College Football Comments: Week 12

These rankings are before the games on Thursday and Friday.  I think they might change based on those games (at least LSU’s position anyway).  After that Fresno State-USC game on Saturday it could (and maybe should be) argued that Fresno State deserves a higher ranking than the Irish do.  As explained last week, one of Notre Dame’s losses came to a mediocre Michigan State team.  Fresno State’s two losses are to Oregon by 3 and to USC by 8.  Thus the argument goes that only Ohio State (with losses to Texas and Penn State) should be ranked higher than Fresno State among two-loss teams.  With the way Auburn has been playing lately, though, I don’t know how many teams could beat them.  

My Top 25
1. (1) USC 11-0
2. (2) Texas 10-0
3. (3) Penn State 10-1
4. (5) LSU 9-1
5. (8) Virginia Tech 9-1
6. (7) Ohio State 9-2
7. (10) Oregon 10-1
8. (11) Auburn 9-2
9. (16) Fresno State 8-2
10. (9) Notre Dame 8-2
11. (4) Miami 8-2
12. (6) Alabama 9-2
13. (12) Georgia 8-2
14. (13) West Virginia 8-1
15. (14) UCLA 9-1
16. (15) TCU 10-1
17. (18) Louisville 7-2
18. (23) Boston College 8-3
19. (24) Wisconsin 8-3
20. (NR) Georgia Tech 7-3
21. (21) Texas Tech 9-2
22. (17) Michigan 7-4
23. (22) Florida 7-3
24. (NR) Florida State 7-3
25. (NR) Iowa State 7-3

Dropped Out:
Minnesota (19), South Carolina (20), Oklahoma (25)

BCS Bowl Outlook
Rose Bowl- USC vs. Texas
Fiesta Bowl- Notre Dame vs. Oregon
Orange Bowl- Penn State vs. Virginia Tech
Sugar Bowl- LSU vs. West Virginia

College Football Comments: Week 11

Well here’s my Top 25 for the 11th week.  I didn’t get the time to publish the one for week 10.  But I had it written so I included it at the bottom.  Maybe the biggest problem someone might have is me dropping Notre Dame three spots after they dismantled Navy 42-21.  It’s not that their win was unimpressive it’s just that I actually began thinking.  Let me explain: 1) Notre Dame has two losses, one to a very mediocre team (Michigan State).  And even though they were a Bush Push away from beating USC the fact of the matter is they didn’t.  If that game is at USC the game isn’t nearly as close.  2) Shouldn’t the highest ranked 2-loss team be Ohio State?  They have lost only to Texas and Penn State; two top-five teams.  Plus I think Ohio State’s 48-7 victory over Northwestern last week was more impressive than the ND win over Navy.  3) I’d take Virginia Tech over Notre Dame on a neutral field.  VT is probably the most well rounded team in the nation.  They have blown out everyone except for that one bad game against Miami.  If we’re willing to forgive the Irish for a bad loss against an unranked team shouldn’t we forgive VT for a loss to a top-five team?  I think so.  And one loss is still less than two losses last time I checked.  All that being said I don’t think that ND deserves a BCS bowl bid this year.  If Cal can get snubbed last year as an at-large team with their only loss being similar to the one that ND had then ND, being a two loss team, deserves no better.

My Top 25
1. (1) USC 10-0
2. (2) Texas 10-0
3. (4) Penn State 9-1
4. (5) Miami 8-1
5. (7) LSU 8-1
6. (3) Alabama 9-1
7. (8) Ohio State 8-2
8. (9) Virginia Tech 8-1
9. (6) Notre Dame 7-2
10. (12) Oregon 9-1
11. (14) Auburn 8-2
12. (10) Georgia 7-2
13. (13) West Virginia 8-1
14. (16) UCLA 8-1
15. (19) TCU 10-1
16. (23) Fresno State 8-1
17. (20) Michigan 7-3
18. (24) Louisville 7-2
19. (22) Minnesota 7-3
20. (NR) South Carolina 7-3
21. (18) Texas Tech 8-2
22. (11) Florida 7-3
23. (25) Boston College 7-3
24. (18) Wisconsin 8-3
25. (NR) Oklahoma 6-3

Dropped Out:
Florida State (15), Colorado (21)

