Hawaii Warriors Football

I thought my days of ranting about Hawaii, the BCS, and strength of schedule were done.

I thought I would spend my Thanksgiving quietly stuffing myself with turkey, watching USC take on Arizona State in a game with potential Rose Bowl implications, and forgetting that there ever was even a question of whether Hawaii should play in the BCS Championship Game.

Well, I thought wrong. 

I guess I'm just a masochist for criticism from delusional WAC fans (or a sadist, depending on which of my critics you talk to).

Most of this article started as a comment in response to a comment on my previous article, Memo to Hawaii Lovers: Strength of Schedule Matters. 

After reading through my flowing paragraphs of brilliantly worded prose—err, I mean stream-of-consciousness (well, barely conscious) rant—I decided to grace the Bleacher Report faithful and the various Hawaii-favoring lurkers with a full article. 

At the very least, I'm throwing up another lightning rod for more criticism of my staunch BCS-defending ways.

I'll be the first to admit: The BCS ain't perfect.  But then again neither is Hawaii's record this year, despite the zero in the loss column.

Without further delay, let's get started throwing more fuel on the fire.

The following is an excerpt from an anonymous comment to my last Hawaii column:  

"Alot (sic) of people talk about instituting a playoff system but in reality Hawaii plays one every year. Basically every year each game is a must win if they are to have BCS bowl hopes."

And that, my friends, is the most ignorant statement I've ever heard from a college football "fan." 

NEWSFLASH:

Each game is a must win for EVERY team that has aspirations to a national championship.  The only way to guarantee at least being in the running for title game (not even necessarily getting in—see Auburn a few years ago) is to win EVERY game. 

The regular season is the playoffs for ALL teams. That's what makes things so exciting when you're good and so frustrating when you're just not quite good enough. 

Have I BOLDED AND CAPITALIZED enough words to get my point across? 

How do you think USC has consistently been in the national title hunt since 2002—by taking games off and hoping their reputation alone will get them in?

No—they did it by winning games each and every week under intense pressure and against real competition. 

Once you slip up, you're done. 

After a loss to Stanford, you don't hear SC in any national title conversations—and rightfully so.  Same with Michigan after App State, OSU after Illinois, Oregon after Arizona, Oklahoma after Texas Tech, and so on.

Sure, this is a fluky year, and LSU is still perched at the top with one loss—but I guarantee you that if the Tigers lose to Arkansas or Tennessee/Georgia, they'll disappear.

It's that tough—you have to be perfect, or you have to get lucky waiting for other teams to fall if you want a shot in the BCS.

Warriors fans say Hawaii faces pressure that no other BCS team faces, that if they slip up once they disappear forever.

I say that's only because Hawaii's success is a mirage, built on playing inferior opponents with a flashy system that puts up a lot of points on bad defenses but wilts at the sign of real competition.

Heck, even Fresno State and Nevada gave the Warriors fits. 

If Hawaii slips up—either in a bowl game or God forbid against a crappy Washington team—they'll be exposed for what they really are: a BCS faker with a paddy-cake schedule. 

If that happens, they shouldn't get a second chance, because they'll have proved nothing—except that it's easy to go undefeated against what's basically a JUCO schedule and then make a lot of noise about playing in a big bowl game because "upsets happen."

Hawaii fans talk about not having a reputation to stand behind. Well, there's a right way and a wrong way to build a reputation. 

The wrong way is the smoke-and-mirrors approach Hawaii has taken—which will doom them if and when they fall.

The right way is by building a winning program for the long haul—playing tough games, and embracing tough losses against better teams as the foundation of future success. 

Look at Rutgers last year, South Florida this year before they fell off, and all the other examples of schools that started from scratch to build real substance—not just empty buzz and hype.

Heck, even SC was nowhere before Pete Carroll came in with a focus on offensive execution, defensive stinginess, and stellar recruiting. Carroll showed no fear in scheduling out-of-conference games, often on the road, to build up the program and its national reputation. 

Win or lose, USC was ready to bring their game anywhere to prove they were back as a power. 

And it worked.

I know Hawaii is trying to do the same thing with their attempts to schedule better opponents—and that's good. But all the crying about not getting any respect is only going to make things worse when and if they do get exposed. 

Don't focus on this year—focus on the next five years, or the next 10 years, and on establishing a tradition of winning against high level competition in non-conference games. 

This year can be one of two things—a mirage, or a sign of things to come.

If it's the latter, Hawaii will get its just desserts sooner or later. 

If it's the former, this whole debate has just been a colossal waste of time.

Enough is enough. 

In the last few days, we've seen every Strength of Schedule-ignoring, sandal-wearing Hawaii apologist under the island sun show up at Bleacher Report, crying out that the Warriors deserve BCS title consideration.

It's time somebody said something.

If I run into one more Kool-Aid drinking nut who thinks that the team that barely put away a Nevada-Reno Wolfpack squad that may as well have had Lieutenant Dangle calling the plays on Friday night should be playing in New Orleans in January, my head might explode. 

Before this rant spins out of control, let's take a moment to respond to Ryan Fritsche's article, titled, Memo to Hawaii Haters: Beware the Warriors. 

Ryan writes...

"What is it about the University of Hawaii that turns off the human voters and the computers?"

Should be obvious, but we'll get to that in a second. 

"Is it the Polynesian heritage?" 

Why even suggest that? Did anyone suggest that LSU got shut out of the BCS title game a few years back because of their Creole heritage?

Or—to bring up a team that everyone is comparing to Hawaii this year—did anyone suggest that Boise State got shut out of the title game last year because of their potato-farming heritage?  

Methinks no.  The Polynesian comment is just another way to build a wall of excuses for why Hawaii gets not respect when it comes down to one simple fact—which I'll address in just a moment.

"Is it blond-haired boy wonder Colt Brennan?" 

Colt seems like a nice kid.  And perhaps a better QB than Timmy Chang, who put up similarly gaudy numbers for Hawaii against similarly crappy competition a few years back. 

In fact, I'm pulling for Colt and think he deserves some Heisman consideration in a crowded and confusing year for the award (which it wouldn't be if Tim Tebow weren't looking to get shut out because of his sophomore status—you wanna talk about unfair standards, look no further than Tebow.) 

So why would having a standout QB running up the score against soft defenses be held against a team's national title hopes? Could it be something to do with a schedule full of crappy teams and no quality opponents to speak of? 

I think we may be getting close here, but let's take a look at one final question from Ryan:

"Or is it the fact that the WAC gets no love whatsoever?"

To be honest—and to steal a quote from Wet Hot American Summer—it is, and it isn't.

It's not that the WAC gets no love. It's the fact that the WAC hasn't made itself deserving of any love. It's the fact that Hawaii's opponents—a collection of mostly WAC bottom feeders combined with a couple D1-AA teams to boot—are a combined 29-76. 

