College football rankings 2012: USC, UCLA in top 25

• 9 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

USA Today Coaches Poll: USC Falls One Spot, UCLA Out Of Top 25

Despite a victory over the California Golden Bears at home on Saturday, the USC Trojans fell a spot in the latest USA Today Coaches' Poll, as the Kansas State Wildcats, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Florida Gators sneak by the Trojans in the poll.

The Wildcats pulled the upset of the weekend, topping the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, and were expected to leap into the top 10, however, the other two teams might not have been expected to jump past the Trojans, who were a steady No. 13 for the second straight week in the AP Poll.

The UCLA Bruins, after losing their first game of the season to Pac-12 rival the Oregon State Beavers, fall out of the ranking after gaining a No. 19 spot in last week's edition of the poll. The Beavers enter the poll for the first time, in at No. 21 after their second victory of the season.

Check out the full poll here.

For more USC coverage, check out Conquest Chronicles. For more UCLA coverage, check out Bruins Nation.

• 9 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

College Football Rankings, Week 5: USC No. 13 In AP Poll, UCLA Out Of Top 25

After a strong showing at home against the California Golden Bears, the USC Trojans remained at No. 13 in the latest Associated Press poll this weekend. The UCLA Bruins fell out of the rankings after a loss to the Oregon State Beavers.

The Trojans had fallen a considerable amount after their upset loss to the Stanford Cardinal last weekend, but remained steady in this week's poll.

The Bruins, on the other hand, were unable to keep their No. 19 position in the AP Poll against the Beavers. Oregon State now finds itself ranked No. 18 in this week's poll after two strong victories against ranked foes to open their season.

The Pac-12 also lands the Oregon Ducks at No. 2 and Stanford at No. 8 while the Arizona Wildcats and Arizona State Sun Devils both received votes.

With a week off, USC will next prepare for the Utah Utes. UCLA readies for a showdown with the Colorado Buffaloes next weekend.

Check out the full poll here.

For more USC coverage, check out Conquest Chronicles. For more UCLA coverage, check out Bruins Nation.

• 9 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

College Football Rankings, Week 4: USC Falls To No. 16, UCLA Checks In At No. 18

In the newest SB Nation College Football BlogPoll Top 25, the USC Trojans fell 13 spots to No. 16, while the UCLA Bruins moved up two spots to No. 18.

The Trojans were upset by the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday. The Bruins dismantled the Houston Cougars, 37-6.

Ninety bloggers from across the country turned in ballots to give more of a fan's perspective of who the top teams in the country are. Not hindered by the need to obsess over one particular team or game, bloggers are professional channel changers and have a more complete idea of where teams stand in the country.

The top five teams in the BlogPoll are the Alabama Crimson Tide, LSU Tigers, Oregon Ducks, Georgia Bulldogs and Florida St. Seminoles. The Crimson Tide received 89 of the 90 first place votes. No. 8 Stanford grabbed the final one.

