Final regular season top 25

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)

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Week 13 top 25

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).

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Week 12 top 25

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).

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Week 11 top 25

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).

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week 10 top 25

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)

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