South Carolina Gets It Done, LSU Survives and Who Is No. 1?

Last week I wrote an article scratching my head as to why Steve Spurrier couldn't bring the success to Columbia that he created in Gainesville.

Well, how things have changed.

Yes, it's only a win, but it's the kind of victory that can launch a program to new heights. Beating Alabama is the kind of win that can give a fragile team unshakable confidence and bring a fire to them that somehow seemed missing.

South Carolina came out Saturday and beat the No. 1 team in the country in every phase of the game. Stephen Garcia played the game of his life and the defense sacked quarterback Greg McElroy seven times while holding the not-so-fast, and not-so-furious duo of Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson in check.

We all wondered if Alabama could survive the three-game gauntlet of Arkansas on the road, home against Florida and South Carolina on the road. After three ranked teams in three weeks, the answer is no.

Now the question is can South Carolina take this win and storm their way to the SEC championship game in Atlanta, or will they slip up along the way? It's all in their hands just as it was for Alabama. I'm sure it feels like the world is falling apart in Tuscaloosa, but there is so much in front of the Crimson Tide.

It will be interesting to see how these two teams handle this result during the second half of the season. It might light the right fire under both squads.

Speaking of fire, it appears certain now that Les Miles has indeed inked out a deal with Satan.

That is the only way you can explain the way LSU has pulled back-to-back victories from out of nowhere. A fake field goal and a last-second TD?

Say what you want about the mad hatter, but he has LSU standing as one of two last unbeaten teams in the SEC (the other being Auburn). If the Tigers keep winning, Miles will have the last laugh.

Quarterback problems? Time management issues? Who cares? LSU is 6-0 and got a hard-earned road win in The Swamp. That sound you are hearing might be the meltdown alert button being pushed by Gator Nation.

As for Auburn, it survived the proverbial trap game and get the road victory in Lexington. Say what you want about the Tigers, but they too, are 6-0. That record does the loudest shouting when you want to talk about where AU should be, and at this point how can you not rank them ahead of Alabama?

Let's stay in the state of Florida. As for Miami/Florida State, it's not what it was. The college football world doesn't stop when these two teams take the field against each other.

Still, you can't discount the importance of this victory for new FSU coach Jimbo Fisher. FSU ran for 289 yards on the U. When was the last time you saw someone just run over the Hurricane D like that?

Kudos to Georgia and Mark Richt for turning the heat on his seat from high to medium-high. Tennessee is putrid, but it was a win that Georgia desperately needed before UGA fans started sounding the alarm for the apocalypse.

There was another startling revelation this weekend. Denard Robinson is human.

Michigan's star QB has looked more like a video game created player with ridiculous ratings this season, but against Sparty, well, he looked less than stellar.

It must have felt like a soul-cleansing rout for Michigan State fans. At least for this season, the epicenter of Michigan football is in East Lansing. Remember when Mike Hart referred to Michigan State as the Wolverines' "little brother?" Guess what? That "little brother" has grown up and laid a smack-down on you.

I think this Spartan team has been especially impressive. They haven't wavered despite the distraction of Mark Dantonio's health problems; in fact, it seems as if it has rallied the troops.

Like South Carolina, is Michigan State ready to take the next step to conference prominence?

In order to get there, the road has to go through Columbus, Ohio. Sadly, MSU and OSU don't tango with each other this season. At least that sort of issue will be fixed next season.

So where are we now?

I mean, the top 10 is now a mess thanks to South Carolina's dismantling of Alabama.

Logic says Ohio State should be the new No. 1, and I totally think they should be. They've been ranked No. 2 all year and have done what they've needed to do—win.

Where do you drop Alabama to? Fifth? Ninth? How can you still have them ranked ahead of South Carolina? On the flip side, can you really drop the Tide out of the top 10?

The BCS race is wide open, so everyone can erase Alabama's name out of one of the spots in Glendale...at least for now.

All of this is what's great and terrible about college football. The intrigue and debate about the top teams in the sports is just going to get foggier as we go along.