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Final rankings of the regular season. Finally moved Auburn up to No. 1 after their savage beating of South Carolina in the SEC title game.

1. Auburn (2) - 13-0 in the SEC is good enough to get my vote.
2. Oregon (1) - Not No. 1, but still in the national title game. I think the Ducks are OK with that.
3. TCU (3) - One spot out of the big enchilada for the second straight year. Get a trip to Pasadena out of it though.
4. Wisconsin (4) - Badgers play TCU in Rose.
5. Stanford (5) - Will Jim Harbaugh stay? That's the big question after a great year and an Orange Bowl bid.
6. Ohio State (6) - Buckeyes make yet another BCS bowl, playing Arkansas in the Sugar.
7. Michigan State (7) - Shame that UConn gets to go to the BCS while Sparty doesn't.
8. Arkansas (8) - Razorbacks look to extend Ohio State misery against the SEC.
9. Oklahoma (11) - Sooners hop up after winning the Big 12 for fourth time in five years.
10. Boise State (9) - From BCS to Las Vegas in a span of 10 days. Stinks for the Broncos.
11. LSU (12) - Tigers rekindle rivalry with Texas A&M in Cotton Bowl.
12. Nevada (14) - Wolfpack beat La. Tech to win surprise WAC championship.
13. Missouri (13) - Tigers have intriguing matchup with Iowa in the Insight Bowl.
14. Virginia Tech (15) - From a loss to James Madison to an undefeated ACC title and an Orange Bowl matchup with Stanford. Not bad Hokies.
15. Nebraska (10) - Huskers fall from possible BCS game to underwhelming Holiday Bowl with Washington.
16. Oklahoma State (16) - Cowboys to play slumping Arizona in Alamo Bowl.
17. Alabama (17) - Have intriguing matchup with Michigan State in Capital One Bowl.
18. Texas A&M (18) - Aggies looking for first bowl win since 2001.
19. Utah (22) - Utes move up thanks to the losses of others and gets Boise State in an intriguing Las Vegas Bowl.
20. South Carolina (19) - Gamecocks get killed, but don't get moved too far down.
21. Mississippi State (23) - Bulldogs play rare New Year's Day Bowl, getting Michigan in the Gator.
22. West Virginia (24) - Mountaineers end season on roll, get N.C. State in Champ Sports Bowl.
23. Florida State (20) - Seminoles draw South Carolina in Chick-Fil-A Bowl a.k.a. the conference title-game runner-up bowl.
24. Hawaii (25) - Warriors host Tulsa in Hawaii Bowl after a banner 10-3 season.
25. Central Florida (NR) - Conference USA champs move into rankings and get Georgia in Liberty Bowl.

Under consideration: Maryland, Navy, Tulsa

Dropped out: No. 21 Northern Illinois

Boise State falls from the ranks of the unbeaten, allowing TCU a chance to sneak into the title game.

1. Oregon (1) - The Civil War stands in the way of the Ducks' first national-title appearance.
2. Auburn (2) - Tigers overcome 24-point deficit against Bama to stay undefeated.
3. TCU (4) - Horned Frogs end season unbeaten, now just wait.
4. Wisconsin (5) - Badgers put up 70 to seal Rose Bowl berth.
5. Stanford (7) - Cardinal could bust into BCS after third shutout of the season.
6. Ohio State (8) - Buckeyes beat Michigan for seventh straight year, looking at another BCS berth.
7. Michigan State (10) - Spartans win 11th game, but likely to be shut out of BCS.
8. Arkansas (12) - Big win over LSU made the Razorbacks some serious money.
9. Boise State (3) - Two late missed field goals doom Broncos in loss to Nevada.
10. Nebraska (14) - Huskers beat Colorado to set up matchup with Oklahoma in Big 12 title game.
11. Oklahoma (17) - Win over Oklahoma State gives Sooners Big 12 South.
12. LSU (6) - Tigers lose at Arkansas and likely lose BCS berth in the process.
13. Missouri (13) - Mizzou beats Kansas to seal 10-win season.
14. Nevada (18) - Nevada takes control of WAC with upset win over Boise.
15. Virginia Tech (15) - Va. Tech wins 10th in a row to set up ACC title matchup with Florida State.
16. Oklahoma State (9) - Big plays doom Cowboys to 8th straight loss to Oklahoma.
17. Alabama (11) - Tide cursing the name of Cam Newton after blowing 24-0 lead.
18. Texas A&M (16) - Aggies beat Texas, but fall six spots. Life is rough sometimes.
19. South Carolina (19) - Have a chance to be TCU's best friend by beating Auburn in the SEC title game.
20. Florida State (22) - Seminoles break six-game losing streak to Florida and move into ACC title game.
21. Northern Illinois (20) - Win over Miami (Ohio) would seal MAC title for Huskies.
22. Utah (24) - Utes pull one out of the fire in Holy War win over BYU.
23. Mississippi State (NR) - 8-4 best Bulldog record in a decade.
24. West Virginia (NR) - Slaughter of Pitt puts Mountaineers back in rankings.
25. Hawaii (NR) - Warriors only team to beat Nevada, which became a lot more impressive after this week.

Under consideration: Central Florida, Maryland, Navy

Dropped out: No. 21 N.C. State, No. 23 Arizona, No. 25 Iowa

Boise State bumps by TCU and Nebraska falls. Besides that, not much really happened.

1. Oregon (1) - Ducks get week off before Arizona/Oregon State homestretch.
2. Auburn (2) - This should be one of the more intense Iron Bowls in a long time, especially with the Cam Newton hoopla still at a fever pitch.
3. Boise State (4) - Had to bump up after Broncos killed Fresno State.
4. TCU (3) - Horned Frogs have walk-over season-ender at New Mexico.
5. Wisconsin (5) - Badgers run over Michigan to make statement.
6. LSU (6) - Struggled but won as usual. Par for the course really.
7. Stanford (7) - The Big Game with Cal was a big rout.
8. Ohio State (9) - Buckeyes survive against Iowa to keep Rose Bowl hopes alive.
9. Oklahoma State (11) - Can clinch berth in Big 12 title game with win over Oklahoma.
10. Michigan State (10) - Spartans stay put after scare against a bad Purdue team.
11. Alabama (12) - Would love nothing more than to spoil Auburn's national-title hopes.
12. Arkansas (13) - Razorbacks have big game with LSU coming up.
13. Missouri (15) - Tiger defense pitches another shutout.
14. Nebraska (8) - Huskers' suddenly feeble offense killed them against Texas A&M
15. Virginia Tech (14) - Hokies wrap up ACC title game berth with win at Miami.
16. Texas A&M (18) - Aggies topple Nebraska for fifth straight win.
17. Oklahoma (16) - A resume bereft of signature wins has Oklahoma in back of second-place Big 12 cluster.
18. Nevada (17) - Can make a whole bunch of teams happy if they pull an upset against Boise State this week.
19. South Carolina (19) - Gamecocks have rivalry game with Clemson before first SEC title game appearance.
20. Northern Illinois (23) - Huskies rolling up big wins in the MAC.
21. N.C. State (NR) - A win against Maryland puts Wolfpack in first ACC title game.
22. Florida State (25) - Seminoles try to break six-game losing streak to rival Florida.
23. Arizona (24) - Can really mess up BCS if they pull the shocker against Oregon.
24. Utah (NR) - Utes return to rankings after big win at San Diego State.
25. Iowa (20) - Hawkeyes now have lost four times in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter.

Under consideration: Southern Miss, Mississippi State, West Virginia

Dropped out: No. 21 USC, No. 22 Mississippi State

Pretty uneventful week at the top of my rankings, though the bottom got quite a shake-up.

1. Oregon (1) - Ducks survive spirited upset bid by Cal to stay undefeated.
2. Auburn (2) - Paid to play or not, Cam Newton is pretty good.
3. TCU (3) - Horned Frogs got scare against San Diego State, took a blow with Utah's loss.
4. Boise State (4) - Broncos have a chance to make big move in the next two weeks with Fresno State and Nevada on deck.
5. Wisconsin (5) - Badgers put 83 up on Indiana. That's not a typo.
6. LSU (6) - Tigers get ho-hum blowout win against Louisiana-Monroe.
7. Stanford (7) - Stanford also got scare, as Arizona State made the Cardinal work.
8. Nebraska (8) - Huskers stand pat after ho-hum win over Kansas.
9. Ohio State (9) - Big second-half propels Buckeyes past Penn State.
10. Michigan State (11) - Spartans have another bye week coming up. It's called Purdue.
11. Oklahoma State (12) - Cowboys add to the Texas misery with a blowout win in Austin.
12. Alabama (13) - Tide gets nice decisive win over Mississippi State.
13. Arkansas (14) - Razorbacks take out UTEP in quick order.
14. Virginia Tech (16) - Hokies have a big one this week at Miami.
15. Missouri (22) - Tigers move up a bunch with a win and some self-correction on my part.
16. Oklahoma (18) - Sooners win, but I couldn't continue to have them ahead of a Missouri team that beat them. Doesn't really make much sense.
17. Nevada (20) - Wolfpack pass huge test in winning at Fresno State.
18. Texas A&M (24) - Aggies are playing extremely well and can really make a mark this week against Nebraska.
19. South Carolina (NR) - Spurrier whips old team to clinch the Gamecocks' first-ever SEC East title.
20. Iowa (10) - Hawkeyes lose to nemesis Northwestern again.
21. USC (NR) - Nice win at Arizona has Trojans back in the rankings.
22. Mississippi State (17) - Bulldogs aren't quite ready for the big time, as Alabama proved.
23. Northern Illinois (NR) - MAC leaders make first appearance after seventh straight win.
24. Arizona (19) - Two straight losses have Wildcats hanging on by a thread.
25. Florida State (NR) - Seminoles best of the mess of Florida teams right now.

Just missed the cut: Michigan, Utah, Miami (Fla)

Dropped out: No. 15 Utah, No. 21 Central Florida, No. 23 San Diego State, No. 25 Florida

1. Oregon (1) - No letdown as Ducks destroy Washington
2. Auburn (2) - Cam Newton overcomes allegations to smack down Chattanooga.
3. TCU (4) - Horned Frogs move up after humiliating Utah.
4. Boise State (3) - Broncos kill a good Hawaii team and still move down. Life is tough sometimes.
5. Wisconsin (7) - Badgers put away Purdue in second half.
6. LSU (16) - Win over Alabama makes Tigers the big upward mover this week.
7. Stanford (9) - Cardinal in tip-top form in blowout over Arizona.
8. Nebraska (10) - Huskers avoid huge overtime scare against Iowa State.
9. Ohio State (8) - Lack of quality wins starting to catch up with Buckeyes.
10. Iowa (13) - Hawkeyes survive after Indiana drops last-second pass in end zone.
11. Michigan State (14) - Spartans roll a horrible Minnesota team.
12. Oklahoma State (18) - Cowboys shoot up after blowing out Baylor.
13. Alabama (6) - Tide's national championship hopes dealt fatal blow by LSU.
14. Arkansas (19) - Razorbacks look impressive in win over South Carolina.
15. Utah (5) - I guess if you are going to lose your national championship hopes, losing by 40 at home is a colorful way to do it.
16. Virginia Tech (20) - Hokies quietly climbing with seven straight wins.
17. Mississippi State (21) - Bulldogs have chance to make statement at Alabama.
18. Oklahoma (11) - Sooners get stood up at the goal line three times in loss to Texas A&M.
19. Arizona (12) - Wildcats get stomped at Stanford.
20. Nevada (NR) - Wolfpack take advantage of the carnage to move into top 20.
21. Central Florida (NR) - Knights get big win at Houston to move into rankings.
22. Missouri (15) - Nebraska letdown painful as Tigers lose at Texas Tech
23. San Diego State (NR) - Quietly 7-2, the Aztecs are full of promise and county kids.
24. Texas A&M (NR) - Aggies stuff Oklahoma to move into poll for first time.
25. Florida (NR) - Two straight wins has Florida back in top 25.

Under consideration: South Carolina, USC, North Carolina

Dropped out: No. 17 South Carolina, No. 22 Baylor, No. 23 N.C. State, No. 24 Florida State, No. 25 Hawaii

1. Oregon (1) - Ducks smack down USC in Coliseum to pass a big test.
2. Auburn (3) - Tigers keep racking up the quality wins.
3. Boise State (2) - Get first test in a while with Hawaii coming to town.
4. TCU (4) - Huge road game at Utah could be TCU's BCS statement.
5. Utah (7) - Copy and paste the TCU comment except switch the two teams.
6. Alabama (8) - Tide in prime position to leap back in title hunt.
7. Wisconsin (9) - Badgers move to the top of the Big Ten lot.
8. Ohio State (10) - Buckeyes still relatively untested, though extremely talented.
9. Stanford (12) - Cardinal put whipping on Washington.
10. Nebraska (13) - Huskers smack around Mizzou to launch back into top 10.
11. Oklahoma (11) - Sooners stay put despite whooping Colorado.
12. Arizona (14) - Wildcats have huge test this week at Stanford.
13. Iowa (20) - Hawkeyes do one-loss teams a favor by destroying Michigan State.
14. Michigan State (5) - Well, it was nice while it lasted for the Spartans.
15. Missouri (6) - Well, it was nice while it lasted for the Tigers.
16. LSU (16) - Game with Alabama this week is a virtual BCS eliminator.
17. South Carolina (17) - Gamecocks continue to control SEC East destiny.
18. Oklahoma State (22) - Who would have thought this week's game against Baylor would be a big one before the season?
19. Arkansas (18) - Win by 35, drop a spot. Hogs still need a signature win.
20. Virginia Tech (21) - Hokies top of a mediocre ACC lot.
21. Mississippi State (24) - Bulldogs get bye to revel in surprising 7-2 record.
22. Baylor (25) - Bears win at Texas for the first time since 1991 and clinch a winning season.
23. N.C. State (NR) - Thursday night win over FSU puts Wolfpack in rankings.
24. Florida State (15) - Christian Ponder will surely have nightmares about his late fumble.
25. Hawaii (NR) - Sixth-straight win gets Warriors a ranking.

Under consideration: Nevada, Central Florida, San Diego State

Dropped out: No. 19 Miami (Fla), No. 23 USC

The BCS might have a new No. 1, but mine remains the same.

1. Oregon (1) - Ducks put a hurting on UCLA. Now comes a tougher LA opponent.
2. Boise State (2) - The Broncos play Tuesday for some reason.
3. Auburn (5) - Another quality home win keeps moving the Tigers up the ladder.
4. TCU (4) - Horned Frogs have given up 10 points in four weeks.
5. Michigan State (7) - Spartans survive scare against Arby Fields and Northwestern.
6. Missouri (17) - Big win over Oklahoma makes Mizzou the big mover this week.
7. Utah (8) - Utes' offense keeps on rolling. Tricky trap game at Air Force this week.
8. Alabama (9) - Tide roll Tennessee and are in best position of one-loss teams.
9. Wisconsin (10) - Badgers impress with big road win at Iowa.
10. Ohio State (11) - Buckeyes take out frustrations of Wisconsin loss with blowout of Purdue.
11. Oklahoma (3) - Sooners tumble after Missouri loss.
12. Stanford (12) - Cardinal tread water after uninspired win over Washington State.
13. Nebraska (15) - Huskers slay undefeated Okie State to move up. Missouri looms next week.
14. Arizona (13) - Wildcats drop a spot after winning by 30. Life is tough sometimes.
15. Florida State (16) - Seminoles have tricky game at N.C. State coming Thursday.
16. LSU (6) - Les Miles finally exhausted all of his magic. Or so we think.
17. South Carolina (19) - Gamecocks survive despite not having star RB Marcus Lattimore.
18. Arkansas (21) - It's hard to say how good the Razorbacks really are at this point.
19. Miami (Fla) (23) - Canes get nice bump after blowing out North Carolina.
20. Iowa (14) - Hawkeyes will try to overcome heartbreaking Wisconsin loss to spoil MSU's hopes.
21. Virginia Tech (24) - Hokies have quietly rolled to six straight wins.
22. Oklahoma State (18) - Previously-untested Cowboys failed first exam against Nebraska.
23. USC (25) - Trojans have big opportunity with Oregon coming in this week.
24. Mississippi State (NR) - Five straight wins has Mississippi State in rankings.
25. Baylor (NR) - Bears ranked in polls for first time since 1993.

Under consideration: Hawaii, Nevada, Michigan

Dropped out: No. 20 Texas, No. 22 West Virginia

Well, Ohio State's run atop the poll didn't last long. We'll see if the new No. 1 has a bit more staying power.

1. Oregon (2) - Not a bad bye week, as the Ducks get the top spot.
2. Boise State (4) - Broncos sitting pretty, though their strength of schedule is lowering by the week.
3. Oklahoma (6) - Sooners were the big winner, getting blowout win to earn the top spot in the BCS standings.
4. TCU (5) - Horned Frogs have only given up three points in the past three games.
5. Auburn (7) - Tigers explode for 65 to vault into top 5.
6. LSU (8) - LSU wins ugly, but it wins. Huge game at Auburn coming up.
7. Michigan State (12) - All of a sudden, the Spartans are the top dog in the Big Ten.
8. Utah (10) - Utes quietly keep rolling.
9. Alabama (11) - Tide bounce back against Mississippi, but still not clicking on all cylinders.
10. Wisconsin (18) - Badgers shoot up rankings with upset of Ohio State.
11. Ohio State (1) - I can't in good conscience rank the Buckeyes ahead of Wisconsin, so here they are.
12. Stanford (14) - Cardinal move up while chillin' during the bye.
13. Arizona (16) - Wildcats win, but lose quarterback Nick Foles to injury.
14. Iowa (17) - Hawkeyes win shootout at Michigan to start tough three-game stretch. Wisconsin is next.
15. Nebraska (3) - Even underachieving Texas teams figure out how to beat Nebraska.
16. Florida State (15) - Seminoles go through motions in lackluster win over BC.
17. Missouri (19) - Tigers still unscathed, but have huge test this week with Oklahoma.
18. Oklahoma State (21) - Cowboys get first real test with Nebraska coming up this week.
19. South Carolina (9) - Post-Alabama letdown results in loss to Kentucky.
20. Texas (NR) - After two-week absence, Longhorns upset Nebraska and return to poll.
21. Arkansas (13) - Razorbacks score 43 points and still lose by three touchdowns.
22. West Virginia (NR) - After toeing around the periphery of the poll, Mountaineers finally rejoin the rankings.
23. Miami (Fla) (NR) - Somewhat iffy about this pick to be quite honest.
24. Virginia Tech (NR) - Five straight wins has Hokies back in top 25.
25. USC (NR) - Blowout of Cal gets USC ranked again.

