Where two losses still gets you NO sympathy …
1. Ohio State (6-0) – Nice defense. Seriously, where was this defense LAST year? Strangely enough, they may be the most consistent team so far this season. Their SOS is fine, and they seem very comfortable. Perhaps the memory of that fiasco in the desert last January is driving them.
2. California (5-0) – DeSean Jackson may have been right when he said Cal was going to clean USC’s collective clock. The Bears must have been laughing their asses off when the Trojans lost to The Cardinal. But that same Cardinal team will be the Bears last hurdle, perhaps … stay tuned. By the way, their SOS is slightly better than Ohio State’s SOS, but I like the Buckeyes defense better.
3. LSU (6-0) – If that game last night had been played on a neutral field or in The Swamp, LSU would lose. I don’t know if there’s a more smug, unlikeable coach in college football than Les Miles, either. When Florida had the ball, up by 10 in the 4th quarter, I figured it was their game to lose. And they lost it; LSU didn’t win it. The Tigers better hope they don’t have to face anyone GOOD in the SEC title game. Oh, and their SOS is slightly better than Cal’s, too, but until LSU beats a good team out of The Bayou, I am not giving them ANY credit. It’s clear good teams can scare them too much in The Bayou; out of that comfort zone, these Tigers will crumble.
4. South Florida (5-0) – Ugly win, but for a program in their position, that’s all they needed: a win. FYI: Their SOS is slightly below LSU’s, so it’s not like they haven’t played anyone “good” yet.
5. Arizona State (6-0) – Is Bruce Snyder back in town? No, that’s just Dennis Erickson. Wonder where he will be coaching next year? Want a surprise? Their SOS is pretty high, just below Ohio State’s SOS, but I can’t name a single team they’ve beaten without looking it up. Don’t book those Rose Bowl trips just yet, Devil fans.
6. Boston College (6-0) – Beat down some bad team yesterday, as they should have. Since I’m on a SOS kick this week, their SOS is weak. Maybe that says more about the ACC than the Golden Eagles, though. Still, nothing wrong with a 6-0 start.
7. Hawaii (6-0) – Speaking of SOS, Hawaii has a horrible number. But they have Colt Brennan, the second-best HFA in college football this year after LSU, and their schedule stinks. BCS Crasher!
8. Missouri (5-0) – This is really the stretch of weaker undefeated teams, isn’t it? Big XII North, sitting pretty, though.
9. Cincinnati (6-0) – Let me again preface this by saying Mark Dantonio blew it. Also, even though their SOS is weak, I have bought into the hype. We’ll see if it holds as they face the tougher teams on their Big East slate.
10. Kansas (5-0) – There’s something to be said for scheduling cream puffs, isn’t there? I think K-State really believed their own press after beating Oklahoma. Beneficiary? The Jayhawks! Hey, is Glen Mason BACK?!
11. Connecticut (5-0) – No comment. This is the fly in my rankings’ ointment, for sure. But I must be consistent, for RSFC’s sake.
12. Purdue (5-1) – Their one loss is to my #1 this week, so get this spot (i.e., the top-ranked, one-loss team). I didn’t watch their game, since I was going back and forth between the Stanford/USC game and the Florida/LSU game, but every time I checked in, I was surprised they STILL hadn’t scored. Says a lot about Ohio State’s defense.
13. Oregon (4-1) – Maybe their bye week made them realize they could beat USC, too, and maybe they’ll get it together and run the table for a BCS at-large spot. Maybe. They’re still smarting from that Cal loss, though, and maybe the bye week helped them recover. Maybe.
14. South Carolina (5-1) – The Ol’ Ball Coach wants a second crack at LSU away from The Swamp, doesn’t he?
15. Virginia Tech (5-1) – Maybe they’re finally ready to play this season. If that’s the case, who could blame them? It’s almost unfair they had that LSU game when they did. If they played on a neutral field now? LSU would still win.
16. West Virginia (5-1) – Maybe if they run the table, they can have their BCS slot back.
17. Illinois (5-1) – With their only loss in OT to an undefeated team, the Zooker is BACK. Can they win the Big Ten? Let’s find out!
18. Wisconsin (5-1) – Ironic that the Big Ten still comes down to Michigan and Ohio State, huh? Oh, and ILLINOIS! So much for my theory about the Badgers being a team that just knows how to win … although, if LSU had to play in Champaign-Urbana, they'd lose, too.
19. Kentucky (5-1) – Andre’ Woodson, your Heisman Trophy Hopes need to be returned, please.
20. Indiana (5-1) – WTF is going on this year? I am seriously afraid when the Illini AND the Hoosiers somehow crack my Top 20.
21. Florida State (4-1) – How did THIS happen? Maybe they have a chance in the ACC after all.
22. USC (4-1) – Did anyone else get that sense of inevitability last night when Stanford stuffed the 4th and goal right before halftime? USC got exactly what they deserved. They can still win the Pac-10, of course, and Pete Carroll will have them focused, but this was another example of what happened when you let a well-coached team hang around too long. Side note: the Stanford WRs seemed to get away with A LOT of push-offs. I wonder how long it will take the Pac-10 crews to crack down on that one after Pete complains to them privately.
23. Oklahoma (5-1) – Ho-hum. Why they were even in a close game with Texas is beyond me. Maybe Stoops is losing it.
24. Boise State (3-1) – They get the edge over Wyoming, based on H2H victory.
25. Wyoming (4-1) – They get the edge over Virginia, based on H2H victory.
Others meriting consideration: Virginia, Texas A&M, Texas Tech
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