A week after defeating an Oregon team ranked in the top 10, the Cardinal put a whooping on another top 10 team. This time, the victim was Southern Cal.

Stanford got off to an early 14-0 lead and had a 21-7 lead at halftime. Southern Cal made some big plays in the third quarter to cut the lead to just 28-21, but, Stanford dominated the final quarter, outscoring the Trojans 27-0 in route to a 55-21 victory.

Stanford has moved in the top 20 and is arguably the hottest team in the nation. Meanwhile, Southern Cal’s quest for an eighth straight 11-win season, BCS Bowl bid and top-four finish is all but over. USC is now 4-3 in conference play and is tied for fifth in the Pac-10. Stanford still has a chance at the Rose Bowl while the Trojans may be relegated to the Emerald Bowl.

The most points ever given up by a Pete Carroll-led USC team came three weeks ago when Oregon lit up the Trojans for 47 points. Then, Stanford scored 55 points at USC Saturday. In other words, this is the worst defense that Carroll has had at USC. By far.

On the flip side, Stanford had scored 106 points in their last two games.

Many feel the Cardinal have the most-balanced offense in the entire country and they showed why on Saturday.

Quarterback Andrew Luck, a redshirt Freshman, was 12-of-22 for 144 yards with 2 TDs and 0 interceptions. Toby Gerhart continued to show that he is an elite player by rushing for 178 yards on 29 carries and scoring three touchdowns.  Gerhart was understandably excited.

“To do that against a storied program, a perennial power, it’s the greatest feeling in the world. It was just will. The offensive line just moved people. We got after them and got downhill, and it was just a good offensive day.”

Stanford rushed for 325 yards and picked up 469 total yards, while holding the Trojans to just 334 total yards. Stanford was also extremely efficient when they needed to be, converting eight of their 11 third down attempts and converting on their only fourth down try.

Stanford has just two games remaining. They play host to California in their annual rivalry game and then head back home to host Notre Dame.

Stanford is currently in a three-way tie for second place in the Pac-10. Unfortunately for the Cardinal, they lost to the two teams they are tied with – Arizona and Oregon State.

The best bet for a Stanford BCS berth would be to have Arizona lose one of their final three games. That very well could happen because the Wildcats host Oregon and then travel to Arizona State and USC. Stanford would love for Arizona to upset Oregon and lose one of their final two games because Stanford also needs Oregon to lose at least one game. The Ducks are currently in first place in the Pac-10 at 6-1.

Oregon State plays Washington State and Oregon on the road in their final two games. Wazzou is maybe the worst of any team in a BCS Conference, so it is unlikely that Beavers will drop that game. That means the Cardinal will need Oregon to defeat their rivals and lose their game this week at Arizona.

To summarize, Arizona has to beat Oregon and then lose to either USC or Arizona State and Oregon has to defeat Oregon State to get Stanford to the Rose Bowl.  It’s a complicated scenario that seems unlikely, but it’s far from impossible.

Is TCU a National Title Contender?

In the highly anticipated MWC matchup between TCU and Utah, the Horned Frogs dominated from start to finish. TCU gained 549 total yards while holding the Utes to just 284 total yards and just 65 yards rushing. The Horned Frogs rushed for 342 yards.

The game seemed like it would be a good one early on but TCU turned a 7-7 tie into a 35-7 blowout in just over six minutes spanning from the end of the first quarter into the second quarter.

Junior Quarterback Andy Dalton is playing great football for the Frogs. He’s completing 63% of his passes (149-of-236), has 2,088 yards and 17 touchdowns with just 4 interceptions. He’s making great decisions and is avoiding mistakes. He’s also rushed for 389 yards and 2 TDs.

TCU’s running game has been outstanding. Dalton has 389 yards and is just the team’s fourth leading rusher. Joseph Turner (622 yards), Ed Wesley (598 yards) and Matthew Tucker (471) make up the three-headed monster at Running Back. The team has rushed for 2,521 yards, is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and has scored 30 touchdowns.

There is a very good argument for TCU.

TCU is the only team in the country to rank in top four in both total offense and total defense, ranking fourth in both categories.

That defense is led by Defensive End Jerry Hughes, who has 49 tackles and 10 sacks. The unit is also extremely well coached by Defensive Coordinator Dick Bumpas and Head Coach Gary Patterson.