Under consideration: Kansas State, Mississippi State, Michigan

Dropped: No. 20 Nevada, No. 22 Oregon State, No. 23 Air Force, No. 24 Florida, No. 25 Michigan.

With Alabama losing, we got a new No. 1 and a whole lot of shuffling.

1. Ohio State (2) - Buckeyes moved into top spot with rout of Indiana.
2. Oregon (3) - Ducks win ho-hum game with overmatched Washington State.
3. Nebraska (5) - Cajon/Corona Centennial product Taylor Martinez absolutely devastating at QB for Cornhuskers.
4. Boise State (4) - Broncos waste Toledo to keep rolling.
5. TCU (6) - Horned Frogs register second straight shutout.
6. Oklahoma (7) - Sooners move up during bye.
7. Auburn (9) - All of a sudden, the win over South Carolina looks pretty darn good.
8. LSU (11) - I don't get how they do it, but the Tigers keep winning.
9. South Carolina (19) - Gamecocks make huge jump after jumping Alabama.
10. Utah (10) - It's rough to score 68 points and not move up. Such is life.
11. Alabama (1) - Can't justify ranking them higher, especially with Florida and Penn State tanking.
12. Michigan State (16) - Spartans make statement with lopsided win at Michigan.
13. Arkansas (12) - Razorbacks drop after narrow win over Texas A&M.
14. Stanford (13) - Jim Harbaugh and the Cardinal have USC's number.
15. Florida State (21) - 45-17 win over Miami most impressive Seminole win in a long time.
16. Arizona (8) - Oregon State catches Wildcats napping.
17. Iowa (15) - Hawkeyes still below Arizona for now. Has a chance for quality road win this week at Michigan.
18. Wisconsin (20) - Badgers can throw Big Ten race into chaos with an upset of Ohio State this week.
19. Missouri (23) - Tigers have been extremely stifling on defense.
20. Nevada (22) - Wolfpack stay undefeated under QB Colin Kaepernick.
21. Oklahoma State (24) - Cowboys feasting on soft schedule right now.
22. Oregon State (NR) - After near-misses against TCU and Boise State, Beavers finally get the big road win they were looking for.
23. Air Force (NR) - Falcons move into poll for the first time.
24. Florida (18) - Gators are in a freefall with two straight losses.
25. Michigan (17) - Apparently Denard Robinson is human.

Under consideration: West Virginia, Miami (Fla), Virginia Tech

Dropped out: No. 14 Miami (Fla), No. 25 Kansas State

I feel confident in my top 9. After that, its a crapshoot.

1. Alabama (1) - Impressive destruction of Florida removes any remaining doubt.
2. Ohio State (2) - Buckeyes struggled, but took out Illinois. May be on notice though.
3. Oregon (4) - Destruction of Stanford was impressive. Probably not a better second-half team out there.
4. Boise State (3) - Now that Boise is playing WAC dregs, its ranking won't improve much.
5. Nebraska (5) - Had week off before big Thursday game at Kansas State.
6. TCU (6) - Struggled a bit offensively against Colorado State.
7. Oklahoma (9) - Beat Texas for only second time in six years.
8. Arizona (10) - Wildcats move up despite not playing.
9. Auburn (11) - Tigers impress against bad Louisiana-Monroe team.
10. Utah (12) - Feel weird about having Utes here, but they are the best alternative currently.
11. LSU (14) - May be luckiest team in America, as Tennessee's inability to count bailed the Tigers out.
12. Arkansas (15) - Most impressive of the one-loss teams to date.
13. Stanford (8) - Can't hate on the Cardinal too much for Oregon loss.
14. Miami (Fla) (17) - Nice win at Clemson sets up big game with Florida State
15. Iowa (18) - Hawkeye own Penn State, beating Nittany Lions for eighth time in nine tries.
16. Michigan State (24) - Big win over Wisconsin vaults Spartans up the list.
17. Michigan (19) - Great offense, bad defense. Big game with Michigan State upcoming.
18. Florida (7) - Gators were embarrassed against Alabama. Have low-scoring game with LSU on tap.
19. South Carolina (20) - May be best team in lackluster SEC East.
20. Wisconsin (13) - Badgers tumble after loss to Michigan State.
21. Florida State (21) - Seminoles have chance to establish themselves as ACC favorites this week against Miami.
22. Nevada (25) - Wolfpack quietly standing out with punishing run game.
23. Missouri (NR) - Tigers finally make it in on bye week.
24. Oklahoma State (NR) - Cowboys outlast Texas A&M to move into rankings.
25. Kansas State (NR) - Have chance to make statement with Nebraska coming to town.

Others receiving consideration: West Virginia, USC, Air Force.

Dropped out: No. 16 USC, No. 22 Penn State, No. 23 Texas.

1. Alabama (1) - Crimson Tide pass first real test of adversity with flying colors. Hugh game with Florida next.
2. Ohio State (2) - Buckeyes roll Eastern Michigan and will likely do the same with Illinois.
3. Boise State (6) - Broncos whip Oregon State to move back up to where they were two weeks ago.
4. Oregon (3) - Defense looked shaky in win over Arizona State
5. Nebraska (4) - Huskers moved down after sleepwalk win over South Dakota State.
6. TCU (5) - Uneven win over SMU drops TCU a spot.
7. Florida (9) - The Gator defense is starting to grow on me. They'll sell me outright with an upset of Alabama this week.
8. Stanford (12) - Stanford keeps killing everyone in its path. Huge game with Oregon is on deck.
9. Oklahoma (8) - Another scare against an inferior team drops the Sooners again.
10. Arizona (10) - Wildcats survive letdown against Cal to stay undefeated.
11. Auburn (15) - Sweep of the state of South Carolina vaults Tigers.
12. Utah (13) - Another rout bumps Utah up a step.
13. Wisconsin (14) - Badgers have best test on the road at Michigan State.
14. LSU (20) - Tigers' defense is one of the best in the nation. If only they had a QB.
15. Arkansas (10) - Razorbacks fall after blowing golden opportunity to Alabama.
16. USC (16) - Hey, at least the Trojans didn't drop this week.
17. Miami (Fla) (18) - The U's defense was impressive in victory over Pitt.
18. Iowa (19) - Hawkeyes responded nicely from Arizona loss with 45-0 rout of Ball State.
19. Michigan (22) - Wolverines didn't need Denard Robinson to gain over 700 yards this week.
20. South Carolina (17) - Tough loss to Auburn drops Gamecocks.
21. Florida State (23) - Seminoles get shutout over Wake Forest.
22. Penn State (25) - PSU outlasts Temple in deceivingly tough test.
23. Texas (7) - UCLA's "Rout 34" causes Longhorns to plummet.
24. Michigan State (NR) - Spartans defeat Northern Colorado without coach Mark Dantonio.
25. Nevada (NR) - Wins over California and BYU bring Wolfpack into poll.

Dropped out: No. 21 West Virginia, No. 24 Oregon State

Under consideration: Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Missouri

The Pac 10 made out like bandits this week, with Oregon, Arizona and Stanford getting sizable bumps up the food chain.

1. Alabama (1) - Tide keep rolling with rout of Duke. Arkansas looms next.
2. Ohio State (2) - Buckeyes in cruise control right now.
3. Oregon (6) - The Ducks have scored over a point per minute thus far. That's ridiculous.
4. Nebraska (9) - The Huskers made Jake Locker, Washington look awful.
5. TCU (4) - Hard to drop after a 35-point win, but that's what happened to the Frogs.
6. Boise State (3) - Boise has another shot to impress with Oregon State coming to town this week.
7. Texas (5) - Big win at Texas Tech, but still drop. Life's rough near the top.
8. Oklahoma (7) - Sooners barely survive for the second time in three weeks.
9. Florida (10) - Offense still looks ugly, but defense keeps Gators in top 10.
10. Arizona (20) - Wildcats rip up Iowa to shoot into the top 10.
11. Arkansas (14) - Got a big win at Georgia this week. Can really make waves with Alabama coming to town.
12. Stanford (19) - The Cardinal put up 68 on Wake Forest. Just sick.
13. Utah (12) - Utes win by six touchdowns and still fall.
14. Wisconsin (11) - Blocked extra point allows Badgers to survive Arizona State
15. Auburn (15) - Tigers stay undefeated with OT win over Clemson
16. USC (13) - Trojans still having problems putting away teams.
17. South Carolina (16) - Gamecocks have a chance to make statement with Auburn coming up.
18. Miami (Fla) (17) - Hurricanes have sneaky-tough game against Pitt Thursday.
19. Iowa (8) - Hawkeyes tumble after falling in the desert.
20. LSU (22) - It isn't pretty, but the Tigers keep winning with sound defense.
21. West Virginia (23) - WVU has tough road game at LSU this week.
22. Michigan (18) - Scare against FCS UMass forces the Wolverines down a few pegs.
23. Florida State (24) - Seminoles get well against BYU.
24. Oregon State (NR) - Beavers have second rough non-BCS team this month in Boise State
25. Penn State (NR) - Shutout gets Nittany Lions back in the rankings.

Under consideration: Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh, Michigan State

Dropped: No. 21 Houston, No. 25 Georgia

Nothing too drastic at the top, but after No. 10 was extremely difficult.

1. Alabama (1) - Crimson Tide roll over Penn State to stay on top.
2. Ohio State (2) - Big plays lead the Buckeyes past Miami (Fla).
3. Boise State (3) - While the Broncos were idle, Virginia Tech's unbelievable meltdown to James Madison could be fatal to Boise's eventual title chances.
4. TCU (4) - Horned Frogs roll and could be the beneficiary of Va. Tech's shocking loss.
5. Texas (5) - Ho-hum 34-7 win for the Longhorns.
6. Oregon (10) - Ducks are climbing fast after destroying Tennessee.
7. Oklahoma (9) - Sooners blast Florida State, showing Utah State scare to be a fluke.
8. Iowa (7) - Hawkeyes kill in-state rival Iowa State but move down. Them's the breaks.
9. Nebraska (8) - Former Cajon/Centennial QB Taylor Martinez impressing for Huskers.
10. Florida (6) - Gators still look a bit out of sorts despite being 2-0.
11. Wisconsin (12) - Badgers didn't set the world on fire against San Jose St., but there's really not a better option here.
12. Utah (14) - Utes continue to climb after blasting UNLV.
13. USC (11) - Trojans look listless in 3-point win over Virginia.
14. Arkansas (15) - Razorbacks take out Louisiana-Monroe after early trouble.
15. Auburn (16) - The Tigers' win over Mississippi State wasn't pretty, but they'll take them however they come.
16. South Carolina (NR) - Gamecocks shoot into the poll out of nowhere with win over Georgia.
17. Miami (Fla.) (13) - Hurricanes don't fall too much for loss in Columbus.
18. Michigan (NR) - QB Denard Robinson may be the most exciting player in the nation.
19. Stanford (NR) - Cardinal kill UCLA to shoot into the poll.
20. Arizona (23) - Wildcats have been good, but schedule gets much harder this week with Iowa.
21. Houston (21) - Cougars win, but injury to star QB Case Keenum raises concern.
22. LSU (24) - LSU whipped Vanderbilt, but offense seems to be a concern.
23. West Virginia (20) - Mountaineers got extremely lucky against a bad Marshall team, so they fall a bit.
24. Florida State (19) - Seminoles drop after being smacked by Oklahoma
25. Georgia (17) - Bulldogs barely stay in poll after being held to six points by South Carolina.

Under consideration: Pittsburgh, North Carolina, California

Dropped out: No. 18 Virginia Tech, No. 22 Georgia Tech, No. 25 Penn State

Here are my newest rankings. Some highly-ranked teams fell despite wins, including USC.

1. Alabama (1) - Took care of San Jose State, but will have bigger test in Penn State.
2. Ohio State (2) - Have rematch of 2002 National Title game with Miami coming up.
3. Boise State (7) - Broncos shoot up by beating Va. Tech in a virtual road game.
4. TCU (4) - Horned Frogs stay put with quality win over Oregon State.
5. Texas (5) - Longhorns beat Rice in ho-hum effort.
6. Florida (3) - Gators tumble due to uninspired win over Miami (Ohio)
7. Iowa (8) - Hawkeyes have in-state rival Iowa State looming
8. Nebraska (10) - Former Cajon QB Taylor Martinez leads Huskers to season-opening win.
9. Oklahoma (6) - Listless win over Utah State drops Sooners. Florida State's up next.
10. Oregon (12) - Former Riverside Notre Dame RB Kenjon Barner scores 5 TDs for Ducks.
11. USC (9) - Trojan pass defense looked awful in shootout victory over Hawaii.
12. Wisconsin (13) - Badgers cruise in Las Vegas.
13. Miami (Fla) (14) - Hurricanes have big trip to Columbus this week.
14. Utah (16) - Utes get nice OT win over previously-ranked Pittsburgh.
15. Arkansas (15) - Razorbacks pummel terrible Tennessee Tech.
16. Auburn (18) - Tigers run to season-opening victory.
17. Georgia (19) - Bulldogs will get test against solid South Carolina squad.
18. Virginia Tech (11) - Hokies drop after uneven "home" loss to Boise in D.C.
19. Florida State (20) - Seminoles get a chance to prove their worth at Oklahoma.
20. West Virginia (21) - Mountaineers roll to season open victory.
21. Houston (22) - Cougars' offense picks up right where it left off.
22. Georgia Tech (23) - Triple-option offense clicks early for Jackets.
23. Arizona (NR) - 41-2 victory over Toledo puts Wildcats in poll.
24. LSU (NR) - Tigers almost blew it against shorthanded Carolina.
25. Penn State (NR) - Nittany Lions sneak in poll, most likely temporarily.

Under consideration: Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Stanford

Dropped out: No. 17 Pittsburgh, No. 24 Washington, No. 25 North Carolina

I know I have a few more high school teams to preview and I'll finish that up this week, but here is my college top 25.

1. Alabama - Defending national champs are loaded in repeat bid.
2. Ohio State - Buckeyes hope to ride Rose Bowl breakthrough.
3. Florida - No Tebow, but Gators will still have plenty of talent
4. TCU - Horned Frogs loaded for run at national title.
5. Texas - Longhorns lose Colt McCoy, but talent is never an issue
6. Oklahoma - Sooners look to recover from injury-riddled 2009 season
7. Boise State - If Broncos beat Virginia Tech Labor Day night, look out
8. Iowa - Hawkeyes will rely on hard-nosed defense
9. USC - The talent is there, but will the motivation be after being ruled bowl-ineligible?
10. Nebraska - Huskers lose Suh, but will still be stingy.
11. Virginia Tech - Will the Hokies get over the hump and be true national-title contenders?
12. Oregon - Ducks would be a top 5 team if QB Jeremiah Masoli wasn't kicked off team.
13. Wisconsin - Badgers will rely on physical running game.
14. Miami - Hurricanes will be tested early with Ohio State and Pittsburgh
15. Arkansas - Should be exciting on offense with QB Ryan Mallett
16. Utah - Utes will get one more crack at the Mountain West before going to the Pac-12
17. Pittsburgh - Panthers play big early-season game at Utah Thursday
18. Auburn - Tigers looking to make big step under second-year coach Gene Chizik
19. Georgia - Can Bulldogs get out of rut and challenge for the SEC East?
20. Florida State - Seminoles need to improve defensively to contend in ACC
21. West Virginia - Mountaineers will rely on exciting RB Noel Devine
22. Houston - If Cougars can stop anyone, their offense could take them to the BCS
23. Georgia Tech - Defending ACC champs tough matchup with triple-option offense
24. Washington - REV graduate Polk, QB Locker lead this Pac-10 sleeper.
25. North Carolina - Tough choice between Heels and LSU. Luckily they play Saturday.

Under consideration: LSU, Arizona, Penn State

In a reaction to his arrest along with two other players for suspicion of felony theft by UCLA police last week, the school dismissed former Kaiser linebacker Josh Shirley from the football team today. Shirley, a two-time first-team all-Sun player, was arrested along with Gardena Serra wide receiver Paul Richardson and Los Alamitos defensive back Shaquille Richardson.

Jon Gold's UCLA blog detailing the dismissal can be accessed here. Apparently there is a possibility for Shirley to return in January according to the blog.

According to a blog by the Daily News' UCLA beat writer Jon Gold, former Kaiser linebacker Josh Shirley was among three incoming freshman UCLA football players arrested for felony theft on campus. Gold's blog detailing the situation can be read here .

The other two Bruins involved, Gardena Serra wide receiver Paul Richardson and Los Alamitos cornerback Shaquille Richardson, were released on $20,000 bail while Shirley was released without bail according to this blog by KTLA.

Redlands East Valley graduate Ronnie Fouch and Redlands graduate Coy Glass will cross paths once again, as both are transferring to Division I-AA Indiana State to vie for the starting quarterback position.

Fouch's transfer from the University of Washington is outlined in this story by the Seattle Times. The 2007 Ken Hubbs Athlete of the Year spent three seasons with the Huskies - a redshirt season in 2007 and two seasons as a backup in 2008 and 2009. Fouch saw considerable time as a redshirt freshman in 2008 once starting quarterback Jake Locker went down, completing 113 of 250 passes for 1,339 yards, four touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He played sparingly behind Locker this past season and was likely going to fill the same role had he stayed at Washington.

He also would have been pressed by two recruits - redshirt freshman Keith Price and true freshman Nick Montana, the son of Hall of Fame Joe Montana - brought in by new coach Steve Sarkisian, who took over for Tyrone Willingham after the 2008 season.

In transferring to Indiana State, Fouch can play right away according to NCAA rules, a reason he cited in the Seattle Times story.

"I had a positive experience at UW," Fouch said. "Nothing negative happened, and there's no negative reason why I left. I left just to go somewhere where I could get a lot of playing time and compete and get a chance to be on the field. I didn't have any conflicts with the coaches. It's just a matter of me being happy and on the field and I felt like this is what would make me happy, being on the field and playing."

As for Glass, the move to Indiana State is part of a busy three years since graduating from RHS. After playing two years at Riverside Community College, Glass enrolled at Hofstra, which has since dropped football. Glass, also a 2007 graduate, led Redlands to its last Citrus Belt League championship in 2006, guiding the Terriers to a 12-1 record and the CIF-SS Inland Division semifinals.

I was tempted to bump Boise State up because of Alabama struggling a bit against a Texas team with a backup quarterback, but I can't do it.

