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03/15/2010 -
Durham, N.C., 29-5.
Nickname: Blue Devils. Coach: Mike Krzyzewski.
Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: ACC champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 1.
Tournament Record: 88-30, 33 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (78.4); Jon Scheyer 18.7; Kyle Singler 17.5; Nolam Smith 17.4.
Rebounds: Team (39.3); Brian Zoubek 7.3; Kyle Singler 7.0; Miles Plumlee 5.0; Lance Thomas 4.9.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.1/11.1); Jon Scheyer 5.1/1.7; Nolan Smith 2.9/1.8; Kyle Singler 2.4/1.9.
3-pointers: Team (.385); Jon Scheyer 94; Kyle Singler 71; Nolan Smith 49; Andre Dawkins 34.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: The Blue Devils were the top seed in the ACC tournament for the first time since 2006, when J.J. Redick was the star. After a brief lull, it appears Duke is back on track. Krzyzewski's boys went 17-0 at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season, setting a school record for home wins.
Arkansas-Pine BluffPine Bluff, Ark., 17-15.
Nickname: Golden Lions. Coach: George Ivory.
Conference: Southwestern Athletic. Bid: SWAC champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 16 (opening round).
Tournament Record: First Year. Last appearance: First year.
Scoring: Team (64.9); Terrance Calvin 10.6; Savalance Townsend 10.4; Lebaron Weathers 10.1; Tavaris Washington 9.4.
Rebounds: Team (38.2); Lebaron Weathers 6.8; Terrance Calvin 5.2; Tavaris Washington 4.6; George Davis 4.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.5/17.1); Terrance Calvin 4.1/3.2; Savalance Townsend 1.9/2.4; Tavaris Washington 1.9/2.5.
3-pointers: Team (.306); Savalance Townsend 30; Alle Smith 29; Lebaron Weathers 27.
Last Ten: 9-1.
The Skinny: Started the season 0-11 with a brutal non-conference schedule. Some of those losses were to UTEP, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, Missouri and Kansas State. The Lions went 14-4 in the conference and won three more to win the conference tournament.
WinthropRock Hill, S.C., 19-13.
Nickname: Eagles. Coach: Randy Peele.
Conference: Big South. Bid: Big South champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 16 (opening round).
Tournament Record: 1-8, 8 years. Last appearance: 2008.
Scoring: Team (62.4); Reggie Middleton 10.3; Matt Morgan 9.6; Mantoris Robinson 8.2.
Rebounds: Team (38.8); Andy Buechert 6.5; Mantoris Robinson 6.2; Charles Corbin 5.2; Matt Morgan 4.6.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (10.7/12.3); Reggie Middleton 2.9/2.0; Andre Jones 1.8/1.5.
3-pointers: Team (.255); Reggie Middleton 30; Mantoris Robinson 21; Robbie Dreher 21.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: Winthrop upset Coastal Carolina in the championship game, providing some vindication for Peele. He took over when Greg Marshall bolted for Wichita State, and a couple lean years had folks in South Carolina wondering whether he was right for the job. What do they think now?
---California
Berkeley, 23-10.
Nickname: Golden Bears. Coach: Mike Montgomery.
Conference: Pac-10. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 8.
Tournament Record: 18-15, 15 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (78.0); Jerome Randle 18.7; Patrick Christopher 16.0; Theo Robertson 14.1; Jamal Boykin 12.0.
Rebounds: Team (35.8); Jamal Boykin 6.7; Patrick Christopher 5.4; Theo Robertson 4.7; Omondi Amoke 4.6.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.5/12.0); Jerome Randle 4.5/3.5; Jorge Gurierrez 2.7/1.4; Theo Robertson 2.3/2.0; Patrick Christopher 2.1/1.5.
3-pointers: Team (.373); Jerome Randle 88; Patrick Christopher 55; Theo Robertson 44.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: Cal is hoping that rough start to the season has been forgotten, along with how weak the Pac-10 was this season. The Golden Bears finished the season strong and guys like Randle and Christopher and give opposing coaches headaches.
LouisvilleLouisville, Ky., 20-12.
Nickname: Cardinals. Coach: Rick Pitino.
Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 9.
Tournament Record: 60-37, 35 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (76.3); Samardo Samuels 15.3; Edgar Sosa 13.3; Jerry Smith 8.4.
Rebounds: Team (36.9); Samardo Samuels 7.0; Jared Swopshire 6.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.6/13.7); Edgar Sosa 4.5/2.7; Preston Knowles 2.4/1.4.