Results for Week 3

#	School	Points/blog	SD	Delta
1	Alabama Crimson Tide (89)	24.99	0.10	--
2	LSU Tigers	23.31	1.99	--
3	Oregon Ducks	21.27	4.84	1
4	Georgia Bulldogs	19.89	2.28	1
5	Florida St. Seminoles	19.76	4.46	1
6	Oklahoma Sooners	17.29	5.54	1
7	West Virginia Mountaineers	17.08	5.16	2
8	Stanford Cardinal (1)	17.04	3.67	14
9	South Carolina Gamecocks	16.52	3.78	2
10	Clemson Tigers	16.04	3.12	--
11	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	14.19	4.02	7
12	Texas Longhorns	13.63	3.63	3
13	Florida Gators	12.59	4.60	4
14	Kansas St. Wildcats	12.39	3.53	-2
15	Ohio St. Buckeyes	11.81	4.82	-2
16	USC Trojans	10.50	4.94	-13
17	TCU Horned Frogs	8.52	4.33	-1
18	UCLA Bruins	8.08	3.65	2
19	Louisville Cardinals	7.61	3.46	--
20	Arizona Wildcats	6.54	4.55	3
21	Michigan Wolverines	5.54	4.37	--
22	Michigan St. Spartans	4.59	3.28	-14
23	Northwestern Wildcats	2.59	4.73	11
24	Mississippi St. Bulldogs	2.56	3.61	6
25	Ohio Bobcats	1.97	3.70	--
Others Receiving Votes: Nebraska Cornhuskers | Iowa St. Cyclones | Baylor Bears | Oregon St. Beavers | Boise St. Broncos | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | Texas Tech Red Raiders | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Virginia Tech Hokies | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Tennessee Volunteers | Central Florida Knights | Arizona St. Sun Devils | Missouri Tigers | Toledo Rockets | Louisiana Tech Bulldogs | Cincinnati Bearcats | Wisconsin Badgers | N.C. State Wolfpack | Texas A&M Aggies | Vanderbilt Commodores | Purdue Boilermakers | Utah Utes | Arkansas Razorbacks | Utah State Aggies | Middle Tenn. St. Blue Raiders | ULM Warhawks | Miami Hurricanes | Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Updated: Sep 18, 2012 6:00 AM PDT

SB Nation BlogPoll College Football Rankings 2011

For more on the USC Trojans, please check out Conquest Chronicles. UCLA fan? Head over to Bruins Nation. For more on college football in general, make your way over to SB Nation's dedicated college football hub.

• 9 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

AP Poll Top 25 Video Breakdown: USC Falls To No. 13

Dan Rubenstein has broken the new AP Top 25 poll from SB Nation Studios in this video, including the USC Trojans' fall to No. 13 following their 21-14 road loss to the Stanford Cardinal on Thursday. It's a long fall, but it looks like Rubenstein feels it may have been one spot too far of a fall for the Trojans.

After grabbing a 14-7 lead over Stanford early in the second quarter, on a pair of Silas Redd touchdown runs, USC failed to score during the rest of the game and fell victim to the upset. Quarterback Matt Barkley completed less than 50% of his passes, going 20-for-41 for 254 yards and two interceptions in the loss.

On Stanford's side, the win catapulted the Cardinal all the way up to a No. 9 ranking by the writers.

The Trojans move on, temporarily alone in last place in the Pac-12 South division, to host the California Bears (1-2) on Saturday.

For more on the USC Trojans, visit Conquest Chronicles, while Rule Of Tree has more on the Stanford Cardinal. Visit the SB Nation CFB hub for all your college football news.

• 9 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

College Football Rankings: Jerry Palm Has USC No. 2, Projected To Win Out

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports provided quite the fodder for public discussion as the resident BCS guru for CBS still has the USC Trojans ranked No. 2 in his rankings despite the Trojans falling out of the top 10 in both the Associated Press College Football Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll.

Palm's rankings are set up differently than the weekly updated rankings on most websites. His are set up to predict where teams will finish at the end of the season, which doesn't always tie-in with how teams are currently faring. This is how USC could suffer a loss and still be No. 2 in his rankings.

Palm still sees the Trojans running the table the rest of the way, giving them one loss and the opportunity to play join the LSU Tigers as the top two ranked teams at the end of the season. Palm has the consensus No. 1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 5 because it is predicted the Crimson Tide will fall to the Tigers in their regular season matchup. If LSU is the only undefeated team at the end of the season, USC could still sneak into the top two spots due to how early their loss came and who they lost to.

For more on the Trojans, check out Conquest Chronicles.

• 9 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

College Football Rankings: Pac-12 Has 5 Ranked Teams For 2nd Straight Week

The Stanford Cardinal authored a shake up in the college football rankings with their 21-14 upset of the USC Trojans on Saturday night. The Trojans fell from near the top of the polls to the middle of the top 25, while the Pac-12 Conference has five ranked teams for the second consecutive week.