TCU has won three key road games. They won at likely ACC Atlantic Division Champion Clemson, at Virginia, and blew out conference rival BYU at Provo.

The Horned Frogs have defeated three teams currently ranked in the top 25 (Clemson, BYU, & Utah). Alabama has defeated just two teams currently ranked in the top 25 (Virginia Tech, LSU) while Florida (LSU) and Texas (Oklahoma State) have defeated just one each.

TCU isn’t just beating these teams either – they are destroying them. Outside of a close, come from behind win in Death Valley against a very talented Clemson team and a scare at Air Force, TCU has won every game by at least 16 points and is winning by an average of 26.3 points per game.

Unfortunately the Frogs need a loss by Texas to make the title game and that doesn’t seem likely. The Horns host Kansas Saturday, play at rival Texas A&M on Thanksgiving and then have 9 days to prepare for the Big 12 Championship against either Nebraska or Kansas State.  The Horns should be a heavy favorite in all three games.

TCU is one of the country’s elite team.

And they probably won’t get the chance to prove it.

FBS Notes

After disappointing losses to Southern Cal and Purdue, Ohio State is going back to the Rose Bowl. The Buckeyes were in third place in the Big 10 just two weeks ago, but after wins against second-place Penn State and first-place Iowa, the Buckeyes clinched the Big 10 title. They conclude their season in the Big House against Michigan Saturday.

Duke’s performance has been one of the stories of the season. It looked like the story would get even better after they took a 10-0 lead against ACC Coastal leader Georgia Tech. Then, the Yellow Jackets scored the game’s last 49 points, winning 49-10. Tech has clinched a spot against either Clemson or Boston College in the ACC Championship and has a week off before finishing the season against rival Georgia on November 28. The Jackets have won 8 in a row and are the BCS’ top ranked one-loss team.

Props to Redshirt Freshman QB E.J. Manuel of Florida State. He stepped in for an injured Christian Ponder and led FSU to their first win against Wake Forest in four years. On the road. He was 15-of-20 (75%) for 220 yards with 1 TD passing and 1 interception. He also had 10 carries for 45 yards and a TD rushing. If Manuel can lead the ‘Noles to a home win against Maryland Saturday, FSU will be bowl-bound after a 2-4 start.

Miami Sophomore QB Jacory Harris has now thrown 16 interceptions after his 4 interception performance against North Carolina on Saturday. Harris looks great at times but his inconsistency has cost the Canes a shot at the ACC title. Then again, without him, it’s unlikely that they would have even been in the ACC race to begin with. The media was way too quick in anointing Harris, but he is still just a true sophomore.  There is plenty of room for improvement but there is also plenty of time for improvement.

LSU is not a top-10 team. LSU nearly lost to Louisiana Tech, coming from behind to win 24-16 last weekend. The Tigers have not had an impressive win all season. Sure, they kept it close with the nation’s top two teams, Florida and Alabama, but a loss is still a loss.  Their best win is also tainted in the eyes of some because of the excessive celebration penalty called on Georgia Wide Receiver A.J. Green after Georgia took a late lead.

Houston Quarterback Case Keenum probably lost his chance at the Heisman Trophy after Houston was upset by Central Florida. Keenum threw for “only” 377 yards and 3 TDs. I would also like to congratulate UCF on their first ever win over a top 25 team. Houston entered the game ranked 15^th.

If Charlie Weis wasn’t done after the loss to Navy, he is now. Notre Dame was defeated by Pittsburgh and Weis is now just 35-25 in five seasons at Notre Dame. He’s just 6-4 against what was considered a fairly weak schedule. And with games left against Connecticut and at red-hot Stanford, it may get even worse for Weis and the Irish.

Performance of the Week:

Toby Gerhart, Running Back, Stanford

Gerhart takes home the honor for the second straight week after rushing for 178 yards on 29 carries and scoring three touchdowns, leading Stanford to a 55-21 blowout win at Southern Cal.

The Heisman Race

We have a little bit of shake-up, but the top 2 remain the same.

1. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Last Week: 19 carries, 149 yards, 2 TDs
Season: 194 carries, 1,297 yards (6.7 yards per carry), 25 receptions, 225 yards, 3 TDs.

2. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Last Week: 23-of-34 for 181 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
Season: 254-of-351 (72.4%), 19 TDs, 9 INTs, 1 TD rushing

3. Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
Last Week: 9 catches, 113 yards, 1 TD, 87-yard punt return TD
Season: 74 receptions, 1,172 yards, 11 TDs, 23 carries, 159 yards, 2 TDs, 1 punt return TD

4. Case Keenum, QB, Houston
Last Week: 33-of-56 for 377 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Season: 358-of-514 (69.7%), 4,194 yards, 31 TDs, 6 INTs, 3 TDs rushing

5. C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson
Last Week: 18 rushes, 97 yards, 1 TD, 3 receptions, 48 yards, 1 TD, 1-of-1, 17 yards, and a TD passing.
Season: 153 carries, 836 yards (5.5 ypc), 6 TDs, 24 receptions, 382 yards, 4 TDs, 1-of-2, 17 yards, 1 TD, 11 punt returns for 191 yards, 1 TD, 16 kickoff returns for 543 yards, 3 TDs, 1,952 all-purpose yards, 15 Total TDs.

Looking in:

Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford
Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
Jordan Shipley, WR, Texas

My Top 25

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. TCU
5. Cincinnati
6. Boise State
7. Georgia Tech
8. Pittsburgh
9. Ohio State
10. Oregon
11. LSU
12. Iowa
13. Penn State
14. Oklahoma State
15. Wisconsin
16. Virginia Tech
17. Stanford
18. Clemson
19. Utah
20. Brigham Young
21. North Carolina
22. Houston
23. Rutgers
24. Oregon State
25. Miami (FL)

Game of the Week

#9 Ohio State @ Michigan

12:00 pm, EST, ABC

The Line: OSU – 12

Michigan came out of the gate strong, starting 4-0. The Buckeyes started the year a disappointing 5-2. Both teams have since gone in difference directions. Michigan is just 1-6 since their 4-0 start and the Buckeyes have won four straight claims and clinch the Big 10 title. Michigan has to win this game in order to become bowl eligible. If they don’t, Rich Rodriguez’s club will be home for the holidays for the second straight season – that won’t make the big wigs and boosters at Michigan happy.

Sure, the game is in the Big House, but I don’t think that matters. The Buckeyes have a better team, plain and simple.

Michigan’s defense is awful. They give up over 400 yards per game and 5.73 yards per play, ranking 89^th in the country.

Ohio State’s defense is one of the nation’s elite. It is an extremely well coached unit and is fifth in the country in total defense. The Buckeyes give up just over 258 yards per game and only 4.08 yards per play.

Michigan’s offense is improved but they still rank just 56^th in the nation. The Wolvers average less yards than they give up at 391.36. They average 5.74 yards per play. They have struggled against good defenses and Ohio State’s defense will easily be the best the Wolverines have seen.

Terrelle Pryor is playing much better as of late so I like the Buckeyes to come away with a comfortable win.

Keep an Eye On…

#11 LSU @ Ole Miss – 3

Ole Miss has been disappointing this season, losing three games after being projected as a top-10 team, but the Rebels have won 4 out of 5 after a 3-2 start and played their most complete game of the season last week against Tennessee. The Rebels dominated the Vols, 42-17. Running Back Dexter McCluster was incredible, rushing for 282 yards on 25 carries with 4 TDs against a Tennessee defense that has been very stout this season.

Both defenses are stout. LSU gives up just under 312 yards per game while the Rebels give up 313 yards per game. Both units are extremely talented and it will likely come down to which offense can make more plays.

LSU’s offense is awful. The Tigers rank 107^th in the country in total offense. They average just 310 yards per game. Ole Miss’ offense has had a lot of trouble with turnovers and inconsistent play from QB Jevon Snead, but they have been a much better unit then the Tigers. They rank 41^st in the nation, gaining 405 yards per game and 5.96 yards per play.

California @ #17 Stanford – 7

If you haven’t seen the balance of their Stanford offense led by Quarterback Andrew Luck and Running Back Toby Gerhart, do yourself a favor and check it out.

We should see some points in the “Big game.” Both defenses have had several lapses but both offenses are capable of scoring points.