1. Alabama (1) - Colt McCoy or no Colt McCoy, Bama did what it needed to do - win.
2. Boise State (6) - Broncos get nice win over a TCU team that some thought should have been playing tonight.
3. Texas (2) - Tough break losing Colt McCoy.
4. Florida (5) - Tebow went out with a bang against Cincy.
5. Ohio State (8) - Buckeyes conquered some of their BCS demons with Rose Bowl win.
6. TCU (3) - Fiesta loss aside, still a banner year for the Horned Frogs.
7. Cincinnati (4) - Got bombed by a Florida team that would have beaten anyone it faced in that Sugar Bowl.
8. Iowa (13) - Win over Georgia Tech in Orange Bowl part of big bowl season for the Big Ten.
9. Penn State (9) - Got nice win over LSU in Capital One Bowl.
10. BYU (11) - Destroying Oregon State is enough to get Cougars into my top 10.
11. Virginia Tech (12) - Looked good in pulverizing Tennessee.
12. Oregon (7) - Loss to Ohio State part of a tough bowl season for Pac-10.
13. Georgia Tech (10) - Saw triple-option offense derailed by Hawkeyes.
14. Nebraska (23) - Nebraska's blowout of Arizona might have been the single-most impressive performance of the bowl season.
15. Pittsburgh (17) - 10 wins and a top 15 performance? Not bad for the Panthers.
16. LSU (14) - Tough loss to Penn State in the mud.
17. Wisconsin (21) - Badgers looked impressive in beating Miami at Champs Sports Bowl.
18. Miami (Fla) (15) - Had a hard time with Wisconsin's pass rush.
19. USC (25) - Trojans now have won 7 of their last 8 bowls under Pete Carroll (edit from before).
20. Mississippi (NR) - The Rebels win the Cotton Bowl for the second straight year.
21. Central Michigan (22) - Chippewas go OT to end MAC's bowl losing streak.
22. Utah (NR) - Utah has nine straight bowl wins now after beating Cal.
23. Oklahoma State (16) - Choked out by Mississippi in the Cotton Bowl.
22. Oklahoma (NR) - Disappointing season ends on a high note in Sun Bowl.
25. Oregon State (18) - Blowout loss to BYU ends good season on bitter note.

Receiving consideration: Clemson, Stanford, Navy
Dropped out: No. 19 Stanford, No. 20 West Virginia, No. 24 Arizona

Denver Broncos offensive tackle Ryan Clady, an Eisenhower graduate, was selected to Sports Illustrated's All-Decade College Football team. Clady, who graduated from Eisenhower in 2004 and played at Boise State from 2005-07 before being drafted by the Broncos in the first round of the 2008 draft. Clady was an inaugural member of Ike's Hall of Fame, receiving that honor in October.

The team, as selected by Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel

OFFENSE
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh
T Ryan Clady, Boise State
G Steve Hutchinson, Michigan
C Greg Eslinger, Minnesota
G Duke Robinson, Oklahoma
T Jake Long, Michigan
TE Kellen Winslow II, Miami
WR Michael Crabtree, Texas Tech
QB Tim Tebow, Florida
RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
K Mike Nugent, Ohio State
KR Felix Jones, Arkansas

DEFENSE
DE David Pollack, Georgia
DT Tommie Harris, Oklahoma
DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
DE Terrell Suggs, Arizona State
LB A.J. Hawk, Ohio State
LB Derrick Johnson, Texas
LB Patrick Willis, Mississippi
CB Antoine Cason, Arizona
CB Derrick Strait, Oklahoma
S Eric Berry, Tennessee
S Ed Reed, Miami
P Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
PR Wes Welker, Texas Tech

COACH Urban Meyer, Florida

Oregon State offensive lineman Michael Philipp, an Arroyo Valley graduate, has been named to the College Football News and Phil Steele's Freshmen All-American team per a text message by AVHS head coach Marcus Soward. Philipp started every game for the Beavers this year at left tackle as a true freshman.

With the bowls to be officially released in a few minutes, here's my final regular-season poll.

1. Alabama (3) - Crimson Tide were impressive in flogging Florida. Easy No. 1 pick.
2. Texas (2) - Extremely lucky to have survived Nebraska, but they are probably the best pick for this spot.
3. TCU (4) - Horned Frogs have good wins over BYU and TCU, but Texas' schedule is a bit tougher overall.
4. Cincinnati (6) - Bearcats cap off undefeated season with comeback win at Pittsburgh. Might have a better resume than Texas or TCU but not nearly as good of a defense.
5. Florida (1) - Bid for repeat killed by Alabama.
6. Boise State (5) - Oregon win was great, but Boise was killed by playing in the terrible WAC.
7. Oregon (7) - Going to Rose Bowl for the first time since 1994.
8. Ohio State (8) - Going to Rose Bowl for the first time since 1996.
9. Penn State (9) - Nits stay in top 10.
10. Georgia Tech (11) - Yellow Jackets wrap up ACC by beating Clemson in a thriller.
11. BYU (10) - Got jumped by Ga. Tech.
12. Virginia Tech (12) - Another solid season for the Hokies.
13. Iowa (13) - Hawkeyes could still crash BCS, as the computers seem to love them.
14. LSU (15) - Tigers should play Penn State in Capital One Bowl.
15. Miami (Fla) (16) - Hurricanes are almost back it seems.
16. Oklahoma State (19) - Moved up due to the losses of others.
17. Pittsburgh (14) - Panthers lose heartbreaker to Cincy.
18. Oregon State (18) - Tough loss at Oregon keeps Beavers in same position.
19. Stanford (23) - Great year by Stanford and Norco graduate Toby Gerhart.
20. West Virginia (25) - Win at Rutgers shoots Mountaineers up rankings.
21. Wisconsin (NR) - Killed Hawaii to move back in rankings.
22. Central Michigan (NR) - MAC champs finally break into rankings.
23. Nebraska (22) - Heartbreaking loss to Texas in Big 12 title game.
24. Arizona (NR) - Wildcats get big win at USC
25. USC (17) - I might be dumb for continuing to rank the Trojans.

Receiving consideration: Utah, Houston, Northwestern
Dropped out: No. 20 Houston, No. 21 California, No. 24 Clemson

Continuing to roll, so no commentary this week either. I'm sure you guys are fine with that.

OREGON (-9) over Oregon State
USC (-7) over Arizona
WASHINGTON (+7) over California
Alabama (+5.5) over Florida
Nebraska (+14) over Texas
Georgia Tech (even) over Clemson
Central Michigan (-13.5) over Ohio
Houston (-2.5) over EAST CAROLINA
PITTSBURGH (+2) over Cincinnati
RUTGERS (-1.5) over West Virginia

Week: 6-3-1
Overall: 66-61-3

One more week until the season basically ends. Where has the time gone? No real changes in the top 6, and everything after them is basically colored bubbles.

1. Florida (1) - Killed Florida State in Tebow's last home game. Now on to Alabama.
2. Texas (2) - Survived a scare at Texas A&M and have a tricky matchup with Nebraska, which has a very good defense.
3. Alabama (3) - Just like Texas, survived a scare, going ahead late to beat Auburn.
4. TCU (4) - The 12-0 Horned Frogs have become the world's biggest Nebraska fans.
5. Boise State (5) - Oklahoma State loss might put Boise in the BCS.
6. Cincinnati (6) - Need to beat Pitt, have Texas lose and get some computer help. Would have helped if the Panthers hadn't lost this week.
7. Oregon (9) - Best of the two-loss crowd. Can go to the Rose Bowl with a win over Oregon State.
8. Ohio State (10) - Already has its Rose Bowl bid.
9. Penn State (12) - Upsets this week might give Nits a BCS at-large berth.
10. BYU (13) - Nice OT win over Utah puts Cougars in top 10.
11. Georgia Tech (7) - Lost to rival Georgia, but ACC title win would put them back in top 10.
12. Virginia Tech (14) - The Hokies have a copyright on 9-3 seasons it seems.
13. Iowa (15) - Pretty much ticketed for Cap One Bowl.
14. Pittsburgh (8) - Panthers can still win BCS title despite loss at West Virginia.
15. LSU (17) - Moved up bowl position by holding off Arkansas.
16. Miami (Fla) (18) - Got nice win over South Florida for nifty 9-3 record.
17. USC (19) - Yeah, the Trojans shouldn't have thrown that last touchdown. But UCLA shouldn't have called the timeout either.
18. Oregon State (20) - Can go to Rose Bowl with win over Oregon.
19. Oklahoma State (11) - Even when the Sooners struggle, Okie State can't beat them.
20. Houston (21) - In Conference USA title game. Whoopee.
21. California (23) - Win over Washington this week essential for bowl positioning.
22. Nebraska (24) - Can throw the title game into chaos with an upset victory this week.
23. Stanford (25) - The Cardinal killed Charlie Weis I think.
24. Clemson (16) - The loss to South Carolina will be forgiven with a win this week over Ga. Tech.
25. West Virginia (NR) - Mountaineers oust Pitt to move back in the rankings.

Receiving consideration: Wisconsin, Utah, Central Michigan
Dropped out: No. 22 Utah

For as bad as I've done in the NFL lately, I've been the opposite in college. Let's keep it up shall we?

USC (-13) over Ucla
Arizona (-3) over ARIZONA STATE
Washington State (+24.5) over WASHINGTON
Notre Dame (+10) over STANFORD
Texas (-21) over TEXAS A&M
WEST VIRGINIA (even) over Pittsburgh
AUBURN (+10) over Alabama
Utah (+7.5) over BYU
Oklahoma State (+8) over OKLAHOMA
FLORIDA (-24.5) over Florida State

Week: 6-4
Overall: 60-58-2

No movement in the top 10 this week, but that'll change in the near future. No comments this week, because this week was boring as heck for the most part.

1. Florida (1)
2. Texas (2)
3. Alabama (3)
4. TCU (4)
5. Boise State (5)
6. Cincinnati (6)
7. Georgia Tech (7)
8. Pittsburgh (8)
9. Oregon (9)
10. Ohio State (10)
11. Oklahoma State (12)
12. Penn State (15)
13. BYU (13)
14. Virginia Tech (16)
15. Iowa (17)
16. Clemson (20)
17. LSU (11)
18. Miami (Fla) (21)
19. USC (19)
20. Oregon State (22)
21. Houston (23)
22. Utah (25)
23. California (NR)
24. Nebraska (NR)
25. Stanford (14)

Receiving consideration: Mississippi, North Carolina, Navy
Dropped out: No. 18 Wisconsin, No. 24 Rutgers

Well, no writeups worked well last week, so I'll try it again.

UCLA (-5) over Arizona State
ARIZONA (+6) over Oregon
STANFORD (-7.5) over California
Washington State (+31) over OREGON STATE
MICHIGAN (+12) over Ohio State
Oklahoma (-6.5) over TEXAS TECH
BOSTON COLLEGE (-3.5) over North Carolina
Connecticut (+6) over NOTRE DAME
TEXAS (-27.5) over Kansas
Penn State (-3) over MICHIGAN STATE

Last week: 8-2
Overall: 54-54-2

A little break from the high school hoopla. Stanford is the big mover, as you would expect after it killed USC.

1. Florida (1) - Another week, another ho-hum win. It's almost as if the Gators are playing bored until the SEC title game.
2. Texas (3) - Longhorns are playing really well right now and I feel like finally rewarding them for that.
3. Alabama (2) - They drop, but it doesn't matter. They'll prove their worth one way or another against Florida in a few weeks.
4. TCU (4) - Absolutely destroyed Utah and might be just as good as the big three.
5. Boise State (5) - Killed in-state rival Idaho. Big whoop.
6. Cincinnati (6) - Had to scratch and claw a bit, but remained undefeated by beating West Virginia.
7. Georgia Tech (7) - Clinched a berth in the ACC title game by beating Duke.
8. Pittsburgh (8) - Held off Notre Dame to move to 9-1.
9. Oregon (9) - All of a sudden, the Ducks' loss to Stanford last week doesn't look so bad.
10. Ohio State (13) - Buckeyes wrap up trip to Rose Bowl with overtime win over Iowa.
11. LSU (14) - Sleepwalked through their victory against Louisiana Tech.
12. Oklahoma State (17) - Profitted by much of the lower half of the Top 20 losing.
13. BYU (18) - See Oklahoma State. Likely overranked at this position, but not a lot of options.
14. Stanford (NR) - Cardinal shoot from unranked to the Top 15 thanks to the 34-point beatdown of USC.
15. Penn State (20) - Nittany Lions might sneak into BCS if they beat Michigan State this week.
16. Virginia Tech (21) - Hokies break out a bit against Maryland.
17. Iowa (16) - Hawkeyes stay stable with tough OT loss at Ohio State.
18. Wisconsin (22) - Badgers stomp Michigan to move into top 20.
19. USC (10) - To be honest, I thought of putting the Trojans lower. But they have some good victories that keep them afloat for now.
20. Clemson (23) - Tigers are quietly on a five-game winning streak right now.
21. Miami (Fla) (12) - Hurricanes get bounced by old coach Butch Davis and North Carolina.
22. Oregon State (25) - Beavers could be sleeper in cluttered Rose Bowl race.
23. Houston (11) - Cougars barely hanging on to their ranking after losing to Central Florida.
24. Rutgers (NR) - 31-0 shutout of South Florida gives Scarlet Knights 7 wins in 8 games.
25. Utah (15) - Utes tumble after being destroyed by TCU.

Receiving consideration: Arizona, Nebraska, Navy
Dropped out: No. 19 Arizona, No. 24 South Florida

In honor of going 3-7 last week, I'm just sticking to the picks and not doing any flowery writeups. They don't seem to be helping too much.

Stanford (+10.5) over USC
Ucla (-17.5) over WASHINGTON STATE
CALIFORNIA (-3) over Arizona
OREGON (-18) over Arizona State
Washington (+13) over OREGON STATE
CINCINNATI (-9.5) over West Virginia
Iowa (+16.5) over OHIO STATE
Notre Dame (+7) over PITTSBURGH
SOUTH CAROLINA (+17.5) over Florida
OKLAHOMA STATE (-4.5) over Texas Tech

Last week: 3-7
Overall: 46-52-2

Top 3 stay the same this week, but everything else is a huge jumble right now, as you'll see below.

1. Florida (1) - Boring win over Vanderbilt, which is the way it should be.
2. Alabama (2) - Beating a good LSU team, even with perhaps some replay official help, keeps Tide here.
3. Texas (3) - Jordan Shipley goes off in random November game with Central Florida.
4. TCU (6) - The Horned Frogs are straight rolling people right now.
5. Boise State (4) - Close call with Louisiana Tech, plus Oregon loss, drops Broncos a spot.
6. Cincinnati (7) - Actually was tested this week by UConn. Schedule gets tougher from here on out.
7. Georgia Tech (10) - Winning in OT against Wake Forest shoots Jackets up, as they were a rare one-loss team to hold serve.
8. Pittsburgh (13) - The big winners this week, as romping Syracuse puts Panthers in top 10.
9. Oregon (5) - Don't fall too much because a) a bunch of other teams lost and b) Stanford isn't bad.
10. USC (12) - An ugly win over Arizona State, but good enough to get back in top 10.
11. Houston (14) - Pulled one out by the skin of their teeth against Tulsa.
12. Miami (Fla) (15) - Brutalized Virginia to make a jump.
13. Ohio State (16) - Big win at Penn State has almost erased memories of Purdue.
14. LSU (9) - Handled themselves well against Alabama. This may be too far down to be honest.
15. Utah (17) - Utes keep winning to continue collison course against TCU.
16. Iowa (8) - The Hawkeyes finally got burned in a close game and lost their QB to boot.
17. Oklahoma State (18) - Cowboys best of the non-Longhorn teams in the Big 12 at this point.
18. BYU (19) - Threw up a 52-0 beating on Wyoming.
19. Arizona (21) - Wildcats keep quietly winning and moving up, but schedule is going to get real tough real quick.
20. Penn State (11) - Looked completely overmatched against Ohio State at home.
21. Virginia Tech (24) - Hokies got revenge against East Carolina in ugly win.
22. Wisconsin (25) - A little more dramatic than needed to be, but Wisconsin took down Indiana.
23. Clemson (NR) - Tigers have nice little four-game win streak going.
24. South Florida (NR) - A bit of a self-correction from last week here.
25. Oregon State (NR) - Beavers go into Berkeley and knock Cal around to break into rankings.

Receiving consideration: West Virginia, Stanford, Texas Tech
Dropped out: No. 20 Oklahoma, No. 22 Notre Dame, No. 23 California

Why do I keeping picking college football games despite being bad at it? For the laughs of course, and to show you guys that I'm part human. Not a great week or season for me thus far. Thankfully I'm better at the high school picks.

USC (-10) at Arizona State
Will the Trojans slog around after their lopsided loss to Oregon? Or will they come out inspired and rough up a mediocre Arizona State team? This game is inexplicably the sixth road game already for the Trojans. Whoever made their schedule had a sick sense of humor in my opinion. I expect USC to go through the motions a bit but do enough to win.
Pick: Arizona State

Washington (+5.5) at UCLA
I'll be at this game tomorrow working on a story about the Huskies' REV triumvirate, especially RB Chris Polk. UCLA showed some spunk last week hanging with Oregon State in Corvallis and with Washington's struggles on the road, the Bruins may be able to break through and get that first Pac-10 win. I have a hard time picking them to cover though.
Pick: Washington

Oregon (-7) at Stanford
I see this as the classic letdown game. The Ducks have been the toast of the Pacific Northwest after their savage beatdown of USC last week and its going to be hard for them to rebound and come out hungry against a sneaky-good Stanford team. Ultimately, Oregon should win this, but don't be surprised if the Cardinal put some fear in them.
Pick: Stanford

Oregon State (+7) at California
This is the time of year where the Beavers start to roll. But then again, Cal seems to have overcome its late September troubles and is rolling. This is a huge game for Cal QB Kevin Riley, who had a huge brain fart in the final seconds two years ago which prevented the then-No. 1 Golden Bears from kicking a game-tying field goal in a 31-28 loss. Riley gets his revenge.
Pick: California

Washington State (+32) at Arizona
Another big spread for the Cougars to try to stay within. Honestly, anyone who has taken the Cougars and the ridiculous amounts of points they receive from Vegas every week is making a huge profit. Wazzu is bad, but not bad enough. It'll be the same type deal this week, as Arizona wins easily but the Cougars win money for everyone who bet them.
Pick: Washington State

LSU (+7.5) at Alabama
I'm conflicted on this one. On one hand, I feel that LSU is slightly overrated and not really that good. On the other hand, Alabama seems ripe to be messed with a bit, as evidenced by their near-miss against Tennessee. I think the Tide wins, but the LSU defense keeps this low-scoring and close.
Pick: LSU

Oklahoma (-4.5) at Nebraska
This used to be the marquee rivalry in the Big 8. However, the Big 12 for some reason decided to make this rivalry a two-years-on, two-years-off affair, pretty much ruining one of the best matchups. It also doesn't help that they haven't been good at the same time since the 1980s. Both of these teams are very good defensively, but only one is competent offensively. That will be the difference.
Pick: Oklahoma

Ohio State (+5.5) at Penn State
The Nittany Lions come into this game red-hot, having won their last five games since dropping their conference opener to Iowa. The Buckeyes have looked better on offense the last two weeks, but then again, that's not hard against Minnesota and New Mexico State. I have a hard time seeing this Ohio State group winning at Happy Valley.
Pick: Penn State

Connecticut (+17) at Cincinnati
It's been a brutal past few weeks for the Huskies. One of their starting safeties gets stabbed and dies in tragic fashion, UConn loses three games in a row, two in heartbreaking, last-minute fashion. And now they get a Bearcats team that's been killing everything in its path. I don't see this going well for UConn.
Pick: Cincinnati

Duke (+10) at North Carolina
No, this is not a mistake. And no, this is not a basketball game. In fact, this is a surprisingly competitive football game, as the Blue Devils are 3-1 in the ACC and actually tied for first in the loser's column in the ACC Coastal Division. UNC was disappointing under Butch Davis, but is fresh off an upset of Va. Tech last week. I see UNC's talent ultimately winning out, but Duke is going to make this a game.
Pick: Duke

Last week: 4-6
Overall: 43-45-2

Oregon makes a huge jump after destroying USC in one of the more impressive performances I've seen in a while.