To be perfectly and succinctly clear, no team with that strength of schedule should ever, ever, ever be considered a BCS contender.

Anything else to add, Ryan?

"If the Warriors played in the SEC, they might be the No. 1 team in the country."

Uh, yeah. And if I had co-starred in "Mr & Mrs Smith" instead of Brad Pitt, I might be married to Angelina Jolie.

If Hawaii played in the SEC, they could very well be winless in conference play.  Or did you forget that if Hawaii were in the SEC they'd have to play REAL teams like Florida, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, etc. instead of WAC-y jokes like Idaho, Utah State, and New Mexico State?

And to level with those Hawaii fans who have made it this far without just jumping down to the comment threads to talk trash: I can honestly say that I feel your pain when it comes to poor strength of schedule killing your team's shot at the title.  

As a USC fan, we shared a common opponent—the 1-10 Idaho Vandals.  That one game alone has been a drag on our strength of schedule all year, and combined with the piss poor performance of some other out of conference opponents—achem, Nebraska—could have seriously damaged the Trojans' title chances had we not lost to Stanford (a transgression, to be clear, which should automatically disqualify SC from any BCS conversation).

To get back to Hawaii, let's just put it this way: if one game against Idaho can dampen USC's strength of schedule, imagine what happens to a team whose schedule is full of opponents at or near the level of Idaho.  

You get an undefeated Hawaii team which has really been untested by a quality opponent (although a few not-so-quality opponents—La. Tech, San Jose State, Fresno State, and Nevada—have come close) ranked 15th in the BCS rankings. Which is, in this columnist's opinion, right about where they should be.

But fear not, Hawaii apologists, as all is not lost. The point of this column—other than venting—is to explain why, very simply, all the "What about Hawaii?" outcry is premature, given that the Warriors' only two quality games of the season have yet to be played.

This Friday, Hawaii takes on the team that everyone loves to compare them to, Boise State, in the WAC Championship.  Boise State is the first real test for the Warriors, as the Broncos have played at a similarly high level against similarly crappy competition, although they did have one slip-up early, incidentally to the team that Hawaii closes it's season against—

The Washington Huskies.

Granted, UW is no powerhouse—anything but, as they're currently stuck at the bottom of the Pac-10 standings.  But they did beat Boise State, as well as a Cal team which may have given up completely, but to Washington's credit were at one point ranked as the number 2 team in the nation.  

And more to the point, Washington is the one kind of team that Hawaii hasn't faced all season—an opponent from a major BCS conference.  Admittedly, not the greatest example of a BCS conference team, but at least a good litmus test to see where Hawaii's performance against the Idahos and Utah States of the world measures up.

One final point: A lot has been made about how Hawaii tried to schedule games against teams like Michigan State, Michigan, and Florida this year but was turned down—with the implication being that these schools were "scared" to take on the Warriors.  

Whether or not that's true, Hawaii fans need to face that facts that the BCS standings aren't based on the games you tried to schedule and couldn't—they're based on the games you've played.

And Hawaii's performance so far—though impressive from a pure aesthetic standpoint—doesn't really mean much of anything when you look at the teams they played against.

If the Warriors can get by Boise State and Washington, then this conversation will have some legs. They still won't be number 1 or number 2 in the country, but they'll at the very least have an argument for a BCS bowl bid.

But until they can prove their might against more legitimate competition, all this "Hawaii in the BCS Championship" talk will be just that—talk.

Who's going to the BCS National Championship?  With nine teams boasting a legit shot at the national title, it appears to be little more than a crap shoot.  So I'll break down each team and let you know who will actually be in New Orleans come January 7th.

Hawaii (9-0)
Marquee Wins: ?
Record Against Ranked Teams: (0-0)
Remaining Schedule: at Nevada, Boise State, Washington
Bottom Line: Pretender.  No chance.

Lets give the Warriors the benefit of the doubt and assume they win out.  So they are undefeated with one win against a ranked team (assuming Boise State is still ranked when they meet November 23rd).  This resume couldn't get them a job as a bag boy.  Colt Brennan may very well throw for 4000 yards again by the time it's over with, but all they will have to show for themselves is an undeserved BCS bowl bid.  Not to mention the trouncing they will get in the aforementioned bowl.  June Jones should schedule a real opponent so the world can see that his offensive scheme only works against bad teams.

Ohio State (10-1)
Marquee Wins: Wisconsin, Purdue, Penn State
Record Against Ranked Teams: (3-0)
Remaining Schedule: at Michigan
Bottom Line: Written off by too many to be considered seriously.

Late losses are almost always fatal in college football.  Couple the Ohio State loss to Illinois with the Big Ten conference's mediocrity this year and the Buckeyes are stopped dead in their tracks.  And this is very unfortunate because despite comments and rankings by many analysts, Ohio State is pretty good this year and should be ranked higher.  They have a defense giving up only 11.4 points and 237.5 total yards per game.  And they're 3-0 against ranked teams.  But even with a big win over Michigan at the Big House it won't be enough.  Maybe if they had a conference championship.  Who knows?

West Virginia (8-1)
Marquee Wins: Rutgers, Louisville, Maryland
Record Against Ranked Teams: (1-1)
Remaining Schedule: at Cincy, UCONN, Pitt
Bottom Line: Need a lot of help to move up. Doesn't look too promising.

The Mountaineers have some issues to overcome.  What initially looked like a stout Big East conference has been put in its place.  South Florida, Rutgers, and Louisville have all been bumped from the top 25, reestablishing the fact that the Big East isn't quite ready to play with the big boys.  Also, West Virginia must still dispatch the two surprise teams of the conference in UConn and Cincy.  Both of these teams are playing way over their heads and a win over West Virginia by either should not be a surprise.  Even if the Mountaineers win out they would still be in line behind Oklahoma, Oregon, LSU, and Ohio State. So they will need some help. But hey, it could happen.  The Big 12 will beat each other up and the SEC Championship is no joke.  The good thing is they still have Pat White and Steve Slaton for another year. 

Arizona State (9-1)
Marquee Wins: Cal, UCLA
Record Against Ranked Teams: (1-1)
Remaining Schedule: USC, Arizona
Bottom Line: Not enough firepower to win out.

Dennis Erickson has done a great job with his group in a Pac 10 conference that gets better every year. That said, ASU's middle of the road offense and defense won't be enough to finish the season without another loss.  The Sun Devils will lose at home to a USC team looking to salvage the season.  And ASU will be completely eliminated from national title contention and conference title contention.

Kansas (10-0)
Marquee Wins: Kansas State, Texas A&M
Record Against Ranked Teams: (1-0)
Remaining Schedule: Iowa State, Missouri, Big 12 Championship (TBD)
Bottom Line: The Cinderella story will not have a happy ending.