It looks like Stanford should come away with the victory, but this is a rivalry game and Cal is a very talented team.

(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger and a contributor at NFL Mocks Subscribe to his RSS feed and add him on Twitter to follow him daily.)

The second the clock hit 00:00 in Alabama’s 24-15 victory over SEC West divison-rival LSU, the showdown was set.

The rematch of last season’s SEC Championship game that college football fans have been waiting for since the season began will be played. The BCS’ top-ranked team, Florida, will take on the second-ranked team, Alabama on December 5.

Of course, each team has to win out, but that seems like a formality. Florida travels to South Carolina before hosting Florida International and rival Florida State to end the season.

Alabama plays on the road, at Mississippi State, but then host Chattanooga and Auburn.

Mississippi State and South Carolina could present some match-up problems for the Tide and the Gators, but it’s hard to see either team losing. The Gators are 16-point favorites, while the Tide have opened up as 13-point favorites.

After each team faces a cupcake, both teams have to battle their in-state rivals, Auburn and Florida State, but neither rival looks to pose much of a threat.

The Tigers came out of the gate hot, starting the season 5-0 with wins over West Virginia and Tennessee. Since that time, the Tigers are just 2-3 with their wins coming at home over Mississippi and Furman. They were blown out at Arkansas and LSU and lost a home contest against Kentucky. Auburn is on a bye the week before they play Alabama, a luxury that the Tide don’t have, but as mentioned above, the Tide face Chattanooga the week before, so it’s likely they will be able to spend some extra time preparing for the Tigers. Alabama defeated Auburn 36-0 last season.

The Gators shouldn’t have a problem in their rivalry game either. Florida State is 4-5 and has arguably the second worst defense of any BCS school in the entire nation (Washington State). Even with Florida’s struggles on offense, no team has any trouble scoring in bunches against the Seminole defense. Their offense was rolling until Quarterback Christian Ponder separated his shoulder in the Seminoles’ loss at Clemson Saturday. Florida State has to turn to Redshirt Freshman E.J. Manuel and although Manuel is very talented, he has thrown just 4 passes in his career. The Gators have defeated their rivals five consecutive times, including a 45-13 victory over the ‘Noles last season.

The two played in the SEC Championship last season when the 2nd ranked Gators beat the top-ranked Tide in a very tight game, 31-20. The two teams were fairly evenly matched last year and that seems to be the case again this season.

Alabama and Florida have arguably the two best defenses in the country. Florida ranks second in total defense, while Alabama is fourth (Texas leads the nation while TCU is third). The Gators give up 4 yards per play while the Tide give up slightly less at 3.9 yards per play (in comparison Texas gives up 3.5 yards per play but has faced lesser competition).

Both teams have had some major struggles on offense. Neither offense has been all that effective and both Quarterbacks have struggled, especially in the red zone. Tim Tebow has just 11 TDs and 1,531 yards through the air and 578 yards on the ground (3.7 ypc) with 9 more TDs. Greg McElroy is completing just over 59% of his passes and has only 1,721 yards.

The good news for both squads is that both QBs have looked much better in recent games (McElroy vs. LSU and Tebow vs. Georgia).

The Gators average 6.58 yards per play on offense while the Tide average 6.06, but do be fair the Gators have an easier schedule than the Tide. Alabama has seen several better defensive clubs than the Gators have.

As we get closer to December, we will have much more coverage of what will most likely be an epic battle for not only the SEC Championship, but a berth in the National Championship game.

So Much for the Ducks

I raved about Oregon after their blowout win over Southern Cal last week here.

So much for that.

Stanford got out to an early 24-7 lead, was up 31-14 at the half and held on for a 51-42 victory over Oregon.

Last week, Oregon’s defense looked like world-beaters, but after USC managed to put just 14 points on Arizona State and the Ducks’ defense was torched by the Cardinal, they look anything but.

Oregon gave up 51 points and 505 total yards on the ground to a very balanced Stanford attack. Stanford had 251 yards passing and 254 yards rushing.

You can’t blame Oregon’s offense. They came to play. They put up 570 yards and 42 points to make a game of it. Jeremiah Masoli had 334 yards and 3 TDs while rushing for 55 yards and a score. LaMichael James had 125 yards and a TD on the ground.

