against Alabama would have them MUCH higher right now.

7. Mississippi State: MSU was outplayed by LSU, but was one play away from beating Auburn back on the 9th. Dan Mullen and his 2-QB system still have a lot to work on but I like the direction they're going in right now. Coming off a monumental (sort of ) win against Alcorn State, MSU has to travel to Houston. The Bulldog defense has had a bulldog like approach this year and is only allowing 16 ppg. Keep on fighting MSU, luck will come back to you soon enough.

8. Mississippi: Things couldn't have started out any more rough for the Rebels this year when they lost to Jacksonville State. To Nutty's credit though, besides a DOH loss to a lesser Vanderbilt team, Mississippi has rebounded very well. Masoli and the offense have been fine, but the defense has been as inconsistent as ever. Defense gets better, and Mississippi could be home to two bowl driven teams.

9. Kentucky
After a 3-0 start to the Joker Phillips (albeit against Larry, Moe, and Curly) hope was held out for the football Wildcats. A trip into Gainesville was hopeful until game time. Then everything started falling apart. After losing in a barn burner to Ole Miss, Kentucky is looking very weak at this point. The defense has not been good.. at all, and Auburn is coming to Lexington.

10. Vanderbilt- Vanderbilt seems to have a one man defense and a decent offense but they lost to a pedestrian Connecticut team last week by 19. Vandy has a long way to go right now.

11. Tennessee- What a horrible way to lose in Baton Rouge. After winning the game, the Vols lost. Even though they looked good against LSU, Tennessee just does not have the depth to play well against that tough SEC schedule.

12. Georgia - Losing to the Zen Master is a weird way to end the 5th week for Mark Richt and Georgia. 4 losses IN A ROW. That's real, real tough and as for a possible SEC East contender? At this point? Fahgettabout it

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