3-pointers: Team (.339); Edgar Sosa 66; Reginald Delk 42; Preston Knowles 37; Jerry Smith 32.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: The Cardinals nearly went from a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament to missing it altogether, but a late run that included a Freedom Hall-closing victory against then-No. 1 Syracuse saved them. That loss in their first game of the Big East tournament shouldn't be discounted.
---Texas A&M
College Station, 23-9.
Nickname: Aggies. Coach: Mark Turgeon.
Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 5.
Tournament Record: 8-11, 10 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (71.8); Donald Sloan 18.2; Derrick Roland 10.5; Ryan Davis 9.5; B.J. Holmes 9.3; David Loubeau 9.0.
Rebounds: Team (36.5); Bryan Davis 7.9; David Loubeau 4.6.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.2/12.3); Dash Harris 3.3/1.7; Donald Sloan 2.0/2.6.
3-pointers: Team (.333); B.J. Holmes 57; Donald Sloan 45.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: The Aggies are making their fifth straight NCAA tournament appearance, a run that is even more remarkable considering it had never before played in consecutive tournaments. Sloan may be one of the best players in the country that nobody knows anything about.
Utah StateLogan, 27-7.
Nickname: Aggies. Coach: Stew Morrill.
Conference: Western Athletic. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 12.
Tournament Record: 6-20, 18 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (73.7); Tai Wesley 13.6; Jared Quayle 12.5; Nate Bendall 10.4.
Rebounds: Team (35.5); Tai Wesley 6.6; Jared Quayle 6.3; Nate Bendall 5.4; Brady Jardine 4.6; Tyler Newbold 4.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.9/10.3); Jared Quayle 4.2/1.6; Tai Wesley 3.4/1.7; Tyler Newbold 3.0/0.9; Pooh Williams 2.3/1.0.
3-pointers: Team (.419); Jared Quayle 68; Tyler Newbold 57; Brian Green 52; Pooh Williams 36.
Last Ten: 9-1.
The Skinny: Quick, name the three teams that have 23 or more wins in 11 straight seasons. Give up? How about Kansas, Gonzaga and Utah State. In fact, the Aggies have averaged more than 25 wins per year over that run, though few expected it to continue after a modest 6-4 start to this season.
---Purdue
West Lafayette, Ind., 27.5.
Nickname: Boilermakers. Coach: Matt Painter.
Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 4.
Tournament Record: 31-23, 23 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (71.1); E'Twaun Moore 16.6; Robbie Hummel 15.7 (injured); JaJuan Johnson 15.2.
Rebounds: Team (33.3); JaJuan Johnson 7.1; Robbie Hummel 6.9 (injured); E'Twaun Moore 3.7.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.0/10.9); E'Twaun Moore 2.7/2.2; Chris Kramer 2.3/1.3; Robbie Hummel 2.1/1.0 (injured).
3-pointers: Team (.319); E'Twaun Moore 48; Robbie Hummel 43 (injured); Keton Grant 27.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: Everybody knows that the Boilermakers miss Hummell, their go-to playmaker who is done for the season with a knee injury. Guys like E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson have had to help cover his 31 minutes and nearly 17 points per game. Look no further than a 53-44 loss to Michigan State on Feb. 28 to realize it hasn't been easy.
SienaLoudonville, N.Y., 27-6.
Nickname: Saints. Coach: Fran McCaffery.
Conference: Metro Atlantic Athletic. Bid: MAAC champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 13.
Tournament Record: 4-5, 5 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (75.5); Alex Franklin 16.3; Edwin Ubiles 15.2; Ryan Rossiter 13.9; Clarence Jackson 13.6.
Rebounds: Team (38.3); Ryan Rossiter 11.1; Alex Franklin 8.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.5/12.2); Ronald Moore 7.8/2.9; Edwin Ubiles 2.3/1.9.
3-pointers: Team (.323); Clarence Jackson 71; Edwin Ubiles 28.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: The Saints can only wish their first-round game was played at home, where they've won 38 in a row. Even so, they're the first team to win three straight MAAC titles since La Salle 20 years ago. Keep an eye on Rossiter, who can get lost in the shuffle.
---Notre Dame
South Bend, Ind., 23-11.
Nickname: Fighting Irish. Coach: Mike Brey.
Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 6.
Tournament Record: 30-33, 29 years. Last appearance: 2008.
Scoring: Team (76.0); Luke Harangody 22.4; Tim Abromaitis 16.3; Ben Hansbrough 11.8; Tory Jackson 9.8.
Rebounds: Team (35.6); Luke Harangody 9.2; Tyrone Nash 5.3; Tim Abromaitis 4.8; Carleton Scott 4.5.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.9/10.4); Tory Jackson 5.3/2.0; Ben Hansbrough 4.4/1.8.