1. Florida (1) - Finally looked like the dominating Gator team from last year.
2. Alabama (2) - Very tempted to put Texas here, but I'll give Alabama a chance to redeem its spot against LSU this week.
3. Texas (3) - Has looked very good the last two weeks since beating Oklahoma.
4. Boise State (6) - Get a bump up thanks to Oregon's performance. That September win looks bigger by the day.
5. Oregon (13) - Any time you beat USC by 27, you are going to shoot up the rankings.
6. TCU (5) - Loses a spot, but due more to what others did well.
7. Cincinnati (7) - Bearcats cruising along in the Big East.
8. Iowa (8) - Hawkeyes looked awful for 3 quarters against Indiana, then won by 18. Weird.
9. LSU (9) - Big showdown with Alabama looms.
10. Georgia Tech (10) - Put up 56 points on Vandy.
11. Penn State (12) - Put away Northwestern late.
12. USC (4) - The Trojans have to hate the Pacific Northwest right now.
13. Pittsburgh (15) - Panthers are quietly surging up the polls.
14. Houston (16) - Cougars gain 750 yards of offense to win 50-43 shootout over Southern Miss.
15. Miami (Fla) (17) - Escaped Wake Forest by the hair of their chinny-chin-chin.
16. Ohio State (19) - Buckeyes win laugher over New Mexico State.
17. Utah (20) - Utes scrape one out against Wyoming.
18. Oklahoma State (11) - Cowboys got blasted by Texas and quite frankly, I may have them too high.
19. BYU (22) - Moved up 3 spots in a bye week. Must be nice.
20. Oklahoma (23) - Sooners complete sweep of Kansas schools.
21. Arizona (25) - Wildcats could be a sleeper in the Pac-10.
22. Notre Dame (NR) - Irish keep winning and finally get back in the top 25.
23. California (NR) - Last-second FG gets Cal win at Arizona State.
24. Virginia Tech (14) - Two straight losses has Va. Tech holding on for dear life.
25. Wisconsin (NR) - 37-0 thrashing of Purdue gives Badgers spot.

Receiving consideration: Mississippi, Texas Tech, West Virginia
Dropped out: No. 18 Mississippi, No. 21 South Carolina, No. 24 West Virginia

I'm nothing if not average as far as college football is concerned. If only I knew which five I'd get every week - I could be rich. But alas, I'm not.

USC (-3) at Oregon
The game of the Pac-10 season by far, as the Ducks have destroyed everything in their path lately while the Trojans have kept winning, albeit in heart-stopping fashion at times. The Trojans have already won in Columbus, Berkeley and South Bend, so there will be no intimidation here. This is a type of game that the Trojans just don't lose, and that's what I'm going with.
Pick: USC

UCLA (+9.5) at Oregon State
Having a chance to watch the Bruins live in Tucson last week was eye-opening. UCLA is really not good, as they couldn't cover despite Arizona giving them five turnovers. The Bruins' best hope is an Oregon State letdown after its close loss to USC, but I don't see it. Easy money for the Beavers here.
Pick: Oregon State

California (-6.5) at Arizona State
The Bears seem to have recovered from whatever swine-flu like disorder plagued it during the Oregon and USC games. But Cal does not do well on the road and while Arizona State is hardly a power this year, they have played pretty well at Sun Devil Stadium. I have a feeling ASU keeps it close.
Pick: Arizona State

Washington State (+28) vs. Notre Dame
This game is being played in San Antonio for some reason, with the Cougars expected to play the role of the sacrifical lamb to Notre Dame. However, Wazzu has been very good at covering obscene spreads. It still gets killed, but killed by less than the spread. Considering that ND revels in closer games, I expect the Cougars to stay within four touchdowns, if just barely.
Pick: Washington State

Texas (-9.5) at Oklahoma State
Good news, bad news scenario for the Cowboys. The good news is that star RB Kendall Hunter will be back from injury but WR Desmond Bryant has been ruled ineligble, which, obviously, is the bad news. Okie State finds creative ways to lose to Texas and likely will again, but they always seem to be heartbreaks. Translation: Take the points.
Pick: Oklahoma State

Georgia (+15) vs. Florida
The "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" is going a bit under the radar this year, with the Bulldogs meandering around .500 and the Gators somewhat struggling despite being No. 1. Florida has owned this series of late, but these Gators seem more like the 2006 champions than the 2008 ones, meaning take the points and watch Florida ugly out another win.
Pick: Georgia

Central Michigan (+5.5) at Boston College
Why am I picking this game? A couple reasons. The first is that its not a very good week for college football in the ACC or Big East. The second is that this is a sneaky-good matchup, as the Chippewas have won seven in a row while BC has been as pesky as it normally is. Central has won at Michigan State and I think they'll win in the Northeast.
Pick: Central Michigan

Penn State (-17.5) at Northwestern
Yeah, its a crappy week in the Big Ten too, with Iowa playing Indiana and Ohio State playing New Mexico State randomly. So I guess this game gets my pick. Penn State impressed by destroying Michigan and could be ripe for a letdown, but Northwestern, although 5-3, just isn't that good. I'll take Penn State to cover and continue its surge.
Pick: Penn State

South Carolina (+6) at Tennessee
The Volunteers lead the nation in moral victories, as the Vols have given Florida and Alabama tough tussles on the road, coming within a blocked field goal of shocking the Crimson Tide. But they are still 3-4 and South Carolina is a pretty darn good team. I think you have to take the points, especially with Tennessee on letdown alert.
Pick: South Carolina

Kansas (+6.5) at Texas Tech
Reason this game is included is because of this awesome press conference rant by Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, which I've added below.

That being said, I expect Texas Tech to be a little more focused this week, which is bad news for Kansas.
Pick: Texas Tech

Last week: 5-5
Overall: 39-39-2

A little late on this after getting back from Arizona. Nothing too crazy this week.

1) Florida (1) - Not pretty, but still undefeated. And the Gators were prettier than No. 2.
2) Alabama (2) - Huge sigh of relief from the Tide after ekeing one out over Tennessee.
3) Texas (3) - Looked as good as they have all season in rolling Missouri 41-7.
4) USC (4) - Passed part one of the Oregon double-dip this week. Part two should be tougher.
5) TCU (6) - Their destruction of BYU moves them into the top 5. Previous victim Clemson's win over Miami helps too.
6) Boise State (5) - Sucks to win 54-9 and still move down. Such is life in the WAC.
7) Cincinnati (7) - Just imagine if Boise hadn't won by 45. Cincy would definitely be in their spot.
8) Iowa (8) - Hawkeyes pull off last-second win at Michigan State to remain undefeated.
9) LSU (10) - Looked good against a fading Auburn team. Kind of quietly lurking in the shadows.
10) Georgia Tech (12) - Yellowjackets roll on to a spot in the top 10. Watching them run the triple-option is a thing of beauty.
11) Oklahoma State (11) - Big test comes this week with Texas rolling into town.
12) Penn State (13) - Made surprisingly easy work of Michigan for first win in Ann Arbor in 13 years.
13) Oregon (16) - Still probably have the Ducks rated too low, but a win over USC will definitely fix that. I promise.
14) Virginia Tech (14) - Had a bye. Not much else to say here really.
15) Pittsburgh (17) - Panthers continue to surge, though their schedule will get tougher in the last month of the season.
16) Houston (18) - Kept winning, which is all you can really do when you are a Conference USA team.
17) Miami (Fla) (9) - Overtime loss to Clemson sends Hurricanes downward.
18) Mississippi (20) - Best output of season thus far in win over Arkansas.
19) Ohio State (21) - Whipped Minnesota in nice bounce-back from upset loss to Purdue.
20) Utah (22) - Had to go overtime to topple Air Force.
21) South Carolina (23) - Ugly win over Vanderbilt, but a win is a win as they say.
22) BYU (15) - I didn't drop them farther because I think TCU is legit.
23) Oklahoma (NR) - Nice impressive win at Kansas gets the Sooners back in the poll after a brief hiatus.
24) West Virginia (NR) - No real signature win, but having six of them gets WVU a spot.
25) Arizona (NR) - Almost put Central Michigan here, but the Wildcats beat Central in the season opener. Hence Zona making the cut.

Receiving consideration: Central Michigan, Notre Dame, California
Dropped out: No. 19 Texas Tech, No. 24 Nebraska, No. 25 South Florida

Back at .500, which feels pretty darn good. Let's get above .500 and make some money - figuratively and not literally of course.

Oregon State (+20.5) at USC
It's safe to say that the Trojans have had this game circled on the calendar for a while, as it was a loss at Oregon State last year that effectively eliminated USC from national title contention. Circumstances have USC is good position despite the Washington loss and this game won't do anything to hurt the Trojan cause.
Pick: USC

UCLA (+7.5) at Arizona
I'll actually be in the house for this game, as the newspaper group is using me this week as a pinch-hitter for UCLA beat writer Jon Gold. Anyway, this will be a tough task for a Bruins defense that's been fleeced by Stanford and Cal the last two games. Arizona's offense has blossomed since Nick Foles has been made the starting QB and will flourish again.
Pick: Arizona

Oregon (-10) at Washington
The Huskies are literally the hardest team to figure out from week to week. Last week it looked like they were a cinch for a cover against Arizona State, tying the game late in the fourth, only to allow a touchdown pass in the final seconds. Cost me by a half-point. Either way, Washington has been tough at home and while Oregon is surging, I'm putting my pick on the gang in purple again.
Pick: Washington

Washington State (+35.5) at California
The bye week apparently cured whatever ills Cal had offensively, as they fleeced UCLA for 45 points at the Rose Bowl last week. That's not a good sign for a Washington State team that's, quite frankly, years away from being competitive. However, Wazzu has covered these large spreads so far, so I'll go with them to stay within, say, 31 points.
Pick: Washington State

Arizona State (+6.5) at Stanford
The Sun Devils and Cardinal represent a pack of 6-7 teams in the Pac-10 that are pretty much equal. It seems like these teams take care of business at home but fall short on the road. It held up last week, as Stanford lost at Arizona in OT and Arizona State pulled out a home win late against U-Dub. I see no reason to pick the road team here.
Pick: Stanford

TCU (-2) at BYU
The battle of the Mountain West season to date will take place in Provo, as the Horned Frogs get a chance to make a national statement with a road victory over a team that's beaten Oklahoma. However, BYU is a tough place to play, the weather could be cold and the Cougars have a potent offense. You can see where I'm going with this.
Pick: BYU

Oklahoma (-8) at Kansas
This is a weird game. Oklahoma is 3-3 but its hard to find five defenses in the country that are better than what the Sooners have. Bad luck and injuries have derailed what should be a BCS-level team in a way that hasn't been seen in college football in quite a while. Kansas, despite losing to Colorado, is no slouch and can score. Not saying that OU will lose, but they seem too snakebit to cover this on the road.
Pick: Kansas

Iowa (+1.5) at Michigan State
Couple of trends colliding with each other in this one. One is Iowa's success as a road dog, as they have won outright as road dogs at Penn State and Wisconsin. The other is a line that's moving quickly in MSU's direction. Last time that happened against Michigan, they covered. However, Iowa seems to win and shouldn't be the underdog in this one.
Pick: Iowa

South Florida (+6) at Pittsburgh
While Cincinnati appears to be the class of the Big East, these two teams - along with West Virginia - are definitely fighting for the No. 2 spot. South Florida missed its shot at Cincy last week, while Pittsburgh came off of a nice win at Rutgers. I sense a bit of a letdown from the Bulls in this game, which should benefit Pitt nicely.
Pick: Pittsburgh

Tennessee (+14.5) at Alabama
The traditional "Third Saturday of October" rivalry games is taking place on the fourth Saturday for whatever reason. Not that it seems to matter. Tennessee, despite a nice win over Georgia two weeks ago, is an inconsistent work in progress and the Crimson Tide have been surgical in winning their first seven games. I expect no less in game 8.
Pick: Alabama

Last week: 5-4-1
Overall: 34-34-2

I finally did it, bumping up Alabama and dropping Texas. I was tempted to put the Tide one higher than I actually did.

1. Florida (1) - Only reasons they are holding this position is because they are the defending national champs and because they haven't lost. That's about it.
2. Alabama (3) - Playing better than anyone in the nation right now. And it doesn't seem close.
3. Texas (2) - Barely beating an Oklahoma team without Sam Bradford isn't enough to avoid the drop.
4. USC (7) - Coming back around on the Trojans as they have three darn good road wins now.
5. Boise State (5) - It will be hard for Boise to move much higher than this. They need to beat teams like Tulsa by more than 7 at the very least.
6. TCU (6) - Nice smackdown of Colorado State leaves Horned Frogs undefeated.
7. Cincinnati (9) - With their road wins, the Bearcats probably have the most upside of teams 5-7.
8. Iowa (10) - Another tough road test conquered for the Hawkeyes. Got another one at Michigan State upcoming.
9. Miami (Fla) (11) - Canes are the second-best one-loss team behind USC.
10. LSU (12) - Got a nice bump up despite being on a bye. Must be nice.
11. Oklahoma State (13) - Cowboys are doing a good job of grinding despite not being at full strength.
12. Georgia Tech (19) - Yellowjackets opened some eyes this week by running over Virginia Tech. Big jump for Ga. Tech.
13. Penn State (14) - Probably had their best win of the season to date against Minnesota. Says more about their schedule so far though than anything else.
14. Virginia Tech (4) - Walked right into an ambush at Ga. Tech. Guess we got carried away with the Hokies a bit.
15. BYU (15) - Won a tougher-than-expected game with San Diego State
16. Oregon (18) - I'm starting to self-correct a bit on the Ducks. Its clear that they are part of the "Sweet 16"
17. Pittsburgh (NR) - And this is where the rankings get goofy. If it was possible to leave No. 17 blank and leave the Panthers at, say, No. 20, I'd do it.
18. Houston (24) - Get a bump based more on what teams they've beaten in the past have done more than anything else.
19. Texas Tech (NR) - Sizable upset win at Nebraska puts Red Raiders in top 20 - and helps Houston get its bump.
20. Mississippi (23) - Definitely a bump up based more on teams losing than what the Rebels did against UAB.
21. Ohio State (8) - Buckeyes take a huge tumble after dumping one against 1-5 Purdue.
22. Utah (25) - The Utes kill UNLV to get a little bit of a move up.
23. South Carolina (20) - Gamecocks hung with Alabama for the most part, so I'm not trashing them.
24. Nebraska (21) - Probably should have these guys dropped lower, but there aren't many candidate to put ahead of them.
25. South Florida (22) - Losing to Cincinnati is no insult.

Receiving consideration: Kansas, Oklahoma, Michigan
Dropped out: No. 16 Kansas, No. 17 Oklahoma

Another 5-5. I'm consistent if nothing else.

USC (-10) at Notre Dame
On the surface, it seems pretty high, as USC takes a true freshman on the road in a rivalry game against a halfway-decent team. But Matt Barkley has already won at Ohio State and at Cal and quite frankly, Notre Dame's defense is awful. The Irish are a middle of the pack team and USC seems to excel in this matchup.
Pick: USC

California (-3.5) at UCLA
It's hard to believe that Cal is favored in this, as they have been unspeakably awful their last two games. Then again, UCLA isn't very good either, as evidenced by its 0-2 Pac-10 record. I'll grudgingly go with a more experienced Cal team to cover here.
Pick: California

Stanford (+4) at Arizona
Both of these teams seem just on the cusp of great things. However, they are just a little too young or a little too lacking in key areas to really jump up and bite someone of consequence, especially on the road. That last statement should tell you which way I'm leaning.
Pick: Arizona

Washington (+6.5) at Arizona State
On the surface Washington has been an enigma, but their formula is simple - great at home, not so much on the road. Arizona State is generally mediocre and their near-miss at Georgia isn't as cool as it looked originally. I think Washington, even on the road, keeps this tight and maybe wins.
Pick: Washington

Oklahoma (+3) vs. Texas
The Red River Shootout is an interesting predicament, as the No. 3-ranked Longhorns are only a field-goal favorite despite the Sooners having two losses. Makes me wonder if Oklahoma is ripe for a hostile takeover in this series. But I can't see it. I'm going with the Horns to win by a touchdown.
Pick: Texas

Virginia Tech (-3) at Georgia Tech
The Hokies have been straight ballin since losing their opener to Alabama, taking out Nebraska and Miami (Fla) en route to the No. 4 ranking. They get a tough test this week, as Ga. Tech's triple option is tough to stop. I think the Hokies will stand up enough on defense and get some big plays against Ga. Tech's questionable defense.
Pick: Virginia Tech

South Carolina (+18) at Alabama
This could be a bit of a letdown game for Alabama. With a big win over Mississippi last week and a rivalry game with Tennessee next week, South Carolina might be catching Alabama at the right time. Don't think the Gamecocks win, but I think they make the Crimson Tide uncomfortable for a while.
Pick: South Carolina

Iowa (+2.5) at Wisconsin
Iowa has had some close shaves in going 6-0, most recently against Michigan. Wisconsin has gone 5-1, but are coming off a loss to Ohio State where they shot themselves in the foot by throwing two pick-6s. Iowa seems ripe for a loss, but I think they are one of those teams that just finds a way.
Pick: Iowa

Texas Tech (+11) at Nebraska
The best offense in the Big 12 goes against the best defense. The Cornhuskers seem to be back to being "The Blackshirts" as their defense throttled Missouri last week and is giving up less than 10 points per game. Texas Tech scored 66 against Kansas State last week. Both teams will deviate closer to the mean in a competitive game.
Pick: Texas Tech

Arkansas (+24.5) at Florida
Gotta head out to Lake Arrowhead so I'll keep this brief. Tebow goes off and goes off for a lot in this game.
Pick: Florida

Week: 5-5
Season: 29-30-1

Nothing too revolutionary here. LSU takes a bit of a dive, that's about it.