The Jayhaws have put together a great year with some gaudy statistics. Quarterback Todd Reesing has had a great year throwing 26 TD's with only 4 interceptions. The Kansas offense averages just under 46 points a game while the defense averages giving up only 15.  But Kansas has yet to play a team that has accumulated more than six wins this year.  And of the five other Big 12 opponents with a winning record, the Jayhawks have played just one of them (Texas A&M, 6-4).  Somehow Kansas has scratched out 10 wins without even being tested.  Mangino and the boys will be tested November 24 at home against Missouri.  And Missouri will be plenty inspired to win this game.  A win here will mean an opportunity to avenge the Tigers' only loss of the season against Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship in December.  Missouri will likely win, though the outcome of this game is of little importance in the national title hunt.  Oklahoma will beat whoever shows up to the title game in Missouri.

Missouri (9-1)
Marquee Wins: Illinois, Texas Tech, Texas A&M
Record Against Ranked Teams: (2-1)
Remaining Schedule: at Kansas St., at Kansas, Big 12 Championship (TBD)
Bottom Line: Two losses to the Sooners will keep the Tigers out of the hunt.

Missouri has a better resume than Kansas but as indicated above, it still won't be enough.  Oklahoma looms in the wings waiting to pounce on the Tigers again in the Big 12 Championship game should Missouri advance this far.

Oregon (8-1)
Marquee Wins: Michigan, USC, Arizona St.
Record Against Ranked Teams: (2-1)
Remaining Schedule: at Arizona, at UCLA, Oregon St.
Bottom Line: Oregon will be in the National Championship.

It won't be easy, but Oregon will win out.  The in state rivalry game with the Beavers will be the most important Civil War game in recent history.  Dixon will be Heisman-like and carry his team to the remaining three victories and on to New Orleans for the BCS National Championship Game.

LSU (9-1)
Marquee Wins: Virginia Tech, Florida, Auburn, Alabama
Record Against Ranked Teams: (5-1)
Remaining Schedule: Ole Miss, Arkansas, SEC Championship
Bottom Line: LSU will fall just short.

With 5 wins and only 1 loss against ranked teams, LSU boasts the best resume of any team in the national title hunt and deserves its #1 ranking.  The Tigers' brutal schedule will include a total of 8 games against ranked teams when all is said and done.  LSU should easily slide past Ole Miss and Arkansas.  While the McFadden vs. LSU's #1 Defense matchup will be interesting to watch, it should be no contest.  Then all the Bayou Bengals have to do is win the SEC Championship—a very tall order.  The opponent will be either Tennessee or Georgia.  Georgia has turned a new leaf and looks very dangerous.  The Vols appear to be the better option for the Tigers, but it will be no easy task.  Quarterback Matt Flynn's numbers have been merely OK all season, and LSU is due to for a misstep.  LSU will lose a tough game in Atlanta and come up one game short of the national championship. 

Oklahoma (9-1)
Marquee Wins: Texas, Missouri, Texas A&M
Record Against Ranked Teams: (2-0)
Remaining Schedule: at Texas Tech, Oklahoma St.
Bottom Line: Thanks to a loss by LSU, the Sooners are in.

Oklahoma is the best team in Big 12.  Plain and simple.  Quarterback Sam Bradford has a ridiculous 180.36 QB rating with 28 TDS and 6 INTs while completing 70 percent of his passes.  He may even challenge Oregon's Dixon for the Heisman.  And the defense isn't that bad either.  All the Sooners have to do is win out and wait for LSU to fall.  Then they will take their place behind Oregon in the BCS standings.

So there you have it—Oklahoma vs. Oregon, January 7, 2008 in New Orleans.  And if you don't remember the last time these two met, click here to refresh your memory.  The Sooners will be chomping at the bit for some revenge.

Note: Record Against Ranked Teams statistic tabulated by rank of opponent at time of contest.

*Edit (post Dixon injury)

I wish I had never written this article, but it's here. Given that my entire prognostication was contingent on Oregon's Dixon staying healthy and Heisman-like, it appears that this article is worthless. Dixon is hurt and the Ducks are out. That'll teach me to try and predict 2007 college football. Clearly I have much to learn. Since the the matchup is incorrect, I'd like to propose that unlikely West Virginia takes Oregon's place in the title game. I told you it could happen. The stars are beginning to align.

Oklahoma vs. West Virginia BCS National Title Guess #2

But actually what I would love to happen is for everyone to lose again. How fun would it be to try and figure out what two loss team deserves to play for a national title?

Before I get to my argument, I must say a few words.

Since I started writing here at Bleacher Report, I have been fortunate enough to receive mostly positive feedback.

I understand many things people write are controversial, but I have largely escaped the wrath of the regulars on this website.  I can honestly say that I am thankful for the criticism, praise, and advice I have received.

What I am about to write is going to be quite unpopular around these parts, and I am going to get drilled for it.  That's fine with me.  I am not writing this to change anyone's mind.

But it must be said:

An undefeated Hawaii team would deserve to play in the National Championship game, regardless of other results.

Furthermore, most college football fans should be rooting for it to happen. 

I have watched Hawaii play over the last several years.  I used to enjoy the usual 11:00 PM games with Timmy Chang throwing strikes to Chad Owens, while June Jones and Jerry Glanville were on the sideline together, barking out orders. 

Those teams were pretty good, but not great.

This year's Hawaii team is much better than any of the teams that Chang spearheaded. 

Colt Brennan has proved that he is as good if not better than Chang—he is certainly considered a better pro prospect.

The receiving corps, while not boasting any individual player as dominant as Owens was, is far deeper than in previous years. 

More importantly, the Warriors have not yet lost a game. 

Games in Nevada and at home against Boise State and Washington will certainly test the Warriors, and wins against these teams would prove the Warriors' ability to beat good competition on a weekly basis.

Now, I know that the WAC is not the SEC or the Pac-10, and I would never argue that Hawaii should reach the title game over an undefeated team from a BCS conference—Kansas included. 

However, I would have no issue putting in Hawaii over a one-loss BCS conference team.

If this season has shown us one thing, it is that no team is dominant.  Last year Ohio State was a monster in the regular season.  In 2005, USC and Texas showed the rest of the college football world how it was done.

This season? 

The top teams haven't shown this level of dominance. 

LSU lost to a Kentucky team that has been shown to be vastly overrated. 

Kentucky showed up on the scene after beating a Louisville team that has since lost to just about everybody but Syracuse (oh wait...). 

Since their program-changing victory over LSU, the Wildcats have lost to Florida (no shame there), been blitzed by Mississippi State (not a terrible loss, but not a great one), and barely held on to beat Vanderbilt.

Oregon lost to a Cal team that climbed as high as No. 2, but then let one mistake turn into a landslide in dropping to the middle of the Pac-10 pack.

Oklahoma blew a big lead against a Colorado team that has yet to reach bowl eligibility with only one game remaining.