The UCLA Bruins authored a 37-6 win over the Houston Cougars on Saturday night to improve to 3-0 under new head coach Jim Mora. For their efforts the Bruins were rewarded with a rise to No. 19 in both the AP poll and USA Today coaches poll.

Here are the Pac-12 teams in the latest Associated Press top 25 poll:

3) Oregon Ducks (3-0)

9) Stanford (3-0)

13) USC (2-1)

19) UCLA (3-0)

22) Arizona Wildcats (3-0)

The Oregon State Beavers are just on the outside looking in, coming in at No. 26 with 68 points, just 12 points behind Nebraska. The Utah Utes, after their win Saturday night over BYU, received one vote as the 25th best team in the country in the AP poll.

The same five teams show up in the USA Today coaches poll:

3) Oregon (3-0)

11) Stanford (3-0)

12) USC (2-1)

19) UCLA (3-0)

21) Arizona (3-0)

Oregon State checks in at No. 33 in the coaches poll, with Utah at No. 41, the Arizona State Sun Devils at No. 42, and the Washington Huskies at No. 46.

The highlight of next week's Pac-12 schedule a Saturday night battle of ranked teams, as No. 22 Arizona heads to Eugene to battle No. 3 Oregon in a nationally televised game on ESPN. The Trojans return home to host the Cal Bears, while the Bruins host Oregon State in their third consecutive home game.

For more local college football news and notes, be sure to read both Conquest Chronicles and Bruins Nation.

• 9 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

USC No. 12, UCLA No. 19 In USA Today Coaches Poll

The college football rankings were expected to be altered quite a bit following Saturday night's upset of the USC Trojans so it wasn't much of a surprise when the USA Today Coaches Poll revealed its rankings on Sunday morning.

The Trojans fell from No. 3 to No. 12 in the USA Today poll and even that ranking is a bit up in the air considering they ended up just 12 votes ahead of Kansas State. The team that caused USC to fall so far in the rankings -- the Stanford Cardinal -- moved up from No. 16 to 11 in the USA Today Poll.

As far as Los Angeles' other college football team is concerned, the UCLA Bruins moved up four spots from 23 to 19 following their victory over Houston this weekend.

Talk about Woods and Lee with Trojans fans at Conquest Chronicles, talk about how the Cardinal should defend them with Stanford fans at Rule of Tree, and discuss the game in general with Pac-12 fans at Pacific Takes.

• 9 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

2012 BlogPoll, Week 3: USC Trojans Drop A Spot As LSU Leaps Them

The USC Trojans fell to No. 3 in SB Nation's Week 3 BlogPoll despite beating the Syracuse Orange 42-29 on Saturday. It's the second time the Trojans have fallen this season despite having a 2-0 record through two weeks.

In the final preseason reshuffling, USC found itself atop the poll after the LSU Tigers fell following the news that cornerback Tyrann Mathieu was no longer with the team. The Alabama Crimson Tide eventually overtook the Trojans at No. 1 following their dismantling of the then-No. 8 Michigan Wolverines, and now the Tigers have taken the No. 2 spot after leveling the Washington Huskies.

Following the 41-3 victory by LSU over USC's Pac-12 fellows, SB Nation's bloggers became a bit divided in deciding where USC belongs, a fact explained by a standard deviation in votes of 4.41.

Other Pac-12 teams in the poll are as follows: Oregon (No. 4), UCLA (No. 20), Stanford (No. 22) and Arizona (No. 23).