Stanford Head Coach Jim Harbaugh thinks that his Quarterback Andrew Luck is the best Quartberack in the country. I’m not sure about that but, Luck was very good Saturday, completing 12-of-20 passes for 251 yards and 2 TDs. The real story of the game was Stanford Running Back Toby Gerhart.

Gerhart rushed for a school-record 223 yards on 38 carries and had three scores. He now has 1,217 yards on 233 carries (5.2 ypc) and 16 TDs on the season.

Speaking of Oregon, Oregon and the Pac-10 have re-instated Running Back LaGarette Blount.

Everyone remembers Blount for his punch of Boise State defensive end Byron Hout after a poor performance in which he rushed for -5 yards on 8 carries, but in 2008, Blount was a very good back. In fact, Blount rushed for 1,002 yards on just 137 carries in 2008.

LaMichael James has been great for the Ducks, rushing for 1,043 yards this season, but he is rather small (he’s listed at 5’9, 180 lbs.). Blount is a big back at 6’2, 240. He will give the Ducks a power back so they can have a “thunder and lightning” combo.

I thought Blount’s suspension may have been too severe in the first place. I absolutely agree that there is no place for something like that in college football, but a season-long suspension seemed like too much. After all, he was antagonized by Hout and Hout received no public punishment.

Ponder Out For the Season

You have to feel for Florida State Quarterback Christian Ponder. He was having an excellent season for the struggling Seminoles, but suffered broken ribs during the first half of FSU’s win over North Carolina State. He tried to play with those broken ribs against Clemson but was off all game, throwing a career-high 4 interceptions. Ponder separated his shoulder attempting a tackle after his final pick and will now miss the rest of the season. Highly-touted Redshirt Freshman E.J. Manuel will step in and start the Seminoles’ final three games (@ Wake Forest, Maryland, @ Florida). Ponder finished the season completing 68.6% of his passes for 2,717 yards with 14 TDs and 7 interceptions. He also rushed for 2 TDs.

How can Charlie Weis survive this season?

After another home loss to Navy, the Irish dropped to 6-3 on the season. With games still to come at Pittsburgh, home against Connecticut and at Stanford, Notre Dame will more than likely lose another game and have a change to lose all three. Pittsburgh is a 7-point favorite and I’d expect Notre Dame to be a road underdog against Stanford as well.

After one year at Notre Dame, Weis went 9-3 and won the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award. The Irish were defeated by Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl 34-20. In the middle of that second season, Weis was given a huge, 10-year contract extension just five games into his head coaching career. The n his next year, he went 10-3 and the Irish were blown out 41-14 by LSU in the Sugar Bowl.  In 2007, the Irish won just 3 games and followed that up with a 7-6 campaign in 2008.

That makes Weis just 35-24 at Notre Dame and the Irish have just one bowl win (over Hawaii).

In comparison, Ty Willingham was 21-15 at Notre Dame and Bob Davie had a nearly identical record of 35-25.

If the Irish win out, with their schedule, I still find it hard to believe that Weis would keep his job. After all, he has lost two games to Navy after the Irish had previously won 43 games in a row against the Midshipmen.

Iowa’s luck runs out

I don’t think anyone is surprised that Iowa’s run came to end. They had been living on the edge every week, barely eeking out wins over Northern Iowa, Arkansas State, Michigan and Michigan State. They had to block two field goals to defeat Northern Iowa, had to stop a two-point conversion try and a last-effort drive by Michigan and had to score on the game’s final play to beat Michigan State. After the Hawkeye erased a 10-point fourth quarter deficit against Indiana for a 42-24 win, many were beginning to think that Iowa was a team of destiny and with just three games left, maybe they could complete a perfect season.

Once Quarterback Ricky Stanzi went down, hope seemingly went out the window. Iowa had a 10-0 lead before Stanzi was sacked, injured, and fumbled. The fumble was recovered by Marshall Thomas in the end zone for a Northwestern touchdown to cut the lead to 10-7. The Wildcats would score twice more and Iowa couldn’t muster much of anything on offense.

Iowa had a good run, but you can only live on the edge for so long.

Performance of the Week:

Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford
Gerharts rushed for 233 yards on 38 carries and had 2 TDs as Stanford upset Oregon.

