The Ross Report Week 2

Soap Box: Two weeks into the 2005 season and it looks like the beauty contest is well under way. Bob Stoops should thank his lucky stars that his loss to TCU and his awful looking win over Tulsa hasn't tarnished his reputation to the point of actually dropping out of the top 25 rankings. Of course when TCU laid an egg vs SMU you had to feel that Oklahoma was going to be hit pretty hard by the voters. Well surprise surprise. They find themselves at 21 in the AP and 17 in the coaches poll.

Subjectively (which is how these polls are managed), I could think of quite a few teams that should be ranked ahead of the Sooners at this point early in the season. Wisconsin has looked strong as well as Minnesota. The jury is still out on Penn State, but they could be back. Utah hasn't been as exciting as last year, but at least they have gotten the job done and so has Oregon. I am sure there are several more I could list, but the point is made. The way Oklahoma has looked the past two weeks should have had them ridden out on a rail in the polls. The polls are supposed to be reserved for the best, not who we wished were best.

This is my biggest pet peeve concerning preseason polls. I along with many of my pollster colleagues prefer to create a level playing field at the beginning of each season. With player turnover each year being so high, even with a lot of returning players, it never really is the same team from year to year. With that in mind why is it so hard to after week ones results begin tabulating or in this case voting based on what you actually have seen.

It is bad when a preseason ranked team can survive sometimes up to 5 weeks before actually falling out of the rankings. I don't know, maybe it is a bit understandable. When voting it would feel foolish admitting that you really screwed up a vote or two. Maybe one's collegiate football savvy may come into question. Dealing with the fear of what a peer group might think of any radical changes week to week in the early part of the season. Could saving face really be more important than getting it right? The worse thing about it is that it can take a really good team those same five weeks before showing up at 23rd in the nation sporting a 5-0 record, behind 10 other teams with one even two losses.

Another problem is how it effects the BCS rankings. Yes the AP dropped the BCS last year after the Rose Bowl voting scandal, but the coaches poll still plays a role, and do not be fooled into thinking this new Harris poll is going to not be influenced by both the AP and coaches poll. The 114 members of the panel of voters do not live in a vacuum. The problem is that they will be voting for the first time September 25th. They have been inundated along with the rest of us with poll information based on a preseason bias through major newspapers not to mention the constant gyrations of ESPN gameday events. How many times does someone need to see or hear the sportscenter mantra "...and number 3 XYZ U came out on fire" before we actually start accepting that number three as being real or legitimate.

The Harris galaxy of stars are just like us in that regard. Why not let them vote from week one results. Sure it might produce some interesting rankings the first few weeks, but that would only add to the quantity of entertaining media bytes fans would get to hear and see during the season. My guess is that there would be greater distribution of votes if it were done that way.

So what to feel about Oklahoma still hanging around the top 25? Well they take a trip to Los Angeles this weekend and play a UCLA team who unlike the Sooners has a QB who has command of his team. Adrian Peterson doesn't have enough gas in the tank to beat the Bruins, and the Sooners will finally find themselves on the outside looking in. Want to bet they loiter around the "receiving votes" crowd another two weeks before bowing out?

Conference Keys:

ACC
(13) Miami (FL) (Conf: 0-1) 3:30pm (20) Clemson (Conf: 1-0) ET
There are two huge games this weekend in the ACC and this is one of them. Having got an early start on conference action, things are already heating up. The Tigers seem to come together and do what it takes to win in a close one. However Friedgens team is very young. Whitehurst is still getting his feet, but is up to the job. The wind however has waned in Miami as the Hurricanes really looked bad vs Florida State. To be fair so did the Seminoles, but the end result is what counts. Clemson is getting stronger by the game, and Miami will struggle on the road. Tigers win this one like they have one the first two, in the final minutes. Clemson by 1

(8) Florida St. (Conf: 1-0) 7:45pm (17) Boston College (Conf: 0-0) ET
The other big ACC matchup could determine who plays in the ACC championship game. Boston has looked professional in their two OOC wins. They have probably the best offensive line in college football today and a first round draft pick at DE in Kiwanuka. FSU was able to work out the kinks in their offense beating up on Citadel, but it took them one half of football to begin clicking. The Seminoles need another game or two to start putting things together. B.C is already there. Eagles win this one by going up early and shutting down Florida State with solid defense. Boston College by 10