1. Florida (1) - Winning at LSU at night is no joke.
2. Texas (2) - Very close to putting Alabama here. Not sure why I didn't to be honest.
3. Alabama (3) - Crimson Tide is straight rolling right now.
4. Virginia Tech (6) - Big win after Boston College gives Hokies a bump. Really playing good football right now.
5. Boise State (5) - Have tricky game at Tulsa Wednesday.
6. TCU (7) - Not pretty, but got a tough road win at Air Force in hostile conditions.
7. USC (8) - Win at Notre Dame and USC has a good shot to be back in the top 5.
8. Ohio State (9) - Two pick-6s make Terrelle Pryor's job against Wisconsin easier.
9. Cincinnati (10) - Game Thursday at South Florida may be toughest remaining test.
10. Iowa (11) - Survived against Michigan to stay undefeated.
11. Miami (Fla) (12) - Canes get well-deserved breather against Florida A&M
12. LSU (4) - This is a much more appropriate place for LSU to be ranked.
13. Oklahoma State (13) - Gutsy win over Texas A&M without Dez Bryant or Kendall Hunter. It'll be hard to maintain this though.
14. Penn State (15) - Got basically a bye week against Eastern Illinois
15. BYU (16) - Really don't get how Florida State killed this team.
16. Kansas (18) - A self-correcting measure of sorts. Gets props for staying unbeaten.
17. Oklahoma (17) - Kansas jumped the Sooners, but a win over Texas would jump them back up.
18. Oregon (19) - Looking like a dark horse in the Pac-10 race.
19. Georgia Tech (20) - Survived a shootout with Florida State Saturday night.
20. South Carolina (21) - Gamecocks win fourth straight by edging Kentucky.
21. Nebraska (24) - The Huskers pulled one out of the fire against Missouri.
22. South Florida (NR) - Shoot into the rankings despite not playing. Have huge opportunity to move up this week.
23. Mississippi (14) - Not sure I should rank these guys, but there aren't a lot of good options this low.
24. Houston (NR) - Winning at Mississippi State gets Cougars reranked.
25. Utah (NR) - Utes fill out the rankings because someone has to.

Under consideration: Notre Dame, Auburn

Dropped out: No. 22 Auburn, No. 23 Missouri, No. 25 Georgia

Another break-even week leaves me a game short of .500. We'll try to be humble and finally get over the hump this week.

Oregon (-3.5) at UCLA
This game has been another textbook example of a reverse line movement (see Michigan-Michigan State last week) where the majority of the bettors pick one side but the line moves the other way because it gets the big money. The line has gone 2.5 points toward UCLA's direction, mostly because of concerns about Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli's health I'd guess. Still, I have a hard time believing that Kevin Craft is capable of this win.
Pick: Oregon

Arizona (-4) at Washington
Which Washington team will show up? The one that beat USC, lost to Notre Dame in overtime in a game it should have won and the one that gave LSU a run for its money? Or the one that was beat down by Stanford? It's hard to tell how good or bad Arizona is. If the Huskies don't have a hangover from Notre Dame, they should win.
Pick: Washington

Stanford (even) at Oregon State
This game started out with Stanford being favored and even though the majority of bettors are picking the Cardinal, the spread has moved two points in the Beavers' direction. October is typically a good month for Oregon State and while Stanford has impressed, it isn't ready for this win yet.
Pick: Oregon State

Arizona State (-21) at Washington State
Oregon State gave the Sun Devils a bit of a reality check last week, blasting ASU in Tempe. Washington State doesn't need a reality check - it's well aware of how bad it is. It won't get much better for the Cougars this week.
Pick: Arizona State

Florida (-7.5) at LSU
Will Tim Tebow play? That's the huge question coming into this game, as Florida's all-everything quarterback/missionary got a concussion two weeks ago, putting his status up in the air. Either way, this is a lot of change for the Gators to cover, considering LSU hasn't lost in 32 consecutive home night games.
Pick: LSU

Alabama (-5) at Mississippi
The money is going to the Rebels in this one and quite frankly, its time for Ole Miss to put up or shut up. After all the hype it got before the season, it needs to win against what has probably been the nation's most complete team to date to validate it. I don't think the Rebels will win, but they'll go down trying.
Pick: Mississippi

Wisconsin (+16) at Ohio State
A pretty big line considering that the Badgers are undefeated right now. Wisconsin's schedule hasn't been the greatest, but it got a nice win last week at Minnesota. Ohio State has rolled since losing to USC, but I'm not sure it's worthy of getting more than two touchdowns here. I look for the Badgers to stay somewhat close.
Pick: Wisconsin

Michigan (+8) at Iowa
The Wolverines' overtime loss at Michigan State took a little luster off this matchup, even though Gameday will be in Iowa City for it. Weird game, as Iowa won at Penn State but had to escape against Northern Iowa (17-16) and Arkansas State (24-21). I'd expect more of the Penn State effort from the Hawkeyes, though I'm not sure they are potent enough on offense to win this by more than a touchdown.
Pick: Michigan

Boston College (+13.5) at Virginia Tech
Boston College is an enigma to me. They don't exactly have a lot of talent, they don't really recruit that well but somehow, some way, they win games. These teams have been frequent battlers, with BC winning the last two games in the regular season while VT has won the ACC title game battles. I say VT wins this, but its close.
Pick: Boston College

Connecticut (+7) at Pittsburgh
Yes, I know this game isn't good. But I didn't want to pick another SEC or Big Ten game and all the Big 12 games this week were more blah than this one. I don't expect much scoring in this one, as UConn is good at playing ugly while Pitt isn't great at playing offense. Think low score and competitive, which favors the underdog.
Pick: UConn

Last week: 5-5
Season 24-25-1

Houston gave up 58 points to UTEP in a loss, which is an automatic exclusion from my poll.

1. Florida (1) - Tebow's status is big with a trip to LSU looming
2. Texas (2) - Had a bye this week and have another one next week called Colorado.
3. Alabama (3) - Tide is rolling. Nice road test coming up against Ole Miss.
4. LSU (4) - Validated their ranking a bit by winning at Georgia. Can finish the job against Florida.
5. Boise State (5) - I should drop them for playing UC Davis in October. But I won't.
6. Virginia Tech (6) - A bit of a letdown against Duke, but nothing big. Miami's win over Oklahoma makes Hokies look good.
7. TCU (8) - Kept the Golden Skillet (yes, that's a real trophy) by beating SMU. Congrats fellas.
8. USC (12) - Bit of a self-correction ranking. Had SC behind Ohio State, but beating the Buckeyes, plus killing Cal at Cal, necessitates that I put the Trojans ahead of Ohio State.
9. Ohio State (9) - Looked pretty good against Indiana. Won't get tested much in the Big Ten.
10. Cincinnati (11) - Bearcats still undefeated and looking like a national-title darkhorse
11. Iowa (13) - I wouldn't put too much stock into their 3-point win over Arkansas State. The Hawkeyes are good and won't be flat with Michigan coming to town.
12. Miami (Fla.) (16) - Won back some props by beating Oklahoma. Schedule eases up quite a bit.
13. Oklahoma State (14) - Had a bye. Not much else to say here really.
14. Mississippi (15) - I feel as if I may be overranking the Rebels. How they do against Alabama will determine if I'm right.
15. Penn State (17) - Ho hum win over a bad Illinois team. Needed it, but not too impressive.
16. BYU (19) - They get back ahead of Oklahoma.
17. Oklahoma (7) - Sam Bradford injury or not, no one expected the Sooners to have two losses at this point.
18. Kansas (20) - Undefeated but somewhat untested.
19. Oregon (22) - Followed up blowout of Cal with blowout of Washington St. It's safe to say that the first-week drama is forgotten.
20. Georgia Tech (24) - Beating Mississippi State isn't necessarily worthy of a four-jump spot, but circumstances caused it.
21. South Carolina (25) - Same thing as Georgia Tech, but even more so considering the Gamecocks beat S.C. State.
22. Auburn (NR) - Tigers are surprisingly 5-0 and even though Tennessee isn't good, a win in Knoxville is.
23. Missouri (NR) - On the cusp of being ranked these last few weeks, Tigers can prove their mettle Thursday against Nebraska.
24. Nebraska (NR) - This team played Virginia Tech tough, but hasn't beat anyone of note. Can change that Thursday.
25. Georgia (18) - Barely hanging on to its ranking, but wins over South Carolina and Arizona State are good enough to do that for now.

Receiving consideration: South Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan
Dropped out: No. 10 Houston, No. 21 Michigan, No. 23 California

For as good as the high school and pro picks have gone this year, college hasn't been so great, as I fell below .500 with my latest performance. We'll get above that mark this week I hope.

USC (-4.5) at California
A tough game to get a read on. USC has hardly set the world on fire since beating Ohio State, but the Bears are coming off a humiliating 39-point loss at Oregon. Will Cal bounce back, or fold at the first sign of trouble? USC doesn't lose many "big" games and I don't see that trend changing.
Pick: USC

UCLA (+5.5) at Stanford
The Bruins are 3-0, but its kind of an uneasy 3-0 after a ho-hum win over a bad Kansas State team two weeks ago. Stanford just pasted Washington and seems to have it dialed in under Jim Harbaugh. This UCLA team did win at Tennessee, but Kevin Craft on the road gives me the willies.
Pick: Stanford

Oregon State (+5) at Arizona State
The Beavers have done their normal September thing, that is, finish .500 or below. The Sun Devils gave Georgia a run in Athens and almost pulled off a pretty decent upset. So pick Arizona State right? Not so fast. Oregon State picks it up midseason, and we are basically at that point.
Pick: Oregon State

Washington State (+35.5) at Oregon
The Ducks came up huge last week, completely throttling California in an unexpected 42-3 ambush. Washington State actually somewhat hung with USC, only losing 27-0. Oregon will win and win handily, but the inevitable letdown keeps the Cougars in covering range.
Pick: Washington State

Washington (+12) at Notre Dame
This line has moved down from an opening of 14, meaning that there's some serious money being thrown at the Huskies. That seems to be for good reason, as Notre Dame has injury issues on offense and Washington has played well against good competition.
Pick: Washington

LSU (+4) at Georgia
The Tigers may be ranked No. 4, but they aren't getting the respect that normally comes from that ranking from the bettors. Probably because LSU has come close to losing to Washington and Mississippi State. I expect Georgia to hold serve at home.
Pick: Georgia

Oklahoma (-7.5) at Miami (Fla)
Apparently Sam Bradford isn't going to play for the Sooners. It hasn't mattered the last two games, as Landry Jones has led Oklahoma to consecutive blowout shutout victories. Miami won't be shut out, and a packed house will ensure a cover in Jones' first-ever road game.
Pick: Miami

Michigan (+4) at Michigan State
This is one of the more drastic line movements I've seen over the span of a week. The undefeated Wolverines started as a 1-point favorite, moved to 2.5 point favorite and have backslid to 4-point dogs to the 1-3 Spartans. The big money feels it knows something, but I have a hard time bending my noodle around this.
Pick: Michigan

Florida State (-3.5) at Boston College
The Seminoles are definitely the schizo team of college football. They lose a classic to Miami, have to come back to beat I-AA Jacksonville State, kill BYU at BYU then throw up a stinkbomb at home against South Florida. BC is pretty nondescript, so I guess I'll go with the Seminoles to alternate to a good performance.
Pick: Florida State

Auburn (+2.5) at Tennessee
The classic matchup of the flashy offense (Auburn) against the hard-hitting defense (Tennessee). The Tigers have been pretty prolific under new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, but they haven't been tested like the Vols will test them. Tennessee can barely complete a forward pass, but they might not need to.
Pick: Tennessee

After the top 3, college football rankings this year seem to be a crapshoot. I might actually start picking teams out of a hat if the upsets continue. Huge dropoff after the top 3.

1. Florida (1) - Killed Kentucky, but Tim Tebow almost got killed in the process. His status is definitely worth monitoring.
2. Texas (2) - Longhorns scored 47 in the first half against UTEP. That's enough to remain No. 2.
3. Alabama (3) - Tide defense subdued a high-flying Arkansas team. This team has probably been the most consistent to date.
4. LSU (7) - If there was a way to leave slots 4-6 blank, I would. But LSU, despite almost losing to Mississippi State, moves up by default.
5. Boise State (8) - Highest rating ever for the Broncos. Their win over Oregon all of a sudden looks a lot better.
6. Virginia Tech (12) - Impressed with win over Miami. Wins over Miami and Nebraska, plus loss to Alabama, best of one-loss crowd.
7. Oklahoma (9) - Move up during a bye week. Have a huge test this weekend at Miami.
8. TCU (13) - Got their second win on the road in the ACC in the last three weeks. Might have one of the best defenses in the nation.
9. Ohio State (10) - Second straight shutout after losing to USC. Still need to show more offensively though.
10. Houston (14) - Win over Texas Tech, the second over a Big 12 team, move Cougars into top 10.
11. Cincinnati (17) - Bearcats are an impressive 4-0. I put them behind Houston because I like the Cougars' wins a little bit more.
12. USC (15) - Pretty ho-hum shutout for the Trojans. Game against Cal suddenly a survival one for both teams.
13. Iowa (NR) - Huge debut in the poll for the Hawkeyes, which is deserved after winning at Penn State.
14. Oklahoma State (18) - Everyone else's pain was Okie State's gain. Houston winning helped as well.
15. Mississippi (5) - Of the top 10 teams to lose, Ole Miss' was the most excusable. Should be OK.
16. Miami (Fla.) (11) - Hurricanes take a little bit of a dive after Va. Tech loss. Can't take away Florida State and Georgia Tech wins though.
17. Penn State (6) - Easy non-conference schedule didn't exactly prep the Nittany Lions for Big Ten play, a fact that Iowa exposed.
18. Georgia (20) - Not pretty, but the Bulldogs pulled it out against Arizona State.
19. BYU (21) - Bounced back nicely against Colorado State.
20. Kansas (22) - Jayhawks survived a tough home game with an underrated Southern Miss squad.
21. Michigan (23) - Wolverines stay undefeated...barely...by beating Indiana. Defensive problems need to be addressed though.
22. Oregon (NR) - Broke back in the rankings in a huge way by beating Cal. Boise State issues look to be in past.
23. California (4) - Bears absolutely plummet in the rankings after a 42-3 stinkbomb against the Ducks.
24. Georgia Tech (24) - Yellow Jackets get back on tracking by whipping North Carolina.
25. South Carolina (NR) - Thursday night victory over Ole Miss gets Gamecocks in poll.

Receiving consideration: Missouri, South Florida, Nebraska.
Dropped out: No. 16 North Carolina, No. 19 Florida State, No. 25 Missouri.

Definitely some backsliding this week, putting me with one great week and two terrible weeks. Of course, that has me back at square one. Guess it could be worse.

Washington State (+45.5) at USC
One of these teams is coming off a big victory and the other is coming off a disappointing loss. It's not how you'd think it would go down though, as the Trojans are looking to kill someone after their annual Pacific Northwest nose dive. Wazzu, despite beating SMU in OT last week, will be victimized here.
Pick: USC

California (-5.5) at Oregon
Last time these two teams played here, Oregon fumbled the ball out of the end zone late to lose a heartbreaker. Cal may be as hot as any team in the nation, but Autzen is never easy - especially now that the Ducks seem recovered from the Boise fiasco. The Bears will win, but it'll be rough.
Pick: Oregon

Arizona (+2.5) at Oregon State
Both teams suffered disappointing losses last week, with the Wildcats losing at Iowa and Cincy beating Oregon State in Corvallis. But this about the time when Oregon State starts to put it together. That should be enough against an Arizona team without star TE Rob Gronkowski.
Pick: Oregon State

Washington (+8.5) at Stanford
I wouldn't touch this game with a 10-foot pole. But I'm picking it anyway. The Huskies seem ripe for a letdown after the USC victory, but getting 8.5 points to an average team like Stanford seems a bit much. I have to think that a Washington team that beat USC and hung with LSU can stay within that spread.
Pick: Washington

Arizona State (+12) at Georgia
Whatever you do, prepare for fireworks. Georgia has played some PlayStation-esque games since losing its opener, winning 41-36 over South Carolina and 49-38 over Arkansas. The Sun Devils are a nondescript 2-0, as they've pasted cupcakes. Georgia is no cupcake.
Pick: Georgia

Miami (Fla.) (-3) at Virginia Tech
The Hurricanes, after beating Florida State and Georgia Tech, are the newest (or most retro) hip team in college football, as the 'U' has been declared to be back. If the Hurricanes are back, they have to win at Lane Stadium - one of the roughest environments in college football. Va. Tech will keep it ugly, but the 'U' will continue its surge.
Pick: Miami

TCU (+2.5) at Clemson
With Utah and BYU going down this past weekend, the Horned Frogs are now the sole "BCS Buster" in the Mountain West. A win at Clemson would do wonders for their prospects and its something that TCU, which won at Oklahoma in 2005, is capable of. I'll pick them to pull it off.
Pick: TCU

Iowa (+9.5) at Penn State
If you want some hard-hitting, bloody-nose, old-school football, this is the game to watch. These two teams have wars that aren't exactly aesthetically pleasing (case in point, Iowa's 6-2 win in 2004). The Hawkeyes ruined Penn State's shot at the BCS title game with an upset last year. PSU will get revenge, though not enough to cover.
Pick: Iowa

Arkansas (+17.5) at Alabama
The Razorbacks, with rocket-armed quarterback Ryan Mallett, can pass and score at will it seems. However, their defense is leakier than an 150-year-old ship, getting flossed for 49 points by Georgia last week. Alabama probably won't put up 49, but won't give up nearly as many points as Arkansas needs.
Pick: Alabama

Texas Tech (+1) at Houston
This game should be fun, as the Red Raiders and Cougars score as much as most high school boys basketball teams. Can Houston pull off another win against the Big 12, or can Texas Tech shrug off an emotional loss to Texas and grab this one. I'll pick Houston to represent at home.
Pick: Houston

Week: 4-6
Overall: 15-15

My top 25, with a ton of movement. Really crazy week.

