Ron Zook, you may have saved the BCS.

    Nothing against the Buckeyes, but they pretty much were who we thought they were. A solid defensive team with a mediocre offense that hasn’t really played that tough of a schedule.

    But they were supposed to be rebuilding for next year, anyways. Just like Florida. Maybe for a rematch in the national title game. Until then, they will be thinking again, “What if?”

    The only thing that stood between them the last two championships (football and basketball) was Florida. So ironically, when Florida cannot stop the Buckeyes from grabbing a title, their former outcast coach, Ron Zook did the job.

    It wasn’t a blowout but some issues still presented themselves for the Buckeyes.

    Their vaunted defense couldn’t stop Juice and the Illinois offense when they needed to. Steady quarterback play who spread the wealth around along with a healthy dose of the run proved to be too much for the Buckeyes, who could not give their offense the ball back in the last eight or so minutes of the game.

    The Illini defense wasn’t dominating enough to cause Buckeye nation to have nightmares but they will probably be living in Todd Boeckman’s nightmares for quite some time after Boeckman threw three interceptions.

    The Buckeyes can still grab the Big Ten title and a BCS berth, but I’m sure they can’t help but feel a little bit empty.

    It’s a little ironic that Ron Zook would be the one causing disappointment rather than being the head of the receiving end.

    One thing’s for sure, his new orange and blue faithful are glad to have him on their side.

    And I’m sure Ron Zook is glad his recruiting prowess is finally helping him exceed expectations on the field.

The Elite Teams

1a. LSU
1b. Oregon

These are the two best teams in the country, without question. There isn’t anything standing in the way of a date for the national title between them besides themselves, which could be a problem for the Tigers. Both teams' loss has been a very close game against a very good team. Ironically, both Cal and Kentucky fell apart not too long after knocking them off. It’s hard to distinguish between the two because they both have been very impressive against brutal schedules. Oregon is more offensive minded and LSU more defensive minded. Defense wins championships, so right now I give LSU a slim edge.

The Big 12

3. Oklahoma
4. Mizzou
5. Kansas

I’m still not completely sold on the Big 12, but these three teams have put together solid seasons so far. These three teams will be playing a mini-playoff for the Big 12 title and probably the number 3 slot in the nation, with a shot for number 2 should one of the top teams slip. Two of these teams will not be here very soon. Kansas is still undefeated but the jury is still out on them because they have yet to play anyone yet. If they prove themselves against the two teams above them and finish undefeated, they probably deserve to play for the title. Until then, they sit below the more battle-tested teams.

Hanging in the Balance

6. ASU
7. OSU
8. WVU

None of these teams looks good enough to be playing for a national title, but they have all positioned themselves very well to be in a BCS bowl. This week is do-or-die week for all of these teams. With Oregon slated to play in the title game, ASU is playing USC for a berth in the Rose Bowl. Even though the national title slipped out of OSU’s hands, they are still playing for the Big Ten title and a BCS berth against Michigan. WVU plays Cincy before a first-place showdown with mighty UConn for the Big East title.

Peaking at the Right Time

9. Georgia
10. Texas

These teams looked dead a few weeks ago and have been completely forgotten about. But all of a sudden, they have put things together and look to be playing for a BCS bowl. The way these teams are playing, they could be better than several of the teams above them, but they have two losses on their resume. The Longhorns look to be a shoe-in for a BCS bowl at this point and Georgia is a Vols' loss away from being in the driver’s seat for the SEC East title.

On the Prowl

USC
Florida
Tennessee
Clemson
Virginia/Virginia Tech

These teams are all looking pretty solid at this point even after a few early season slip-ups.

USC’s offense is still struggling, but their defense is still stout. A win against ASU this week puts them in a good position to play in the Rose Bowl once again.

Florida probably cannot win the SEC East, but they are in very good position to solidify a BCS bowl berth with inner-state matchups against FAU and FSU. They have smoked their last two opponents after the Georgia wake up call.

Tennessee was left for dead not too long ago but is now leading the SEC East. After losing to good Cal and Florida teams in the first three games, they seem to have righted the ship, winning six of seven.

Clemson is now in control of the ACC Atlantic and can win the division with BC coming to their house this weekend.

Virginia and Va Tech have both had solid seasons. They face each other to determine the ACC Coastal title in the season finale

The Wildcard

Kentucky

They are the forgotten team but have a chance to change all of that and make a huge splash to finish the season. They play both Georgia and Tennessee in their final two games and could decide a lot of things for themselves, the SEC and the bowl picture

The Pretenders

BC
UConn
Hawaii
Boise State

These teams have all played fairly easy schedules and are living on borrowed time now. It seems that BC and UConn are running out of time and both teams could lose their division and conference titles if they are not careful.

Hawaii and Boise State are pretty much a joke. Their schedules are laughably easy. The best team Boise has played is Washington (last in the Pac 10) and they were manhandled. The best team Hawaii plays is Boise. Just look at their schedule if you think I’m being unfair. I’m only mentioning them for the sake of mentioning them.

