[BobJoeJim]

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#6 - Washington (2-0): Syracuse looks horrendous, and Boise State looks to no longer have a capable quarterback so their run as a perennial mid-major power may be over. For this reason Washington's spectacular start has to be taken with a grain of salt, but it's still been spectacular. With a true freshman at the helm the season will likely be up and down, but this team seems to be clearly on the upswing and should be a threat to everyone they play. OSU next week will tell us a lot about how good (or possibly overrated) this team is.

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Overrated?

Since when are they even rated? I wouldn't put them in the top 25 yet. Most that are doing it will likely take them right back out after next week.

They should lose to OSU next week. I'm figuring on that. Penciled that in well before the season started. But this team is head and shoulders above last years team. Last years team almost beat USC and Cal, both @USC and @Cal.

They don't have alot of 'great' players but the chemistry seems to be clicking alot more this year which may help them overachieve a little.

If you remember the team of 3-4 years ago, which was absolutely sh*tty, you'd realize just how big these 2 wins are and just how far they've come.

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I didn't say they were "overranked", I indicated that it's possible they're "overrated". If Syracuse and Boise turn out to both just be terrible (not an impossible occurence) it could turn out that Washington actually isn't that much better this year after all, in which case they would be overrated at this moment. If they lose to OSU by 40, it would suggest that perhaps this is the case, and all I was doing was pointing out that it is possible, not claiming it was likely to actually be the case.

I do understand how big those two wins are and how far they've come. Hence, my references to a "spectacular start" and a team "clearly on the upswing". Not to mention putting them sixth which I never would have done for the past couple years.

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The Beavers started slow last year also. Then beat USC on the way to a 9-4 record.

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True, but that doesn't mean a slow start is something to make a habit of, and it certainly doesn't mean that starting slow indicates likely success. The Beavers are 118th!!! in passing efficiency, nationally right now. Yvenson Bernard ran wild on Utah, but was held to 1.9 yards per carry by Cincinnati. Lets look at some OSU offensive ranks, nationally:
Rushing Offense - 71st
Passing Offense - 80th
Pass Efficiency - 118th
Total Offense - 86th
Scoring Offense - 106th
And since those numbers indicate a lot of three and outs, this number becomes relevant: Net Punting - 104th
Also, Turnover Margin - 116th

The defense is good, especially the front seven which is fantastic. I can give credit where it's due, they have the #3 rushing defense, are tied for 8th in sacks, 17th in tackles for loss, but are 48th in passing defense and 55th in pass efficiency defense. Not terrible, but considering the pressure they put on QBs, it doesn't say great things about their coverage or their vulnerability to big plays.

My point is, I've watched both of their games, and I think it's an understatement to call it a "slow start", and from what I've seen of the rest of the Pac Ten, only Stanford looks worse right now. It's not like Cincinnati and Utah are powerhouses, there is no excuse for offensive numbers that bad.