IconBefore writing this article, I questioned whether it was even worth the trouble.

As fans of college football, we’ve come to expect each season to be flavored with the usual potpourri of upsets and strange outcomes.

That said, 2007 has been one the wildest years in recent memory—and the race for the two spots in the BCS title game is as wide open as ever.

Below is my top five. I made an effort to consider as many relevant factors as possible, and unlike the voters, I'm not necessarily a sucker for an undefeated record or a recent loss...

1. Ohio State

Pros

The Buckeyes are an outstanding, balanced football team—they lead the nation in scoring defense, and their offense is putting up 35 points a contest.

I'm not sure whether it's Boeckman that makes Robiskie and Hartline good or vice-versa. Either way, Ohio State's passing offense is a capable, productive unit that complements Chris Wells and Co. very nicely.

Once could make a case for the Buckeye D's being the best in the nation, but that title still probably goes to LSU. Linebacker James Lauranitis anchors a smothering and athletic unit that features one of a only a handful of shutdown corners in college football—Malcolm Jenkins.

Many of the teams in the title hunt have stellar passing games, so having Jenkins on the national championship stage will be beneficial...should the Buckeyes get there.

Against LSU or Oklahoma, Jenkins' ability to  play on an island against either Early Doucet or Malcom Kelly would be invaluable for the Buckeyes.

Jim Tressell is one of the most respected, studious coaches in the country. Though last year's national championship stands out as an ugly outlier, he's one of the nation's better game-planners.

Lastly, Ohio State is a seasoned program with quite a pedigree. Such a trait could prove valuable in a title game against programs like USF, BC, or Kentucky—all tenderfoots on the national stage.

Cons

Are the Buckeyes legit—or is their dominance the product of a weak schedule?

In my opinion, they really are that good—though if we've learned anything from the season thus far, it's that nothing is certain.

The Buckeyes remaining schedule is challenging, with a three-game set against Wisconsin, Illinois, and a resurgent Michigan squad to close out the season. It's a shame the Big Ten doesn't have a conference championship to give us another look at the Buckeyes in a tough game.

Bottom Line: It's rare, and perhaps ultimately discouraging, to have questions surrounding the consensus No. 1 team in the country. Nonetheless, all relevant factors considered, I think OSU has to be called the cream of the crop right now.

2. LSU

Pros

The Tiger D should still be considered tops in the country despite a subpar outing vs. Kentucky.

One game doesn't define a unit, and "subpar" for the Tigers is "par" for the majority of teams.

Glenn Dorsey anchors the best front four in the country, and the Tiger linebacking corps  is an athletic, playmaking group.

The Tiger running game, meanwhile, seems to get better by the week.

Between the pounding of Jacob Hester, the size and speed of Keiland Williams and Charles Scott, the astounding explosive abilities of Trindon Holliday, and the mobility of Flynn and Perriloux, opponents are going to continue to have their hands full with the LSU ground attack.

Right now, it's certainly looking like it may be the saving grace for the Tigers' title hopes.

Cons

Though it's a highly relative "con," the Tiger defense may not be the transcendently dominant unit we though it was.

Best in the nation? You bet—but probably not one of the best defenses of the last 5-10 years, as some were saying.

QB Matt Flynn isn't playing terribly, but he's not exactly tearing it up either. He does bring athleticism to the table, but his decision-making will have to improve if the Tigers are going to salvage a spot in the title game

Bottom Line: The Tigers have braved a brutal schedule heretofore, so their slip-up against Kentucky can be excused—at least to a certain extent.

Most observers, as a matter of default and formality, put USF and BC ahead of the Tigers, but I simply can't support this in light of LSU's brutally tough schedule.

3. South Florida

Pros

QB Matt Grothe is a winner with athleticism and a good deal of experience in his young career. He's clearly the glue the holds the Bulls' offense together.

The USF defense is a dangerous unit, ranked 10th in the country in total yards, 10th in scoring defense, and 13th in turnover margin. The unit seems to play its best football in big games, and was able to force West Virginia into six turnovers in the shocking Week Five upset.

The Bulls have two quality wins over Auburn and West Virginia—something that will appease voters a great deal down the stretch, particularly if the Bulls can emerge from their remaining schedule unscathed.

Cons

Though productive, the Bulls offense lacks the explosive edge that some of the other top offenses in the country bring to the table.

Surprisingly, I couldn't find any other noticeable cons to discuss about the Bulls. Perhaps that should tell me something....

Bottom Line: South Florida is playing excellent all-around football right now, and there don't appear to be too many chinks in the armor. That said, I'm not ready to put them ahead of LSU.

4. South Carolina

Pros

The Cocks have two impressive wins on their schedule, one over Georgia and the other over Kentucky—a win that looks particularly impressive in light of the Cats' upset of LSU this past weekend.

Though not overwhelmingly dominant, South Carolina's offense is well-balanced, and certainly more than good enough to keep the ball moving in times of need.

Lastly, the Cocks have the Ol' Ball Coach on their side. That, as we all know, is quite an appreciable advantage in and of itself.

Cons

South Carolina, like South Florida, doesn't have any game-changers on offense—almost invariably a characteristic of teams in the national title hunt.

The Cocks struggled against a very mediocre UNC team last Saturday. Steve Spurrier's squad isn't the dominating type that's going to overwhelm opponents—yet another characteristic of most title contenders

Bottom Line: The Cocks are a bit underwhelming on paper relative to other top teams, but they've done an admirable job against a tough schedule thus far—and like I said, they've got Spurrier at the helm.

5. Boston College

Pros

The Eagles offense makes BC the type of team against which no lead is safe. The passing attack, led by rifle-armed QB Matt Ryan, is nearly impossible to stifle.

RB Andre Callender is a solid all-around runner with just enough in him to keep defenses honest, which helps Ryan and Co. even more.

BC's defense isn't an elite unit, but they've been quite consistent, allowing 20+ points on only one occasion this season.

Cons

BC has just one quality win, over an overrated Georgia Tech squad. As with Ohio State, it's a tricky task to balance this team's undefeated record against their very modest schedule strength.

Bottom Line: BC's upcoming matchup against Virginia Tech should give us a little more insight as to whether or not the Eagles are for real. If they're a legitimate team, I expect them to win by 10 or more.