Bleacher Report's College Football Top25: Week 12

It’s great to be back after a one-week hiatus.

Many thanks to Will Schmidley for pinch-hitting during the bye.  Hope you enjoyed his Week 11 write-up. 

So we’ve lost another No. 1 team.  And six of the eight Top 10 teams play away from home this week, including new No. 1 Oregon. 

Making matters even more perilous for the Ducks? 

A Thursday night game on ESPN, where road favorites go to die.

The Buckeyes fell to seventh in Week 12, while the Illini catapulted into the Top 25 for the first time since Week Seven. Kansas has still been unable to surpass the one-loss leaders, while two-loss Georgia continues its meteoric rise. 

#1  Oregon (8-1)
Previous:  3
Strength of Schedule: 3
Last Week: BYE
This Week:  at Arizona (+12, Thursday)

Each week, in addition to their BR Top25 ballots, many voters submit comments to complement—or in some cases, justify—their rankings. 

One struck me as particularly apropos this week:

Oregon is my top team by an inch. I consider their loss to Cal to be, essentially, a tie. I've long thought the rule that ended that game to be flawed. Why is a team so severely penalized for fumbling over the end zone boundary? I don't believe it should be a turnover or a penalty at all—just place the ball at the one. –Frank Swanagan

To recap Week Five in Autzen against Cal: Oregon drove 77 yards in 1:33, trailing by a touchdown.  On 1st-and-goal at the five, Cameron Colvin fumbled into the end zone while trying to reach for the goaline. 

The Golden Bears took over and took a knee.

If, as suggested, the ball had been placed at the one—or even at the spot of the fumble, as it would have been if fumbled forward and out of bounds anywhere but the end zone—Oregon would have had three more shots to tie. 

At the time, it seemed that the play cost the Ducks a chance at the Pac-10 title.  In retrospect, it will probably prove to be irrelevant. 

But why not discuss the rule?

#2  LSU  (9-1)
Previous:  2
Strength of Schedule: 17
Last Week:  Beat Louisiana Tech 58-10
This Week:  at Mississippi (+19.5)

From retrospective debate to forward-looking controversy.

The top team in the BCS checks in at No. 2 in the BR Top25.  And rather than discuss this week’s game at Ole Miss—a team that is winless in conference play—it’s time to start weighing the fairness of letting a contender host the championship game. 

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