    The one thing all Gator fans were worried about at the outset of the season finally caught up to them: their defense, or lack thereof.

    Georgia freshman tailback Knowshon Moreno gutted the interior of the Gators’ defense all night long, while Matt Stafford exposed the secondary weaknesses on what seemed like every drive en route to flipping the table on the recent one-sided nature of the rivalry.

    Sparked by Mark Richt’s celebration ploy, when Georgia stormed the field after scoring their first touchdown, the Bulldogs finished Florida’s outside hopes of another national title game appearance. But, probably more important to Georgia, they ended the recent embarrassment against Florida in the rivalry, where Florida had only lost twice in the previous 17 matchups (one of which came under the head of Ron Zook).

    Florida’s defensive backs consistently took bad angles on coverage and tackles that resulted in big play after big play for the Georgia offense.

    Injuries to the defensive line didn’t help the rest of the defense as Georgia was able to run at will on the Gators. So much for the run defense being a possible strength for them.

    It also didn’t help that the defense could not duplicate their pass rushing success of a week before against the Wildcats. It seemed like Matt Stafford had all day to pass. Not exactly what you want to see against that secondary.

    For Georgia, the case was completely the opposite. The Bulldogs were able to completely shut down the Gators’ running attack and consistently beat offensive linemen all day on the pass rush, leading to several sacks of Tim Tebow.

    But Tebow was still able to make some pretty impressive plays of his own and did everything in his power to keep the Gators from losing. If it wasn’t for a few key fumbles by Kestahn Moore and a botched play at the end of the game that ended any hope of a comeback, he might have been able to pull it off.

    The Gators really didn’t deserve to win the game, though, and are now playing for a possible BCS bowl and an outside shot at the SEC title game. Both scenarios would require a little help. The most important thing for the Gators is to get all their kinks worked out for next year, which is supposed to be the time for another big Florida run, anyways.

1. ASU (1) - The Sun Devils rewarded my faith in them by beating a solid Cal team. Even though Cal has been struggling, they are a much better opponent than any of the other undefeated teams have faced so far. Very impressive defensive effort against an explosive offense: 0 second half points and only 13 offensive points allowed (1 Cal TD was a fumble return). Big test against Oregon this week that will probably produce the Pac-10 champion and a front-runner for the national title game.

2. OSU (2) - Followed up a disappointing effort against Michigan State with an impressive one against Penn State. Their defense looks very good so far, but they haven’t played a good offense yet, so the jury is still out on them. But their playing style this year is much more suited for a national title run than the one last year and is the same formula their last national championship squad used. Mike Hart is probably the only thing that stands between them and that chance to play for it all.

3. Kansas (4) - A team that is under the radar due to their weak schedule. But what’s different about their schedule from the other undefeated teams on this list? Not much. But they are Kansas, so they don’t have the prestige to garner a higher ranking. Their defense seems pretty solid and might be enough to take them to the Big 12 title game. Their jump over BC is more of a product of BC’s unimpressive performance than Kansas doing something great.

4. BC (3) - Unimpressive. That’s the only way to describe their performance against a mediocre VT team. Sure, Matt Ryan had an impressive last two minutes, but the rest of his game and the rest of his team did not show me anything. But they are undefeated, which is the only reason why they’re up here. Ryan by himself might be enough to run through a very weak conference the rest of the way but I really don’t see him to be enough to compete with most of the other teams on this list, which will be a factor in a possible BCS bowl/NC game.

5. (tie) LSU (5) - A much-needed bye week after a rough last couple of weeks. They are the best team in the deepest, most balanced conference in the country (you can disagree with me on that but no other conference can match a possible 11 out of 12 teams making a bowl game). In fact, I still think LSU and Oregon are 1A and 1B (pick your order) on the list of best teams in the country. But this is college football, and 0 losses is better than one loss.

5. (tie) Oregon (6) - The win against USC might have gotten them over the hump of disappointing years past. The dynamic duo of Stewart and Dixon should be enough to take home the Pac-10 title. It might be enough to bring home the national title, but there are still a few teams above them that probably need to lose before they get that chance. The first step to that road is a big game against ASU this week.

7. Oklahoma (7) - I’m still not completely sold on these guys, but they appear to be the next best one-loss team. With the teams they have remaining on their schedule, they appear to have a clear road to the Big 12 title game. But I’m still not discounting another trip after a few disappointing performances against middle of the pack Big 12 teams already (well, Iowa State is at the bottom, but you get the drift).

8. Mizzou (9) - They have been keeping pace since losing to Oklahoma a few weeks ago and they need to or they might be outpaced by Kansas for the Big 12 North title. If both these teams can keep that pace, it will be an interesting play-in game to finish the season.

9. WVU (NR) - A lot would have to happen for them to even have a chance to play for the national title. But they seem to be performing better now that they are completely under the radar. Although their offense doesn’t seem to be as explosive as advertised, their defense has been a pleasant surprise. The only thing standing in the way of a Big East title? The next team on this list.