1. Florida (1) - It wasn't the woodshed beating that was predicted, but beating Tennessee five years in a row is nothing to scoff at.
2. Texas (2) - The Longhorns get revenge on Texas Tech, though not Michael Crabtree.
3. Alabama (4) - The Crimson Tide have probably been the most consistently stellar team through the first three weeks.
4. California (7) - A road win and five Jahvid Best touchdowns mean a big bump for the Bears
5. Mississippi (5) - Ole Miss trucked SE Louisiana, as it was supposed to
6. Penn State (6) - Nits beating the heck out of bad teams. Hard to really make a good judgement of them right now.
7. LSU (9) - All of a sudden, the Tigers' close win over Washington two weeks ago doesn't look so bad.
8. Boise State (10) - Got the win over Fresno State, but the run defense needs work.9.. 9. Oklahoma (12) - After the way Landry Jones has played the last two weeks, I'm confident to say that Oklahoma would drill BYU in a rematch.
10. Ohio State (11) - Buckeyes got much-needed rout over Toledo.
11. Miami (Fla.) (21) - Hurricanes looked awesome against Ga. Tech. Have another toughie coming up against Va. Tech.
12. Virginia Tech (14) - Pulled one out late against Nebraska. Now it has to host red-hot Miami.
13. TCU (15) - Have a tough test next week at Clemson
14. Houston (17) - Off week prevented any sort of a possible letdown
15. USC (3) - Same stuff, different year. The offense looks to be an area of concern.
16. North Carolina (18) - Beating East Carolina is harder than you would expect.
17. Cincinnati (24) - Bearcats take a jump after big win at Oregon State.
18. Oklahoma State (19) - Not great in their win over Rice.
19. Florida State (NR) - Made a huge statement at BYU - and boosted the street cred of rival Miami in the interim
20. Georgia (22) - The offense has been awesome the past two weeks. The defense? Well, the offense has scored 93 points.
21. BYU (8) - Their BCS-busting aspirations are completely busted.
22. Kansas (23) - Beat Duke. No, it wasn't the Final Four.
23. Michigan (25) - Ran for 380 yards in a rout of Eastern Michigan, but defense could be a sore spot in the conference schedule.
24. Georgia Tech (13) - Jackets tumble after being rolled by Miami.
25. Missouri (NR) - At 3-0, apparently there is life after Chase Daniel.

Receiving consideration: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Utah
Dropped out: 16. Utah, No. 20. Nebraska

Great week last week, going 8-2 to put me above .500. Looking to keep it up and keep it quick this week.

WASHINGTON (-19.5) over Usc
UCLA (-12) over Kansas State
MINNESOTA (+13.5) over California
IOWA (-4) over Arizona
Utah (+5) over OREGON
OREGON STATE (-1) over Cincinnati
STANFORD (-18) over San Jose State
VIRGINIA TECH (-5) over Nebraska
BYU (-8) over Florida State
NOTRE DAME (-10) over Michigan State

Last week: 8-2
Overall: 11-9

Another week, another top 5 team from Oklahoma goes down. That plus a couple of debuts - one likely and one out of left field. Previous ranking in parantheses

1. Florida (1) - Another week, another killing of an overmatched team. Should have more fun against Tennessee.
2. Texas (2) - Little sluggish in the first half against Wyoming. Could have been looking ahead to the revenge game Thursday against Texas Tech.
3. USC (3) - Wasn't pretty, but any time you can go to Ohio State and win at night with a freshman QB, you've done something good.
4. Alabama (4) - The Tide offense looks more explosive than it did a year ago.
5. Penn State (8) - Pretty big dropoff from 4 to 5. Penn State looks good, but most people do against Akron and Syracuse.
6. Mississippi (7) - Got jumped because they didn't play.
7. California (9) - 111 points in two weeks is pretty darn good. Definitely a darkhorse national title team.
8. BYU (11) - No letdown against Tulane. If the Cougars beat Florida State this week, look out.
9. LSU (10) - Defense looked better against Vandy than it did against Washington, which is key.
10. Boise State (12) - No letdown for the Broncos against Miami (Ohio)
11. Ohio State (6) - Not going to kill the Buckeyes for losing to USC. However, they need to figure out how to use Terrelle Pryor correctly.
12. Oklahoma (13) - Won 64-0 against Idaho State. At the very least, got Landry Jones some confidence.
13. Georgia Tech (14) - Got scary for a second, but the Jackets won a big game against Clemson. Another test looms Thursday against Miami.
14. Virginia Tech (15) - Nice bounceback blowout against Marshall.
15. TCU (16) - The Horned Frogs got a lopsided win at Virginia. Then again, so did William and Mary.
16. Utah (17) - Utes pull away from San Jose State for their nation's best 15th-straight game.
17. Houston (NR) - Cougars shoot up out of nowhere with big win at Oklahoma State.
18. North Carolina (18) - Ugly 2-point win over UConn keeps Tar Heels stable.
19. Oklahoma State (5) - Cowboys take a huge tumble after losing to the Cougars. So much for the big win over Georgia.
20. Nebraska (20) - Huskers win second straight rout. We'll learn a lot this weekend at Virginia Tech.
21. Miami (Fla) (25) - Sort of a self-correction. I sold Miami a little short after their win over Florida State.
22. Georgia (21) - Got a must-win against South Carolina and scored some points, but I'm still skeptical of this team.
23. Kansas (22) - Jayhawks rolled in a potentially-tricky game against UTEP. Now Duke in what would be a great basketball game.
24. Cincinnati (23) - Bearcats humiliate another team. Can get some street cred with a win at Oregon State.
25. Michigan (NR) - From 3-9 to ranked in two weeks. The young Wolverines got a big win against Notre Dame.

Also receiving consideration: Oregon State, Pittsburgh, Missouri

Dropped out: No. 19 Notre Dame, No. 24 Oregon State

Like with my high school picks, I pretty much stunk in my first shot at the college picks, going 3-7 against the spread. Let's nip that in the bud before whatever credibility I have left gets flushed.

USC (-7) at Ohio State
Everyone knows that the Trojans romped the Buckeyes last season at the Coliseum. Everyone knows that USC kills Big Ten teams with impunity. Most know that Ohio State struggled with Navy last week. However, a true freshman making his first road start at the Horseshoe makes me take the home team here.
Pick: Ohio State

UCLA (+10) at Tennessee
This spread has grown two points since it was originally released, with the betting community being pretty impressed with the Vols' destruction of Western Kentucky. Not sure how good Tennessee really is, but they have a score to settle from last year at the Rose Bowl.
Pick: Tennessee

Purdue (+12.5) at Oregon
It will be interesting to see how the Ducks respond after the LaGarrette Blount-Boise State fiasco. With the Ducks laying an egg, no pun intended, and Blount laying out a Boise defensive player with a straight right, along with a Purdue team that scored 52 coming in, I have to go with the Boilers to cover.
Pick: Purdue

Stanford (+3) at Wake Forest
Got one thing to say about this game - noon Eastern start. That means Stanford will be playing at 9 a.m. Pacific time according to its internal clocks. Cal did that once last year at Maryland and was in a funk, getting down big before losing close late. I see the same thing happening here.
Pick: Wake Forest

Oregon State (-7) at UNLV
Could be a big of a tricky game for the Beavers, who are notoriously slow starters. The Rebels have talented and can nab unsuspecting Pac-10 teams, winning at Arizona State last year. I'll go with UNLV to give Oregon State a headache.
Pick: UNLV

Idaho (+20) at Washington
The Huskies, despite losing their 13th straight game, impressed against LSU, moving the ball at will at times against the Tigers. Steve Sarkisian has U-Dub going in the right direction and they'll break the streak in style.
Pick: Washington

Hawaii (-2.5) at Washington State
This game is not for the faint of heart. Hawaii struggled mightily with I-AA Central Arkansas before winning its opener, while Washington State was beat down by Stanford. I refuse to think that Hawaii is bad enough to actually lose to Wazzu, so I'll go with the Warriors here.
Pick: Hawaii

Notre Dame (-3) at Michigan
Being a Michigan graduate, I'll try my best to take off the homer goggles here. Both of these teams were surprisingly impressive against decent non-BCS conference competition last year, combining to beat their opponents 66-7. This series tends to favor the underdog historically, which is why I'm going with the Wolverines in a coin-flip game.
Pick: Michigan

South Carolina (+7) at Georgia
Whatever you bet in this game, take the under as one of your wagers. This game is always low scoring and hard hitting, as Georgia won 14-7 last year. Both offenses struggled mightily in their openers while the defenses looked good. With Georgia QB Joe Cox gimpy, I'll go with the Gamecocks here.
Pick: South Carolina

North Carolina (-4.5) at Connecticut
This would be an awesome basketball game, as these two programs have combined for four national championships on the hardwood since 1999. Its not a bad football game either, with Butch Davis bringing some talent to the Tar Heels and Randy Edsall making UConn a tough out. I'll go with the better basketball team here.
Pick: North Carolina

My first stab at the college Top 25. Not a big fan of the preseason poll thing, which is a good thing considering what happened to Oklahoma.

1. Florida
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Alabama
5. Oklahoma State
6. Ohio State
7. Mississippi
8. Penn State
9. California
10. LSU
11. BYU
12. Boise State
13. Oklahoma
14. Georgia Tech
15. Virginia Tech
16. TCU
17. Utah
18. North Carolina
19. Notre Dame
20. Nebraska
21. Georgia
22. Kansas
23. Cincinnati
24. Oregon State
25. Miami (Fla)

Also receiving consideration: Michigan State, Florida State, Missouri

Back by demand (at least my demand) are my college picks. I'll take 10 games, pick against the spread, and hopefully make myself and all of you a hefty profit.

San Jose State (+34) at USC - With true freshman Matt Barkley making his first-ever start in his first-ever game, 34 points seems to be a little much. Expect USC to keep it simple. Pick: San Jose State

San Diego State (+19.5) at UCLA - Another kind of hefty spread, but I like Neuheisel in year two to roll over Brady Hoke and the mess at San Diego State in year one.
Pick: UCLA

Maryland (+21) at California - After being forced to play at 9 a.m. Pacific time in Maryland last year and losing, Cal is having the Terps play at 10 p.m. Eastern time. Turnabout is fair play.
Pick: California

Stanford (-17) at Washington State - Stanford seems to have things building toward a bowl bid this year. Washington State is basically a dumpster fire at this point.
Pick: Stanford

LSU (-17.5) at Washington - After finishing 0-12 last year, the last thing the Huskies needed was to face a national-title contender in week one. The losing streak continues.
Pick: LSU

Virginia Tech (+6.5) vs. Alabama (Atlanta) - The Tide established themselves as a BCS level team at this site last year, blowing out Clemson. I don't expect a blowout, or much scoring, in this one.
Pick: Virginia Tech

Georgia (+4.5) at Oklahoma State - Apparently Joe Cox, Georgia's starting quarterback, has swine flu. I'm not making that up. That gives the Bulldogs little margin of error against an Okie State team hungry to prove its worth.
Pick: Oklahoma State

BYU (+22) vs. Oklahoma, Dallas - The Cougars and Sooners get to play the first-ever non-exhibition football game in the posh Cowboys Stadium. At least the BYU fans will get big-screen, HD replays of Sam Bradford's five touchdown passes.
Pick: Oklahoma

Missouri (+6.5) vs. Illinois, St. Louis - Ever since these neighbor-state schools started battling each other, the wins have gone toward Missouri. But with no Chase Daniel or Jeremy Maclin, the Illini have too much Juice (Williams that is).
Pick: Illinois

Miami (Fla) (+6) at Florida State, Mon - These teams are moving back to Labor Day after a two-year absence, apparently forgetting the two visually displeasing season-opening matchups in 2005 and 2006. This one won't be pretty either.
Pick: Florida State

Well, its over. That Florida-Oklahoma game, while close, wasn't anywhere close to awesome. It was almost like two teams got picked out of a hat...oh wait, they basically were. Once again, the college football system fails miserably.

What's the solution? Typically, one would say a plus-one playoff, but this year, that wouldn't work at all. There are four teams (Florida, Utah, Texas, USC) with legitimate claims for the title. I'd love these four to play a pair of semifinals - the Urban Meyer Bowl between Florida and Utah followed with a Texas-USC rematch perhaps? - with the winners playing in a end-all, be-all final. Has to be a lot better than the schlock that we saw tonight.

But since that can't happen, I guess I have to pick my own number one. Well, its also the number one LANG writer Scott Wolf came up with. So props to Scott and here we go.

1. Utah (6) - Big jump, but the Utes took out Alabama worse than Florida did. They also beat Oregon State (which USC can't claim), a top 10 team in TCU and won all of their games. In most countries and sports, winning every time out means something.

2. Florida (1) - The Gators are good and talented to all get-out, but they didn't do anything that Texas didn't do in beating Oklahoma by 10. They didn't do anything that Utah didn't do in beating Alabama. They only did one thing that Utah didn't do - that is lose. At home mind you. Sorry.

3. USC (5) - Yeah, yeah, the Big Ten sucks, blah, blah. That was a darn good Penn State team that USC bent over its knee and slapped the heck out of in the Rose Bowl. But that darn team from Oregon State just ruined it for SC, not only by beating the Trojans but by losing to Utah.

4. Texas (2) - I guess its unfair to drop the Longhorns, but someone had to be No. 4 and quite frankly, Texas was the least impressive of the top 4 in their bowl. Ohio State is good, but the Longhorns didn't make the statement that USC, Utah, and Florida did. Or at least the first two.

Everything after this ranking is pretty much window dressing. But then again, so is the college football postseason.

5. Oklahoma (3) - Shouldn't have been in the game in the first place and quite frankly, shouldn't be in any BCS games for a while after losing five in a row. I don't understand why Ohio State gets so much guff for its BCS struggles when Oklahoma has been clearly worse.

6. Alabama (5) - They got smoked by Utah, but they shouldn't be ashamed by it. Their only losses this season came via the top two teams in this ranking and the Tide had their best year since Gene Stallings was around. Good work fellas.

7. TCU (11) - This has to be the highest the Horned Frogs have been ranked since World War II. If not, then I'm a moron. Anyway, TCU was a darn good team - only losses were to Oklahoma and Utah - and are one of the best under-the-radar programs in the country.

8. Penn State (7) - Not punishing the Nittany Lions too bad for losing basically a road game to USC. Playing the Trojans in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on New Year's Day is a thankless task for anyone not named Vince Young.

9. Boise State (9) - They lost, but you can't disrespect what the Broncos have done. If Utah wins the AP title (doubtful), it can thank Boise for its win over Oklahoma two years ago in the Fiesta Bowl.

10. Oregon (14) - Big win for the Ducks over Oklahoma State, getting them ten wins and a top 10 spot. Had to put them below Boise State because they lost to the Broncos in September though.

11. Ohio State (10) - The Buckeyes lost another BCS game, but gave Texas all it could handle. As far as OSU BCS losses go, this one wasn't anything to be ashamed of.

12. Mississippi (20) - My big riser, the Rebels are the only team to beat Florida and were extremely impressive in dispatching of Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. They could be a team to watch next season.

13. Texas Tech (8) - Um, well, at least they beat Texas. Kind of a letdown in the Cotton Bowl after such a great season, but the Red Raiders shouldn't fret. What they'll do after Harrell (graduation) and Crabtree (likely NFL early entry) will be interesting.

14. Georgia (18) - The Bulldogs finally beat a team with a pulse in the Capital One Bowl, defeating Michigan State. Kind of a disappointing season for Georgia, which now loses Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno to early NFL draft entry.

15. Virginia Tech (21) - It wasn't pretty, but the Hokies got to 10 wins by beating Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl. Va. Tech might be the most anonymous program to win 10 or more games in five straight years.

16. Oregon State (24) - Taking after their baseball team's back-to-back College World Series championships in 2006 and 2007, the Beavers got a three-run homer to beat Pittsburgh 3-0 in the Sun Bowl. 9 wins, one being over USC, constitutes a heck of a season in Corvallis.

17. Iowa (25) - The Hawkeyes were the only team in the Big Ten to represent at all, destroying South Carolina in the Outback Bowl for the conference's only bowl victory. Like Ole Miss, look for Iowa to be a darkhorse in its conference next season.

18. Florida State (NR) - The Seminoles looked like the Florida State teams of old in thrashing Wisconsin in the Champs Sports Bowl. If FSU can sustain that offense in any way next season, look out ACC.

19. Cincinnati (12) - Well, the Bearcats' first BCS bowl experience wasn't ideal, but getting there in a season where they had to play four different quarterbacks is very impressive.

20. Oklahoma State (16) - Couldn't quite finish off Oregon, but a good season for the Cowboys, who have built a nice little program in the shadow of Oklahoma. The "I'm a man, I'm 40" jokes have lessened a bit. Ok, no they haven't.

21. Missouri (NR) - It wasn't pretty, but the overtime win over Northwestern in the Alamo Bowl gave the Tigers a second straight 10-win season. Not bad at all.

22. LSU (NR) - Didn't want to rank LSU, but you can't overlook a 38-3 beating of a good Georgia Tech team. Can't do it.

23. Georgia Tech (13) - Now that LSU is ranked, I can rank Georgia Tech. Oh goody.

24. BYU (14) - I guess going to the Las Vegas Bowl for the fourth straight year wasn't appealing to BYU, as it lost to a hungry Arizona team.

25. Michigan State (19) - The Michigan part of me wants to not rank the Spartans due to them losing to most teams with a pulse. But 9-4 is a pretty good year in East Lansing.

Just missed the cut: Nebraska, West Virginia, California.

Dropped out: No. 17 Pittsburgh, No. 22 Ball State, No. 23 Boston College

Well, it looks as if there's going to be a Florida-Oklahoma national title game. I still don't agree with that though. Since very few played, the normal witty commentary isn't going to be here this week. I'm sure you'll survive.

1. Florida (2)
2. Texas (3)
3. Oklahoma (4)
4. USC (5)
5. Alabama (1)
6. Utah (6)
7. Penn State (7)
8. Texas Tech (8)
9. Boise State (9)
10. Ohio State (10)
11. TCU (12)
12. Cincinnati (13)
13. Georgia Tech (14)
14. Oregon (16)
15. BYU (17)
16. Oklahoma State (18)
17. Pittsburgh (20)
18. Georgia (18)
19. Michigan State (22)
20. Mississippi (23)
21. Virginia Tech (NR)
22. Ball State (11)
23. Boston College (15)
24. Oregon State (24)
25. Iowa (25)

Under consideration: Northwestern, Florida State, Missouri

Dropped out: No. 21 Missouri (lost to Oklahoma)

Last regular season slate, as I try to get above .500 prior to bowl season. Here's to it.