West Virginia lost to an upstart South Florida team which has struggled mightily since its brief time at No. 2—and also had to hold on against the aforementioned Louisville Cardinals. 

The Mountaineers' best win came against Rutgers, a team which has struggled all season.

Ohio State just lost to Illinois, showing the nation that the Buckeyes have yet to learn to defend the spread offense.

Let's face it: There isn't a powerhouse in college football this season.  There are a lot of good teams, and maybe a great team or two. 

Who's to say Hawaii isn't one of them?

Hawaii certainly hasn't played the schedules of some teams, but they haven't lost either.  They have had close calls, as have the BCS conference teams, but each time they have risen to—and overcome—the challenge. 

Looking beyond record and schedule, there are other reasons why Hawaii merits inclusion in the title game.

Everyone knows that road games in hostile environments are difficult for any team to overcome.  Hawaii must deal with all that adversity after flying halfway across the Pacific Ocean. 

The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins showed what flying east for eight hours can do to a team on the football field.  This is what Hawaii is up against every time they travel. 

Earlier this season, when the Warriors had back-to-back road games against Louisiana Tech and UNLV, the team had to fly to Texas, then fly to Louisiana, then play their first road game of the year.

They struggled to adjust, and had to squeak out an overtime victory against a LA Tech team that should have beaten by more. 

Once on the mainland and properly adjusted for a week, they handled an inferior UNLV team by a 49-14 margin—one week after Wisconsin came to Vegas and barely escaped with a 20-13 win.

Later in the season, Hawaii traveled to San Jose State and again struggled, winning another overtime game against clearly inferior competition.  However, this game was played in weather that could best be classified as close to a typhoon. 

Despite conditions that made passing difficult and footing even worse, Hawaii scored 42 points. 

The next knock on Hawaii's schedule is that appearance of two I-AA teams.  Hawaii started the season with one game scheduled against a I-AA team, which makes them no different than several BCS conference teams. 

The second game came about as a result of having Michigan State renege on a trip to the islands.  The Spartans apparently didn't feel like keeping their commitment—which was probably a good thing for MSU, because even with their 4-0 OOC record, it still took them until last weekend to reach their sixth win.

As a result of the Spartan cop-out, Hawaii was left asking anybody and everybody to play them, getting no takers.  Thus, the Warriors were left with no options other than scheduling a second I-AA opponent...or only playing 11 games.

This situation illustrates a bigger issue for Hawaii's out-of-conference scheduling.  Most BCS teams don't like playing many OOC games away from home—and even less so against non-BCS conference teams.

The unique problem for Hawaii is that the travel makes it impossible for them to schedule many OOC road games.  Between the logistical and financial issues—never mind that little hiccup called class that the players have to attend—Hawaii is at a competitive disadvantage.

And the Warriors have still won all of their games. 

Nevada will pose a legitimate test on Friday night, especially since Colt Brennan's availability for the game in doubt.  Hawaii would then have to defeat Boise State—who you may remember as the only team in the country last year to go undefeated.

The WAC is not the SEC, but it isn't the Sun Belt either.  Their champion has to go through a challenging schedule filled with teams that play competitive football against BCS conference teams. 

Any team that goes through that conference undefeated deserves a chance to play in a BCS game—and in this crazy, upset-filled season, there's no reason not to give Hawaii the chance to pull the biggest upset of them all.

While I believe that Hawaii is deserving of the spot, there's another reason why their appearance in the championship would be good for football:

With the constant public outcry for a playoff, or a plus-one, or anything that isn't the BCS, Hawaii reaching the title game would be golden.

How many controversies have there been since the BCS was introduced?  After Oregon got jobbed, not much changed.  After USC finished the season No. 1 in the polls and No. 3 in the final BCS standings, tweaks were made.

Even an undefeated SEC team being left out of the championship wasn't enough to make the powers that be admit that it might be time for a new system.

But a non-BCS conference team in the title game? 

That's enough to make them cringe. 

The BCS was created for the big boys to get paid—not for the party crashers to get a cut of the check. 

When the little guys rose up and demanded a fairer system, the BCS relaxed their standards...then promptly added another game to make sure that it didn't come at the expense of a BCS conference team. 

They said to the small schools, "Fine, you can have one of yours in—but only if we get one more team in there too."  

Only an appearance by a team like Hawaii or Boise State in the title game would be enough to force a change to the system—if only so that the BCS bigwigs can find a way to make sure it never happens again.

Then again, knowing them, they might just tinker with the BCS formula to make sure such an event would be a one-time phenomenon, perhaps by adding a bonus in the standings for any team that plays in a BCS conference.

Well, I guess we can all agree on something... 

While neither LSU nor Oregon will be ranked in the top two of the new AP poll today, don't discount the notion that these two powerhouse teams will battle for the BCS championship in January.

Ohio State and Boston College both face difficult schedules down the stretch. Conventional wisdom suggests each will lose at least once, if not twice.

Look for Virginia Tech to knock off BC Thursday, and Penn State to upset Ohio State. After the game, Joe Paterno may not know where he is, but his team will have the victory.

Let's take a look at how the BCS may shape up.

Rose Bowl: USC vs. Ohio State

This game would generate a lot of hype out west, and even draw considerable attention across the country.

A one-loss Ohio State squad would face a tough test against the Trojans, especially since the game would be in the Trojan's backyard.

This match-up would give the Rose Bowl its coveted Pac-10 - Big 10 match-up.

Sugar Bowl: Kentucky vs. West Virginia

This will be an interesting game, mainly because Florida will just be coming off a tough loss to LSU in the SEC title game, allowing the Wildcats to slide into the BCS through the backdoor.

West Virginia will likely be ranked in the top 5. This game would hypothetically showcase not only one of the nation's best running backs, but two of the best QBs this season.

Andre Woodson may bring the Heisman trophy into this game.

Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Ohio State

Oklahoma will face a stiff test from Missouri in the Big XII title game, but I give them a major edge in the coaching department.

The Sooners will advance to face Ohio State in what should be an entertaining game, highlighted by two of the best one-loss teams in the country.

Ohio State will have to stave off the disappointment of not playing for the national title.

Orange Bowl: Boston College vs. Missouri

I don't know if this is possible if Missouri loses in the conference title game, but I am guessing the Orange Bowl would take them over someone like Rutgers or South Florida.

While USF would draw fans, no one would be too excited about a BC-USF game.

The Big XII dynamic, coupled with a rabid Missouri fan base, should be enough to get the Tigers the bid. The game would also showcase two great QBs in Chase Daniel and Matt Ryan. Don't discount Missouri creeping into national title contention if they win out while other teams lose...Something to keep an eye on.

BCS National Title Game: LSU vs. Oregon

Fittingly, the two best conferences this season offer up their best, as the Ducks get a chance to beat the Tigers.