Results after Week 2

#	School	Points/blog	SD	Delta
1	Alabama Crimson Tide (88)	24.90	0.46	--
2	LSU Tigers (2)	22.93	2.33	1
3	USC Trojans (3)	21.93	4.41	-1
4	Oregon Ducks	20.89	4.16	--
5	Georgia Bulldogs	19.16	2.38	3
6	Florida St. Seminoles	17.45	6.06	-1
7	Oklahoma Sooners	17.00	5.38	--
8	Michigan St. Spartans	16.99	2.84	1
9	West Virginia Mountaineers	16.33	4.98	-3
10	Clemson Tigers	15.49	3.49	--
11	South Carolina Gamecocks	14.80	4.78	1
12	Kansas St. Wildcats	12.56	4.05	8
13	Ohio St. Buckeyes (1)	12.48	5.44	1
14	Virginia Tech Hokies	11.99	3.84	2
15	Texas Longhorns	11.01	4.25	3
16	TCU Horned Frogs	7.94	4.78	6
17	Florida Gators	6.77	4.55	10
18	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	6.66	4.71	3
19	Louisville Cardinals	5.98	3.80	4
20	UCLA Bruins	5.90	4.74	21
21	Michigan Wolverines	5.34	4.44	-2
22	Stanford Cardinal	5.07	4.85	3
23	Arizona Wildcats	4.90	4.99	--
24	Tennessee Volunteers	3.97	4.49	--
25	Ohio Bobcats	1.61	3.22	1
Others Receiving Votes: BYU Cougars | Oregon St. Beavers | Baylor Bears | ULM Warhawks | Mississippi St. Bulldogs | Arizona St. Sun Devils |Boise St. Broncos | Nebraska Cornhuskers | Northwestern Wildcats |Utah State Aggies | Arkansas Razorbacks | Iowa St. Cyclones | Wisconsin Badgers | Oklahoma St. Cowboys | Cincinnati Bearcats | Air Force Falcons| South Florida Bulls | Central Florida Knights | Texas Tech Red Raiders |Louisiana Ragin Cajuns | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | Duke Blue Devils | Rice Owls | Middle Tenn. St. Blue Raiders | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Miami Hurricanes | North Carolina Tar Heels | N.C. State Wolfpack
Updated: Sep 11, 2012 10:00 AM EDT

Total Ballots: 94

Explore votes by team | Explore poll ballots by voter

• 9 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

USC Trojans Ranked No. 3 In USA Today Coaches Poll

The USC Trojans fell one spot in the latest USA today coaches poll to No. 3 in the rankings, while a number of other Pac-12 teams made the grade this week as well.

Alabama maintained the No. 1 spot this week, while LSU took over the No. 2 spot, getting just five first place votes compared to the 11 given to USC. The Oregon Ducks are far behind, sitting in the No. 4 spot, while the Stanford Cardinal jumped from No. 21 last week to No. 16 this week after their huge win over Duke.

UCLA and Arizona were both unranked last week, but made a move into the top 25 at No. 23 and No. 25 respectfully.

Here is the complete USA Today coaches poll:

For more discussion and analysis of the USC Trojans, please make your way over to Conquest Chronicles. For more on the Pac-12, head over to Pacific Takes. For more on college football in general, check out SB Nation's dedicated college football hub.

• 9 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

College Football Rankings, Week 3: USC Trojans Ranked No. 2 In AP Poll

The USC Trojans are holding strong in the lastest AP top 25 poll, though they aren't the only L.A. team making the grade as the UCLA Bruins joined the ranks after taking out Nebraska over the weekend.

USC remains No. 2 in the poll this week, receiving eight first place votes compared to 48 for No. 1 Alabama. Pac-12 counterparts Oregon (No. 4), Stanford (No. 21), UCLA (No. 22) and Arizona (No. 25) all made the top 25 this week.

Oregon State and Arizona State both received votes, but did not make the top 25 this week.

Here's the complete list for week 3:

For more on the USC Trojans, please check out Conquest Chronicles. UCLA fan? Head over to Bruins Nation. For more on college football in general, make your way over to SB Nation's dedicated college football hub.

• 9 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

Will USC Trojans Drop Again In AP Poll After Win?

The USC Trojans won their season opener by 39 points last week, but still dropped a spot anyway in the Associated Press poll, from No. 1 to No. 2. After their relatively pedestrian 42-29 win over the Syracuse Orange on Saturday, will they drop again on Sunday?

