| Rank | Team | Record | PTS | 1st | Prev | Chg | Hi/Lo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | 1-0 | 1624 | 64 | 1 | — | 1/1 |
| 2 | Georgia | 1-0 | 1537 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2/5 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 1-0 | 1491 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3/4 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 1-0 | 1397 | 0 | 3 | -1 | 3/4 |
| 5 | Texas A&M | 1-0 | 1334 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5/6 |
| 6 | Clemson | 0-1 | 1239 | 0 | 2 | -4 | 2/6 |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 1-0 | 1197 | 0 | 7 | — | 7/7 |
| 8 | Cincinnati | 1-0 | 1113 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 8/10 |
| 9 | Florida | 1-0 | 1058 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 9/11 |
| 10 | Iowa State | 1-0 | 1057 | 0 | 8 | -2 | 8/10 |
| 11 | Oregon | 1-0 | 920 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 11/12 |
| 12 | Iowa | 1-0 | 914 | 0 | 18 | 6 | 12/18 |
| 13 | Penn State | 1-0 | 872 | 0 | 20 | 7 | 13/20 |
| 14 | Southern California | 1-0 | 828 | 0 | 14 | — | 14/14 |
| 15 | Texas | 1-0 | 653 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 15/19 |
| 16 | UCLA | 2-0 | 538 | 0 | NR | 26 | 16/NR |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 0-1 | 359 | 0 | 15 | -2 | 15/17 |
| 18 | Utah | 1-0 | 294 | 0 | NR | 8 | 18/NR |
| 19 | Coastal Carolina | 1-0 | 289 | 0 | 24 | 5 | 19/24 |
| 20 | Mississippi | 1-0 | 285 | 0 | 25 | 5 | 20/25 |
| 21 | Virginia Tech | 1-0 | 274 | 0 | NR | 19 | 21/NR |
| 22 | North Carolina | 0-1 | 252 | 0 | 9 | -13 | 9/22 |
| 23 | Oklahoma State | 1-0 | 243 | 0 | 22 | -1 | 22/23 |
| 24 | Miami | 0-1 | 186 | 0 | 16 | -8 | 16/24 |
| 25 | Arizona State | 1-0 | 181 | 0 | NR | 3 | 25/NR |
Schools Dropped Out — No. 13 Louisiana State; No. 17 Indiana; No. 21 Washington; No. 23 UL Lafayette.
Others Receiving Votes — Auburn 123; Michigan 99; Louisiana State 95; NC State 81; Liberty 78; Brigham Young 65; Indiana 58; Texas Christian 49; Central Florida 48; Florida State 34; Michigan State 33; Kentucky 28; Pittsburgh 20; UL Lafayette 19; Kansas State 19; Boston College 19; Appalachian State 15; Southern Methodist 14; Rutgers 11; Arkansas 11; Maryland 9; Tennessee 7; Nevada 7; Fresno State 7; Army 7; Tulane 6; Virginia 5; San Jose State 5; Missouri 5; Ball State 5; Marshall 3; UAB 2; Air Force 2; Charlotte 1.
I have been EXTREMELY busy at work, which is why I haven’t joined in on the game-picking contest or posted much here lately. I just want to go against the grain here and say it is probably time to pump the brakes a bit on all the UCLA hype. So far, the Bruins have beaten a glorified HS team in Hawaii, that couldn’t even dominate FCS Portland State a week later, and LSU. LSU was 5-5 last year, and a BAD 5-5 at that. LSU has a bunch of players whose families have just been through a hurricane, and they… Read more »
Rock, Nice to hear from you. As a retired attorney, I know how busy law can be . I think you are misreading this UCLA team. Normally, UCLA fades badly once classes begin. I doubt this team will (it did not last year). Allen made the same point in his post in the this week’s “TDB fantasy league” contest above. The reason that I think this UCLA team is different is the way it is put together. It is centered on the OL and the run game and not the QB and the WRs. UCLA has an excellent OL, an… Read more »
Ah, a recovering attorney! Thanks for your response RJJ. I don’t disagree with a lot of what you’ve said. My main point is that I think USC will improve over the course of the season more than UCLA, so I think this year’s game will be a nail-biter much like last year’s game (although close throughout). I am just seeing too many predictions that UCLA will beat us this year, and I’m not ready to say that. If they do, though, then I hope we have already lost a few games by the time it happens, and we can start… Read more »
Who would have ever thought during the height of the Carroll era that USC would before too long sink back to Paul Hackett-type outfit we are saddled with now. Yes, we’re almost that bad, at least in terms of how the team actually looks when it plays.