10. UConn (NR) - Who would’ve thought UConn would ever crack the top ten? I guess that’s the way this season has gone. They are one point away from being undefeated but have still positioned themselves well for a Big East title. After shutting down Brian Brohm, they beat the former darlings of the Big East, USF last weekend. They appear to be an under-the-radar defensively sound team just like Kansas is.

Others: Georgia, Bama, Texas, Michigan

Pretty soon, I’ll have to start including three-loss teams on this list. But not yet.

Georgia’s huge win against Florida vaulted them into many people’s top tens out of nowhere. The win was emotional, but I am not sure they can match that performance the rest of the way. There is a reason they were completely out of the picture just last week.

Bama has a chance to make a big leap against LSU this week. A win here will actually put them in the driver’s seat for the SEC title game.

Texas has slowly been creeping back into the picture after a disappointing start to the season. Nebraska was another disappointing performance until Jamaal Charles put the team on his back and single-handedly won the game.

Michigan probably needs to win out to crack the top ten. That’s how bad their start to the season was. But so far, it looks like they might be able to accomplish that.

Dropped Out: Florida (8), USC (10)

I made the mistake of putting USC in my top 10 last week after saying they were done. Should have stuck with my original instinct.

Florida’s defense is terrible right now. This season was supposed to be a stepping stone for a big run next year anyways.

Just when you thought the Thursday night special would happen again, BC made a remarkable comeback to escape Virginia Tech with a 14-10 victory.

The score says it all. This was an extremely ugly game. I’m sure the rain had something to do with it, but both of these offenses looked horrendous. You can try to tell me that these defenses are top notch and that’s a big part of the reason, but when your defense has already gotten lit up for 48 points and 600 yards of offense this year (yes you, Va Tech), then I don’t buy that argument. How do you think BC just suddenly marched down the field twice at the end of the game?

Give Matt Ryan all the credit for driving his field twice to win the game (you can give some credit to the guy on Va Tech who completely botched the onside kick, too if you want), but besides those last two minutes, he was simply unimpressive. Don’t believe me?

25 for 52 with 2 picks. Nuff said.

But don’t put all the blame on Ryan. Did you see his offensive line? Me neither. Virginia Tech manhandled what was supposed to be a top notch offensive line for most of the game. That won’t cut it against a good opponent. Lucky for BC, it doesn’t appear they have one on their schedule. Life in the ACC sure is nice. If they bring that offensive line to the national championship, you will think Florida took it easy on Ohio State’s line last year.

There is a difference between BC and some other teams that have escaped this year. Those teams were consistently making plays throughout the game. BC didn’t make any until the last two minutes. Their defense played a solid game, but remember, we’re talking about Va Tech, one of the most anemic offenses in the country. They outgained mighty William & Mary 287-262, East Carolina 278-261, 292-76, while UNC outgained them 306-241 and Clemson outgained them 380-219. That means they’ve only reached the 300 yard mark once, which was against Duke. Va Tech just didn’t get that defensive or special teams touchdown they needed against BC, but still had the game won until they botched the onside recovery (so much for the hands unit).

They did beat a solid (not great, maybe not even good) team in a hostile environment, so give them some credit. Just don’t consider them championship material.

Another one (or two, depending on the poll) bit the dust as USF lost to Rutgers. But the Bulls weren’t alone in the top ten shakeup this week as South Carolina was surprised by Vandy and Cal was upset by UCLA, while Kentucky lost a hard fought battle against Florida. The rankings are getting harder and harder to sort out, but one thing is clear: if you are a legitimate undefeated team (sorry Hawaii, but you don’t fit the bill) in this season of chaos then you are doing something right, even though none of you have played a formidable foe to date. But I wouldn’t be surprised if any, or all, of these top four teams lost this week. Anyways, on to the rankings:

1. Arizona State (4 Last Week) - The top four can really go in any order at this point because, like I said, none of them have really had a marquee win at this point. But, after some consideration, I think I should have had these guys sitting at number two last week, so the correction is made. Big game against suddenly struggling Cal this week gives the Sun Devils a chance to cement their spot atop the rankings. Don’t worry Buckeye fans, the last team I put up here (USF) was upset, so be thankful I didn’t jinx you prior to the big game against Penn State this week. If the jinx turns out to be true, I apologize in advance ASU, but somebody has to be up here.

2. Ohio State (2)- I was impressed by the running game and the defense but the sloppy offensive miscues make me wonder how the Buckeyes will fare against a better team. If Michigan State didn’t #### that fumble recovery (which would have been the third turnover in three consecutive possessions), the game most likely would have went to overtime and could have had a different outcome. But, they did win and are still undefeated, so I can’t dock them too much. This week should provide a better barometer for these guys.

3. BC (3) - Should be a good test for Matt Ryan and the Eagles when they travel to Va Tech to face a very good Hokies’ defense. They haven’t really played anybody of this caliber so far, so we can see how seriously to take these guys for the rest of the season with several good defenses coming up. They will probably be number 2 in the BCS and they play on Thursday night. Déjà vu, anyone?