Here is a look at how the AP top 10 fared on Saturday:

• No. 1 Alabama: beat Western Kentucky 45-0 at home
• No. 2 USC: beat Syracuse 42-29 in a neutral site game
• No. 3 LSU: beat Washington 41-3 at home
• No. 4 Oregon: beat Fresno State 42-25 at home
• No. 5 Oklahoma: beat Florida A&M 69-13 at home
• No. 6 Florida State: beat Savannah State 55-0 at home
• No. 7 Georgia: beat Missouri 41-20 on the road
• No. 8 Arkansas: lost to Louisiana Monroe 34-31 at home
• No. 9 (tied) South Carolina: beat East Carolina 48-10 at home
• No. 9 (tied) West Virginia: idle
  

So the question is, will the LSU Tigers get bonus points for their dominant win at home over Washington? Will it be enough to overtake USC? Here is a look at the first two AP polls of the season.

If in theory the Trojans would lose all 11 first place votes to Alabama, then it would take more than 21 voters to flip USC and LSU. Could it happen? Perhaps, but it's still early in the season, and we need something to talk about.

For more on the Trojans, check out Conquest Chronicles.

• 10 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

College Football Rankings: USC Trojans Move Up To No. 2 In USA Today Coaches Poll

The USC Trojans moved up to No. 2 in the first regular season college football USA Today Coaches' Poll of the season after defeating Hawaii, 49-10, on Saturday.

The Trojans were part of some maneuvering at the top of the poll with former No. 2 Alabama taking over the top spot after dismantling former No. 8 Michigan, 41-14. The LSU Tigers came into Saturday ranked No. 1 in the poll but fell to No. 3 after beating North Texas, 41-14.

The Trojans are now ranked No. 2 in the country in both the AP and Coaches polls.

Alabama received 37 first-place votes with USC (14), LSU (7) and Oregon (1) also receiving votes.

Fellow Pac-12 member, Oregon, moved up to No. 4 in place of the Oklahoma Sooners after the Ducks blew out Arkansas State, 57-34, on Saturday.

The Trojans next game is against Syracuse on September 8 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

For more on the Trojans, check out Conquest Chronicles.

• 10 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

College Football Rankings, Week 1: USC Trojans Drop To No. 2 In AP Poll

The USC Trojans lost their No. 1 ranking to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first Associated Press college football poll of the season, even after defeating Hawaii, 49-10, on Saturday, according to the AP's twitter account.

The reason for the Trojans' drop was Alabama's complete dismantling of former No. 8 Michigan. It was such an overwhelming performance that the Trojans couldn't do anything about how impressed the voters were with an Alabama team that just reloaded after a BCS Championship season.

The Crimson Tide and Trojans were followed by the No. 3 LSU Tigers, No. 4 Oregon Ducks and No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners. The Ducks, also of the Pac-12, leapfrogged the Sooners after the Ducks blew out Arkansas State and the Sooners struggled a bit with UTEP.

The Trojans' next game is against Syracuse on Sept. 8 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

For more on the Trojans, check out Conquest Chronicles.

• 10 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

College Football Rankings: USC Trojans No. 1 In CBS Sports' Pac-12 Ratings

CBSSports.com released their Pac-12 power rankings after three days of gridiron has finally settled down for Week 1.

It's not much of a surprise, but the top-ranked team in the nation is also the top-ranked team in the Pac-12. The USC Trojans begin the season ranked at number one after their 49-10 trouncing of the University of Hawaii Warriors on Saturday.