History shows it’s all about the HC. When college programs get into a trough, they need a big gun to rectify their stature, and it often works just like magic.
But as you point out, there’s a big chance that Folt/Bohn/Caruso will pick another loser.
Florida State is an example of how a new HC can turn things around quickly.
USC could be turned around to a championship team in two years. Just like Pete Carroll did. John McKay took three. If Urban was our coach now, USC would be in the playoffs every year.
USC is SO fixable. But great leadership is hard to come by.
Rock, Practiced for 45 years, retired about 6 1/2 years ago. I enjoyed when I did it, but do not miss it at all. I retired over a 3 year period. When I was a young lawyer, a doctor client warned me that the most dangerous act a successful doctor, lawyer or accountant can do is to retire. His informal records were that 2 in 3 died in two years. He had just come for burying a head of surgery of a well known San Gabriel Valley Hospital who had retired three months prior to his death to his house… Read more »
Wow, that’s interesting RJJ. I never thought about it like that. We had two partners who retired and then passed within a couple of years — one from an enlarged heart and the other from cancer. I suspect the cancer was the reason the second one retired. I personally think retirement will be very healthy for me and I am certain I will not miss the law, but just getting there is what worries me. I do think the most dangerous years are where you are under this stress with an aging heart. I am hopeful, after I get through… Read more »
As an aside, I predicting they will make a SJW hire, and give the job to Donte. He is a dynamite recruiter and an elite DB coach. I have no idea if he is HC material, but I think we are going to find out. I doubt he can be worse than Clay. And, I think the switch is done at the end of this season.
I have felt the same way for a while now, that no matter what the writing is on the wall and Folty being the sjw she is would make Donte the perfect hire. Qualifications are not important at USC anymore.
Heltonesque. Love it. Volumes spoken from just one word.
@Rock2112 Congrats on sticking with the law for your entire life. That takes some real doing because as you know, “the law is a jealous mistress.” Rock, I admire your ability to deal with the inherent difficulties of an astute legal practice over the long term. It’s not easy being a lawyer, and my hat is off to you! ✌
Ha, thanks Allen! In a way, this is like congratulating life-sentence prisoner for sticking with his cell! But, on a more positive side, I feel lucky right now that I am doing a job that did not get completely nuked by the pandemic. It was pretty frightening in the early going of that when we wondered whether our clients would have any money to pay us, and it felt like we could be wiped out if things got worse. I am TOO busy at the moment, which is a hazard of the job, but things should lighten up by December.… Read more »
As you perceive Rock, it was a great struggle for me to leave the law. I was in my early ’30s when the idea started to take hold. It took me a couple of years of ruminating, and an unforgettable trip to Africa, to get my mind right. When the idea for SuperPrep came to me, I knew I had to try it, or forever feel a coward who died with a good idea, but nothing else under his belt. All the rest is history. I hope your finishing years as a lawyer prove rewarding and happy for you. I’m… Read more »
That’s very nice of you to say, Allen, and it’s mutual! SuperPrep WAS a great idea and well-executed. It’s interesting the directions life takes it. I’m a kind of steady Freddie, and there are times when I wish I wasn’t. But we … Fight On!
Patriots great and college football legend Sam Cunningham dies at 71
Sam Cunningham, who had a legendary college football career and played for the Patriots for a decade, has died at the age of 71.