4. Kansas (NR) - Well, they finally played a game outside of the state of Kansas and beat a decent Colorado team in the process. It wasn’t a very impressive win by any means but they took care of business. Their defense looks like it might be good enough to keep them in most games, which might be enough for this team since they avoid Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech.

5. LSU (5) - Wow. These guys sure know how to make it exciting. Les Miles sure has some big cajones. And these guys have cemented their status as national champion favorites in my eyes. They remind me very much of last year’s national champions in so many different ways. They have a very good defense and an offense that seems to do just enough to win the game. Not to mention, these guys are extremely battle-tested after these last three games against three of the better teams in the country. Going 2-1 during that stretch is better than most teams could do. Their remaining opponents don’t look formidable enough to provide a let down before the SEC title game, but Nick Saban might surprise his former team this week.

6. Oregon (10) - The Ducks sure know how to put up some points (putting up 465 yards on the ground last week was definitely one of the more impressive lines of the week) and appear to be the class of the Pac 10 with Cal faltering as of late. They get a chance to stake that claim when USC comes to town this week in what could be an elimination game for national and conference title aspirations. I hate to say somebody could be eliminated this early in the season but there would be a very difficult climb back for either of these guys. The only thing that worries me about them is their lack of defense, but that might not matter with the amount of injuries USC has on offense.

7. Oklahoma (7) - I really do not know what to make of these guys. They definitely don’t give me any reason to put faith in them with their recent string of games. After losing to Colorado, they appeared to get back on track last week in beating a solid Missouri team pretty handily. But that didn’t appear to be the case this week, barely escaping against one-win Iowa State. It may have just been a letdown game or a case of overlooking their opponent, but it wasn’t a fluke. Whatever the case, they seem extremely susceptible to an upset. Luckily for them, the rest of the road doesn’t seem too formidable.

8. Florida (NR) - Here’s where the poll gets tricky. With Cal and S. Carolina getting upset, there really isn’t a clear cut team to take this spot. I considered putting Auburn here until LSU came back in the last second. You can call me a homer, but why not Florida? Their two losses came against two very good teams on the last play and possession. They might have the most talent and the best player of the remaining teams. But they do have two losses. Like I said, it’s hard to sort out this part of the list so don’t be surprised at the volatility of this part of the list, it’s not an AP voter poll so I’m willing to shuffle the deck when the time calls for it. With Tebow leading the way, it’s not unthinkable for these guys to run the table to the SEC title game. That road starts this week in Jacksonville against Georgia.

9. Missouri (NR) - Missouri? What? Well, their win against Texas Tech was very impressive in my eyes. I had been considering the validity of putting Tech into the top ten, so why not replace them with the team that destroyed them? Seems good enough to me. Their loss against Oklahoma the week before does give reason to worry, though. It seemed like they caved under the pressure of playing a big time game, which doesn’t give me a lot of faith in their chances in the long run. But there is still time to prove me wrong.

10. USC (NR) - The Trojans grab the final spot based on their talent level and the possibility that punching-bag Notre Dame helped them get their offense back on track somewhat. Injuries are obviously still the big question with these guys. They have a very tough schedule the rest of the way and could lose any or all of their remaining games. As previously mentioned, this week’s matchup against Oregon could be seen as an elimination game.

Other Notables: WVU, Va Tech, UCLA, Michigan

These guys are in a solid position to make a run.

WVU is still a little overrated in my eyes but they have a chance to prove themselves the next few games, starting this week against Rutgers

Va Tech was blown out in their much-anticipated matchup against LSU but has a chance to redeem themselves by knocking off BC this week.

UCLA and Michigan have terrible losses on their resume but they seem to have righted the ship and are both undefeated in conference play. Barring the unthinkable, they are out of the national title picture but still very much alive to win their conference and play a BCS bowl.

Dropped Out: (1) USF, (6) SCarolina, (7) Kentucky, (9) Cal

These guys are also notable but have a long road ahead of them after this week’s losses.

USF, SC, and Cal all had disappointing performances against inferior opponents, while Kentucky lost to Florida in a well-fought battle and was actually the underdog.

Still a lot of football left. Anything can happen.

1. USF- Yes, you read this right. USF is number one. They have better wins than the three teams below them, having beaten WVU (9th, BCS) and Auburn (17th). Look to be the real deal but this inexperienced program may fall apart under the pressure of being a top-ranked team. Why you should respect them.

2. Ohio State- Their defense looks to be impenetrable but they haven’t played any real teams yet. The problem for everyone else is that they never will. Penn State and Wisconsin suck and I really don’t have faith in the Zookster to pull off an upset. We will see how good they are when they play Michigan. But, like last year, will that prove anything?

3. BC- They have Matt Ryan and an experienced team. Two tests against defensive stalwarts Va Tech and FSU in the upcoming weeks. If they can run the table, their resume should be more impressive than OSU’s, which could be a big factor down the road.