USC (-32) at UCLA
Two years ago, UCLA pulled a shocker over a heavily-favored USC team in the Rose Bowl, denying the Trojans a shot at a BCS title game with a 13-9 win. While USC's title chances are pretty slim, you know UCLA will want to mess with the Trojans again. USC, as you would expect, is coming in confident, even willing to forgo a timeout just so it can wear its home uniforms on the road. The Trojans want to make a statement against the Bruins and they will.
USC 42, UCLA 7

Arizona State (+10.5) at Arizona
This game very rarely means much of anything besides pride, as one team is usually very good while the other plays spoiler. Typically, the spoiler is Arizona, but the Wildcats have a chance to sew up their first winning season since 1998 with a win over the Sun Devils, who are playing for their bowl lives. ASU has won three in a row, but those were against the Washington schools and UCLA. I like Arizona big in this one.
Arizona 34, Arizona State 13

Washington (+35.5) at California
Is there any logical reason for this game to be played this week? Why not end the Washington season (which needs to end badly) by playing the Apple Cup and why not end Cal's season with Stanford? This just upsets me. Anyway, as for the game, Washington is trying not to end winless. Whatever.
California 45, Washington 6

Buffalo (+16) vs. Ball State
The Battle for the MAC in the D should be a pretty solid one, as you have a Cardinals team looking for its first-ever undefeated season against a Buffalo team that has been resurrected from the dead, or wherever you consider San Diego State right now. As one would expect, the coaches for these teams (Turner Gill at Buffalo and Brady Hoke at Ball State) will be getting attention from bigger schools with coaching vacancies. I say Ball State wins, but Buffalo makes it uncomfortable for a while.
Ball State 41, Buffalo 30

Boston College (even) vs. Virginia Tech
The ACC title game is a rematch of last year, which Virginia Tech won in front of an embarrassing dearth of fans. With the game in Jacksonville and both schools separated by at least a day's worth of driving, expect a bunch of empty seats for this one. It will be a pretty defensive game, as both of these teams have stout defenses and relatively feeble offenses. BC's offense seems a little more competent, so I'll pick the Eagles.
Boston College 19, Virginia Tech 14

Florida (-10) vs. Alabama
When was the last time an undefeated No. 1-ranked team was a double-digit dog against a team with a loss? I have no idea, and quite frankly, this could be the first. Alabama, despite going through the SEC unscathed, has been left for dead in this game, as the Tim Tebow-led Florida offense is expected to wreak havoc on the Tide, just as it has in every other game since losing to Ole Miss in September. While this screams a Crimson Tide cover, I think Florida is too hot for conventional wisdom.
Florida 38, Alabama 21

Missouri (+16.5) vs. Oklahoma
My views on Oklahoma's place in this game have already been made, so I will step off of that. On the surface, this title game rematch looks like a mismatch, as the Sooners have rolled off at least 60 points in their last four games and Missouri is fresh off giving up 40 to Kansas. But I think the Sooners are due for a bit of a letdown. They rode the momentum of the Texas Tech win against Okie State, but will face a bit of a challenge. I'm not insane enough to pick a Missouri win, but a close loss that will get people complaining.
Oklahoma 39, Missouri 35

East Carolina (+12.5) at Tulsa
I keep going back and forth on this game. That probably makes me kind of lame, as most people don't devote much brain power to the Conference USA championship game, but I could see Tulsa's pass-happy spread going nuts and killing the Pirates by 30-something points. I could also see Skip Holtz and East Carolina keeping this game pretty close. I'll go Tulsa because I don't feel like writing about this anymore.
Tulsa 48, East Carolina 23

Pittsburgh (+2.5) at Connecticut
This would be an awesome men's basketball game, as both the Panthers and Huskies are in the top 5 of the polls. It's not a bad football game either, as Pittsburgh boasts one of the best running backs in LeSean McCoy while UConn has quietly built a solid, if not spectacular, football program. It will be cold and windy in Connecticut, so expect the Panthers to ride McCoy to victory.
Pittsburgh 21, Connecticut 16

Cincinnati (-7) at Hawaii
This game will have the opposite weather of the Pitt-UConn showdown, and quite frankly, the Bearcats deserve a day in paradise after winning a Big East title and Orange Bowl berth. This could be a tricky game for Cincy, as it could be tempted to luau and party, but Hawaii only beat Washington State by 14 last week. That result alone has me picking the Bearcats.
Cincinnati 34, Hawaii 17

Overall record: 101-39. Against the spread: 69-70-1

Before I get into it, I'm going to say how it would be a sham if Oklahoma gets ranked ahead of Texas in the BCS. And no, its not because they are so bad on defense that Florida would be guaranteed to beat them by 20-plus points. And its not entirely because they lost to Texas at a neutral site - though that should be reason enough for anyone sane.

No, my reasons for Texas to get the nod over Oklahoma and Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game are as follows. Oh yeah, and boo to the Big 12 for making this a tiebreaker. Just awful.

1) Texas is the only one of the three not to get a home game over the other two.

2) Texas is the only one of the three to win away from home against the other two.

3) Texas had the toughest in-conference strength of schedule, having to play Big 12 North champion Missouri while the other two didn't. With that said, if Oklahoma gets the nod, Texas will have beaten both participants in the Big 12 championship game by 10-plus points - participants that have equal or worse records than Texas.

4) Texas had the closest loss and Texas' loss came in the toughest circumstances. Texas was on game four of a four-week gauntlet (Oklahoma, Missouri, Okla. State and Tech) without a bye. Tech had a bye before its loss and Oklahoma had its tough opponents divided evenly.

5) Texas had the toughest non-conference schedule according to win/loss record. Oklahoma did beat Cincinnati and TCU, but also played 0-11 Washington and 1-11 FCS Chattanooga. Tech played two FCS teams.

Yeah, the voters need to do the right thing here. We'll see if they do. Now to the rankings:

1. Alabama (1) - Still undefeated and broke a six-game losing streak to Auburn. Has its hands full with Florida.

2. Florida (2) - The Gators are straight pile-driving fools right now. Look to be the favorites to win the title.

3. Texas (3) - Beat Texas A&M by 40. Explained the rest above.

4. Oklahoma (4) - The Oklahoma State victory was a good one. But I'm sorry, I'm not ranking them above Texas.

5. USC (5) - Embarrassed Notre Dame. What else is new.

6. Utah (6) - Still undefeated and will remain that way until January. Good enough for me.

7. Penn State (8) - They move up because Texas Tech struggled again. Nits should have a good Rose Bowl matchup with USC.

8. Texas Tech (7) - Almost made the BCS picture infinitely easier by almost losing to Baylor. Get penalized because they didn't.

9. Boise State (9) - All I know is that it was 13-10 over Fresno State before I left to drive to Temecula Friday night and it ended up being 61-10.

10. Ohio State (10) - Oregon State loss likely sews up BCS bid.

11. Ball State (13) - Big win over Western Michigan moves undefeated Cardinals up.

12. TCU (15) - Move up 3 despite regular season being over. Must be nice.

13. Cincinnati (16) - The Bearcats locked up the Big East title and a BCS berth. And no, Bob Huggins had nothing to do with it.

14. Georgia Tech (19) - The Yellow Jackets put on a triple-option clinic against Georgia, getting a bump in the rankings in the process.

15. Boston College (20) - Eagles' fourth win in a row sends them to ACC title game against Virginia Tech for the second straight year.

16. Oregon (21) - Ducks throw up 65 on Oregon State, ruining the Beavers' BCS hopes while making USC and Ohio State very happy.

17. BYU (18) - Teams losing ahead of them give the Cougars a tiny bump up.

18. Oklahoma State (12) - 41 points should have been enough to beat Oklahoma. But it was 20 short.

19. Georgia (11) - The Bulldogs' house of cards were crumbled by Georgia Tech. The preseason No. 1 leaves the regular season without a win over a ranked team.

20. Pittsburgh (23) - The Panthers take down West Virginia to win the Backyard Brawl for the second year in a row, driving the Mountaineers crazy again.

21. Missouri (14) - Loss to Kansas leaves Missouri in same boat as Georgia, great against inferior teams and inferior to great teams. Could really screw things up with a Big 12 upset next week.

22. Michigan State (24) - Spartans move up with losses by others and a newly-minted win over a top 25 team in Iowa.

23. Mississippi (25) - The Rebels killed Mississippi State to continue their late-season surge.

24. Oregon State (16) - Losing 65-38 in a must-win game is a tough end to what was a great season for the Beavers.

25. Iowa (NR) - The Hawkeyes sneak into the rankings. And hey, they can say they were the only ones to beat Penn State.

Under consideration: Northwestern, Florida State, Tulsa

Dropped out: No. 22 Florida State (lost to Florida).

Here are six more. Kind of disheveled this week, but its OK.

Notre Dame (+31.5) at USC: USC 38, Notre Dame 14
Oregon (+3) at Oregon State: Oregon State 28, Oregon 23
Washington State (+28.5) at Hawaii: Hawaii 51, Washington State 16
Oklahoma (-7.5) at Oklahoma State: Oklahoma 42, Oklahoma State 27
Auburn (+14.5) at Alabama: Alabama 28, Auburn 9
Florida (-16.5) at Florida State: Florida 38, Florida State 17

I'm being somewhat deficient with my picking. It'll get better this weekend.

UCLA (+10) at Arizona State - Arizona State 23, UCLA 17
West Virginia (-3) at Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh 24, West Virginia 20
LSU (-4.5) at Arkansas - LSU 30, Arkansas 19

Don't really got time to do the whole slate now, so here's the quickie. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

College
Texas A&M (+35) at Texas: Texas 40, Texas A&M 13

Pro
Tennessee (-10.5) at Detroit: Tennessee 34, Detroit 13
Seattle (+12) at Dallas: Dallas 31, Seattle 10
Arizona (+3) at Philadelphia: Arizona 27, Philadelphia 21

Crazy weekend in the Big 12, which is more jumbled than ever. Should be a fun homestretch.

1. Alabama (2) - This one is pretty simple, as the Tide is the only BCS team that hasn't lost. Look for them to even six years worth of scores against Auburn.

2. Florida (3) - I should penalize Florida for playing a weak I-AA team like The Citadel, but you can't dispute how the Gators have looked against I-A competition lately.

3. Texas (4) - I put Texas ahead of Oklahoma because it beat Oklahoma at a neutral site, are the only one of the Big 3 to not get a home game against the others and because they have the toughest Big 12 schedule. The Longhorns will be right in the middle of an old-fashioned BCS controversy.

4. Oklahoma (5) - Sooners looked awesome in beating Texas Tech, but I can't justify putting Oklahoma ahead of Texas right now. I just can't at all.

5. USC (6) - Trojans move up because of the severity of Texas Tech's loss. They'll need to kill Notre Dame and UCLA to have any sort of shot at a title.

6. Utah (7) - The Utes capped off an undefeated season with a big win over hated rival BYU. A BCS bid should follow in two weeks.

7. Texas Tech (1) - Well, Tech might have kept its national title shot if it had hung with Oklahoma. But 65-21 ain't going to do it.

8. Penn State (8) - The Nittany Lions clinched a Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl berth with a blowout over Michigan State. The Rose Bowl committee and networks are hoping to God its not a rematch with Oregon State.

9. Boise State (9) - The Broncos are now one win away from an undefeated regular season. However, Utah's victory will likely leave Boise State on the outside looking in at the BCS.

10. Ohio State (10) - The Buckeyes smacked Michigan around for the fifth straight year to end the regular season at 10-2. Now they'll root against Oregon State in hopes of sneaking into the BCS as an at-large.

11. Georgia (12) - The Bulldogs had the week off and are basically playing for New Year's Day positioning at this point. A rivalry game with Ga. Tech looms.

12. Oklahoma State (13) - The Cowboys could be the latest team to throw a monkey wrench in the title hunt if they beat Oklahoma this upcoming week.

13. Ball State (14) - The Cardinals grabbed a huge win at two-time MAC champion Central Michigan Wednesday. A win over Western Michigan would leave Ball State one win away from an undefeated regular season.

14. Missouri (15) - If Oklahoma State can't do the job against Oklahoma this week, it might be the Tigers who have a chance to screw up the BCS.

15. TCU (16) - The Horned Frogs destroyed Air Force to conclude a 10-win season, with its only losses coming to Oklahoma and Utah.

16. Oregon State (18) - The Beavers winning the Pac-10, which they would with a victory over Oregon this weekend, would be a great story. But the Rose Bowl committee, ABC, USC and Ohio State will be rooting like heck against them.

17. Cincinnati (20) - The Bearcats took a huge step towards a Big East title and a BCS berth by beating Pittsburgh. A win over Syracuse this week would clinch that.

18. BYU (11) - The Cougars couldn't quite topple Utah, and take a tumble as a result. Still, 10-2 isn't something to be scoffed at.

19. Georgia Tech (25) - Any time you can run for over 400 yards, as the Yellow Jackets did against Miami, you have something. An upset win over Georgia would do wonders for the Georgia Tech program.

20. Boston College (NR) - Three straight wins have the Eagles surging at exactly the right time. We'll see if they can keep it up this week against Maryland.

21. Oregon (NR) - Must be nice to jump this high into the rankings without playing. The Ducks can make a lot of people happy with an upset win at Oregon State this week.

22. Florida State (NR) - The Seminoles were the source of the coolest story of the weekend, as star junior safety Myron Rolle was named a Rhodes Scholar. Good to see true student-athletes of that caliber.

23. Pittsburgh (19) - A close loss to Cincy drops the Panthers a bit, but they can improve their bowl positioning with a win over West Virginia Friday.

24. Michigan State (17) - For the second time this season, the Spartans had a chance for a big win against the Big Ten's elite. For the second time, Sparty was blown out. However, a 9-3 record is definitely an achievement in East Lansing.

25. Mississippi (NR) - The Rebels make their first appearence in the poll after blasting LSU. Oh yeah, the Rebels are also the only team to beat Florida.

Under consideration: Iowa, Northwestern, West Virginia

Dropped out: No. 21 Miami (Fla) (lost to Georgia Tech), No. 22 LSU (lost to Mississippi), No. 23 Maryland (lost to Florida State), No. 24 North Carolina (lost to N.C. State).

Kind of a small Pac-10 slate this week, which might not be a bad thing, as I was a gross 3-7 against the spread. Disgusting I know.

Oregon State (+2.5) at Arizona
The Beavers' unlikely road to a Rose Bowl continues against an improved Arizona squad that should be bowling for the first time in 10 years. I'm pretty sure the Rose Bowl committee is crossing fingers, making voodoo hexes and doing whatever it can to prevent Oregon State from winning out. However, the Beavers are going to continue to make them nervous.
Oregon State 31, Arizona 26

Stanford (+8.5) at California
The Cardinal broke through in this game last year, putting the finishing touches on a regular season-ending 1-6 stretch for Cal. Well, Cal has lost two in a row and Stanford is playing for its bowl life. I don't think Stanford will win per se, but I think a cover is definitely in the works.
California 28, Stanford 21

Washington (-7) at Washington State
Besides watching REV graduate Ronnie Fouch trying to pilot U-Dub to its first win, there's no real reason to watch this game. Please, find something else to do. Do some work around the house. Go to the gym. Netflix "Facts of Life: Season 3" and watch that. This game could be the worst in-state rivalry game in the history of the United States. I love hyperbole.
Washington 30, Washington State 20

Texas Tech (+6.5) at Oklahoma
The lastest game of the year in the Big 12 is in Norman this week, as Oklahoma has a prime opportunity to really throw a monkey wrench in the BCS. Texas Tech is a legitimate title contender, but hardly anyone gets out of Norman alive. I see the Sooners pulling away late for the cover.
Oklahoma 38, Texas Tech 27

Michigan (+20.5) at Ohio State
The best rivalry in college football is a footnote this week, as the Wolverines have struggled big-time under first-year head coach Rich Rodriguez. A 3-8 Michigan team has to go to Columbus and play a team it's lost four in a row to and six of the last seven. And they have to do that with a backup, former walk-on QB. I'd like to see this game be close, but its not going to happen.
Ohio State 35, Michigan 13

Michigan State (+15.5) at Penn State
The Spartans still have a chance at the Rose Bowl with an upset win and a Michigan win. Not sure who the Rose Bowl committee would root for here, as Michigan State doesn't have much national panache and Penn State, while more of a national program, has already destroyed Oregon State already this year. It won't matter. MSU doesn't have the panache to take this game on the road.
Penn State 34, Michigan State 17

Florida State (-1.5) at Maryland
The Terps aren't that hard to figure out for most people, having a great record at home and losing to teams such as Middle Tennessee on the road. Of course, I picked against Maryland at home last week, so I'm an idiot. I'm not making that mistake twice, especially against an inconsistent FSU squad.
Maryland 17, Florida State 13

BYU (+7) at Utah
The battle for the Beehive State has huge BCS complications, as Utah is one win away from qualifying for a major bowl. However, that win is going to be a tough one against bitter rival and two-time defending conference champion BYU. The Cougars played very well last week against Air Force and will carry it over for the upset win.
BYU 21, Utah 20

Pittsburgh (+6) at Cincinnati
This game should be more competitive, as least from the Cincinnati perspective, than the NFL matchup between the two cities yesterday. The Bearcats, despite losing their top two QBs for the year with injuries, continue to roll. The Panthers, despite breaking through this year, have Dave Wannstedt as coach. That's enough to make me go with Cincy.
Cincinnati 28, Pittsburgh 17

Mississippi (+3.5) at LSU
LSU was down 28 to Troy last week before coming back to win. There are a couple of ways to look at it. a) LSU is a team with some crazy resilience or b) LSU has some issues. I'm going with B this week against a Rebels team that actually somehow beat Florida. That alone has me whistling Dixie, or whatever comes closest to that without actually whistling.
Mississippi 28, LSU 24

Overall record: 86-34. Against the spread: 59-60-1

Pretty standard top 15, as there were no real big games, hence no real big upsets among the top tier.

1. Texas Tech (1) - Red Raiders didn't play, but still have been the most impressive of the undefeateds in my opinion. The Oklahoma game should be a doozy.

2. Alabama (2) - The Crimson Tide struggled for a while before putting away Miss. State. Now only Auburn sits between them and a showdown with Florida.

3. Florida (3) - I keep on trying to rationalize keeping a Gator team that lost to Ole Miss this high, and then I see them hang 56 on South Carolina. That's as good of an argument as any.

4. Texas (4) - Nice win against Kansas. Now the Longhorns have to beat Texas A&M and hope for some help from the Oklahoma schools.

5. Oklahoma (5) - Like Tech, got a week to rest up before the showdown. Should be a good one.

6. USC (6) - Stanford was freaking out USC for a while, but the Trojans took care of business. Now they get a week off before ending with rivalries.

7. Utah (7) - Huge Beehive State showdown with BYU is all that seperates the Utes from the BCS.

8. Penn State (8) - Got off to a slow start before overwhelming Indiana. A win over Michigan State clinches a Rose Bowl berth.

9. Boise State (9) - Still rolling through the decrepit WAC, though Nevada and Fresno State will present some challenges for the Broncos.

10. Ohio State (10) - Nice revenge win over Illinois. Next the Buckeyes got Michigan in the biggest rivalry game in college football. Should be worth watching, even with the Wolverines reeling.

11. BYU (11) - The Cougars showed some moxie by beating Air Force. A win over Utah, plus help, might get BYU in the BCS yet.

