Michigan & Big Ten Rankings Review--Week 2--Always About The "W"

The new rankings are out, and there has been quite an upheaval after week 2. Arkansas plummeted out of the Top 25 completely after losing their starting quarterback, and then losing to Louisiana-Monroe. History says it's the second biggest drop next to Appalachian State beating Michigan. Wisconsin is out after losing a tough battle against Oregon St, which then prompted them to fire their offensive coordinator after only 2 games, and Montee Ball probably lost hope of being a Heisman finalist. Nebraska is out after a scorefest with UCLA. And painfully, Oklahoma St is out after losing badly to a RichRod coached Arizona, which after losing Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon, is understandable. So here's more tidbits on the new rankings:

AP Top 25
1) Alabama--The "33rd NFL team" holds onto this distinction for the 2nd straight week, and will be there for more 
2) USC--Even with Barkley throwing for 6 TDs, the defense still allowed 21 points from Syracuse. There are some major concerns for the former "best" team in America
3) LSU--Les Miles and Co. should have taken the 2nd spot after dismantling Washington 41-3
4) Oregon--The way Oregon runs the ball is sickeningly good. Won't be surprised if a Heisman finalist appears from this team. 
5) Oklahoma



5) Florida State
7) Georgia
8) South Carolina
9) West Virginia
10) Michigan State--So now Dantonio and the Spartans claim the highest Big Ten spot. However, with wins over Boise St and CMU, they've hardly played against elite opponents. Perhaps we will find out this week when they play Notre Dame if they truly are the Big Ten's best team.
11) Clemson
12) Ohio State--So now the country is beginning to know what Meyer has in Braxton Miller. A good running QB, with just enough arm to pass the ball securely.  Along with this, there are still some concerns on the defensive side, especially when they face some stiffer competition.
13) Virginia Tech
14) Texas
15) Kansas State--They absolutely destroy the "U" and cement themselves as contenders in the Big 12. Or, is Miami just that bad?
16) TCU --First game of the season for Gary Patterson, and they shutout Grambling St as he becomes TCU's winningest coach. Good for him.
17) Michigan--Michigan moves up two spots this week from No. 19 with a win over Air Force. Hardly seems like a win doesn't it? I love that Robinson put up over 400 yds of offense, but it seemed like he was the only guy carrying the team. If it wasn't for him, who knows where Michigan would be right now. I knew Cody Getz was going to give the defense issues, but not this badly. Good to see a tight end in Devin Funchess come out of the woodwork and contribute. By the way, did you know Michigan is the only one loss team in the Top 25?
18) Florida
19) Louisville
20) Notre Dame--Ah, so Tommy Rees makes the go ahead drive and scores for Notre Dame. Will Everett Golson be the starter again next week? Or will Rees reclaim that spot? 
21) Stanford
22) UCLA--The Bruins get the big jump after defeating Nebraska.  The big question for Michigan and Big Ten fans will be whether UCLA was more responsible for the win, or Nebraska's defense.  They do have something in their quarterback though.
23) Tennessee
24) Arizona--So Rich Rod has his first big win against a decent opponent. First chance he has had to prove something at Arizona and he did a great job.  There will be big questions when Arizona gets to play 5-6 tough Pac 12 opponents, but this is definitely a great start for Rich Rod in Arizona.
25) Brigham Young