The Heisman Race

1. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Last week: 22 carries, 144 yards, 5 receptions, 30 yard
Season: 175 carries, 1,148 yards, 8 TDs, 24 receptions, 216 yards, 3 TDs
2. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
Last week: 33-of-42, 470 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Season: 231-of-317 (72.9%), 2,447 yards, 17 TDs, 9 INTs, 1 TD rushing
3. Case Keenum, QB, Houston
Last week: 40-of-60, 522 yards, 3 TDs
Season: 325-of-458 (71%), 3,815 yards, 28 TD, 5 INT, 3 TDs rushing
4. Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
Last week: 37-of-51, 452 yards, 2 TDS, 1 INT
Season: 209-of-308 (68%), 2,770 yards, 20 TDs, 3 INT, 1 TD rushing
5. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Last week: 15-of-20, 208 yards, 1 TD, 16 carries, 27 yards, 1 TD
Season: 114-of-173 (66%), 1,531 yards, 11 TDs, 4 INT, 155 attempts, 578 yards (3.7 ypc), 9 TD

My Top 25

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Cincinnati
5. TCU
6. Boise State
7. Georgia Tech
8. LSU
9. Pittsburgh
10. Utah
11. Iowa
12. Ohio State
13. Houston
14. Oregon
15. USC
16. Penn State
17. Miami
18. Oklahoma State
19. Arizona
20. Wisconsin
21. Virginia Tech
22. South Florida
23. Clemson
24. Stanford
25. West Virginia

Game of the Week
#11 Iowa @ #12 Ohio State
3:30 PM, ABC
The Line: OSU – 17

Iowa Quarterback Ricky Stanzi doesn’t have very good numbers at all (2186 yards, 56%, 15 TDs, 14 INTs) but he had a knack for making a big play down the stretch. James Vandenberg was awful replacing Stanzi went down with an ankle injury in Iowa’s 17-10 loss to Northwestern. Vandenberg was 9-of-27 for 82 yards and an interception. He also missed a wide open Iowa receiver late in the fourth quarter on a play that could have tied the game.

Iowa has been very ineffective running the ball this season. They have just 1,192 yards in 10 games. That’s just 119 yards per game and only 3.4 yards per carry. Against a top-flight defense like the Buckeyes, I don’t see how Iowa is going to be able to move the ball without Stanzi. Actually, I don’t see how they would be able to score against this well-coached Buckeye defense even if they had Stanzi.

Penn State entered last week’s game averaging just under 31 points per game. They scored 7 against the Buckeyes and their one touchdown came on a controversial 4th-and-one where it looked Daryll Clark’s sneak may have been stopped short. The Lions finished with just 201 total yards

Ohio State, on the other hand, rushed for 190 yards per game and averages 4.7 yards per rush even with a mostly ineffective passing game. Terrelle Pryor was still relatively ineffective last week against Penn State, but he made big plays when he had to (2 TD passes) and managed the game well, avoiding a turnover. The Buckeyes put 228 rushing yards on a very stingy Penn State defense. That’s almost as many total yards as Penn State gave up per game coming in (254).

I’m not sure the Buckeyes will score enough to cover, but I think their defense is going to dominate and the game will never really be in doubt.

What Else to Keep an Eye On

#13 Houston @ Central Florida +5.5
Noon

The Knights hung with Texas for 2.5 quarters before losing 35-3. Case Keenum is coming off back-to-back 500 yard games and Colt McCoy shredded the Knights for 470 yards last week. The Knights do have some talent on their roster, especially on the defensive line. If UCF has Quarterback Brett Hodges and Running Back Brynn Harvey back from apparent injuries, they may be able to give the Cougars a game.

#2 Florida @ South Carolina +16
CBS, 3:30

I thought the Gamecocks’ stingy defense might give them a chance in this game, but they have given up 31 to Tennessee and 33 to Arkansas in the last two weeks. The home crowd may keep South Carolina in the game early, but they just don’t have enough on offense to beat the Gators.

(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger and a contributor at NFL Mocks Subscribe to his RSS feed and add him on Twitter to follow him daily.)

