Who Needs a Blog Poll: Week Five - All Dak Everything

You have a new Number One this week, and shakeups mainly at the top.

In a field of flawed contenders, the best one seems to reside in Tuscaloosa this week. The kicking game and ball security, things have been strengths this season, let us down somewhat yesterday, even as the defense played wonderfully and the offense was just a killing machine (Sims and Kiffin aren't too bad, are they? Too bad we have no vertical pass...oh, oops). JK Scott isn't going to shank a punt too often, and Griffith's kick was a long one from a bad hash. Don't panic. As for the fumbles, let it be known that the Florida defense, despite getting its tail handed to them, has about half a dozen guys that will play in the NFL, particularly along the defensive line and in the secondary. Scheme and execution went against Florida, not talent.

Oklahoma is going to have far tougher draws than a good, if not mistake-prone, WVU team. Despite his improvements, Trevor Knight probably is not a championship-grade QB. That said, aside from Alabama, this is probably the least-weak of a crowded pack. Florida State is just, well, not particularly great. Passing wasn't the problem, so it's not Winston's absence: the back seven isn't that talented, and at home, against a decent Clemson team, the 'Noles were beneficiaries of poor coaching and execution in a game they were outplayed all night. Oregon, like OU, is also going to run into some issues in conference play. The defense is spectacularly soft (again), and the much-injured offensive line can't fend off a horde of gnats. Stanford's rebuilt defense is going to tee off, despite Mariota's heroics. Texas A&M just continues to destroy patsies. The game in Arkansas this week will be telling as to whether that rebuilt DL is illusory or is actually SEC-West ready. Too bad Arkansas has to play defense (poor piggies.)

O, Hai! Mississippi State- All Dak Everything is apparently good enough to blast the soft interior of LSU. Played light's out, despite the usual weird, frenetic ending Les Miles covets. Time to take these guys seriously. Auburn/Aggie are up next; the SEC-W sorting begins in earnest. Penn State- Solid, if not overwhelming wins over UCF and Rutgers. Looked great against soup cans. That's what you expect from a marginal Top-25 team. Georgia Tech- The Beeeees are going to keep it close, and make every game weird. Given some defensive struggles in the ACC, and a pretty opportunistic defense, this team could make a little noise.

Be Gone! Florida Gators- Remember those mistakes we talked about last week? This ain't Kentucky. I think the Gators can rebound to get 7-8 wins, but that was Top-25 talent on the field and criminally wasted for sixty minutes. Virginia Tech- Scott Loeffler should be fired today, now, perforce, forthwith, ASAP, PDQ. For the second week in a row, nursing a late lead, he puts the ball in the air and killing zero clock. The Hokies defense can't be placed in that many bad positions without breaking. Missouri - Look, I know I called Indiana a Top-25 team in the preseason. Even if that is the case, at home, with that pass rush, and that offense, this was inexcusable. I'm sending you to the kids' table for a week to think about what you've done.

Social Promotion: East Carolina - Ruffin McNeill is coaching his way to a Big Five job at this point; and he'll get one. The offense is NSFW. This may be South Carolina's best pelt of the season. Texas A&M Aggies - After watching the rest of the Top-10, there is not a single one 4-10 that I trust to beat the Aggies, and 1-2 aren't such a certain prospect at this point. Ole Miss: - I mean, I guess?

Held Back: Arizona State - I still like this team a lot. But, with a serious injury at QB, we don't know how the Devils will respond. Dropped until we know a little bit more. FSU - Last night on the Twitters I called the defense "4 NFL-ready linemen, and 7 traffic cones." I stand by that. I also think the OL may be a wee bit overrated. Clemson ate their lunch for 60 minutes. LSU - "Can't spell Les Miles without two 'Ls'" seems to be truer than ever. Corners were soft, soft. Interior had problems, again. Jennings is just a guy. Repeat performances like the first half v. Wisconsin and last night will doom this team to an 8-4 season. Cincinnati - Defense is not inspiring much confidence at this point. Too many shootouts in a league with potent offenses.

On Deck: Missouri Tigers, Pittsburgh Panthers, Arizona Wildcats, Maryland Terrapins, Kansas State Wildcats, Boston College Eagles