12. Georgia (12) - I was thinking of dropping the Bulldogs, who struggled with a bad Auburn team. But who was I really going to drop them behind?

13. Oklahoma State (14) - Jumped the Cowboys up one and almost jumped them past Georgia. Oklahoma looms in two weeks.

14. Ball State (13) - The Cardinals looked kind of sluggish against Miami (Ohio), hence the drop. But games against Central Michigan and Western Michigan will prop them up should they continue to win.

15. Missouri (15) - The Tigers clinched the Big 12 North with a win over Iowa State, meaning they'll adopt plenty of fans in three weeks.

16. TCU (17) - Horned Frogs have Air Force standing between them and a 10-win season. Impressive indeed.

17. Michigan State (18) - Spartans can still go to the Rose Bowl. They just have to win at Penn State and (gasp!) hope for a Michigan victory over Ohio State.

18. Oregon State (21) - Beavers keep rolling along. Two more wins, and Oregon State goes to the Rose Bowl. Definitely crazy.

19. Pittsburgh (20) - After a week off, Panthers have tough two-game stretch with Cincinnati and West Virginia.

20. Cincinnati (24) - Now that the Bearcats have won the Keg of Nails over Louisville, they can make a huge step to a Big East title with a win over Pitt.

21. Miami (Fla) (NR) - The Canes make their first appearance in the Top 25 after beating Virginia Tech for their fifth win in a row. However, it seems as if ACC teams blow their first game after moving into the rankings.

22. LSU (22) - Tigers don't move up and quite frankly, probably should have been penalized for being down 31-3 to Troy at home. But they won, therefore they stay put. LSU is definitely on notice though.

23. Maryland (NR) - The Terps rock at home, stink on the road. But with that said, a win over North Carolina is reason enough to re-rank them.

24. North Carolina (16) - Tough loss for the Tar Heels, who apparently aren't quite ready to take the role of the top dog in the ACC.

25. Georgia Tech (NR) - Didn't play, but I ranked them anyway. Yep, that rhymes.

Under consideration: Oregon, Boston College, Florida State

Dropped out: No. 19 Florida State (lost to Boston College), No. 23 South Carolina (lost to Florida), No. 25 Tulsa (lost to Houston).

More party on the bloggy, where we don't ask for trouble and don't bother nobody. It's been a party in the college ranks lately, where a second straight winning week against the spread (6-4 this time) has me a few games over .500. Hip hop hooray.

USC (-24) at Stanford
I can see the Trojan fans getting the shakes already from the memory. 41-point favorites. John David Booty playing with a broken thumb and throw picks up for grabs. Stanford making a fourth-and-goal from the 10 to go ahead 23-21. Yeah, if I were a USC fan, I'd punch myself in the face for bringing those memories up. Just imagine how the players feel. You know USC will be balls to the wall in this one.
USC 41, Stanford 13

UCLA (-7) at Washington
If you have insomnia, this might be the game to watch this weekend, if it's even on (haven't checked the TV listings yet). In UCLA, you have a team that just hasn't figured it out on offense - not having an offensive line will do that to ya - while Washington is the only team in Division I-A not to have a win. They can blame North Texas, which had the temerity to beat Western Kentucky two weeks ago. Anyway, I picked U-Dub against the spread last week and looked dumb. Not doing it again.
UCLA 21, Washington 10

California (+3) at Oregon State
Did you know the Beavers control their Rose Bowl destiny? I'm sure I mentioned it last week but it definitely deserves to be said again. How terrible would a Michigan State-Oregon State Rose Bowl be for the networks? It could happen. This was the game last year that sent Cal's season into a downward spiral, as QB Kevin Riley had a brain fart and ran out time deep in Oregon State territory when a FG would have caused OT. It won't be that dramatic this time.
Oregon State 28, California 20

Arizona (+6) at Oregon
While we are talking about seasons that were destroyed suddenly, this marks the one-year anniversary (give or take a couple days) of when Dennis Dixon's knee exploded when the No. 2 Ducks were in Arizona. Oregon, likely on its way to a BCS title game, never recovered until the Sun Bowl, which is in El Paso. FYI, El Paso is not cool. Arizona is improved and will cover, though after two straight wins over the Ducks, won't make it three in a row.
Oregon 31, Arizona 27

Washington State (+36.5) at Arizona State
It was a big week at Washington State. First of all, the men's basketball team season is starting up. Second of all, the Cougars covered. Yeah, they still gave up over 50 points, but progress is progress. Arizona State broke a six-game losing streak and has offensive talent, so this is going to be ugly. Oh well.
Arizona State 54, Washington State 14

South Carolina (+22.5) at Florida
This is the only matchup of two ranked teams this week, which pretty much stinks, because there's a good possibility this game won't be very competitive. However, Steve Spurrier has done decent against his alma mater, beating them in 2005, almost beating them in 2006 and getting smacked last year. He'll probably get somewhat smacked, as Florida is rolling, but the Gators could fall prey to Ole Miss disease.
Florida 38, South Carolina 17

Texas (-13.5) at Kansas
The Longhorns are actually sitting pretty, as they are No. 3 in the BCS right now despite losing two weeks ago. However, they should be somewhat annoyed with Kansas, who killed any sort of quality-win bump Texas could have gotten here by losing to Nebraska. I'm guessing the 'Horns won't show much sympathy towards the Jayhawks, whose defense has been absolutely shelled over the last month.
Texas 41, Kansas 23

North Carolina (-3) at Maryland
I would have picked Boston College-Florida State for the ACC game, but it was taken off the board because a bunch of Florida State players were suspended after taking part in a fight on campus. So you get this game, which isn't a bad one. Maryland is tough at home (ask Cal) and will be a nice test for a Tar Heel team coming off a couple of big home wins. However, I think Butch Davis and Carolina prevail.
North Carolina 24, Maryland 19

Ohio State (-9.5) at Illinois
The Buckeyes still have Rose Bowl and at-large BCS hopes, but they face their nemesis this week. Illinois has always been a thorn in Ohio State's side, as evidenced by its win at Columbus last year. The Fighting Illini have been extremely up-and-down this year, capable of putting up 50 points one week and losing to Western Michigan the next. I feel Illinois will be up and will pull the upset against a Buckeye team that's inconsistent offensively.
Illinois 27, Ohio State 21

BYU (-4) at Air Force
The Mountain West should really get a BCS berth this year and it would be an absolute tragedy if it doesn't, as the MWC is better than the Big Ten, Pac-10 and Big East this year and not that far behind the ACC. Air Force has emerged as a really good No. 4 team in this league, as Troy Calhoun might be the best coach you've never heard of. BYU has a huge rivalry game with Utah next week, so it'll be caught looking ahead.
Air Force 26, BYU 23

Overall record: 79-31. Against the spread: 56-53-1

Well, there goes Penn State. Still, the run to the BCS promises to be complicated. Here we go.

1. Texas Tech (1) - No letdown for the Red Raiders, who just smoked Okie. State. However, a bye week before Oklahoma is pretty ideal, as it lets them decompress a bit.

2. Alabama (2) - Whew. That's what Alabama has to say about surviving LSU. Road looks clear from now until the SEC title game with Florida.

3. Florida (4) - Gators continue to roll, adding Vanderbilt to its list of blowout victims. South Carolina could be tricky this week though.

4. Texas (5) - The Longhorns did what they needed to do in beating Baylor. Now, they have to root for (gasp!) Oklahoma in two weeks.

5. Oklahoma (6) - The Sooners' football team is averaging more points per game than its men's basketball team did last year. At least it seems that way. Tech looms in 13 days.

6. USC (7) - Penn State's loss allows USC to jump a little bit. But barring some extreme weirdness, the Trojans' chance at getting into the national title game seems remote.

7. Utah (8) - The Utes vaulted one huge hurdle with a comeback win over TCU. If they beat BYU in two weeks, Utah is BCS bound.

8. Penn State (3) - The Nittany Lions took a shot square in the gut from Iowa. Now we'll see if PSU can pick up the pieces enough to go to the Rose Bowl.

9. Boise State (10) - The Broncos continue to do their thing, but the weakness of the WAC is going to make it harder for them to climb much higher.

10. Ohio State (13) - Buckeyes whip a pretty decent Northwestern team to get back in the top 10. Also, Penn State's loss gives their Rose Bowl hopes some life.

11. BYU (12) - A win over San Diego State doesn't do much for me. However, wins over Air Force and Utah over the next two weeks certainly would.

12. Georgia (14) - The Bulldogs barely avoid the letdown, escaping Kentucky. The defense is a concern though, as Georgia has given up 118 points the last three games.

13. Ball State (15) - The Cards stay undefeated and stay on an upward track in the standings. Last two games against Central Michigan and Western Michigan will tell a lot.

14. Oklahoma State (9) - The Cowboys got stomped down pretty good, but there's no chance I can put them lower than a Missouri team they beat on the road.

15. Missouri (16) - Tigers get a little more cushion in their victory this week, but still don't seem to be completely back on track.

16. North Carolina (21) - Whupping Georgia Tech, and establishing themselves as the class of the ACC, has the Tar Heels making a sizable leap up this week.

17. TCU (11) - Not going to punish TCU too much for losing at tough game at Utah. Besides, the Horned Frogs' kicker is probably doing it for me after missing those fourth-quarter field goals.

18. Michigan State (20) - Good week for the Spartans. Not only did they get their ninth win, but Penn State's loss gives their hopes of a Rose Bowl bid a bump up. After a week off, they'll head to Happy Valley.

19. Florida State (24) - Makes big leap just because everyone else around them stubbed their toe. However, Seminoles in good position going down the stretch.

20. Pittsburgh (NR) - The Panthers are back in the rankings after backhanding Louisville. Have a week off before a brutal Cincinnati-West Virginia back-to-back.

21. Oregon State (NR) - The Beavers finally jump into the poll after playing exemplary football over the past six weeks. Amazingly enough, they control their Rose Bowl destiny.

22. LSU (17) - The Tigers don't fall too much after taking Alabama to overtime. However, LSU has to wonder where it'd be if it didn't have turnover machine Jarrett Lee at QB.

23. South Carolina (NR) - Gamecocks have won 6 of 7 and finally move into the rankings as a result. However, a game at Florida almost assures that their stay will be short-lived.

24. Cincinnati (NR) - Bearcats pull off a tough win at West Virginia in overtime, therefore they enter the rankings. Not really much more to say.

25. Tulsa (NR) - Tulsa didn't play, but at 8-1, should be ranked - even if Conference USA is truly horrible this year, as it seems to be.

Under consideration: California, Georgia Tech, Arizona

Dropped out: No. 18 California (lost to USC), No. 19 Georgia Tech (lost to North Carolina), No. 22 Maryland (lost to Virginia Tech), No. 23 West Virginia (lost to Cincinnati), No. 25 Northwestern (lost to Ohio State).

I rocked it out last week, as my 7-3 record against the spread put me above. 500. Time to party, but after I make these picks of course.

California (+22) at USC
I've been pretty high on Cal this year, ranking them higher in my poll than the regular polls do. But this game sets up to be a butt-kicking. USC is angry about a perceived BCS slight and will be looking to do whatever they can to turn heads. Since Cal is the only ranked team left on the Trojans' schedule, they'll suffer for that.
USC 38, California 10

Oregon State (-7.5) at UCLA
This game may be dependent on who gets most of the time at QB for the Beavers. If its Lyle Moevao, Oregon State wins and likely covers. If its Sean Canfield, UCLA probably wins. So I will compromise a bit on this. I'll predict Oregon State to win, but I'll predict the Bruins to give them a battle.
Oregon State 23, UCLA 20

Stanford (+14) at Oregon
The Oregon passing game has pretty much gone to hell over the past few weeks. They can run the ball well, probably better than any team in the Pac-10, but without that passing threat and without a lockdown defense, I don't see them blowing out Stanford. Oregon wins, Cardinal cover.
Oregon 34, Stanford 23

Arizona (-41) at Washington State
Seriously, I really don't know what to say about Washington State anymore. They are so unbelievably bad that I can't even raise an eyebrow at this point spread. They should just forfeit the rest of this season.
Arizona 59, Washington State 3

Arizona State (-14.5) at Washington
It's very rare that a team can be on a six-game losing streak and still be favored on the road by over two touchdowns. If that statement alone doesn't tell you how bad Washington football is, then I really don't know what to say. Still, this game is goofy. I shouldn't take points with the Huskies, but I'm going to. Ugh.
Arizona State 20, Washington 7

Oklahoma State (+3) at Texas Tech
A couple weeks back, Texas had a big win against Oklahoma and had Missouri at home the week after. I predicted the Longhorns to be flat and lose. I was way wrong, as UT murdered Mizzou. Well, Texas Tech is coming off a huge win against Texas and has Oklahoma State, who is also a top 10 team, coming in. Not making the mistake with Tech that I did with Texas.
Texas Tech 42, Oklahoma State 30

Alabama (-3.5) at LSU
Apparently the LSU people are upset with Nick Saban for coaching Alabama. They should be more upset with a defense that has given up over 50 points in a game twice this year, including two weeks ago at home against Georgia. Alabama is better than Georgia. Emotion will lift LSU early, but Alabama just has too many horses.
Alabama 35, LSU 20

Penn State (-7.5) at Iowa
With Ohio State vanquished a couple of weeks ago, it seems like Penn State has a free ride to a possible national championship game. However, this game could be a tricky one. Iowa plays good defense, runs the ball well, is tough to beat at home and traditionally gives Penn State fits. The Nittany Lions will have to sweat this one out, but will prevail.
Penn State 21, Iowa 16

Georgia Tech (+4) at North Carolina
The ACC has been one big massive jumble of whatever, with 6 or 7 teams having two losses in the conference. A couple of those will take the field in this game. It's weird seeing these two schools play in a big game on the gridiron instead of the hardwood, but it should be a good one. I'll take the Heels hitting free throws down the stretch.
North Carolina 24, Georgia Tech 17

Georgia (+12) at Kentucky
Kind of a random last game but hey, I needed to pick 10. The Bulldogs will do one of two things after getting destroyed by Florida last week - just kick the living daylights out of Kentucky or tank it and maybe lose. I'm picking the latter to happen, even going out on a limb and taking the Wildcats.
Kentucky 20, Georgia 17

Overall record: 71-29. Against the spread: 50-49-1

Another week, another No. 1. Guns up!

1. Texas Tech (4) - I know the Red Raiders won't be No. 1 in the polls this week, but they beat the No. 1 team in a classic game. That's good enough to get my vote, especially since Alabama played Arkansas State.

2. Alabama (2) - Well, I guess beating Arkansas State is better than losing to Louisiana-Monroe, as the Tide did last year. However, Alabama is right where it needs to be.

3. Penn State (3) - Penn State stays where its at. That may seem to be a bad thing, but with the way the Big 12 is cannibalizing itself, winning out in the mediocre Big Ten will get the Nittany Lions to the title game.

4. Florida (7) - The Gators make a big jump after absolutely pounding Georgia. I'm baffled as how this team ever lost to Ole Miss.

5. Texas (1) - Disappointing loss for sure, but the Longhorns proved their mettle even in defeat. Feel bad for Blake Gideon - the guy who dropped a sure interception on the play before Tech's winning TD - though.

6. Oklahoma (5) - Score 62 points against Nebraska and move down. It's a tough pill to swallow. However, I couldn't rank the Sooners ahead of the Longhorns.

7. USC (6) - Win 56-0 and move down. To be honest, the events of the last couple of weeks have been extremely detrimental to the Trojans, who will have a hard time getting a BCS bump with a Pac-10 schedule.

8. Utah (9) - An ugly win over New Mexico, but a win nonetheless. Thursday's game with TCU will be a battle.

9. Oklahoma State (10) - The Cowboys get a chance to be the guy behind the guy, as they get Texas Tech a week after Texas did. Don't be surprised if the Cowboys pull the upset.

10. Boise State (11) - I'm ready to put these guys in the top 10. Perhaps its because they beat New Mexico State 49-0. And before you ask, a 49-0 victory at NMSU is more impressive than a 56-0 one over Washington.

11. TCU (12) - The Horned Frogs are playing top 5 football right now. If they can win at Utah, the possibility of them crashing the BCS becomes very real.

12. BYU (13) - The Cougars' defense has kind of abandoned it lately, as BYU has had to win shootouts against UNLV and Colorado State. That's going to end up killing the Cougars before long.

13. Ohio State (14) - The Buckeyes had a bye and come back to a tricky road game against Northwestern. Kind of disappointing how their season has gone, but at least they aren't Michigan at this point.

14. Georgia (8) - I was tempted to dump the Bulldogs further after being piledriven by Florida, but a) Florida is very good and b) Georgia still has a pretty good recent victory over LSU on its resume.

15. Ball State (15) - The Cardinals didn't play, so they stay put. I doubt you'll hear a Ball State fan - if they exist and read this blog - complaining though.

16. Missouri (17) - The Tigers received an uber-scare from Baylor, which almost pulled the shocker. It's become apparent that Mizzou's defense will not allow it to become elite.

17. LSU (19) - This is more a bump up because of losses by other teams. Beating Tulane doesn't exactly get the juices flowing, so to speak.

18. California (22) - Nice win in the rain against Oregon for Cal. However, the Bears have to play at USC this upcoming week.

19. Georgia Tech (NR) - The Yellow Jackets hung on to beat a surging Florida State team at home, besting the Seminoles for the first time since FSU joined the ACC. That works for me.

20. Michigan State (25) - Must be nice to move up five spots just by edging a mediocre Wisconsin team that had multiple fourth-quarter brain farts. That being said, 8-2 is the best Sparty has done through 10 games since 1999.

21. North Carolina (24) - Yes, the Tar Heels got jumped by Michigan State, but they'll have a chance to jump back when they host Georgia Tech this week.

22. Maryland (NR) - After putting around the periphery of the Top 25, the Terrapins finally burst into it. Just imagine where they'd be ranked if they hadn't lost to Middle Tennessee State.

23. West Virginia (NR) - It took six weeks, but the Mountaineers are back. WVU has overcome its 1-2 start with five straight wins and are looking like the class of the Big East again.

24. Florida State (18) - I kept FSU around because not only is Georgia Tech good, but the Seminoles were a pretty ridiculous fumble inside the Ga Tech 5 away from winning. Definitely the second-worst stomach-punch loss of the week, behind Texas.

25. Northwestern (NR) - Actually, Northwestern's interception return with 12 seconds left to unbreak a tie against Minnesota might be a worse stomach punch than what FSU went through. We'll see if NW can spend any real tiime in this poll.

Under consideration: Tulsa, Pittsburgh, Oregon State

Dropped out: No. 16 Tulsa (lost to Arkansas), No. 20 Oregon (lost to California), No. 21 Minnesota (lost to Northwestern), No. 23 South Florida (lost to Cincinnati)