Oregon gets in on their SOS, which increases as they face the Trojans, Sun Devils, and Bruins.

LSU gets in by virtue of their SEC title, and Oregon represents the Pac-10 as their champion.

This would be a wildly entertaining game.

This wasn’t supposed to be the Buckeyes' year.

They were supposed to be in rebuilding mode after losing every one of their major offensive playmakers.

Who was Todd Boeckman?  Could Beanie Wells carry the load?  How effective would Ohio State’s defensive line be while breaking in new starters? Was James Laurinaitis overrated?

The general consensus was that this was the year Ohio State would lose to Lloyd Carr and the more talented, more experienced Michigan Wolverines. 

As Athlon Sports predicted, “Ohio State has its work cut out for it if it is to return to the top of the Big Ten and the BCS bowl equation.”  

While Boeckman had been around the program for four years, he'd only thrown 10 career passes. Prognosticators said he'd be at best a caretaker for the Buckeyes offense—à la Craig Krenzel, whose conservative yet effective decision-making led the Buckeyes to a National Championship in 2003.

That said, even the skeptics admitted Boeckman would be throwing to some up-and-coming playmakers: Ray Small, Brian Hartline, and Brian Robiskie.  All three had shown promise behind Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez. 

Robiskie was especially promising—and his size, speed, and ability to make tough catches have helped him emerge as one of the best OSU receivers in some time.

Wells has also lived up to expectations in the backfield, running for 642 yards (5.4 YPC) with six touchdowns and no fumbles—all on a gimpy ankle.

Wells' carries have been relatively limited in order to keep him fresh, as well as to give talented backup running backs Maurice Wells and Brandon Saine some time in the limelight.

Boeckman, Robiskie, and Wells—as well as an improved offensive line led by tackles Alex Boone, and Kirk Barton and guard Steve Rehring—have led the Buckeyes offense to an impressive 35.7 scoring output per game.

The defense, meanwhile, has been as good as advertised, allowing only 6.6 points per game.  Led by Nagurski Award-winner James Laurinaitis, stud defensive end Vernon Gholston, and defensive backs Malcolm Jenkins and Donald Washington, the Buckeyes D has picked up where it started off last year—and continues to be the foundation for Jim Tressel’s football team. 

There's still a stigma attached to this Ohio State team after last year’s National Championship game, but all the Buckeyes have does is win—which is more than can be said for most of the other top teams in the country.

As it stands, the Ohio State Buckeyes have impressively, interestingly, and astoundingly risen to the top of the polls.

Some writers and analysts might quibble with the Buckeyes' lack of a signature victory, but the reality is that everyone else has lost.  Only in this crazy season could I call such a team deserving of the No. 1 spot.

Ohio State was ranked No. 11 in the AP Preseason ranking. Let’s examine how each of the ten preceding teams fell flat on their faces:

1. USC

The Trojans, considered by Stanford Head Coach Jim Harbaugh to be the “best team in the history of college football,” showed their promise early on in the season by disposing of previously highly-ranked Nebraska. 

Warning bells started to ring when SC barely skated by a Washington team that got destroyed by Ohio State.  And of course, who could forget the irony of SC losing to the team whose coach deemed the Trojans the best team ever?

USC’s 20-13 win over a not-so-talented Arizona team may spell doom for Pete Carroll’s national championship hopes.

2. LSU

Les Miles’ LSU Tigers were the consensus No. 1 team last week after barely getting by a talented Florida Gators squad in Death Valley. Their place in the BCS Championship game in New Orleans wasn’t guaranteed, but many felt the Tigers were a good bet to lose no more than one game.

Well, they lost that one game this weekend at Kentucky. 

The visit to the Commonwealth should have produced a relatively easy win—especially after LSU beat this same Kentucky team 49-0 last year—but a series of injuries and an unwavering game plan by Rich Brooks led to an improbable Kentucky victory. 

While Andre’ Woodson didn't have a Heisman-caliber performance, not many other players have impressed, either.  One thing’s for sure: LSU players Fear the Apostrophe.

Note: LSU is still really, really good.  It’s a shame that Matt Flynn had to go and lose the game for this otherwise extremely talented team.  Verne Lundquist can vouch for Flynn all he wants, but since when are poorly thrown balls the fault of the receivers?   

3. West Virginia

As proved by their performance thus far, the Mountaineers go as their running game goes. 

In the five games WVU has won, they have produced an astounding 337 rushing yards per game.  In the loss against South Florida, West Virginia ran for 205 yards. 

Though it looks like West Virginia has a chance—with some help—to win the Big East title, their loss to South Florida all but destroyed the Mountaineers' national championship aspirations. 

4. Texas

The Texas Longhorns may be one of the most disappointing teams in college football.

Building off his impressive freshman performance, sophomore quarterback Colt McCoy was expected to finally emerge from Vince Young’s shadow and lead the Longhorns to the BCS Championship. 

BCS or Bust, I said. 

The warning signs were there early in the season, as the Longhorns struggled against Arkansas State, TCU (for a half), and Central Florida.

Still, their 41-21 loss to Kansas State was a surprise to me, as K-State dominated in all aspects of the game. 

UT’s 28-21 loss to Oklahoma was expected, but not many could have imagined the Horns would start off 0-2 in the Big 12 conference.  Texas looks like it could have rebounded after this Saturday’s blowout of Iowa State, but a Big 12 title is highly unlikely.

5. Michigan

Forget Texas—Michigan is THE most disappointing team in college football. 

The Wolverines' inexcusable loss at the hands of the Appalachian State Mountaineers in Week One was compounded by a 39-7 blowout against Oregon. 

With Michigan 0-2, there were rumblings that Lloyd Carr would be fired on the spot.  But, to their credit, the Wolverines have struggled through the adversity, and still have a good shot at winning the Big Ten. 

That said, the losses at the beginning of the season showed that this team was vastly overrated.  If they’d done better, Mike Hart would be the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. 

Hart's inspired play—playing through a myriad of injuries and carrying the team on his shoulders—has been overshadowed by Michigan’s early ineptitude.

6. Florida

The Florida Gators have also lost twice—but their losses were by a combined seven points to two teams ranked in the Top 25. 

Would they beat Ohio State more often than not? Probably. Unfortunately, one more loss would be the kiss of death for their SEC Championship aspirations. 

Remember, though: Tim Tebow wears Jorts, and his tears cure cancer.

7. Wisconsin

Another team that hasn't lived up to the preseason hype. 

Following a 12-1 season—capped by a dominating performance over SEC runner-up Arkansas in the Capital One Bowl—things were looking up in Madison.  Three-year starter Jon Stocco was gone, but fifth-year senior Tyler Donovan was stepping in.  The P.J. Hill Heisman campaign was on the horizon, as the sophomore running back looked to improve on his 1,569 yard rushing performance in 2006. 

