Devon's Week 2 Ballot Hates the Big XII

August 17, 2011 – | No Comment

Before I begin, I should probably explain why we haven’t posted in a while. Frankly, it’s just been bad timing. I just got back from a study abroad program in Europe, and Charlie is still …

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Devon’s Week 2 Ballot Hates the Big XII

Submitted by Devon on September 28, 20092 Comments

It was a long day for Jacory Harris, but a great one for the VT defense.

It was quite the week for the top teams of the NCAA football landscape: Florida’s Tim Tebow suffered a concussion, Penn State, Miami, Ole Miss, and California all lost, and Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford’s name is linked with the three worst words in sports (after “performance enhancing drugs): Dr. James Andrews. And on top of all that, we’ve had 1 week of conference play, at least in the Big Ten, SEC, Pac-10, and ACC, and we’re starting to make sense as the games pile up. Honestly, the rankings should be starting just about now, and with that in mind, you’ll see very little consistency within my ballot from week to week, especially right now. Apparently I hate the Big XII, so bear that in mind.

1	Alabama	This team just looks more and more impressive every week. Completely shutting down Arkansas’s potent attack? Well done, Tide.
2	Florida	It’s a good thing UF has a bye week to rest Tebow. Even so, October 10^th against LSU will be trouble. And they’ve yet to beat a good team.
3	Texas	They’ve done nothing to show me they’re any better than Florida or Alabama, but are miles ahead of my #4 team…
4	Virginia Tech	Following a beatdown of Miami, and the realization that a close loss to Alabama is nothing to be ashamed of…why the hell not?
5	USC	What boosts USC’s ranking is how good Ohio State has looked since the Trojans beat them. The loss to UW looms, but that was without Barkley.
6	Ohio State	They’ve been, simply, a different team since Week 2. The defense has shut out consecutive opponents, and the run game is picking it up.
7	LSU	That’s two scares against inferior opponents for the Tigers. I’m not terribly impressed with Robert Jefferson, either. Show me something, LSU.
8	Cincinnati	The class of the Big East, Cincy looks like they’re for real. Maybe South Florida doesn’t totally suck, too. That’s great news for a crappy conference.
9	Boise State	The quality of the win against Oregon is changing every week, but even I have trouble believing Boise’s actually a top 10 team.
10	TCU	My new favorite BCS Buster, TCU came through big with a win in Death Valley. It might be a month before another test, though, with BYU.
11	Iowa	The defense was dominant last week, and the near-loss to Northern Iowa is getting more excusable every day.
12	Miami	I hate the U. That said, I really wanted to believe that Jacory Harris and the Canes were a top 10 team. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt, for now, because VT is that good.
13	Oregon	Just DEMOLISHED a former top 10 team in Cal a week after beating Utah. Now that Masoli can throw again, Oregon is a force to be reckoned with.
14	Penn State	After the loss to Iowa, the biggest finger can be pointed right at Daryll Clark. He was putrid. They need to prove something this week against Illinois.
15	Houston	Houston proved they were no flash in the pan, after knocking off a second good Big XII opponent. Unfortunately, they won’t play another good opponent.
16	BYU	I really have no feel for BYU. However, I’m a blatant homer for non-BCS teams, and so I’ll sing their praises. Why the hell not.
17	California	What the hell happened, guys? You look like one of the “best” teams in the country and then you get crushed like that? 55 yards, Jahvid? That’s it?
18	Oklahoma	Dr. James Andrews. That’s all I need to say. Sam Bradford’s season is in some trouble, and that means that the Sooners are, too. Plus, they’ll lose to Miami.
19	Oklahoma State	I’m putting Oklahoma State here because I’m striving for consistency. Teams shouldn’t be below those that they beat. Also, because Kendall Hunter is both hurt and struggling.
20	Georgia	I hate to put Georgia so low, but they need to be behind Oklahoma State. Also, because Arizona State isn’t very good, and they barely squeaked by.
21	Mississippi	No team was more exposed than Ole Miss last week, as they lost to a not-very-good South Carolina team. Also, their best win is against Memphis.
22	Michigan	A scare against Indiana means a drop in the polls. And thank your referines again, because you should’ve lost. First hiccup of the year, though.
23	Georgia Tech	Coming off a brutal loss to Miami, they go and beat a ranked team. Plus, I love the option. Preach on, Paul Johnson.
24	Nebraska	So freaking close to beating Virginia Tech, they’ve looked very impressive in beating absolutely nobody.
25	South Florida	Why the hell not? Beat FSU in FSU, that’s good enough for me. Plus, I felt bad for the Big East. Now it looks like I’m an anti-Big XII homer. Oh well.