USC jumps Georgia, Ohio state for #1 spot in NCAA grid poll

In a positive development, USC has been rewarded for not scheduling an overmatched FCS/1-AA opponent in their opening game.  The Associated Press poll released Tuesday ranked USC #1, jumping the previous #1 and #2, Georgia and Ohio State respectively.  Georgia dropped to #2, Ohio State #3.  Oklahoma and Florida rounded out the top 5.  The USA TODAY poll has a top 5 identical to their counterparts at AP.

USC looked nearly unstoppable as they traveled cross country to play the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.  While Georgia beat Georgia Southern and Ohio State handled Youngstown State, USC stomped an ACC team that finished the 2007 season at 9-3.  The Trojans amassed 555 yards and dominated every statistical category on both sides of the ball en route to a 52-7 demolition.   USC will host #3 Ohio State on September 13th.  Not surprisingly, Trojan coach Pete Carroll was low key about the promotion in a statement released to the media:

"We realize that rankings so early in a season are certainly fluid. But rankings do help establish a pecking order for things later in the season. As for moving into the No. 1 spot, it's nice to know that people think highly of our team."

Georgia and Ohio State took their demotion in stride, essentially echoing Carroll’s statement about the early stage of the season.  Georgia faces another overmatched opponent in Central Michigan this weekend before getting their first taste of real competition the following Saturday, when they travel to Columbia’s Williams-Brice Stadium for a grudge match with Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina Gamecocks.

There was only minor disagreement between the two polls to round out the top ten.  The AP had Missouri #6 and LSU #7, while the USA TODAY poll had LSU ranked higher.  West Virginia was #8 in both polls and there’s another “flip flop” ranking and #9 and #10 where the AP had Auburn ranked ahead of Texas, the USA TODAY vice versa.

The AP dropped Clemson, Tennessee, Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech from their rankings.  Clemson dropped to #23 in the USA TODAY poll, which dropped Michigan out of the top 25 (the Wolverines weren’t ranked in the AP preseason top 25).

The “biggest mover” in the poll was Alabama who jumped 11 spots in the AP poll following their upset victory over Clemson.  The Crimson Tide also entered the USA TODAY poll at #17.  Entering the AP poll was South Carolina at #24, UCLA at #23 and a couple of the west coast schools that don’t get ranked based on their “name” every year, Utah at #22 and Fresno State at #21.