(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
The BCS took their leisurely time to bring out the polls this week, and they had it messed up as usual.
The AP ignored the fact that Clemson pulled the upset of the week, and both polls have kept USC (a one-loss team) ahead of the undefeated teams.
No. 1 Florida just keeps winning. It’s no longer about “style points,” or it doesn’t appear to be. The Gators survived the trap game against Mississippi State but had yet another huge call change the momentum of the game in Florida’s favor.
No. 2 Alabama barely survived Tennessee in an SEC slugfest, 12-10. It appears that the NFL is all about “style points” this season, and college football is just full of close games. That’s odd, because style points matter in college football (due to rankings) but are completely irrelevant to the NFL. The Tide has a bye week this week.
No. 3 Texas almost jumped Alabama for the No. 2 spot, but they still have something to prove. Their 41-7 blowout in Mizzou was a huge confidence boost for next week—as they host Oklahoma State.
No. 4 Boise State has finally gotten it done. They were ranked No. 7 in my rankings last week, but after a 54-9 blowout on the road in Hawaii, Boise State looks like a real contender and a true BCS buster.
No. 5 Iowa is one of only two 8-0 teams (Alabama is the other). Iowa edged out yet another victory in the final seconds over Michigan State, 15-13. Maybe the top teams are trying to see how far they can get to losing, but still win. The Hawkeyes will most likely be knocked off at some point, but they’re still one of the premier teams in college football right now.
No. 6 TCU got my attention Saturday. The voters, pollsters, fans, and media are on the fence on who is the best non-BCS team. If Boise hadn’t knocked off Oregon with conviction and completely ripped apart Hawaii, then I would have Texas Christian as the top BCS Buster. TCU’s blowout win over Brigham Young in Provo is worth mentioning.
No. 7 Cincinnati is the last undefeated team on the list. That’s right—all of the undefeated teams are ahead of the one-loss teams. Cincy earned a dominant win over Louisville, 41-10.
No. 8 Oregon: I can imagine some raised eyebrows right now. Oregon has played phenomenally. With victories over Purdue and Utah, blowout wins over Cal and Washington State, and two road wins over UCLA and Washington, you can’t go wrong with Oregon for eighth.
No. 9 USC is winning, but they’re very close games. The Trojans are starting to look sloppy, and they’re starting to lose their cool. They’ll have their ultimate test this week in Oregon. It’s going to be a good one!
Rounding out the top 10 is Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets have tried to keep quiet, but they’re buzzing louder than ever. They could be a team to watch out for. Georgia Tech doesn’t look overly impressive, and that’s a good thing. They don’t want to blow it by making too much noise early.
Lurking behind the top 10 is No. 11 LSU. Don’t count this team out, because just when you start to forget about them—they come back firing. LSU still has the opportunity to get back into the title race, so keep an eye on the Bayou Bengals.
No. 12 Penn State finally got a win over a worthy opponent. The Nittany Lions did a tremendous job against Michigan, and they look to build that success heading to Northwestern.
No. 13 Virginia Tech: The Team A, Team B, Team C Scenario I wrote about last week was cleared up for us very quickly. I had the top three ACC teams tied for 11th last week, but Miami (FL) lost in the upset of the week to Clemson in overtime, 40-37 Saturday. Virginia Tech comes off a bye, and they look to rebound like you’ve never seen against North Carolina.
No. 14 Houston took down Southern Methodist with ease, 38-15, which some viewed as a trap game. The Cougars are still impressive, and they are ranked ahead of Oklahoma State, because the Cougars won head-to-head in Stillwater (45-35).
No. 15 Oklahoma State is starting to improve on their season, and they’re making a name for themselves in the Big 12. A signature win over Texas would put the Cowboys over the top.
No. 16 Ohio State is still in the hunt. A win over Penn State in two weeks would put the Buckeyes at arm’s length.
No. 17 Pittsburgh was destined to prove me wrong. I went with Pittsburgh last week but didn’t think they would destroy South Florida. Even with a 7-1 record, PITT doesn’t look all that impressive. Their toughest games lie ahead against Notre Dame, at West Virginia, and Cincinnati—their last three games.
No. 18 Clemson wasn’t even considered to be in the AP Poll. Their three losses were against TCU (14-10), a fluke game in Maryland (24-21), and at Georgia Tech (30-27) in a shootout. Clemson ripped apart Boston College, told Wake to hit the road, and knocked off the ‘Canes in overtime (40-37), as I predicted.
No. 19 Miami (FL) lies just behind Clemson, as they should. The Hurricanes have struggled throughout the season, but they had a very difficult schedule to start the season, so who could blame them? Overall, Miami (FL) is doing a good job, and they will remain in the ACC title discussion, especially with the chaos that is happening in the ACC.
No. 20 Oklahoma put Kansas out to dry on Saturday, 35-13. The Sooners are still having a successful season—just not as successful as they should be having. After three losses of a total of five points, Oklahoma jumps back to 20th, right behind Miami (FL) (who they lost to 21-20 in Week Four).
No. 21 South Carolina didn’t have a very impressive win over Vandy (14-10), but they’re still consistent and playing well this season. Some analysts feel South Carolina could be the team to knock off Florida.
No. 22 Wisconsin was punished this week in the rankings for having a bye week. The Badgers lost to the Buckeyes in a competitive game, despite what the score indicates (31-13), and the Iowa Hawkeyes had to rally in the second half to knock off Wisconsin. But somehow Wisconsin isn’t any good now since they had a bye week?
No. 23 Notre Dame won a thriller against Boston College. Lou Holtz is a happy camper. It’s amazing how close Notre Dame comes to losing every week. They apparently like competitive games. Their only dominant win/loss was a blowout over Nevada. The Fighting Irish are having fun this season, and it’s safe to say Charlie Weis’ job is secure.
No. 24 Arizona defeated UCLA 27-13 despite having five turnovers. The Wildcats head to California in two weeks to take on the Golden Bears. It will be a huge game for both teams.
No. 25 Mississippi re-enters the top 25 after a win over Arkansas in the SEC Game of the Week. The Mississippi Rebels have been semi-impressive this season. But their biggest win was over Arkansas (3-4). Ole Miss will have a tough test this week in Auburn.
Knocking on the Door
Utah, Kansas State, West Virginia, BYU, Stanford
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