UCLA gets nine votes, Stanford makes jump
The latest AP top-25 poll was released today, and UCLA received nine votes after defeating Texas 34-12, while the Longhorns fell from No. 7 to No. 21, the biggest drop of the week.
Stanford, meanwhile, moved into the top-10 with a resounding win over Notre Dame, 37-14.
Kansas State and Houston each received votes, too, and UCLA's opponents this season are a combined 12-0 against other opponents, 2-2 against the Bruins.
If UCLA handles business against Washington State as expected, and wins at Cal, they have a chance for a top-25 ranking.
Who'da thunk it?
wouldn't that be a shocker...?
Love it.
The only MAJOR problem I see ahead of us is: Cal has the week off and has played a team who embarrassed them using the pistol once this season. Now one might say, if it worked once, it'll work twice. But on the other hand, that means they will have spent 3 WEEKS preparing for the pistol, 1 week for nevada and 2 weeks for us.... YIKES!!!!
At the end of yesterday's game, a couple of my fellow UCLA alumni buddies predicted that we'd break into the top 25 in this new poll, but I told them that the rankings tend to downplay our team and that they lack respect for our program.
UCLA deserves to be in the top 25, but I knew that we wouldn't be in the top 25 this week--even after having walloped Texas and U of Houston in two consecutive weeks.
Yet, other programs which will go unnamed (usc) get a free pass and are often absurdly over ranked. What's good is that I'm starting to see sc fans come to grips with the fact that their team is subpar and some are even showing signs that we can beat them on Dec. 4
Congrats to UCLA for their big win against UT.
I am a USC fan that recently relocated to Austin and the UT fans are still shocked that the Bruins beat them.
I must also give Neuheisel and the coaching staff credit b/c I thought they were over their heads after the Stanford game but they made some major stride. The one thing I am wondering is, if UCLA's current success is based on the fact that they played two teams with very a weak running game or if their opponents took them for granted? I guess the Cal game will determine if UCLA's defense is for real against the run b/c the WSU game will be more of a scrimmage.
Revol, they don't lack respect for our program. We just haven't earned respect. We've played a few great games. Two wins don't make up for the two loses, one of which was an absolute massacre. No way do we belong in the Top 25 yet. Yes teams like USC get overranked, but they've built programs that have earned the right to get the benefit of the doubt year in and out. We haven't earned a thing in years.
Both of our wins are big. But let's not overvalue them. Texas is down this year and has been getting ranked generously all season. That's been said a ton. Houston was a fringe Top 25 team from a non BCS conference.They played two very weak teams to start the season(Texas St and UTEP). CFT commented on the game today and referred to us as a "really bad" team. And to be honest it's not completely wrong. It's easy as fans to get caught up in a few wins. But we really are not THAT good yet.
@Watch Dog: People are in denial that the PAC 10 is probably the best conference in the country.
Bull Crap....
We earned a Top 25 Ranking, but the East Coast and South bias continues. With the 8th toughest schedule in the nation we lost to a team that might have the best running back in college football and another team that looks to be top of the Pac 10 conference material. We then go on to beat two top 25 teams with one of them in last years National Championship game and don't crack the top 25? Gee..how many times over the last 20 years has Notre Dame started out of the top 25 and cracked it with a win or two. Also it was reported that the combined wins by UCLA opponents is 20 wins to 2 losses. Your right we don't belong in the Top 25
The team will need to put up at least 50 on Washington State and have a fairly convincing win at Cal to get ranked. But neither will matter without a win or last-second loss at Oregon. A convincing loss there will knock them right out of the rankings.
And a more important question:
Will UCLA getting a (deserved) ranking keep BruinRob from trolling on Inside USC?
http://www.insidesocal.com/usc/archives/2010/09/quiet-game.html#comments
There's no way UCLA has "earned" a top 25 ranking. The win over Texas was great, the win over Houston was pretty nice, but you don't get in at 2-2 with a 35-0 loss. Having said that, I feel pretty comfortable saying that the bruins are a top 25 team with respect to talent. One or two more wins before a loss - you're in. Congrats on the big win.