The full rankings after Week 1:

01. USC Trojans (1-0)
02. Oregon Ducks (1-0)
03. Stanford Cardinal(1-0)
04. Washington Huskies (1-0)
05. Utah Utes (1-0)
06. UCLA Bruins (1-0)
07. Arizona Wildcats (1-0)
08. Arizona State Sun Devils (1-0)
09. Cal Golden Bears (0-1)
10. Washington State Cougars (0-1)
11. Oregon State Beavers (0-0)
12. Colorado Buffaloes (0-1)

Here is what CBSSports.com had to say about the USC Trojans:

Anything UCLA does, USC comes along and does it better. Bruins QB Brett Hundley scores on a 72-yard run on UCLA's first play from scrimmage this season. Quarterback Matt Barkley opens up USC's game against Hawaii with a 75-yard touchdown pass to Marqise Lee. Bruins win by 25, Trojans win by 39. Barkley gets billboards in L.A., Hundley probably has a picture up at a local Denny's.

The Trojans face the Syracuse Orange on Saturday.

To talk everything Trojans football, head over to Conquest Chronicles and join the conversation.

• 10 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

College Football Rankings: Will No. 1 USC Lose AP Poll Top Spot To Alabama?

The Associated Press preseason No. 1 USC Trojans had little trouble dispatching the Hawaii Warriors in their season opener, besting visiting Hawaii 49-10. Despite the convincing victory, come Tuesday's release of the new AP Poll, the Trojans could find that their reign atop the poll was short lived.

The Alabama Crimson Tide, a close second to the Trojans in the preseason edition of the AP Poll, had a resounding victory of their own -- but instead of beating an unranked opponent, the Crimson Tide crushed the No. 8 Michigan Wolverines, a victory that could spell a big boost in voters' ballots.

Alabama sat just 35 points behind the Trojans in the first poll and received eight less first-place votes. But all of that could change come the release of the first regular season edition of the long-standing rankings, as voters are sure to have taken notice of Alabama's primetime thrashing of the Wolverines.

Talk about college football rankings with Alabama fans at Roll Bama Roll, with USC fans at Conquest Chronicles, and stay tuned to this StoryStream for all the latest college football rankings.

• 10 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

2012 BlogPoll: USC Trojans Jump To First As LSU Falls

SB Nation's first BlogPoll of the year accounts for the LSU Tigers' loss of Tyrann Mathieu, and that leapfrogs the USC Trojans into the top spot.

Heading into the first weekend of games, the Tigers dropped to No. 3 in the poll after holding the top spot in this summer's BlogPoll. Now, the Trojans have a very narrow edge on the Alabama Crimson Tide, who sit at 24.01 points per blog. That's just .13 points behind USC.

Other Pac-12 schools appearing in SB Nation's poll are the Oregon Ducks at No. 4 and Stanford Cardinal at No. 21.

Take a peek at the entire BlogPoll greatness below

Check out more on the USC Trojans at Conquest Chronicles.

