With convincing win over LSU, Florida jumps to No. 2

Last week I said I had no idea who the No. 2 team in the country was -- and apparently I was right, seeing as the team I put there most recently, Auburn, lost 27-10 to Arkansas.

You will hear no such uncertainty from me anymore, however, because the answer is a no-brainer. The Florida Gators are clearly the No. 2 team in the country. At least for the next five days.

Just like he did at Bowling Green and Utah, Urban Meyer has taken his team to new heights in Year 2 (we're assuming this time there will be a Year 3), leading the Gators to a 6-0 start for the first time since their 1996 national-title season. Ironically, while Meyer is known primarily for his offensive wizardry, the strength of this team is clearly its defense. Consider: The same Tennessee offense that has now lit up top 10 foes Cal and Georgia managed only 220 yards in its Sept. 16 loss to Florida.

It's that 21-20 win in Knoxville along with last Saturday's 23-10 victory over then-No. 9 LSU that separate the Gators from Michigan, which currently lacks a second big win to complement its Notre Dame rout, and USC, which seems to be regressing by the week. Unfortunately, Tim Tebow & Co. won't get to bask in the glory of their newfound status for too long. Next up: a night game at decibel-shaking Jordan-Hare Stadium against what is sure to be a ticked-off bunch of Auburn Tigers. Florida will have to prove itself all over again.

NCAA Football Power Rankings Rank LW Team 1 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0) As any coach will tell you, one of the keys to winning a national title is avoiding the injury bug, and so far the Buckeyes have fared as well as anyone. There was one scare in last weekend's Bowling Green game, when DT David Patterson went down, but his knee sprain isn't believed to be serious. Next game: Saturday at Michigan State. 2 6 Florida Gators (6-0) Contrary to what one national columnist would have you believe, Meyer isn't using Tebow to "show off" -- he's using him because the backup quarterback happens to be his best available running back. Who would you feel more confidence in to pick up the tough three yards, Tebow or Kestahn Moore? Next game: Saturday at Auburn. 3 3 Michigan Wolverines (6-0) Word of WR Mario Manningham's knee injury (expected to sideline him for several weeks) is devastating news for the Wolverines. Yes, Michigan has other receivers, but none who change the complexion of a game like Manningham does. Nine of his 24 catches have gone for touchdowns. Next game: Saturday at Penn State 4 4 USC Trojans (5-0) I hear a lot of people saying that the Trojans are going to lose any day now. My question would be: when? USC's next three opponents are Arizona State (0-2 in the Pac-10), Oregon State (0-2) and Stanford (0-3). Meanwhile, Oregon, Cal and Notre Dame all have to come to the Coliseum. Next game: Saturday vs. Arizona State. 5 5 West Virginia Mountaineers (5-0) With some of the opponents the Mountaineers are playing, they have a better chance of beating themselves -- and they sure tried against Mississippi State, getting penalized for 134 yards. They still won 42-14 and, much like last season, only had to pass the ball nine times. Next game: Saturday vs. Syracuse. 6 7 Texas Longhorns (5-1) I will be beyond stunned if Gene Chizik doesn't have a head-coaching job next season. His Texas defense -- the same one that was considered "soft" shortly before he took over last year -- held Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson to 38 yards on 13 carries after halftime last Saturday. That's amazing. Next game: Saturday vs. Baylor. 7 13 Tennessee Volunteers (5-1) Next spring I expect to walk into a Barnes & Noble and see the following: Making the Cut: How I Improved Tennessee's Offense from 90th to 16th in One Offseason and Had Fun Doing It, by David Cutcliffe. Foreward by Phillip Fulmer. Testimonials from Erik Ainge and Robert Meachem. Next game: Oct. 21 vs. Alabama. 8 10 Louisville Cardinals (5-0) The top headline on the Louisville Courier-Journal's Web site on Monday -- not the sports section, the main page -- read: "Brohm starts throwing, could play this week." Brian Brohm threw passes Monday for the first time since surgery and declared himself fit to play if needed, albeit not at full strength. Next game: Saturday vs. Cincinnati. 9 16 Cal Golden Bears (5-1) Presumably you know all about Nate Longshore, Marshawn Lynch and DeSean Jackson, but the most impressive part of the Bears' 45-24 rout of Oregon was their defense. Cal held Ducks RB Jonathan Stewart -- who's had three games of 140-plus yards -- to 25 yards on 18 carries. Wow. Next game: Saturday at Washington State. 10 11 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-1) The Irish present a conundrum: They've not yet proven they deserve to be ranked much higher than this, and they won't get another chance to do so until they play USC. But over the next six weeks, while they keep winning, teams above them are going to lose. What's a pollster to do? Next game: Oct. 21 vs. UCLA.