Big East
No Conference games this week

Big Ten
No Conference games this week

Big XII
No Conference games this week

CUSA
Houston (Conf: 0-0) 8:00pm UTEP (Conf: 0-0) ET
The only Conference USA matchup this week actually could be tricky for the Miners. Looking to exercise dominance as the big dog of the conference they have to be establish that dominance early. Houston played a tough game vs Oregon, and than beat a Div IAA team in sloppy fashion. UTEP needs to look good beating Houston Saturday, unfortunately for Miner fans, they won't. UTEP by 3

Ind

Michigan St. 2:30pm (10) Notre Dame ET
Michigan State isn't ranked, but they should be. They have looked sharp in their two wins so far this season. However, the Irish have looked even sharper vs. tougher competition. Notre Dame will be playing this one at home, and the buzz is building. Weiss will have his players ready. Irish by 16

MAC
Miami (OH) (Conf: 0-1) 4:00pm Kent St. (Conf: 0-0) ET
The Redhawks have gotten off to a shaky start. They need to shake off the results of the past two weeks and prepare to fight it out if they want to compete with Bowling Green for a shot at the Conference Title. Miami (OH) by 3

MWC
Utah (Conf: 0-0) 7:30pm TCU (Conf: 0-0) ET
This game means so much to the Mountain West. Whether the conference likes it or not, the fortunes of their conference image lay on the shoulders of the Utes. What they do this year will determine just how close they are as a conference to busting the BCS for good. Utah needs to have a great season. Anything more than two losses will unravel all last years breakthrough. The Horned Frogs need this game to unravel the damage they did last week after falling asleep at the wheel vs the Mustangs. My call-Utah win verses a better TCU than met SMU. TCU may have looked like giant killers in Norman, but many forget how much they were hurting last year. Their usually solid defense was no where to be found. This season, Oklahoma is a limited team with one shining star, Utah has more weapons than Oklahoma and will be ready to use them. Utah by 8.

PAC 10
No Conference games this week

SEC
(5) Tennessee (Conf: 0-0) 8:00pm (6) Florida (Conf: 0-0) ET
This game is huge for many reasons. Tennessee wants to prove that their first game jitters vs UAB was nothing more than jitters. Florida has been Jekyl and Hyde in their two wins so far. The scores do not reveal just how many problems still need ironing out. Well this weekend, Urban Meyer gets a chance to really see just how good the Gators are. The Volunteers are not Wyoming and they are definitely not La Tech. Urban finds out the hard way just what it means to play in the SEC. Lights out in the Swamp as Tennessee lights up the Gator defense. Tennessee by 13

Sun Belt
No Conference games this week

WAC
No Conference games this week

Whispers: Word has it that San Diego States Tom Craft is done. The JC Coaching experiment has been a dismal failure. A team loaded with talent that continues to wallowing at the bottom has the Aztec Athletic Department looking hard at their shortlist. Don't be surprised if Tom gets his walking papers before the season really gets hot. Buckeyes loom large this Saturday to add to the misery.

Fandumb: When you talk smack it is understandable that you can go a bit overboard. Understandable, but when you are Pitt fan SexyPantherIII you just have to shake your head:

"Palko will be a first round draft pick, he has all the throws in his arsenal and intangibles. Bobcat game was a fluke. Pitt will be going BCS bowling like last year."

Where do you start? Sorry sexy, but last weeks loss to Ohio was not a fluke. Pittsburgh is bad right now, and 13 for 25 with 3 picks vs a bottom feeding MAC team doesn't impress anyone least of all NFL scouts. Palko will have to show a lot more if he is going to get even a whiff at draft day. Pitt is nowhere near ready to even think about a BCS bowl, and if they play like last year they can expect more lopsided victories by the other team. Wannstedt has much to prove to motivate his hire last year. Many were rather skeptical, and this is not the way to win them over. Sorry Sexy, but Pittsburgh will not go BCS bowling this year. Try and focus like your team on next week instead. Nebraska is waiting, and your Panthers are going to be licking their wounds from an 0-3



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