A bruising, 6-foot-3, 226-pound running back, Cunningham is best remembered for his spectacular performances in college at USC, where he was named Most Valuable Player of the 1973 Rose Bowl for scoring four touchdowns as USC clinched the national championship with a victory over Ohio State.
profootballtalk.com
“Here he comes, Woody.” Loved the hand signal.
For decades it seems very often when watching a game on TV when a team would have trouble running TD’s in from the 1 or 2 yard line the announcers would say they need “Sam the Bam “………………He will be missed R.I.P. Sam !
As you may recall, Sam Cunningham and the Trojans came to Birmingham in 1970. Sam ran like a man possessed. Bama had no answer for him and your Trojans won the game going away. Being a close personal friend with John McKay, Bryant reportedly visited the USC locker room after the game to congratulate Cunningham on his performance, one that several national publications credited with integrating southern sports. Late in Cunningham’s NFL career Bryant received word that Cunningham regretted not having a photograph to commemorate his conversation with Bryant. In response, Bryant sent him the attached photograph. The inscription is difficult to read… Read more »
Here is the picture that goes along with Steveg’s comment.
Be sure to click on the picture below to see an enlarged copy of the photo.
Thanks John.
Love that story. I somehow was able to use that game as a current event presentation at school when I was in 7th grade.
CBS Sports — “It didn’t take long for Stanford to make a quarterback change following a 24-7 blowout loss to Kansas State in Week 1.
“Coach David Shaw announced on Tuesday that sophomore quarterback Tanner McKee will start against USC on Saturday. McKee replaces Jack West, who threw two interceptions in the loss to the Wildcats at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. McKee, meanwhile, completed 15-of-18 passes for 118 yards and the Cardinal’s lone touchdown coming off the bench…”
cbssports.com
Choc Chip Kelly on getting ready for FRESNO ST on Sept. 18: “Next week is an improvement week for us, it’s not a bye week, it’s not an open date, we’re not going to Cabo, taking five days off and then showing back up and getting ready for Fresno.”
Contrast that approach with Clay Helton’s. Helton routinely skips any day of practice that he can. This has been well-documented.
Allen, Neither of us like Chip, but I always thought he was at least a good if not extremely eccentric coach. He is competing for the NC. And, candidly, he is legitimately competing for the NC. He knows and has the kids convinced they must dominate opponents just like AL does (and they have been doing just that). DTR is not much of a QB, but if he can avoid the big mistakes (he made one against LSU instead of his normal 3 to 5) and hit the open receiver, UCLA looks to be the best team out of the… Read more »
To add, yes, Chip is far superior to Clay, but candidly, who isn’t? As you often state, Clay is so incompetent, that he should not be allowed to coach even a Pop Warner team.
Honestly, I’ve always feared deep down that Choc Chip would find his footing at UCLA. Well, the whole bamboo tactic seems to have worked I’m sorry to say.
I’m not worried about USC improving. I think they definitely will, in important ways maybe.
But I am worried about what I already see in this UCLA team. Call me a “lover” of the Bruins if you must. Whatever I’ve got, it inspires real concern about USC beating UCLA this year.
Helton routinely skips practice??? The HC?
Hah. No, of course. Helton lets the team out of practices. Sorry for the confusion. Glad you pointed that out for me!
For the end of week 1 some things are already getting sorted out. Week 2 is such a cupcake week the polls won’t change much unless there are some serious upsets. I am sure Clemson will inch back up slowly. The big game of the week is obviously Iowa vs Iowa State #10 vs #12.
We now have a chase between USC, Oregon, and ucla. This will be fun to watch over the season, to see who is really the best at the end of the season.