3-pointers: Team (.394); Tim Abromaitis 81; Ben Hansbrough 64; Tory Jackson 41.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: The Irish went on a run when Harangody missed five of six games late in the season with a deep right knee bruise. He looked healthy in the Big East tournament and make no mistake, Notre Dame is a much better team when the big guy is banging down low.
Old DominionNorfolk, Va., 26-8.
Nickname: Monarchs. Coach: Blaine Taylor.
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association. Bid: CAA champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 11.
Tournament Record: 2-9, 9 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2007.
Scoring: Team (67.5); Gerald Lee 14.6; Frank Hassell 8.9; Ben Finney 8.8; Kent Bazemore 8.4.
Rebounds: Team (39.2); Frank Hassell 6.6; Ben Finney 5.9; Gerald Lee 4.9; Keyon Carter 4.9; Kent Bazemore 4.2.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.5/12.8); Darius James 3.4/1.7; Kent Bazemore 3.3/2.0; Ben Finney 2.4/1.5.
3-pointers: Team (.316); Ben Finney 34; Darius James 33.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: Lee is the unquestioned leader of the Monarchs whose father, Gerald Sr., played professionally in Finland. Lee went to high school at a place called Uusikaupunki - think the Old Dominion coaching staff had a tough time pronouncing that one?
---Baylor
Waco, Texas, 25-7.
Nickname: Bears. Coach: Scott Drew.
Conference: Big 12 . Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 3.
Tournament Record: 3-7, 5 years. Last appearance: 2008.
Scoring: Team (77.6); LaceDarius Dunn 19.4; Tweety Carter 15.7; Ekpe Udoh 13.9; Quincy Acy 9.3.
Rebounds: Team (39.1); Ekpe Udoh 9.8; Quincy Acy 5.1; Anthony Jones 4.9; LaceDarius Dunn 4.8.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.0/13.9); Tweety Carter 6.1/2.7; Ekpe Udon 2.6/2.4.
3-pointers: Team (.390); LaceDarius Dunn 105; Tweety Carter 72.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: Drew is considered one of the most controversial coaches in the Big 12 because of his perceived negative recruiting. When he gets guys on the court, though, he can coach. Has it really been seven years since Dave Bliss left the program in shambles?
Sam Houston StateHuntsville, Texas, 25-7.
Nickname: Bearkats. Coach: Bob Marlin.
Conference: Southland. Bid: Southland champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 14.
Tournament Record: 0-1, 1 year. Last appearance: 2003.
Scoring: Team (80.4); Gilberto Clavell 16.7; Corey Allmond 15.8; Ashton Mitchell 12.6; Preston Brown 9.2.
Rebounds: Team (37.9); Gilberto Clavell 6.4; Josten Crow 5.8; Preston Brown 5.2; Lance Pevehouse 4.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (20.5/13.5); Ashton Mitchell 5.0/2.8; Josten Crow 3.9/1.3; Drae Murray 3.7/1.5; Lance Pevehouse 2.3/1.0; Corey Allmond 2.3/1.4.
3-pointers: Team (.381); Corey Allmond 91; Ashton Mitchell 50; Lance Pevehouse 39; Preston Brown 31.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: The Bearkats are making their second trip to the NCAA tournament, and it's been seven years coming. Clavell played for Puerto Rico in the U19 world championships a couple years ago, and in the 2006 Tournament of the Americas against Miami Heat star Michael Beasley, Jonny Flynn of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Duke star Kyle Singler.
---Richmond
Richmond, Va., 26-8.
Nickname: Spiders. Coach: Chris Mooney.
Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 7.
Tournament Record: 6-7, 7 years. Last appearance: 2004.
Scoring: Team (69.3); Kevin Anderson 17.8; David Gonzalvez 14.5; Justin Harper 10.6.
Rebounds: Team (33.0); Justin Harper 5.5; David Gonzalvez 4.2; Dan Geriot 4.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.7/11.3); Kevin Anderson 2.6/2.4; David Gonzalvez 2.3/1.6; Dan Geriot 2.0/1.6.
3-pointers: Team (.351); David Gonzalvez 74; Ryan Butler 52; Justin Harper 41; Kevin Anderson 37.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: The year couldn't have been more charmed for the Spiders, who set a school-record for regular-season wins and was ranked for the first time in 24 years. Anderson was voted A-10 player of the year and scored 31 against Wake Forest at South Padre Island.
St. Mary's, Calif.Moraga, Calif., 26-5.
Nickname: Gaels. Coach: Randy Bennett.
Conference: West Coast. Bid: WCC champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 10.