My Top 25 (Week 10)
1. (1) USC 9-0
2. (2) Texas 9-0
3. (4) Alabama 9-0
4. (8) Penn State 9-1
5. (12) Miami 7-1
6. (6) Notre Dame 6-2
7. (5) LSU 7-1
8. (9) Ohio State 7-2
9. (3) Virginia Tech 8-1
10. (10) Georgia 7-1
11. (13) Florida 7-2
12. (19) Oregon 8-1
13. (17) West Virginia 7-1
14. (15) Auburn 7-2
15. (11) Florida State 7-2
16. (7) UCLA 8-1
17. (18) Texas Tech 8-1
18. (14) Wisconsin 8-2
19. (21) TCU 9-1
20. (20) Michigan 6-3
21. (25) Colorado 7-2
22. (23) Minnesota 6-3
23. (24) Fresno State 7-1
24. (NR) Louisville 6-2
25. (16) Boston College 6-3

College Football Comments: Week 9

• I was getting ready to move to Virginia Tech to number two until Vince Young took over that game (200 yards passing, 200 yards rushing).


• On that same note it’s becoming a two-man race for the Heisman between Young and USC RB Reggie Bush.


• It’s too bad that Northwestern was beat on Saturday.  They were such a great story.


• It’s also too bad that D.J. Shockley was out against Florida.  With him Georgia would have beat Florida.  


• Did anyone watch that UCLA game?  Twenty-one points in eight minutes.  Comebacks like that show a lot about UCLA’s character.  Unfortunately not blowing out teams like Stanford and Washington are the reasons why the Bruins’ ranking isn’t higher.


• I love the way Auburn came back after that devastating loss against LSU.  They dominated Ole Miss showing that they don’t live in the past.


• While we’re talking about the SEC I must say that I was giddy after seeing not only that Tennessee lost but also how they lost.  It’s like they were meant to lose.  


• Anyone excited for Virginia Tech-Miami or Penn State-Wisconsin?  To put it simply, I can’t wait.


• Don’t forget that the MWC is up for grabs this Saturday also when TCU plays Colorado in the non-BCS game of the week.


• Listen up!  Rutgers just qualified for a bowl game.  Vanderbilt just needs to win two more games and they’ll be eligible also.  What a crazy situation that would be.


• Michigan is finally looking like the team that everyone thought they would be.  Too bad it took them 9 games and 3 losses to find themselves.


• One game under the radar this weekend:  Oregon-California.  While not as high profile as it once looked it still should be an exciting game.


• If Virginia Tech beats Miami (especially in a convincing fashion) then USC and Texas better blow out Stanford and Baylor, respectively.  If they don’t then Tech has a legit claim to be in the national championship.

My Top 25
1. (1) USC 8-0
2. (2) Texas 8-0
3. (3) Virginia Tech 8-0
4. (4) Alabama 8-0
5. (6) LSU 6-1
6. (7) Notre Dame 5-2
7. (8) UCLA 8-0
8. (9) Penn State 8-1
9. (10) Ohio State 6-2
10. (5) Georgia 7-1
11. (11) Florida State 7-1
12. (12) Miami 6-1
13. (14) Florida 6-2
14. (15) Wisconsin 8-1
15. (17) Auburn 6-2
16. (13) Boston College 6-2
17. (16) West Virginia 6-1
18. (19) Texas Tech 7-1
19. (20) Oregon 7-1
20. (24) Michigan 6-3
21. (21) TCU 8-1
22. (23) California 6-2
23. (18) Minnesota 5-3
24. (NR) Fresno State 6-1
25. (NR) Colorado 6-2

Dropped Out:
Northwestern (22), Texas A&M (25)

Closing In:
Georgia Tech, Louisville, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Rutgers, UTEP

Heisman Race
1. Reggie Bush, RB- USC
2. Vince Young, QB- Texas
3. Matt Leinart, QB- USC
4. Maurice Drew, RB- UCLA
5. Brodie Coyle, QB- Alabama

The BCS Story
Front Runners (Division Leaders & Unbeatens)
ACC: Virginia Tech
Big 12: Texas
Big East: West Virginia
Big Ten: Penn State
Pac-10: USC, UCLA
SEC: Alabama

Needs Some Help (Division Contenders & 1-Loss Teams)
ACC: Florida State, Miami
Big 12: Texas Tech, Colorado
Big East: Rutgers
Big Ten: Wisconsin
Non-BCS: Notre Dame
Pac-10: Oregon
SEC: Georgia, LSU

Hope is Slim
ACC: Boston College
Big East: Louisville
Big Ten: Michigan, Ohio State
Non-BCS: Fresno State, TCU, UTEP
Pac-10: California
SEC: Auburn, Florida