4. Arizona State- They haven’t played anybody. Tell that to Hawaii (they beat SJSU 45-3 when Hawaii almost lost to them, which is part of the reason why Hawaii will never make my list). Tell that to USC (they beat Stanford, USC didn’t). And tell that to Oklahoma (they beat Colorado, and, you guessed it, Oklahoma didn’t). Their next four games will determine their true place in the standings. Don’t expect them to still be here next week, but if they continue to roll, they will be number one soon with a schedule 10 times harder than BC and OSU.

5. LSU- People say LSU should have dropped further, please tell me why. They didn’t lose to a team like Stanford or App State, they lost to a top 10 team. Plus, they have beaten South Carolina and Florida, along with Va Tech. Their defense looks beatable now (that’s what happens when you play in the SEC, a real conference, Ohio State) and they have suffered some injuries. But their talent level is ridiculous and Les Miles has some big cajones. Don’t be surprised if they play another 7-3 game against Auburn like last year. If they win that one (not a sure thing), they should roll to the SEC Title Game.

6. South Carolina- Here’s where the list gets a little hard to sort out. SC lost to LSU but beat Kentucky who beat LSU. As of now, all three are top ten teams, the question is what order. This is what I settled on, deal with it. They have the Old Ball Coach and seem to make the game ugly, which causes people to undervalue them, but, in reality, is a benefit.

7. Oklahoma- Their loss is the worst out of all teams in the top 15 besides USC (Cal’s QB was hurt so don’t give me that). They came out flat and frankly, that loss makes me question how good this team really is. But they seem to be more talented than the teams below them and seem to have gotten their feet back under them this week against Mizzou. I don’t think they have the grit to beat a tough defensive team but, in the end they might not have to worry about the two teams above them, whose much tougher schedules are more likely to cause another trip.

8. Kentucky- Brutal schedule, only Florida’s may be tougher. Huge win against LSU really showed me something but they have to prove they will not do what LSU did and have a letdown game after such a huge win. Andre Woodson seems to be the real deal and could lead them very far but SC beat the #### out of them and teams should use that formula to beat them.

9. Cal- Disappointing loss to Oregon State. The quarterback was hurt but if you run at the end of the game instead of taking the tie with a field goal when you have no timeouts, that is on the coach. I can’t have faith in a team whose coach makes that questionable of a call. Besides, their defense cannot carry them to a national title. They do have a pretty sick offense, which is why they are still in the top ten. Questions at coach, defense and quarterback (injury) are a little unsettling.

10. Oregon- I’m not sure how good this team is but they can definitely score some points and put up a good effort against Cal. With a 53-7 win against Wash St and a match with Washington, they can gain lots of momentum before playing USC and ASU. I have a feeling they could run the table, especially with USC struggling but that is premature talk in this season.

Outside contenders:
Florida, Auburn, Texas Tech

This season, anybody is a contender. But outside the top ten, these three teams look like they have the best chance to make an impact.

Florida plays Kentucky, SC, Georgia, and Florida State the rest of the way in one of the most brutal schedules in recent memory (playing three top ten teams on the road is tough). If they run the table, including a possible rematch with LSU, they will completely shake up the rankings and have to be considered a serious contender. They have the talent to do it, but are they too young?

Auburn has a very sick defense, maybe the best in the country. Their season depends on the LSU game this week. If they lose, they are no more than a BCS Bowl contender. But if they win? Well, wins against Florida and LSU along with a loss to USF has to look pretty good. Their offense is questionable at best but Tuberville coaches good in big games.

Texas Tech- They have a sick offense. They always do. After spanking Texas A&M, you have to wonder if they can go far in the Big 12 this year, a year when the Big 12 seems to be down. If nothing else, they get a chance to prove themselves the rest of the way against Mizzou, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas. I can see the finale against Oklahoma to be a battle of one-loss teams.

Pretenders:
WVU, Va Tech, Kansas, USC, Hawaii

These are some teams that seem to be overhyped. I’m sure most people will agree with Va Tech and Kansas, but you may be a little surprised at WVU and USC.

Va Tech has a good defense but their offense is horrendous. They have to beat BC this week, which is possible, but they really don’t seem to be that good of a team from what I’ve seen so far. At least, not on the level of national title contender.

Kansas is undefeated. Besides that, I don’t see much of a reason to mention them in this type of list. Without Texas, Oklahoma or Texas Tech on their schedule, we may not know until the Big 12 Title Game. Just a hunch, but I don’t think they will be playing in it. Colorado and Mizzou should beat them.

WVU has slipped out of the spotlight since their loss to USF and I really can’t see a Big East team playing for the national title. Blame it on the voters and the perception of the Big East, not me. They really don’t seem to be as explosive as they were advertised before the season.

