Bankroll Sports Top 25 Rankings As of September 27, 2006

1.  Ohio State – While Ohio State got a scare from Penn State, they showed that their defense is as dominant as it was last year.  With playmakers like Smith, Ginn, Gonzalez and Pittman on offense, the Buckeyes have the balance to be the clear cut #1 team in the country.

2. Auburn – After beating LSU in a defensive battle, the Tigers showed no sign of a let -down against Buffalo, establishing themselves as the #2 team in the country.  Auburn poses a veteran team with a great defense, great run game, and a quarterback that doesn’t turn the ball over.

3.  Southern Cal – While the Trojans offense may not be as dominant as last year, they are showing their defense is much improved.  The Trojans defense has been flat out sensational, and John David Booty and his sensational receivers wreaked havoc on opposing secondaries.

4.  West Virginia – The Mountaineers have one of the most explosive offenses in the country with the 1-2 punch of Steve Slayton and Pat White.  There is no doubt that they can shoot it out with anyone, the only question is whether or not a weak schedule will come back to haunt them.

5.  Michigan – Michigan finally got the Notre Dame monkey off their backs two weeks ago and followed it up with a very impressive win in their Big 10 opener.  The Wolverines have all the tools to run the table, a great receiving core, a Heisman-caliber running-back, and a quarterback with a rocket arm.

6.  Florida – Chris Leak and the Gators are rolling at 2-0 in SEC play.  In Leak’s second year running Urban Meyer’s offense, it seems as though things are starting to click; which could be a very scary thing for defenses around the SEC.

7. Texas – The Texas Longhorns only slip of the season was to the #1 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.  However, as they showed Saturday against Iowa State, this is still a very good team.  As Colt McCoy continues to gain experience, Texas is looking more and more like a BCS team.

8.  Louisville – One thing that the injuries to Louisville’s two Heisman hopefuls have shown us is that they have great depth.  Even without Brian Brohm and Michael Bush in the line-up, the Cardinals continue to roll, racking up another impressive victory over the Kansas State Wildcats.

9.  LSU – The LSU Tigers’ only loss this year was on the road against the #2 team in the country.  LSU had several chances to win that game, but fell 7-3 to the Auburn Tigers.  Even though they lost they proved they are still one of the top caliber teams in the country and their defense is among one of the top few in the nation.

10.  Iowa – Drew Tate and the Iowa Hawkeyes have one of the most dangerous teams in the country.  With a great defense and a veteran quarterback, the last place in the world that the Ohio State Buckeyes want to travel to is Iowa City for a heavy weight bout with the Hawkeyes. 

11.  Georgia – The Georgia Bulldogs avoided upset between the hedges on Saturday.  Colorado, who came into the game as one of the weakest team’s in the nation, was less than a minute away from shocking the Bulldogs until a late touchdown pass ended it.  While freshman Mathew Stafford got yanked from this one, there is no reason to panic in Athens just yet.

12.  Virginia Tech – The Hoakies special teams is at it again.  Virginia Tech blocked another punt, which was recovered for a touchdown, against Cincinnati on Saturday.  If Virginia Tech continues to play consistently and keeps getting big plays from their special teams, they may once again be heading for the ACC Championship Game.

13.  Notre Dame – Notre Dame rallied from 17 down in the 4th quarter to shock Michigan State in front of a sellout crowd in East Lansing.  Brady Quinn put himself back in the Heisman race as he threw five touchdown passes in the winning effort.  However, it was Notre Dame’s defense that came up with the big plays to win them this game, avoiding losing two in a row and falling completely out of the National Championship picture.

14.  Tennessee – The Tennessee Volunteers seemed to have put their 5-6 campaign from a year ago behind them.  The Vols are 3-1, with their only loss being a one point battle to the 6th ranked Florida Gators.  If their defense can continue to roll and Erik Ainge can eliminate the turnovers, they will be apart of the SEC race at the end of the year.

15.  Oregon – While the Oregon Ducks may only be undefeated because of poor officiating, they are still a very good team.  The Ducks have an explosive offense that can score in a flash, as we learned at the end of the Oklahoma game.  Eugene is one of the toughest places in the country to play and will be a nightmare to everyone in the Pac 10.

16. Oklahoma – Oklahoma should probably be a top 10 team if it weren’t for the officiating at the end of the Oregon game.  Adrian Peterson is the best running back in the nation, hands down.  However, one reason the Sooners can’t just blame the officiating is because their defense has been very poor so far this year, giving up big play after big play.

17.   TCU – The TCU Horned Frogs may be flying under the radar, but people who follow them sure know how good they are.  TCU held the Texas Tech Red Raiders without a touchdown just two weeks ago and have one of the most impressive win streaks in the country.  If TCU can keep rolling, they may find themselves with an at-large bid in a BCS bowl.

18.  California – After getting trounced by Tennessee in their opening game, the Cal Bears have been rolling through their schedule.  This past Saturday they took it to the Arizona State Sun Devils, reeling off 35 straight after trailing 7-0.  If Nate Longshore and the offense continue to play the way they have been, Cal will undoubtedly challenge for the Pac 10 Championship. 
19.  Clemson – The Clemson Tigers have one of the most athletic teams in the ACC.  If it weren’t for a special teams blunder against Boston College in overtime, they could still very well be undefeated.  If Will Proctor can continue to lead this offense efficiently, Clemson may be heading to the ACC Championship.

20.  Florida State – Although Florida State is one of the most inconsistent teams in the ACC, they still have a very talented and speedy defense.  If Drew Weatherford or Xavier Lee can lead this offense with any sort of efficiency, the Noles can get this season back on track and compete for a BCS Bowl.

21.  Georgia Tech – After a crushing loss to Notre Dame to start the season, the Yellow Jackets have reeled off three straight impressive wins.  The Jackets’ offense has the best wide-out in the country in Calvin Johnson as well as a very talented defense.  If Reggie Ball can find a way to become consistent, Tech is in for big things.

22. Nebraska – The Cornhuskers only loss of the season came to a very impressive USC team in So’ Cal.  Bill Callahan has revamped this Husker offense into one that can score with the pass as well as the run.  If Zac Taylor continues to play the way he has been, Nebraska will be playing in the Big 12 Championship.

23.  Rutgers – The Scarlet Knights are ranked for the first time since 1976.  Rutgers is 4-0, and although they haven’t been tested yet, this team is in for big things in the Big East.  Running backs Raymell Rice and Brian Leonard have combined for over 700 yards and 11 touchdowns, and this dynamic duo will have Rutgers in a bowl for the second year in a row.

24.  Boise State – Boise State is 4-0, with wins over Oregon State, Wyoming and Hawaii.  Jared Zabransky has thrown for 6 touchdowns and only 1 interception while running a very proficient offense.  If the Broncos continue to roll the way they’ve been, they will be headed to a WAC championship.

25.  Missouri – The Missouri Tigers are 4-0 ranked for the first time since 2004.  And while the Tigers haven’t lost, they also haven’t been tested, winning by double digits in all four of their games.  We will find out much more about the Tigers over the next several weeks as they take on Colorado and travel to Texas Tech and Texas A&M in consecutive weeks

Read our writers' wrapup for week two of the 2006 college football picks season.

Be sure to check out our 2006 conference picks by our staff writers and more information on each team!

Also read about our expert NFL Football picks from the Bankroll Sports Picks team that are second to none!