Results for Week 1

#	School	Points/blog	SD	Delta
1	USC Trojans (32)	24.14	2.26	1
2	Alabama Crimson Tide (23)	24.01	2.49	1
3	LSU Tigers (15)	23.70	2.42	-2
4	Oregon Ducks (1)	21.63	1.50	--
5	Oklahoma Sooners	21.27	2.84	--
6	Florida St. Seminoles	18.52	1.98	2
7	Georgia Bulldogs	17.76	2.99	-1
8	Michigan Wolverines	16.25	2.80	-1
9	South Carolina Gamecocks	15.80	3.63	--
10	Wisconsin Badgers	15.68	2.91	2
11	West Virginia Mountaineers	15.32	2.68	--
12	Arkansas Razorbacks	14.56	4.11	-2
13	Michigan St. Spartans	13.59	3.49	--
14	Clemson Tigers	10.87	4.04	2
15	Virginia Tech Hokies	10.07	4.23	2
16	Texas Longhorns (1)	8.48	4.66	5
17	Nebraska Cornhuskers	8.38	3.29	1
18	Ohio St. Buckeyes	7.25	5.64	2
19	Oklahoma St. Cowboys	6.93	4.14	4
20	TCU Horned Frogs	6.87	4.64	-6
21	Stanford Cardinal	6.10	3.98	-2
22	Kansas St. Wildcats	5.30	4.28	-7
23	Boise St. Broncos	4.08	3.81	-1
24	Florida Gators	3.08	3.44	2
25	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	1.85	3.24	-1
Others Receiving Votes: Louisville Cardinals | Utah Utes | Washington Huskies | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | Auburn Tigers | Texas A&M Aggies | South Florida Bulls | North Carolina Tar Heels | Fla. International Golden Panthers | San Jose St. Spartans | Arizona Wildcats | Central Florida Knights | Florida Atlantic Owls | ULM Warhawks | Eastern Michigan Eagles | Hawaii Warriors | California Golden Bears | N.C. State Wolfpack |Missouri Tigers | UAB Blazers | Mississippi Rebels | Illinois Fighting Illini |BYU Cougars | Ohio Bobcats | Central Michigan Chippewas | Washington St. Cougars | Iowa Hawkeyes | Southern Miss. Golden Eagles | Baylor Bears | Tennessee Volunteers | San Diego St. Aztecs | Cincinnati Bearcats | Louisiana Ragin Cajuns | Nevada Wolf Pack | Houston Cougars |New Mexico St. Aggies | Rutgers Scarlet Knights | Louisiana Tech Bulldogs | New Mexico Lobos | Vanderbilt Commodores | Virginia Cavaliers | Dixie State Rebels | Northern Illinois Huskies | Duke Blue Devils | Ball St. Cardinals
Updated: Aug 28, 2012 10:00 AM EDT

Total Ballots: 71

Explore votes by team | Explore poll ballots by voter

• 10 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

College Football Rankings: USC Trojans No. 1 In Preseason Football Writers Poll

Another preseason college football poll, another No. 1 ranking for the USC Trojans.

The Football Writers Association of America released its annual Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll Monday, and USC is the team predicted to win the national championship in 2012.

USC received 261 poll points and nine first-place votes from members of an organization that boasts more than 1,300 people who cover college football for a living.

Louisiana State received four first-place votes and 247 total points, with Alabama and Oklahoma ranking third and fourth. Oregon, which did not receive a first-place vote, was fifth with 194 points.

USC and Oregon are the only Pac-12 teams in the Super 16 poll. Following the conclusion of the BCS National Championship game, the FWAA will present the Grantland Rice Trophy to its selected national champion.

USC has already been voted as the Associated Press No. 1 team in the nation going into the season.

For more on USC football, head on over to Conquest Chronicles. You can also check out everything we have to offer at SB Nation's college football hub.

• 10 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

College Football Rankings: USC Trojans No. 1 In AP Preseason Poll

The USC Trojans earned the top ranking in the AP Top 25 Preseason poll, benefitting from LSU's loss of Tyrann Mathieu. This is the seventh time the school has been ranked No. 1 in the AP Preseason poll, but the first time in five years.

The 2012 BCS Champion Alabama Crimson Tide came in at No. 2, with the BCS runners-up LSU Tigers at No. 3.

USC recieved 25 first place votes, eight more than second-place Alabama. The No. 1 ranking is an improvement from the Trojans' standing in the 2012 Coaches' poll, where they were ranked No. 3, as well as SB Nation's Blogpoll, where they received the No. 2 slot. (An updated, post-Mathieu Blogpoll is due out soon.)

The ranking is a significant accomplishment for a team just two years afer being hit with NCAA Sanctions, something noted by coach Lane Kiffin in comments to the AP:

"To be handed down what they said could be a death penalty, could take USC 10 years to come back from, then to have this recognition and be preseason No. 1 is very exciting for our fans because a lot people thought two years ago that this would not be possible for USC."

Others Receiving Votes: Notre Dame 83, Washington 55, Auburn 53, North Carolina 32, Utah 30, Georgia Tech 25, BYU 22, Tennessee 15, South Florida 11, Baylor 9, Texas A&M 5, UCF 4, Cincinnati 3, Missouri 3, N.C. State 3, Houston 1, Louisiana Tech 1, Mississippi St. 1, N. Illinois 1.