USC has fallen on hard times. They have suffered injuries and a monumental upset to go along with some ugly wins. Their quarterback play is a weakness, their receivers aren’t on par with Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith, and their once reliable running game has been ravaged by injuries. I really hate to count out Pete Carroll but put a fork in them, they are done. After ND, they could lose any or all of their last five games.

Hawaii is undefeated. They shouldn't be, though. They should have lost to SJSU and LA Tech. Who are those guys? Exactly my point. They will never crack my top ten. Before the SJSU game, coaches and players said that this was the first team they thought they could lose to if they didn't play their best. Such a hyped offense should be blowing these people out, not escaping against the mediocre of the mediocre.

    Nobody likes to give the small guys credit. When it’s a mid-major, they can usually point to the fact that they haven’t played quality competition. But why is it that USF keeps getting lowballed by the voters?

    They play in a BCS conference, even though it is the much-maligned Big East. They have two very good wins against Auburn and West Virginia. But even after those facts, they continue to be overlooked in favor of Ohio State and Boston College.

    While USF has beaten Auburn and WVU, Ohio State’s best win to date is against a Purdue team that has gotten destroyed against the only real teams they have played this year (Ohio State and Michigan). Boston College can put Wake Forest atop their list of “impressive” wins. I may be missing something here, but I don’t see any reason these schools deserve to be above the Bulls.

    The knock on USF last week was that they couldn’t put away FAU. So what did they do? They came out and smoked UCF, the same UCF that took Texas down to the wire. Yet, when BC has a struggle with UMass, it gets mostly ignored. It seems the small guys can never get a break.
    
    When you look for a reason why these two schools are ranked higher, there are only two reasons. They are big name schools, especially in the case of Ohio State, while BC has a little bit of history on their side (any history is more than what USF has). The other reason is the voters’ obvious bias towards these big name programs and their own polls. You know as well as I do that voters do not like to look bad so they will not put a team that was unranked in their preseason polls over someone who was. It’s the very argument that many people have made for not releasing a preseason ranking, instead preferring to wait a few weeks before ranking the teams.

    If you don’t believe in the voters’ bias, just look at the BCS system itself. The voters changed the system to put most of the power in their own hands rather than the computers. There is good evidence in the past for this change in the system but you have to wonder now when USF is ranked first in the computers compared to fifth and seventh for Ohio State and Boston College, respectively. But USF is ranked third in the Harris and Coaches’ Poll behind them (USF is second in the AP, but they don‘t count in the BCS anymore, can you blame them for dropping out?).

    Sure, USF may not run the table and eventually the pressure of being a top team for the first time will probably cause them to fall apart at some point, but give them the respect they deserve. On the flip side, if they do run the table, along with OSU and BC, who do you think the voters will keep out of the title game? USF, of course, even though they have beaten two teams better than anyone on OSU and BC’s schedule. But, in a season where anything can happen, we’ll just take it one week at a time. In the meantime, give USF the respect it deserves.

   
 

    Last weekend was full of upsets.

    This weekend, three more goliaths were put to the test and we were once again treated with the results.

    Stanford gave us one of the biggest upsets in recent memory by knocking off the second-ranked USC Trojans, who were 41-point favorites, along with being national title favorites since last year’s bowl game. But it seems like it was only a matter of time before the Trojans were upset. They really haven’t been that impressive so far this year. Not to mention, losing to a big underdog seems to be USC’s new thing as of the past few seasons.

    But, while people cheered across the nation (especially in Baton Rouge) to that final score, we also received the two best games of the season, one in the NFL and one in college.

    The first game took place in aforementioned Baton Rouge, where the Tigers enacted revenge for last year’s loss to the Gators and hope to use the victory to propel them to the national title much like Florida did last year.

    But the victory definitely didn’t come easily. Tim Tebow helped the Gators mount an early lead with another solid performance, until a few key plays turned the tide. Nursing a 10-point lead and driving once again on the top-ranked Tigers, Kestahn Moore fumbled the ball and killed Florida’s momentum in the process. The Gators would not score again.

    After LSU scored to bring the game to within three, the Gators once again started to drive down the field when disaster struck again. Cornelius Ingram ran the wrong route in front of a Tebow pass, causing it to deflect off his helmet for another turnover. LSU proceeded to eat up eight minutes of clock while driving down for the game-winning touchdown.

    If that doesn’t sound epic, don’t forget that Les Miles’ ballsy decision to go for it on fourth down five times, including bypassing the game-tying field goal, paid off every single time. It’ll be hard for college football to put on a better show the rest of the way. There is a chance, though. These two teams could meet again in the SEC Title Game. In that case, it’ll be the Gators looking for revenge.

    But the NFL decided it couldn’t be topped by the NCAA, especially with America’s Team playing on Monday Night Football.

    The Bills came in looking to pull off a huge upset while the Cowboys were looking ahead to the Patriots. At least we think that’s what Tony Romo was looking at.

    While Romo was dreaming of Brady and the Pats, the Bills returned two of his four first half picks and a kick return for touchdowns, including a ridiculous play where Chris Kelsay deflected Romo’s pass from the line and ran to catch it in the end zone.