Tournament Record: 1-5, 5 years. Last appearance: 2008.
Scoring: Team (79.5); Omar Samhan 20.9; Mickey McConnell 13.7; Matthew Dellavedova 12.5; Ben Allen 10.8.
Rebounds: Team (36.8); Omar Samhan 11.0; Ben Allen 7.6.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.5/11.6); Mickey McConnell 5.3/2.2; Matthew Dellavedova 4.5/1.9; Ben Allen 2.2/1.5.
3-pointers: Team (.412); Matthew Dellavedova 70; Mickey McConnell 67; Clint Steindl 48; Ben Allen 43.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: The Gaels' 81-62 rout of Gonzaga in the conference title game was no fluke, and Samhan has the size (6-11, 265) to create problems. The biggest question is whether he can keep a cool head. Samhan was hit with a technical against the 'Zags and has been known to get into foul trouble.
---Villanova
Philadelphia, 24-7.
Nickname: Wildcats. Coach: Jay Wright.
Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.
Region: South. Seed: No. 2.
Tournament Record: 48-30, 30 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (82.5); Scottie Reynolds 18.5; Corey Fisher 13.7; Antonio Pena 10.9; Corey Stokes 9.5.
Rebounds: Team (39.0); Antonio Pena 7.4; Taylor King 5.6; Reggie Redding 4.7; Corey Stokes 4.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.9/13.8); Corey Fisher 4.0/2.1; Scottie Reynolds 3.3/2.6; Reggie Redding 2.6/1.5.
3-pointers: Team (.376); Scottie Reynolds 67; Corey Stokes 55; Taylor King 38; Corey Fisher 36.
Last Ten: 4-6.
The Skinny: This was the school-record sixth straight 20-win season for the Wildcats, and Reynolds has been around for four of them. The senior joined Kerry Kittles as the only Villanova players with at least 2,000 points and 400 assists. If he gets shut down, look for Fisher to try to get to the basket.
Robert MorrisPittsburgh, 23-11.
Nickname: Colonials. Coach: Mike Rice.
Conference: Northeast. Bid: Northeast champion.
Region: South. Seed: No. 15.
Tournament Record: 1-6, 6 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (68.5); Karon Abraham 13.4; Rob Robinson 9.9; Mezie Nwigwe 8.2; Velton Jones 8.2.
Rebounds: Team (35.1); Rob Robinson 5.5; Russell Johnson 5.1; Dallas Green 4.9; Mezie Nwigwe 4.3.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.5/14.7); Velton Jones 2.9/2.4; Mezie Nwigwe 2.5/2.0.
3-pointers: Team (.365); Karon Abraham 80; Russell Johnson 26.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: The Colonials played in their ninth NEC tournament title contest but first on the road. It didn't seem to matter against Quinnipiac. The key to Robert Morris making any headlines is balance, with several players who can score.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Wozniacki cruises, Sharapova bows out at Indian Wells
Indian Wells, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Second seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark
rolled into the fourth round while former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova was a
third-round loser Sunday at the $4.5 million BNP Paribas Open tennis event.
Wozniacki
<< Seton Hall removes Mitchell from basketball team
South Orange, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seton Hall announced it has removed junior
forward Robert Mitchell from the basketball team for unspecified reasons.
Mitchell, a transfer from Duquesne, started in 15 of the 31 games this season
and averag
<< Federer, Murray, Roddick victorious at BNP Paribas Open
Indian Wells, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Three-time champion Roger Federer
won his second-round match Sunday at the $4.5 million BNP Paribas Open, an
ATP World Tour Masters event.
Federer captured his fifth lifetime matchup without a loss against
<< George Mason, Harvard to play in postseason tournament
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - George Mason and Harvard are part of the 16-team
field selected to play in the second annual College Insider.com postseason
tournament.
The Patriots, who reached the NCAA Final Four in 2006, will host Fairf
Kentucky garners No. 1 seed in the East >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of Kentucky, which
scorched the Southeastern Conference in the regular season and won the
conference tourney crown in a tense overtime contest, was named as the top-
seeded
Duke, Big East highlight South >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hours after winning their record 18th ACC
Tournament title on Sunday, the Duke Blue Devils were awarded the No. 1 seed
in the South Region in the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
Duke (29-5), backed by the triumv
Kansas looms large in the Midwest >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas Jayhawks began the 2009-10
college basketball season atop the preseason polls, and so far the voters have
been spot on, as the Big 12 champs will carry that top ranking into the NCAA
Tournam
NCAA Capsules-West Regional >>
Syracuse, N.Y., 28-4.Nickname: Orangemen. Coach: Jim Boeheim.Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.Region: West. Seed: No. 1.Tournament Record: 50-32, 32 years. Last appearance: 2009.Scoring: Team (81.5); Wesley Johnson 16.0; Andy Rautins 11.7; Kris J
NEW YORK (AP) -By staying away from the cupcakes, Southern California earned itself a slim new ranking.
