Hello and welcome to the GMW College Footbal Mid-Week report. This week, we check in on the G-Poll top 10, do a little buying and selling, and take a stab at naming the guy living the best sports-related dream life (other than an athlete). Let’s get going.
Week 6 G-Poll Top Ten
Sorry Auburn and USC, you’ve got to look as strong as your ranking in order to stay there. While there are such things as tough games that you don’t drop for, there are such things as scrapes that are too close for comfort, and for retaining a top G-Poll spot.
1. Ohio State (5-0) – Just look stronger every week. Michigan showdown looks like a lot of fun.
2. Florida (5-0)
3. Michigan (5-0)
4. Auburn (5-0)
5. USC (4-0)
6. West Virginia (4-0)
7. Georgia (5-0)
8. Louisville (4-0)
9. LSU (4-1)
10. Texas (4-1)
Previous G-Polls by week: 4, 5
Buying/Selling
We’ve got enough of the season under our belt to do a little talking, so it’s a good time in the season to decide who you’re buying and who you’re selling, based on performance thus far.
1. Texas – Selling. Yeah, just what you expect from the Aggie. Well, maybe. But in their sole showdown with a team of comparable talent, which was in Austin, they were never seriously a threat to take over and win. Yes, they’ve got a great defense. Heck, that defense plus some good running backs could very well win them the Big 12 South and maybe even the Big 12. OU and Tech figure to be the big tests, and they could fail. The post-Vince drop-off is pretty pronounced. They’re no serious threat to repeat.
2. Auburn – Buying. Sure they just slipped the presitigious G-Poll rankings due to the close one against the other USC. But on the whole this is a good team. They could do what they did a couple of years ago and go undefeated. This time, however, they could be playing for the title.
3. Calvin Johnson – Buying. The WR from Georgia Tech is amazing.
4. Super-Conferences with title games – Selling. This year, at least. The Big 12 and ACC are having pretty weak seasons. Only the SEC is strong. Funny, the ACC was supposed to take off having snagged Miami, Va Tech, and Boston College, to add to powerhouse Florida State, solid teams in Ga Tech and Clemson, and once-upon-a-time up-and-comers NC State and Virginia. Not so this year. As for the Big 12, the North has been weak for a few years now, and with the QB gaps at OU and Texas, the South is lacking too.
5. Ted Ginn Jr. – Buying. The Ohio State WR has played under increased pressure from defenses, a tough position to be in. His numbers have not been as good. But then again, when defenses have to do their best to lock you up, others have a chance to set up and shire. Gonzales (the other Buckeye WR) has taken advantage. He’s been blistering everyone he faces and has had a lot of passes thrown in his direction. And he owes something of his success to the Ted Ginn Jr. problem that opposing defenses are charged with solving on a weekly basis.
Living a Dream Sports Life
My younger brother (he’s a preacher too, in a small Texas town) got a chance to live a dream as a sports fan recently when he was invited to help the local guy in his town call the high school football game on the radio. He did some research during the day, checking out his Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine (for the non-Texan readers, this huge guide comes out every August chock full of background info and predictions from the state’s HS, Juco, college, and pro teams. Every HS level and district is included, even the extra-small 6-man football schools. And the private schools too. Everybody.), and his County’s weekly paper. His wife just bore their first child, a beautiful daughter (Addie Nicole), so he may not make it back in the booth real soon, but he was invited back anytime he could make it.
Got me thinking about who’s got a dream life related to sports, but who isn’t suited up and on the playing surface. For me, the guy who wins this hands-down is Kirk Herbstreit. He is, quite simply, he man. He’s got ESPN Gameday + ABC showcase games, and the Thursday night ESPN game. Not to mention being a huge hero in your alma mater’s town (Columbus, Ohio).
What do you say?
Guy M Williams 
That makes sense. I’m buying Auburn as they move on down my poll!
Seriously, I haven’t got a problem with Auburn going down. I’ve got a problem with you replacing them with a team that scraped by Alabama (Alabama makes Texas A&M look good), and you’ve got Florida ahead of Michigan. I’m beginning to wonder if there might be some computer error in the G-poll.
Yes, I’ll admit dropping them in the poll while buying them in the big picture seems a little odd–may just be odd. The scare with SC wasn’t as impressive a performance as it could have been–thus the drop in the poll. But ultimately I’m betting that Auburn will end up coming out on top in the SEC.
Florida was ahead of Michigan in last week’s g-poll. They both won by 2 TDs against their opponents (not scraping by), unlike AU and USC, so they moved up but didn’t swap positions relative to each other.
Honestly, at this point you could make a case for any order for the teams at #s 2-5. Ohio State has clearly separated itself thus far. But Auburn, USC, Michigan, and Florida, in my opinion are right now duking it out for whose next in line.
This weekend will tell us a lot. Auburn needs to assert itself against Arkansas. Florida and LSU clash. The outcome of that game will be quite telling.
Auburn got upset.
5-1 baby!! Go aggies! :)
(a little too close for comfort, however)