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#	+/-		Team	Comment
1	–		Georgia Bulldogs	I have to rank Georgia as #1, only because they beat Florida last year when Tim Tebow had a bummed shoulder. The battle in Jacksonville between the two SEC East rivals will be great theater.
2	–		Florida Gators	Tim Tebow did everything last season but he won’t have to this year. Chris Rainey is probably going to emerge as a star beside Cornelius Igram and Percy Harvin in the nation’s most potent offense.
3	–		USC Trojans	USC is the program every athletic director in the country wished they had. With Mark Sanchez under center the Trojans are once again loaded with talent and should run through the Pac 10 with ease.
4	–		Ohio State Buckeyes	Back to back national championship games and back to back embarrasing losses to SEC teams once they get there. Don’t even begin to ask me why two SEC teams are ahead of the Buckeyes.
5	–		Oklahoma Sooners	What Sam Bradford did last season was amazing, but he was overshadowed by Tebow’s record breaking year and the fact that OU has struggled in recent BCS games. Expect them to bounce back in a big way this year.
6	–		West Virginia Mountainners	You are reading it here first (gulp)….Noel Devine will be better than Steve Slaton was during his career if he can stay out of trouble in Morgantown. He has all the talent in the world.
7	–		Clemson Tigers	Here’s the team I think could surprise a lot of people this year. They’ve probably got the most talented backfield in all of college football; Cullen Harper, James Davis, and C. J. Spiller.
8	–		Missouri Tigers	Chase Daniel led Missouri to a #1 ranking going into the Big 12 Title game last year. This year their goal is to prove that last season was no fluke. They have the talent to do that very thing.
9	–		Wisconsin Badgers	Is Wisconsin really the nation’s 9th best team? I feel as if there is a small bit of separation between the top eight and the next tier of teams. The Badgers have P. J. Hill and Travis Beckum and they seem like a good place to start.
10	–		Texas Longhorns	I actually like Colt McCoy, although it seems no one outside of Texas does. The big question for the Longhorns is at running back after losing Jamaal Charles to the NFL Draft.
11	–		Auburn Tigers	Kodi Burns will be the starting QB for Auburn, and the Tigers should be very good. The SEC West race appears wide open and should be Auburn’s for the taking.
12	–		LSU Tigers	The first problem in Baton Rouge is trying to find a replacement to Ryan Perrilloux. It appears Harvard transfer Andrew Hatch will fill that spot. With that talented defense it may not matter who starts at QB for the defending national champions.
13	–		Kansas Jayhawks	Were the Jayhawks a fluke last season? I sure hope not. Quarterback Todd Reesing is the real deal when it comes to running the spread offense.
14	–		Texas Tech Red Raiders	I keep talking about how WR Michael Crabtree is a can’t miss prospect. At least I’m not the only one who thinks that way, I actually heard ESPN college football analyst Joe Schad say that Crabtree could catch 30 TD passes this year.
15	–		South Florida Bulls	I am a Matt Grothe fan. The kid has a great arm and understands the game of football. Plus somebody has to challenge West Virginia in the Big East right? Why not the team that actually beat the Mountaineers last season?
16	–		Virginia Tech Hokies	The ACC looks like it is headed for another very down season. Despite losing Brandon Ore by dismissal the Hokies should still be one of the favorites to win the conference.
17	–		BYU Cougars	The next tier of the top 25 seems to be here. BYU has the nation’s longest winning streak and is led by quarterback Max Hall. Their battle against Utah to end their regular season November 22nd could be for a BCS bowl.
18	–		Tennessee Volunteers	The Volunteers are the 5th SEC team already listed here, and yet people ask who the strongest conference is. Last year they made the SEC Championship game after blowout losses to Florida & Alabama, so there’s no telling what to expect.
19	–		Utah Utes	I really think that either BYU or Utah will be playing in a BCS Bowl game at the end of the season. The Utes get both TCU and BYU at home, so they should be favored in both of their tough games.
20	–		Arizona State Sun Devils	Rudy Carpenter and the Sun Devils are out to prove that their amazing turnaround in 2007 was a fluke ( a word I’ve used a lot in this article). They play both USC and Georgia, which means they will be a team to watch.
21	–		Penn State Nittany Lions	I’ve seen Penn State ranked as high as the top ten by some experts’ rankings and as low as completely outside the top 25 in others. I think Maurice Evans will be great, but can they find a succesfful quarterback?
22	–		Michigan State Spartans	Even losing Devin Thomas I think the Spartans can be very good in 2008. If they can win their opener at California and survive games against teams they should beat (ND & IND) then they could get Ohio State at home at 7-0. Think of that OSU fans.
23	–		Fresno State Bulldogs	The last two seasons WAC teams have made BCS Bowl games. This year Pat Hill’s bunch has a tough schedule; Rutgers, UCLA, Wisconsin, & Boise State but if they can somehow manage to escape those four with one loss then they should be in the top 15 when the final polls are released in January.
24	–		Illinois Fighting Illini	Quarterback Juice Williams is very inconsistent but if he can play well all season (which I know he is capable of) then Illinois has a chance to play in the Rose Bowl again.
25	–		Pittsburgh Panthers	LeSean McCoy is one of the nation’s best running backs, but he will have to carry this Panthers offense. Last year he ran for 1,328 yards and 14 TDs.