No. 1 always seems to fit USC.
Southern California jumped two spots to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 on Tuesday, rewarded by voters for opening the season with a dominant performance on the road against a BCS conference opponent.
Georgia and Ohio State, the preseason Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, started their seasons with glorified scrimmages at home against FCS (formerly I-AA) teams. USC, however, traveled across country to face Virginia and could not have been more impressive in a 52-7 victory.
Georgia fell to No. 2 and Ohio State to No 3.
"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," USC coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. "As for moving into the No. 1 spot, it's nice to know that people think highly of our team."
Since reaching No. 1 on Dec. 7, 2003, the final-regular season AP poll of that season, USC has been No. 1 in 39 polls, by far the most of any team during that time.
"Some have said the voters are taking our schedule into consideration," Carroll said. "Our philosophy has always been to schedule outstanding opponents. We need to play challenging games like we just did, traveling across the country to open the season at Virginia. Games like that bring out our best and make us stronger as a team."
The latest voting was close. USC received 21 first-place votes and 1,539 points from the 65-member media panel. Georgia had 20 first-place votes and 1,506 points. Ohio State got 15 first-place votes and 1,497 points.
"I'd say we've evolved as pollsters," said Stewart Mandel of SI.com, who moved USC up to No. 1. "In the past, voters just kind of automatically moved teams up and kept teams where they were if they won."
Georgia beat Georgia Southern 45-21 on Saturday and Ohio State opened with a 43-0 win over Youngstown State.
"There's a bit of a growing backlash for the amount of teams that open with I-AA cupcakes," said Mandel, whose book "Bowls, Polls and Tattered Souls" chronicles college football's controversies. "To see a team [USC] go on the road and play a New Year's Day bowl team from last season, and not only play them but destroy them, how could you not reward that team?"
USC also jumped past Georgia to No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' poll, which has the same top five as the AP poll.
"It's definitely a privilege to be No. 1. But it's not heartbreaking to me if we drop," Georgia offensive lineman Josh Davis said. "It doesn't matter right now what we're ranked. What matters is our next game and right now, that's Central Michigan. The only time the polls matter is in December. That's when the polls matter."
While the Bulldogs opened easy, their schedule ultimately should be as difficult as any team's. Georgia's big nonconference test is at No. 15 Arizona State on Sept. 20. The Bulldogs also face six Southeastern Conference rivals that've been ranked in the first two polls.
As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes play at USC on Sept. 13 before getting into the Big Ten schedule.
But of the teams in this week's top 10, USC and Texas are the only ones that don't play an FCS opponent, and the Trojans are the only team that doesn't play a team from a non-BCS conference.
Get the latest 2009 BCS Championship odds at MySportsbook.com.
The last team to drop from No. 1 after a victory was USC last season. LSU jumped from No. 2 to No. 1 when it beat Tulane 34-9, the same week the Trojans edged Washington 27-24 on the road.
The last preseason No. 1 team to lose the top spot after winning its opening game was Florida in 2001. The Gators beat Marshall 49-14, but preseason No. 2 Miami opened with a 33-7 victory over Penn State and the Hurricanes jumped to No. 1 with Florida slipping to second.
The next four teams in the new Top 25 stayed the same: No. 4 Oklahoma (two first-place votes), No. 5 Florida (five first-place votes), No. 6 Missouri (one first-place vote), No. 7 LSU (one first-place vote) and No. 8 West Virginia.
No. 9 Auburn and No. 10 Texas each moved up a spot, taking advantage of Clemson's big drop. Clemson, ninth in the preseason, fell out after losing 34-10 to Alabama on Saturday.
Also falling out after losses were Virginia Tech, Pittsburgh and Tennessee.
Moving into the rankings were No. 21 Fresno State, No. 22 Utah, No. 23 UCLA and No. 24 South Carolina.
Alabama moved up 11 spots after its big victory over Clemson.
The second 10 started with No. 11 Wisconsin, followed by Texas Tech, Alabama and Kansas. BYU and Arizona State were tied for 15th. Rivals BYU and Utah are both ranked for the first time since 1996.
South Florida was No. 17, ahead of Oregon, Penn State and Wake Forest at No. 20.
The final five were all the teams to move into the ranking, except for Illinois, which dropped four spots and tied South Carolina for No. 24.
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BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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