1. Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0) LW 1
Is it possible that the team that won the National Title last year and has been the #1 ranked team most of the year is underrated? Maybe forgotten? In a season where we are all trying to see who is the 2nd best team it seems that Alabama is being overlooked. But they go out and dominate week in and week out. This weekend was no different as they gave Miss State their first loss of the season. Now they can move on to LSU.
2. Oregon Ducks (8-0) LW 2
To me it's a shame that Oregon is #4 in the BCS. I know it's all because of their schedule, but they are clearly the second best team in the nation. Offensively they are unstoppable averaging over 53 points per game. This weekend they had 56 on Colorado at half. Defensively they are much better, but because they pull their starters so early, their scoring defense isn't a good reflection. Their game against USC this weekend will be a good showcase of how good they truly are.
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-0) LW 3
If you haven't taken Notre Dame serious so far this season, it's about time you do. After racing out to a 7-0 start, the Fighting Irish had to travel to Oklahoma to face the top 10 rated Sooners. Not only did Notre Dame win, but they pulled away in the fourth quarter to win 30-13. Manti Te'o was the star of the game totalling 11 tackels, a sack, and the game clinching INT. The win keeps the Irish unbeaten and gives them a great shot at a possible National Title appearance.
4. Kansas State Wildcats (8-0) LW 5
Kansas State has had a habit of blowing out ranked teams. After only beating Oklahoma by 5 the Wildcats smothered both West Virginia and Texas Tech in route to big victories. With each game QB Collin Klein seems to be turning in bigger game after game. This past weekend he had 4 TDs to go along with his 316 yards. Will this trend continue against Oklahoma State?
5. LSU Tigers (7-1) LW 6
LSU fans had to be pleased with the performance the Tigers had coming from behind to beat Texas A&M. Now all the Tigers get to do is rest up and prepare to play host to Alabama. The winner of this game would be in the drivers seat to the SEC Title Game and more than likely the National Championship game.
6. Georgia Bulldogs (7-1) LW 14
After getting blown out by South Carolina and only narrowly beating Kentucky it looked like the Bulldogs were going downhill and their game against Florida was going to be their second loss. Instead the defense stepped up and got them the win. The biggest reason was that they forced the Florida offense into six turnovers! It's pretty hard to lose when you are doing that. But if Georgia wants to win the SEC East, they'll need Aaron Murray to play a better game than he did this weekend.
7. Florida Gators (7-1) LW 4
All the Gators had to do was beat Georgia and they would clinch the SEC East and be assured their spot for a possible National Championship opportunity. However it's hard to win games when you turn the ball over 6 times. It stings even worse when you force 3 INTs your self and still lose. But that's what happens when you have a ball control offense. Now the Gators must hope that Georgia losses another game or their left on the outside looking in.
8. Florida State Seminoles (8-1) LW 11
Florida State is another team that people are tending to forget about. They were considered by some to be a National Title contender before they lost to NC State, but they've bounced back and have a great shot at meeting Florida in the final week for state supremacy. This past weekend they handled a Duke team that surprisingly is pretty solid. Next up is Virginia Tech.
9. Clemson Tigers (7-1) LW 12
Wake Forrest really didn't have a chance. Especially when QB Tajh Boyd sets school records for passing yards (428) in a game and TDs (5) and WR Sammie Watkins set the new school record for most receiving yards (202) in a game. You also have to be impressed with the defense only giving up 13 points in a blowout.
10. Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0) LW 10
I know that Ohio State isn't allowed to be ranked in the BCS standings or even the Coaches Poll, but you have to wonder how well would they do if they were? I know the Big 10 is down, but the Buckeyes are likely go to undefeated. Would they be a title contender? Either way they scored a huge victory over Penn State this weekend. Let's call it the "Ineligi-Bowl." Braxton Miller continued to show us how good he is and that he can bounce back from his trip to he hospital. Now it should be easy sailing for Ohio State until their end of the year rivalry game with Michigan.
11. South Carolina Gamecocks (7-2) LW 13
They may have beat Tennessee, but it feels .like the Gamecocks lost. Probably because of the injury to RB Marcus Lattimore is such a blow. Not only are you losing your best player, but you feel awful for the young man that he's having to deal with this again. They do have a weekend off to get things figured out before facing Arkansas in on November 10th.
12. Oklahoma Sooners (5-2) LW 8
Beating Notre Dame would have given the Sooners the jump start that they needed to get back into the National Title picture. Instead a poor fourth quarter gives the Sooners their second loss of the season and ends their chances. Now the Sooners hope to win out and get back into a BCS Bowl.