QB | RB | WR | TE | T | G/C | DT | DE | LB | CB | S | K | P

1. Chris Wells (Ohio State)* Round Projection: Early-Middle 1st Wells has been great at Ohio State and should have another fantastic season for the Buckeyes. Expect him to go in round one unless he just completely falls off the map.

	2. Knowshon Moreno (Georgia)* Round Projection: Middle 1st He’s young and was redshirted as a Freshman so he is illegible here. Not sure if he will leave or not but if he does the NFL scouts will love him. He’s a powerful runner and he’s quick when he gets in the open field.
	3. C. J. Spiller (Clemson) Round Projection: 1st-2nd You’ve got think that one of the two great running backs from Clemson will go high in the draft. Will it be Spiller or James Davis? Right now it looks like Spiller is the better pro prospect.
	4. LeSean McCoy (Pittsburgh)* Round Projection: 2nd-5th A lot of people like McCoy’s chances to make a run at the Heisman this year. He makes good cuts and accelerates quick when he finds the open field.
	5. James Davis (Clemson) Round Projection: 2nd-6th His stock is up and down, it just depends on who you talk to. We will learn more about him, and his teammate C. J. Spiller, during the season.
	6. Jason Ringer (Michigan State) Round Projection: 2nd-6th Another guy all over the map. Most people believe he will go in the first three rounds but this isn’t exactly the strongest batch of running backs I’ve ever seen.
	7. Marion Lucky (Nebraska) Round Projection: 3rd-6th Lucky can move up considerably in this draft if he plays well this season. He’s another player a lot of guys are really high while other guys aren’t high on him.
	8. Arian Foster (Tennessee) Round Projection: 5th-7th Foster ran for 1,159 yards and 12 touchdowns last year which is pretty impressive numbers against the defenses of the SEC.
	9. P. J. Hill (Wisconsin) Round Projection: 5th-7th Hill is a very powerful running back and runs an incredible 4.64 40 yard dash. He’s not very fast though and that will hurt his stock. He will be like Brandon Jacobs in the NFL.
	10. Andre Brown (North Carolina State) Round Projection: 5th-7th Just call this a hunch. He’s recovering from a broken foot but ran well before he broke it last season. I think he will bounce back and be a good NFL running back

Tony Temple RB Missouri – Tony has above average speed, the ability to make people miss, and improved hands out of the backfield. At Mizzou’s pro day the 5-foot-9 210 lb back ran a 4.47 40. Almost everyone projects him to be a 7th round pick. If your a team that needs a backup running back, make Tony your pick.

Stanford Keglar LB Purdue – One of the many Boilermaker players that starred in Indianapolis, he definitely improved his draft stock considerably. The 6-foot-2 239 lb linebacker ran a 4.58 40 at the Combine. At Purdue he totaled 70 tackles last season. Before the Combine he wasn’t supposed to be selected in the draft. Now most project him as a 5th or 6th round pick.

Barry Richardson OT Clemson – My first mock draft I had him in the first round(people called me out rather quickly), but after the combine he is projected to go later. Scouts don’t like his lackadaisical attitude, but he can definitely play. He was selected to the ACC first team, he started all four years at Clemson. He is a very large man standing 6-foot-7 weighing 320 lbs. He could make a nice addition to a power running team. Most project him to be selected in the 6th round.