    But when those are your only touchdowns to go along with a field goal, you can’t help but feel a little worried. The Cowboys scored to bring it within two with 20 seconds left in the game shortly after the Bills dropped what would have been their sixth interception of the game. It has to be deflating when you realize you needed to force that seventh turnover to win the game.

    Even though the Cowboys missed the conversion, the rest is history. Folk history.

    Kicker Nick Folk executed the onside kick perfectly and nailed the game-winning 53 yard field goal twice for the win. They really need to do something about that rule where you can call a timeout right as the team is snapping the ball. There’s a difference between icing the kicker and being a snake about the whole thing. But it didn’t ruin what turned out to be a fantastic game.

    If you need any reason why football season is the best season, you just had to tune into these two games, the best of what has been a great season in both college and pro football so far.
 

    This is the Tampa team that we are all used to. The one that has the defensive capabilities to shut down an opponent and the offense that does just enough to win the ball game. It’s the type of team that we didn’t see at all last season and that’s a good sign for the rest of the season.

    A rejuvenated linebacking corps of Cato June and Barrett Ruud alongside stalwart Derrick Brooks have helped bring Monte Kiffin’s defense from the bottom of the barrel last season back to respectability.

    Steven Jackson piled up 115 yards rushing on the day but the Bucs defense did not allow Jackson to break any big rushes on the day. Tampa is accustomed to giving up some yards on the ground but, like the Bucs of old, they did not allow any big plays on the day and completely shut down Marc Bulger and the passing game, forcing 3 interceptions on the game.

    The most important improvement from last year for the defense is obviously the offense’s ability to move the ball. Sure, they didn’t put up a ton of points until pulling away in the fourth quarter, but with 322 yards of total offense, 182 of those on the ground, the offense was able to keep the defense fresh all day until they were able to put some points on the board. That’s what happens when you have a veteran quarterback and revamped offensive line, two key components missing from the offense last year.

    The Rams and the Saints were struggling opponents that the Bucs used to pad their record at home but the next two games will really show how much the Bucs have improved from last year. Next week’s meeting against division rival Carolina could be for the driver’s seat in the division, which is a familiar battleground for these two. After that game, Tampa travels to the defending champs, which will not be an easy test.

    Urban Meyer’s worries about his young Gators traveling to play their first road game rang true yesterday after the Gators escaped an Ole Miss comeback to win 30-24.
    
    The offense once again took care of business, led by Tim Tebow’s school record 166 rushing yards for a quarterback to bring his total to 427 yards and 4 touchdowns for the game to take his legend and possible Heisman contention up another notch.

    But after spotting his defense a 27-9 lead, the Gators’ young secondary showed their youth and inexperience. Safety Kyle Jackson gambled and missed badly on a pass that went for an easy touchdown. That was followed by an equally embarrassing play when Rebels’ wideout Mike Wallace burned the Gators’ defensive backs for a 77 yard touchdown to bring the game to within 3.

    Two clock-burning drives and an interception by Tony Joiner helped the Gators hold onto the lead and return home still undefeated.

    It’s understandable for this young team to struggle in their first road game, especially in Mississippi, where the Gators have struggled recently but they will not be able to have as many lapses the next time they travel on the road. Blowing an 18-point lead coupled with 14 penalties for 127 yards will not cut it against LSU.
 

    59-20. The worst loss in his entire tenure. To perhaps their biggest rival at that. If Lloyd Carr’s job is in question for not being able to beat his biggest rival and for a 1-2 start to the season, why shouldn’t Phil Fulmer also be on the chopping block?

    In fact, both coaches have had similar timelines in the rises and continuing downfalls. Both coaches won national titles in the late 90’s (in subsequent years as a matter of fact) to pad their coaching seats.  Now, after failing to beat their rivals and find success in bowl games, those seats are looking extremely hot. That is, if they even still have a seat.

    I know Tennessee wasn’t expected to compete for all the marbles this year like Michigan was. And they didn’t lose to a 1-AA team in its season opener at home. In fact, they have lost to two highly ranked opponents, which shouldn’t be something to scoff at.

    But Tennessee is almost becoming irrelevant in the big picture of college football. A program that won a national title in the last decade should not be fading this deep into irrelevancy. The difference in talent levels on Saturday was so drastic that the only solution for the Vols could be to start over and try to land a young hot coach to turn the recruiting tide and instill some life into this program.

    It would help solve the problem that has caused the fans of Michigan and Tennessee to wonder how they have fallen so far. The criticism that Lloyd Carr is too old and the game has passed him by is probably an accurate assessment, for both him and Phil Fulmer.

    It is early and both these teams could rebound to have solid seasons. But really, is that what their fans want? These programs don’t look like they have enough juice in them for more than a solid season in the near future. It’s time for them to look in a new direction.

    It was supposed to be a tough test. Anything can happen in rivalry games, they said. Well, not many people were expecting a 59-20 romping of Tennessee by the Gators this weekend and such a performance should erase any doubts surrounding the Gators chances to repeat.

