Bleacher Report's College Football Top25: Week 14

#7  LSU  10-2  (300)
Previous:  1
Strength of Schedule: 34
Last Week:  Lost to Arkansas 50-48 3OT
This Week:  Tennessee, SEC Championship (+7.5)

Apparently, Les isn’t more. 

And after Darren McFadden trampled their BCS title hopes, you have to wonder if the Bayou faithful want any more of Les.

To continue the theme of championship scenarios, let’s make LSU’s case for staying home January 7th. 

Again, the top two—who control their own destiny—must falter.  And if you don’t believe that can happen, ask Coach Miles.

Of course, the Tigers must handle their business against Tennessee in Atlanta.

Assuming LSU wins convincingly, doesn’t a two-overtime-loss program deserve a title try more than Ohio State…and more than a Georgia team that didn’t even earn the right to play for the SEC title…and more than a Kansas squad that played a schedule half as challenging…and more than the Hokies they smoked head-to-head?

The leap from No. 7 to No. 2 in the BCS is improbable at best.  But intuitively, the champion of the best conference in football should be playing on the final night of the season.

#8  Hawaii  11-0  (279)
Previous:  13
Strength of Schedule: 117
Last Week:  Beat Boise State 39-27
This Week:  Washington (+13.5)

Forget intuition—Hawaii is one win away from a perfect season. 

And this would be the perfect year to send the Rainbows to the BCS title game. 

Are you going to be satisfied that the winner of West Virginia and Missouri—or worse, Ohio State—is the best team in the country?

As it stands, January is bound to create more questions than answers.  At the very least, we could find out if Hawaii is legit. 

So why not get it out of the way this season?  That way, we don’t have to squabble about unbeaten mid-majors next year. 

And don’t tell me Boise State already proved it. Beating a disinterested Oklahoma on the undercard doesn’t correlate to going toe-to-toe with Florida in the main event.

#9  Oklahoma  10-2  (276)
Previous:  8
Strength of Schedule: 61
Last Week:  Beat Oklahoma State 49-17
This Week:  Missouri, Big 12 Championship (+3)

Finally, we get to one of the causes of what could be a dramatic effect.  (Pittsburgh is the other, but for some reason the Panthers didn’t get any votes this week.)

Shall we count the teams rooting for the Sooners this week? 

Missouri must feel like it’s taking on Oklahoma, Ohio State, Georgia, USC, LSU, and Hawaii all at once. 

The three-point spread in OU’s favor may surprise some casual observers—but it shouldn’t. With only two exceptions, the Sooners were stellar all season. 

One of those occasions was Sam Bradford’s first Big 12 game…and it was on the road.  The other came when Oklahoma was forced to play without Bradford altogether…and it was on the road. 

Saturday’s Big 12 Championship Game will be Bradford’s first, and it won’t be played in Norman.  But at least Oklahoma isn’t cursed with the BCS’ top ranking.

#10  Virginia Tech  10-2  (270)
Previous: 10
Strength of Schedule: 11
Last Week:  Beat Virginia 33-21
This Week:  Boston College, ACC Championship (+4.5)

VaTech isn’t getting nearly the amount of respect from our voters as they are in the BCS computers (BR No. 10, BCS No. 6)—but we’ve got to hand it to the Hokies. 

From the emotional campus tragedy to the emotional rivalry win last weekend, they’ve been resilient throughout.  And they deserve this rematch with Boston College.

For those who don’t remember October 25th, Matt Ryan went Doug Flutie in Blacksburg, rallying the Eagles to victory with two touchdowns in the final three minutes. 

That loss effectively ended Virginia Tech’s national championship aspirations.  Boston College saw its hopes dashed one week later. 

Fast forward six weeks, and the same two teams will fight for the ACC title and the conference’s only spot in the 2007 Bowl Championship Series.

#11  Florida   (9-3)
Previous:  12
Strength of Schedule: 5
Last Week:  Beat Florida State 45-12
This Week:  End regular season

#12  Boston College  (10-2)
Previous:  16
Strength of Schedule: 29
Last Week:  Beat Miami 28-14
This Week:  Virginia Tech, ACC Championship (-4.5)

#13  Arizona State  (9-2)
Previous:  5
Strength of Schedule: 50
Last Week:  Lost to USC 44-24
This Week:  Arizona (+7)

#14  Tennessee (9-3)
Previous:  19
Strength of Schedule: 26
Last Week:  Beat Kentucky 52-50 4OT
This Week: LSU, SEC Championship (-7.5)

#15  Illinois  (9-3)
Previous:  18
Strength of Schedule: 7
Last Week:  Off
This Week:  End of regular season

#16  Clemson   (9-3)
Previous:  22
Strength of Schedule: 25
Last Week:  Beat South Carolina 23-21
This Week:  End of regular season

#17  Texas  (9-3)
Previous:  14
Strength of Schedule: 63
Last Week:  Lost to Texas A&M 38-30
This Week:  End of regular season

#18  BYU  (9-2)
Previous:  21
Strength of Schedule: 42
Last Week:  Beat Utah 17-10
This Week:  San Diego State (+15)

#19  Virginia  (9-3)
Previous:  15
Strength of Schedule: 74
Last Week:  Lost to Virginia Tech 33-21
This Week:  End of regular season

#20 Wisconsin  (9-3)
Previous:  23
Strength of Schedule: 51
Last Week:  Off
This Week:  End of regular season

#21  Cincinnati  (9-3)
Previous:  24
Strength of Schedule: 49
Last Week:  Beat Syracuse 52-31
This Week:  End of regular season

#22  Auburn  (8-4)
Previous:  NR
Strength of Schedule: 24
Last Week:  Beat Alabama 17-10
This Week:  End of regular season

#23  Boise State  (10-2)
Previous:  17
Strength of Schedule: 108
Last Week:  Lost to Hawaii
This Week:  End of regular season

#24 Oregon  (8-3)
Previous:  9
Strength of Schedule: 13
Last Week:  Lost to UCLA 16-0
This Week:  Oregon State (No Line)

#25  South Florida (9-3)
Previous:  25
Strength of Schedule: 14
Last Week:  Beat Pittsburgh 48-37
This Week:  End of regular season


Others receiving votes:  Arkansas, Michigan, Air Force, Connecticut, Troy, Texas Tech, UCF, Alabama, Navy, Kentucky.

Be sure to check out the full slate of pollster comments and Heisman rankings from Week 14.

The Bleacher Report Top25 is college football’s most inclusive and transparent ranking system.  Our voting pool includes campus writers, bloggers, and members of our own community.  If you’d like more information on joining this college football fraternity, send an email to trey@bleacherreport.com.

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