Stick with this StoryStream for more on the USC Trojans football. For all things USC, head over to Conquest Chronicles. And don't miss the USC season preview from SB Nation Studios:

• 10 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

2012 College Football Rankings: Will USC Be No. 1 In The AP Preseason Poll?

The 2012 Associated Press preseason top 25 poll will be released Saturday morning and the USC Trojans are one of three teams in contention to begin the season ranked No. 1.

USC, along with LSU and Alabama, are the favorites heading into the 2012 season. The Trojans checked in at No. 3 in the initial coaches' poll, with LSU taking the top spot. USC collected 19 first place votes in that poll, the second most behind Alabama's 20.

A number of media outlets have ranked USC as the No. 2 team heading into 2012, including Sports Illustrated, CBS Sports and SB Nation's BlogPoll.

If USC does not claim the top spot in the preseason AP poll, depth concerns are likely to be the cause. While LSU has been atop the board in several offseason rankings, their recent loss of Heisman Trophy candidate Tyrann Mathieu could cause them to slide a bit.

The 2012 AP preseason top 25 will be released Saturday at 7:00 a.m. PT.

For more on USC football, head on over to Conquest Chronicles. You can also check out everything we have to offer at SB Nation's college football hub.

• 10 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

College Football Rankings: USC Trojans Ranked No. 2 By Sports Illustrated

The USC Trojans are one among a handful of preseason national championship contenders, which means they'll be on top of every rankings. Matt Barkley will likely be the first reason cited as why the Trojans can win the BCS title game this year, and other reasons like Silas Redd, Curtis McNeal, Robert Woods and Marqise Lee wouldn't be too far behind. There's a lot of talent on offense and a good offensive line to boot. We haven't even gotten to one of the most talented defense in the country that peaked at the right time come the end of last November.

Andrew Lawrence has the writeup for USC at Sports Illustrated. The excerpt in the poll is below.

Much of what made last year's USC team successful remains unchanged. Quarterback Matt Barkley, who bypassed going to the NFL because, he said, USC "has some unfinished business to attend to," is under center for the fourth straight season and is a Heisman Trophy favorite. Behind him in the backfield are two 1,000-yard running backs (senior Curtis McNeal and Penn State transfer Silas Redd), and to Barkley's left and right are a pair of 1,000-yard receivers (junior Robert Woods and sophomore Marqise Lee). On the other side of the ball, senior All-America safety T.J. McDonald -- another Trojan who delayed going to the pros -- is among six lettermen returning to the defense.

Click here for the full preview of USC at Sports Illustrated.

For more on USC football, head on over to Conquest Chronicles. You can also check out everything we have to offer at SB Nation's college football hub.

• 10 months ago
• Update
• 0 comments

1. Link
2. Facebook
3. Twitter

USC Football: CBS Sports Ranks Trojans At Preseason No. 2

CBS Sports' Jerry Palm predicts an LSU-USC national championship game and has USC no. 2 in his preseason college football rankings.

Palm lauds the Trojans top 22 but is worried that their lack of depth at key spots could be their undoing if injuries were to mount up. It's amazing enough that the Trojans are even in the discussion for a national title with only 75 scholarships instead of 85 due to NCAA sanctions.

Palm is aware that having Heisman favorite Matt Barkley return for his senior season is a major reason that the Trojans are ranked this high. 3,528 yards with 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions will make people fawn over you just a little bit.

Palm lists sophomore linebacker Lamar Dawson as the Trojans potential breakout star and freshman Nelson Agholor as the newcomer to watch.

"Right now, we kind of feel like we're in a perfect storm with so many good things going," coach Lane Kiffin said at Pac-12 media day.

Just steer clear of any signs of rain.

For more on the Trojans, check out Conquest Chronicles.