But things haven’t gone as planned. 

Wisconsin won close games over UNLV and Iowa and allowed 31 points to The Citadel before being upset by the Illinois Fighting Illini.  With a chance to redeem themselves in Happy Valley, the Badgers lost embarrassingly, 38-7. 

The Wisconsin Badgers are a textbook example of paper champions: The talent is there, but they can't deliver on the field.

8. Oklahoma

The Sooners are the one team on this list that may have exceeded expectations.

Following the departure of Adrian Peterson and Paul Thompson, most observers expected OU to struggle.  More than halfway through the season, though, the Sooners have emerged as the favorite in the Big 12 South. 

It wouldn’t be surprising for the Sooners to win out, but their 27-24 loss at Colorado could hurt them if LSU and OSU also run the table.

9. Virginia Tech

The Hokies had a rough start to the regular season, struggling against East and North Carolina and getting blow out by LSU.

Things started to turn around with a 41-23 win over Clemson—and with freshman QB Tyrod Taylor at the helm, the Hokies look to be one of the favorites in the ACC again. 

Their early loss actually helps Virginia Tech in the polls, as they are once again ranked in the top 12.

10. Louisville

The Cardinals have been out of the national championship talk for a month after losing to Kentucky, Syracuse, and Utah. 

Louisville seems to have finally rebounded with a win over the previously undefeated Cincinnati Bearcats, and may still win the Big East depending on what happens to West Virginia and South Florida.

You know the Sports Illustrated curse? Maybe after this season there’s also a Preseason Poll curse.

No.'s 1-10 already went down—and No. 11 had better watch out.

Extra Points

1. At no point did it ever cross my mind that Boston College was the No. 3 team in the country after only beating I-AA instate “rival” UMass by 10 points.  But let me repeat that.  BC is presently No. 3 in the country.  Bow down to their greatness.  One thing I have noticed about ascending teams this year is that once too much spotlight is pressed upon them (see: LSU, Cal, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Missouri, etc., etc.), they ultimately get upset.  Fittingly, Boston College travels to Blacksburg, Virginia to play a reinvigorated Virginia Tech Hokies team.  By the way this season is progressing I wouldn’t be surprised if Boston College lost this football game.

2. Boston College being ranked No. 3 in the country is almost as absurd as South Florida being ranked No. 2 in the country.  While I’m not really disputing the positions of these undefeated teams, I can assure you that no sane, rational fan or writer or analyst could’ve told you these two teams would be as successful as they have been more than halfway through the season.  But that’s why we play the game.

3. The seat for Bill Callahan has to be getting pretty uncomfortably hot at this point.  Nebraska’s 45-14 loss at the hands of the 40-year old man Mike Gundy’s Oklahoma State Cowboys was one of the worst losses at home in the history of Nebraska football.  A similar loss helped show the door for Callahan’s predecessor, Frank Solich, so the writing may be on the wall.  Callahan was supposed to modernize the Cornhuskers offense and return the illustrious program from mediocrity during Solich’s tenure.  Well, Nebraska is currently 4-3 (1-2 in the Big 12) after being blown out by Missouri and Oklahoma State and almost losing at home to Ball State.  It may be time for a change.  More on the coaching hot seat later.

4. Remember Jake the Snake? Is this the year that Arizona State, led by junior quarterback Rudy Carpenter returns to prominence in the Pac-10?  Arizona State quietly remains as the only undefeated school in the conference, but has played one of the most cream-puff schedules to this point.  ASU will get plenty of opportunities to prove its worth with games against Cal, at Oregon, at UCLA, USC, and Arizona.  At least they got the likes of San Jose State out of the way for their National Championship push…Just to clarify they aren’t going to be close.

5. Speaking of San Jose State, the Spartans had a great opportunity to put to rest the arguments of those affiliated with Hawai’i who truly believed their team deserved to get a shot at the national title if the Warriors indeed went 12-0.  Alas, a 14 point deficit was not enough for the Man among Warriors Colt Brennan, as he heroically led his troops to victory.  He has thrown 9 interceptions combined in games against Idaho and San Jose State, yet is still on the Heisman long-list in some eyes.  I disagree.

6. It’s been real, UConn.  The Huskies finally played a real team (Virginia) and lost 17-16.  Connecticut had surprisingly gone 5-0.  A quiet 5-0.  So quiet that the Huskies weren’t even ranked in the top 25.  That’s what they get for playing the Duke/Maine/Temples of the world.  With their schedule, I wouldn’t be surprised if Connecticut lost the rest of their games and missed out on a bowl game—even with a 5-0 head start.

7. In the battle of the Carolinas, South Carolina barely edged North Carolina 21-15 as USC quarterback Chris Smelley once again looked impressive throwing for 3 touchdowns. Though UNC was down 21-3 in the 4th quarter, freshman quarterback T.J. Yates led his team back, throwing for a touchdown and running for another.  Although it has been tough for the Tar Heels to establish a consistent running game with the duo of Johnny White and Anthony Elzy, Yates and sophomore wide receiver Hakeem Nicks have given fans in Chapel Hill reason to believe.

8. Texas Tech finally beat a team with some credentials, easily disposing of the embattled head coach Dennis Franchione and his Texas A&M team.  Although A&M had not beaten Tech in Lubbock in 14 years, Aggies running back Jorvorskie Lane foolishly guaranteed a victory over the Red Raiders earlier in the week.  To their credit, Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree each had impressive games and finally deserve some of the Heisman hype coming their way.  If Harrell, Crabtree, and the Red Raiders can beat Missouri next week, I’ll be even more convinced.

9. Vanderbilt lost in typical “Vanderbilt fashion” to Georgia.  Up 17-7 in the 3rd quarter, the Commodores let up a touchdown in the 3rd and gave up the lead with a field goal try by Brandon Coutu in the 4th quarter.  After a fumble by Vanderbilt running back Cassen Jackson-Garrison, Knowshon Moreno and the Bulldogs drove down the field for a game-winning field goal by Coutu.  This win over the Commodores ruined Vanderbilt’s homecoming celebrations (though it probably didn’t ruin their partying after the game was over) and avenged Georgia’s homecoming loss against Vandy last year.  It doesn’t look like Vanderbilt will get to 6 wins this season, though with all of the craziness in college football this year, I shouldn’t be surprised about anything.

10. Darren McFadden’s Heisman hopes took a major hit after his 17 carry 43 yard performance against the Auburn Tigers.  McFadden’s performance this year proves the importance of the team concept in college football; while McFadden is arguably the best player in college football, he needs to have some semblance of talent around him to succeed.  Unfortunately, since wide receiver Marcus Monk is still out with an injury, the only other talented players on Arkansas are backup running back Felix Jones and fullback Peyton Hillis.  Even with a decent defense, it’s tough to win without an offensive line, good receivers, or a quarterback.