13. Louisville Cardinals (8-0) LW 15
All Louisville needs to do is beat Cincinnati and Rutgers and they should finish with the Big East Title and an undefeated season. Louisville got one part of that done on Friday Night beating Cincinnati in OT 34-31. The Cardinals intercepted Cincinnati and then kicked the winning field goal to get the "Keg of Nails" and stay unbeaten.
14. Oregon State Beavers (6-1) LW 9
Oregon State's dream season came to an abrupt end at the hands of Washington. It was the same Washington team that knocked off Stanford. Oregon State mounted a comeback, but it was for not because Washington was able to get the game winning field goal. Oregon State's season isn't over and they still have a chance to beat Oregon in a couple of weeks
15. Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-1) LW 16
Mississippi State didn't move a lot in the rankings because it's hard to fault a team that has only one loss and that loss was the consensus #1 team Alabama. It's hard to gauge how good the Bulldogs really are against such a good team, but we'll find more out when they host Texas A&M this weekend.
16. USC Trojans (6-2) LW 7
Do you remember when USC was considered the best team in the nation and thought to go undefeated. Well after losses to Stanford and now Arizona have ruined the Trojans season. What makes matters worse is that they face off against Oregon this weekend and a loss there would give them their third of the season. Add in Notre Dame at the end and we could be looking at a USC team with 4 or more losses.
17. West Virginia Mountaineers (5-2) LW 19
This bye week couldn't have come at a better time for West Virginia. After riding high for their first five games the Mountaineers have gotten punched in the mouth two straight weeks. Hopefully they can take some time to get things figured out offensively and get back to the same team we saw early in the season.
18. Stanford Cardinal (6-2) LW 21
If it wasn't for their defense we could be talking about a Stanford team with more than two losses. Instead the defense continues to play at a high level and give the offense enough breathing room to get wins. After disposing of Washington State the Cardinal move on to face hapless Colorado. That should be an easy win before they face Oregon and Oregon State.
19. Texas A&M Aggies (6-2) LW 25
You'd be a lier if you thought A&M would be contending for the SEC West at the beginning of the season. But the Aggies have only two losses and in both games they were leading by double digits. A&M didn't want that to happen against Auburn where they jumped out to an early 42-7 lead at halftime and cruised to an easy victory. Now the Aggies have a little tougher competition against Miss State this weekend. The winner here still has an outside shot at the SEC West. The loser will be eliminated.
20. Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-2) LW NR
After Nebraska lost big to Ohio State it looked like the Huskers had too many questions and not enough answers. But the Huskers got things figured out after their bye week and got big wins at Northwestern and against Michigan. Now Nebraska is in the lead of the Legends Division and has four winnable games to end the season. With the Big 10 down this could be a great opportunity for the Huskers to make it back to a BCS Bowl.
21. Texas Longhorns (6-2) LW 24
You have to be a little concerned how Texas only beat a horrible Kansas team by 4 points. Ever since the Oklahoma game the offense has really taken a nose dive. QB David Ash is on the verge of losing his job and the defense is a sieve. They better get it fixed because an improved Texas Tech team in coming to town and they have a great opportunity to beat Texas and drop them out of the rankings.
22. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (7-1) LW NR
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs made an appearance a couple of weeks ago in the rankings but fell after a tough loss to Texas A&M. But they've rattled off two straight wins and are setting at 7-1 on the season. Pair that up with four very winnable games left and the Bulldogs should finish with an 11-1 record.
23. Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-2) LW 23
Sure Texas Tech lost to Kansas State, but they didn't get blown out and they did a lot better against the Wildcats than West Virginia or Oklahoma did. Was it luck or are the Red Raiders better than we think? We can find this out this weekend as they travel to Austin to face the Longhorns. If the Red Raiders can win that game they will be in 3rd place and and chance to play in an upper tier bowl game.
24. Penn State Nittany Lions (5-3) LW 17
Penn State's five game winning streak came to and end this weekend at the hands of Ohio State. Going into the game the Nittany Lions were playing like one of the conferences best, but the talented Buckeye team was just too much for this undermanned team. Penn State now faces off against a reeling Purdue team before they travel to Lincoln to play the red hot Huskers.
25. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-1) LW 18
There is something about MAC schools ruining the Big East race. Last week it was Toledo that ended Cincinnati's perfect season, and now Kent State did the same against Rutgers. What makes matters worse is that Rutgers now has a week off to think about the loss before they play Army in two weeks.
Dropped From the Rankings: Ohio Bobcats, Michigan Wolverines
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