From what I’ve seen with my own eyes, both USC and ORE will have to catch up to UCLA. I know everyone wants to discount UCLA’s hammering of LSU as no big deal. Not me. If UCLA had been rated as a top 25 school in the pre-season, both the Ducks and the Trojans would be trailing UCLA now, easily, based on actual on-the-field performance. USC was leading SJS at home only 13-7 at the end of the 3rd Q. Six points. Amazing. UCLA would have been beating SJS by about 28-35 entering the 4th and DTR would have been… Read more »
Early season polls and early performances don’t usually end up predicting the season. Yes, Ucla has had two big victories at home. Of course there are 2 patterns that have been gospel since 2000. SEC teams and Hawaii come to LA to get beaten. Also USC (22-11-1) and Ucla (17-14-1) are two of only three Pac-12 teams that have all time winning records against the SEC. Frankly the Bruins are looking great, but there are lots of games left to play.
As everyone knows here, I enjoy sticking my neck out. I’m into predictions. That’s a big part of the fun of CFB for me.
I’m already predicting UCLA wins the Pac-12. Yuk!
While, as you say, there are lots of games left to play, I’ve never seen any evidence in my lifetime indicating that USC will improve more than UCLA does.
In fact, my history of watching Helton coaching USC to stupendous mediocrity, is that his teams not only start off slowly. They also usually end up finishing very slow too. Isn’t that true?
As I’ve said before and will continue to believe, Clay must have some dirt on USC. I’ve felt strongly the last two years that Bohn could have pulled the trigger getting rid of him as there were at least 2 Alumni Groups who would have donated the buyout price to SC. It’s the only way I can rationalize how such a mediocre incompetent can remain Head Coach. Clay is a classic example of a nice guy who is in way over his head. Harrell hasn’t done much either. His version of the Air Raid produces inconsistent, crappy results. Oh well,… Read more »
UCLA’s win over LSU was impressive but not they haven’t played anyone yet and will get challenged in the Pac-12 play. Yes USC should have played better against SJS but I expect the offense to get things going assuming they can get the offense line playing better and the receiving corp expands beyond Drake London.
TrojanMPA90, Based on what I saw, LSU would have beaten SC by at least 14 points and LSU would probably win the Pac 12 North. UCLA is the real deal this year. They have a solid OL, an AA RB, and a solid (but very difficult) coach. The D is more than adequate, they are deep, highly motivated and well coached. SC has a grease fire of an O, an incompetent HC, an OC who has not yet figured out the run game, a OL that just figured out “who to block” and has yet to master “how to block”… Read more »
A match-up that should be easy for our Athletic Director to make happen ……USC vs CINN (I mean he must know who to talk to at Cinn ) .And I would like it so I could compare the 2 head coaches a little easier . (And to just show how hospitable we can be) >>>>>> Give the Cinn head coach a tour of our facilities .
Just don’t agree with USC this high. Real opposition is going to shut this offense down.
Until I actually see USC’s offense fix its problems, instead of just promising to do so, I totally agree. Good competition always totally stuffs the Trojan run game, at least when it counts, which is all that matters.
I still stick to my pre-season prediction of 6-6.
Utah, Don’t worry, the reckoning is coming. The issue is not IF, but rather WHEN. For example, I would not be shocked if Stanford beats SC this week end. I doubt they will (they looked putrid against KState), but when you are dealing with a Clay coached team, one never knows.
Here is the just-released Week 2 of the AP poll Top 25:
1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Ohio State
4. Oklahoma
5. Texas A&M
6. Clemson
7. Cincinnati
8. Notre Dame (up 1 spot)
9. Iowa State
10. Iowa
11. Penn State
12. Oregon (down 1)
13. Florida
14. USC (up 1)
15. Texas
16. UCLA (up 28, Brett McMurphy ranked the Bruins #9)
17. Coastal Carolina
18. Wisconsin
19. Virginia Tech
20. Ole Miss
21. Utah (up 3)
22. Miami
23. Arizona State (up 2)
24. North Carolina
25. Auburn
Amazing. ND beats FSU in OT and is ranked #7. FSU is now #35. Cruel world.