11. Suddenly, Auburn is looking really good in its impending game at LSU next Saturday.  With a defense capable of stopping the best runner in the country, Auburn will be able to compete and possibly win in this hostile environment.  What will Brandon Cox do this time?  I know you’re all curious.

12. Northwestern quarterback C.J. Bacher threw for another 470 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 49-48 overtime victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers.  The Wildcats are now 4-3 with a good shot at making a bowl game.  No matter how well they do, though, I cannot overstate that they’ll have to live with losing to Duke for years and years to come.

13. Though Pittsburgh is painfully bad this year, freshman running back “Shady” McCoy is having a banner season and is on pace for 1,336 yards and 18 touchdowns.  This might not be Pitt’s year, but they will be a force again in the Big East with such youthful talent.

14. Stanford followed up its shocking upset over USC by losing to TCU, 38-36.  Don’t worry, Jim Harbaugh.  You still beat the best team in the history of the universe, which is enough for one season.

15. God proved today that he made a mistake after all of these years and in fact is a fan of Boston College and not Notre Dame.  He mixed up His Catholic schools, an honest mistake.  If BC ends up winning the National Championship this year, we’ll all know the real reason and it won’t be because of Matt Ryan.

Washington University (MO) Watch: Washington University won the Founders Cup over rival University of Chicago by the score, 31-10.  The WashU defense continues to impress, forcing 7 turnovers in the first half including a 62-yard fumble recovery and touchdown by junior defensive end, Brent Sensenich.  The Bears (6-1) look to make a push for the Division III playoffs with games against Carnegie Mellon University, Case Western Reserve University, and Greenville College (IL) to end out the season.

Some Links

-So I mentioned before that Bill Callahan was on the hot seat in Lincoln after getting blown out by Oklahoma State.  Well, at least he’s in better shape than the No. 1 person by CoachesHotSeat.com, Houston Nutt.  Sitting comfortably at No. 120 at the bottom of this list is Ohio State’s own Jim Tressel.

-This guy is just one of many protesting Houston Nutt and the Arkansas Razorbacks.  Weren’t they SEC runners-up last year?

-We knew it was coming.  I present to you a Mike Gundy-inspired car dealership commercial.  Fowler Toyota! Buy from me! I’m a man!

-You’d think Matt Grothe’s biggest test against Central Florida would’ve been its athletic linebacker corps or its play-calling scheme, but after dropping 60 points on UCF it must’ve been the thousands of Facebook pokes he received from students of the rival school.

-Kansas is 6-0 and already beat up on its instate rival, Kansas State.  Here is a pretty basic visual summary of how this game went (Warning: Graphic implications).  At least the Jayhawks Public Relations Department has Head coach Mark Mangino’s back.

-Here is a song dedicated to Ole Miss Head coach Ed Orgeron.  Colonel Reb is Cryin’.

-If you didn’t hear about the Akron-Western Michigan game from last week, WMU opted to take a safety deep in its own territory as opposed to punting the ball back to Akron with little time left in the 4th quarter.  On the ensuing free kick, Akron caught the ball and took it back for a touchdown anyways.

-From early on, Georgia fans are trained to know that Tim Tebow wears jean shorts.

-Let’s go Gators, Let’s go Gators, rah-rah-rah.

-Speaking of which, Tim Tebow had to get a new cell phone number after it was leaked to hundreds of LSU fans.  Here is a “transcript” of some of the cell phone calls.

-Craig Steltz may have gotten knocked out of the LSU-Kentucky game for a while, but he laid the wood on Florida running back Kestahn Moore.

-Here is a list of some of the best signs from College Gameday in Baton Rouge.

-West Virginia, a Top 15 team came to Syracuse last weekend.  But you wouldn’t be able to tell looking at the crowd in the Carrier Dome.

-Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel regarded the Nebraska “blackshirt” D as simple and stubborn as a high school defense.

-Former Tennessee standout defensive tackle John Henderson shows how he gets pumped for a game.

-You’ve heard of 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon, but what about six degrees of Vinny Testaverde?

-A pre-Halloween festival in New Bremen, Ohio dropped a 900-pound pumpkin on a Michigan Wolverine-inspired truck.  O-H…I-O.

-So the Miami Hurricanes athletic department has decided that the Miami students will be asked to wear beach attire in the student section at basketball games.  Oh how I wish college basketball would come sooner…

Next Week: Sunday Afternoon Quarterback may or may not be in Lexington, Kentucky to see the clash between two of the best quarterbacks in the country, Tim Tebow and Andre’ Woodson.  LSU fell to the Kentucky Wildcats this weekend.  Will the Gators Fear the Apostrophe too?

 

Remind me, has Hawaii played any team worth noting?

Absolutely not.

At the beginning of the season, out of 50 top teams, Hawaii's strength of schedule ranked near the bottom of the list.

The opponents Hawaii has faced so far have a total record of 7-28.

The toughest opponent the Warriors have faced is Charleston Southern, who are currently at 3-3 but lost to Hawaii 66-10.

What a force they are.

So how can Hawaii possibly be ranked 16th in the country, ahead of teams like Illinois, Wisconsin, and Auburn?

The rankings are flawed.

This time it has nothing to do with the BCS.

I'm not exactly sure what's going through voters' heads this year. My first guess is they want parity among teams, just like in college basketball.

There are more surprising teams—such as Kansas, who will fall out of the Top 25 down the road against formidable Big 12 opponents.

However, the Jayhawks deserve to be there more than Hawaii—at least they beat a Top 25 team (Kansas State) last Saturday. 

Other superior teams include Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Indiana, who are on the cusp of making a move into the Top 25. They also deserve to be there more than Hawaii. 

Don't be surprised when Hawaii eventually falls to a team in the WAC.

Boise State will finally put Hawaii in its place in late November. That's if Fresno State  doesn't beat the Warriors first. The Bulldogs have had a good year so far, losing to Texas A&M early this year in a close game.

Hawaii is ranked for only one reason: QB Colt Brennan.

I'm not here to bash Brennan whatsoever. He's one of the top QBs in college football at the moment. However, most of those stats are due to Hawaii's offense.

Nonetheless, critics also have to realize the WR core in Hawaii is nothing short of great. It's hard to stop the WR tandem of Bess and Mullen.

Then again, we don't know what numbers would be put up against quality Top 50 opponents.

Brennan is throwing the ball against opposition that is, well, terrible.

Still, one player should not determine the status of the rankings. Yes, he is a Heisman Trophy candidate, but the schedule is nothing.

At the end of the season, the rankings will be correct.

Hawaii will be out.

As for the aforementioned teams (Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Indiana), they will be on the cusp or in the Top 25.

Deservedly so.

Les Miles was crazy—but it worked.

USC was bad—and it showed.

And Missouri was [insert synonym for "spectacular" here].