    Florida poured it on from the get-go with Brandon James returning a punt for a touchdown. After he and Cal’s Jackson have returned punts for scores, you would think Tennessee would just start punting the ball out of bounds every time. But after that it was too late.

    From there, Tim Tebow stole the show. After throwing a few perfectly lobbed deep balls, Tebow began to pull the rabbit out of the hat Brett Favre style. A perfectly thrown spiral while falling down was followed by a few underhanded completions. His only mishap on the day was his interception to Berry that was returned for a touchdown. But even Urban Meyer said the blame should be placed on the receiver for running the wrong route.

    That pick brought the Vols within eight. But it seemed every time the Vols had an opportunity, the Gators would take the advantage and momentum right back. After the Gators were stopped and forced to punt, a muffed handoff was scooped up by Doe for a quick six to extend the lead again. Then, when Florida was pinned inside its own one, Tebow connected with Percy Harvin for a 49-yard gain, which was soon followed by another score.

    Speaking of Harvin, his performance was equally as impressive as Tebow’s. Along with that 49-yard catch, Harvin put a few moves after an end-around to waltz into the end zone, taking a page out of Reggie Bush’s playbook. He also snagged a long jump ball out of the air making everyone in the stadium wonder how he pulled that one off.

    At the end of the day, people’s opinions changed from doubt to disbelief. Now, it appears the SEC is a deep conference with two juggernauts, LSU and Florida. The matchup between these two powerhouses on October 6 should be one for the ages.

    It looks like this could be what everyone thought the two Big Ten teams were supposed to be last year.

    It’s still a little early to speculate and make such big leaps but one thing is clear: the Gators appear to be good enough to defend their title.

    After Boise State’s magical run last season, everyone was picking the next mid-major to make such a run. This has caused the mid-majors to become overrated just like many of the perennial major powers are overrated every year. Now for every Michigan there is a TCU.

    TCU’s loss to Air Force, their second in as many weeks, has finished their potential dream season. The Horned Frogs were one of the chic picks for the mid-major most likely to challenge for a BCS berth. After Boise State and BYU’s losses last week, it appears Hawaii has the best, if not the only, chance for the mid-majors to break into the BCS this year. But their one point escape against Louisiana Tech last week cannot give fans of mid-majors everywhere a lot of confidence. Maybe people should start paying more attention to the lesser-known teams from major conferences such as South Florida.

    After all the years of people overlooking the mid-majors in favor of teams that they are familiar with, it appears now people are looking too hard at the mid-majors to find the next Boise State or Utah. It could be bad for the BCS if one of these teams breaks through on an easy schedule and gets blown out after making a BCS game. But that wouldn’t be any different than allowing an obviously overrated Notre Dame team play in a BCS bowl game, which happened last year.

    In fact, it’s probably a good thing. With the extra attention being paid to mid-majors, they are now being treated just like the majors are. Many of the chic picks will fall flat on their faces just like those in major conferences. In turn, that may allow the sleeper mid-majors to break through into the big time even if they weren’t being considered by voters at the beginning of the season.

    But of course, this all just muddles the big picture even more than before and proves that you don’t know how good a team is until they play the games. Maybe the mid-majors will save college football and help institute a playoff system. Then again, with the way they are falling, we could just be back to where we started.

    Sure, the season started two weeks ago. But Western Kentucky and Troy were more like preseason games than the real season. With the SEC opener against Tennessee this weekend, the Gators’ National Title defense officially starts.

    And if last year’s game is any indication, it won’t be easy.

    But don’t expect it to be another 21-20 SEC defensive struggle. Instead, think of a classic Steve Spurrier type SEC shootout. That’s as much of a compliment for these offenses as an insult to these defenses.

    Tim Tebow will finally get to showcase his skills full-time on the big stage after two lights-out warm-up games. For those of you who said he couldn’t pass, or those that think he still can’t pass, Tebow will begin his case of proving you wrong on Saturday. Even without stud WR Andre Caldwell, Meyer’s offense will confuse and score on Tennessee enough. Especially when you consider the fact that Tennessee DB Antonio Gaines suffered a season-ending injury last week. Not exactly the news you want to hear when you’re going to the Swamp to face the Gators’ offense. Besides, if Cal can put up 45 on Tennessee, why can’t Florida?

    That being said, the Gators’ defense hasn’t been too impressive either. Allowing 31 points to Troy? Definitely not what you want to see from your defense. The real weak spot is in the secondary, where Tennessee should be able to make quite a few plays to keep this a high-scoring game. Florida’s best chance to stop the Vols’ offense comes from their defensive ends, who should be able to get consistent pressure on Erik Ainge. But, if they don’t, it could be a long day for this defense.

    The combination of the Gators’ offense, which is finally built in the mold of Meyer’s spread offense, and the home crowd at the Swamp should be just enough for the Gators to beat the Vols again. This game should be another close one between these two rivals.

Gators 38 - Vols 34