After another week of great games, the college football photograph only got fuzzier—complete with red eyes and all.

There were 14 undefeated teams coming into the weekend. Three fell, bringing the total to 11. 

We also still have 17 one-loss teams after Week Six.

11+17=28. 

So there are 28 teams who have won at least 80 percent (or more) of their games thus far. 

If you know anything about me, you know I like to reward teams that do what they're supposed to do: win.

But how am I supposed to choose 25 teams out of 28—especially considering that some teams who have lost two games are as deserving as any (e.g. Florida)?

Somehow, I managed to complete my top 25 for this week.  It took a while, but I survived. 

Beside each school's name, you'll see their overall record, their movement (based on my poll last week), and their game score from this weekend.

Remember, I'm not a historian or a psychic (at least not professionally), so the Top 25 is strictly based upon recent performance to this point in the season—as all polls should be. 

Leave tradition and what happened in 1948 where it belongs—in 1948. And I don't care if you thought Kansas got lucky against Kansas State—they're undefeated.

If you were to ask Kansas head coach Mark Mangino (no relation to NY Jets head coach Eric Mangini) what his goals were after Week Six, being undefeated would be atop the list. 

Passing percentages, turnover differential, time of possession, yards per game, and any of the other stats don't matter as long as the number after that little dash is a zero.

Week Six Top 25

1. LSU (6-0) (n/a) W v. Florida, 28-24

The Tigers have been impressive all along.

Even if you don't like Les Miles' attitude, you have to respect his guts. The Bayou Bengals were 5-5 on fourth down conversions against Florida.

LSU has fans talking about destiny. Remember, the National Championship Game will be played in New Orleans—in essence a home game for the Tigers, if they can get there.     

2. Cal (5-0) (+1) Bye

Cal's wins over Tennessee and Oregon are looking better and better, especially after the Vols opened up a 28-0 lead over 12th-ranked Georgia (AP Poll).

The Bears have perhaps the best speed in the country. I heard one college football fan put it best when he observed that anyone wearing Nos. 1-9 can score from anywhere on the field.

That said, the unsung hero of this team has been Justin Forsett. No. 20 has already rushed for nine touchdowns in five games.

3. Ohio State (6-0) (+1) W @ Purdue, 23-7

I doubted the Buckeyes from the beginning—until they beat up on a very solid Washington team in Seattle.

At half the score was 7-3, Huskies. The Buckeyes showed heart and came back to win 33-14.

This week, OSU converted some more believers by beating undefeated Purdue in West Lafayette, 23-7. Purdue's only score came with 10 seconds left in the game. 

We all know that offense wins games and defense wins championships. It's looking like LSU isn't the only team who can shut people down.

4. Boston College (6-0) (+1) W v. Bowling Green, 55-24

Matt Ryan=Good.

Scratch that—Matt Ryan=Really good.

The senior QB turned in a four-TD performance against Bowling Green. As long as Ryan is leading this team, the Eagles have a shot. They'll need his leadership and poise when they travel to South Bend this weekend and Blacksburg three weeks after that.

BC has surely played their easiest competition in the early part of this year. They'll need to pick up their game as they dig into the meat of their ACC schedule.

That said, the ACC has seemed a little flat so far this year—almost like that nasty Dr. Pepper that's been sitting in the fridge for two weeks.   

5. South Florida (6-0) (+4) W @ Florida Atlantic, 35-23

"Oh, the Bulls squeaked out a win against FAU."

That's all I've been hearing after USF's win on Saturday. 

Okay—but so what if the Bulls didn't exactly blow out the Owls? It was on the road, and FAU is still coached by Howard Schnellenberger—a living legend who led Miami (FL) to a national title back in the day.

If "squeaking out" a 12-point win on the road is the worst USF sees by the end of the year, they should be grateful.

The Louisville game isn't looking to be as big as it might have been, but now USF must be wary of Cincinnati and Connecticut in the Big East, not to mention Rutgers. 

6. Oklahoma (5-1) (+4) W v. Texas, 28-21 (neutral site)

What? Oklahoma at No. 6?

Yes.

The Sooners have played solid ball. Although they lost to Colorado on the road, they bounced back to beat rival Texas in Dallas.

"Yeah, but Texas was overrated."

They may have been, but the bottom line is that OU is 5-1, with a last-second field goal loss on the road.

Remember, this is the same Oklahoma team whose average margin of victory in its first four games was an astonishing 49.8 points.

I can't wait to see what happens when Missouri heads to Norman this weekend.

7. South Carolina (5-1) (+5) W v. Kentucky, 38-23

The Gamecocks played LSU well in Death Valley. They also just beat eighth-ranked Kentucky by 15.

Sure, 14 of USC's points were off two Eric Norwood fumble recoveries for touchdowns, but isn't defense part of the game?

Here's the deal—South Carolina has performed well so far. Let's see what happens when the Gators come to Columbia on November 10th. 

8. Hawaii (6-0) (+3) W v. Utah State, 52-37

"Hawaii at No. 8?!"

The Rainbow Warriors are undefeated, and have Colt Brennan at QB.

That said, I'll continue to be skeptical until they play Boise State—and Washington sits on Hawaii's schedule as their last opponent.

Remember, Washington is the only team that's beaten BSU this season. 

I really don't like Hawaii's defense, but with an offense like that, no defense is going to come off as impressive. Plus, no team is safe even with a three-score lead over the Warriors.     

9. Oregon (4-1) (+4) Bye

Oregon very well may be the best one-loss team in the country—but they haven't really proven themselves with a big win.

Yeah, Michigan is looking to be a decent team once again, but a win over the Wolverines isn't enough to burnish the Ducks' resume. Get back to me after USC and Arizona State come to Eugene in consecutive weeks—then we'll talk about Oregon being in the hunt for a national title.

That said, I still love Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart.  Speed kills in today's game, and Oregon surely has plenty of it. 

10. West Virginia (5-1) (+4) W @ Syracuse, 55-14

You wanna talk about speed? 

WVU has plenty of it as well.

Even if QB Pat White is banged up, the Mountaineers still have Steve Slaton, Noel Devine, Darius Reynaud, and Jock Sanders. Throw in Jarrett Brown as White's backup and you have yourself a slough of athleticism.

I'm still not completely sold on the WVU defense—but they have gotten better; I will say that.

Better enough to hold off Rutgers, Cincy, and Louisville? 

We'll see. 

11. USC (4-1) (-9) L v. Stanford, 23-24

12. Florida (4-2) (-3) L @ LSU, 24-28

13. Missouri (5-0) (+7) W v. Nebraska, 41-6

14. Virginia Tech (5-1) (+2) W @ Clemson, 41-23

15. Kentucky (5-1) (-8) L @ South Carolina, 23-28

16. Arizona State (6-0) (+2) W vs. Washington State, 23-20

17. Cincinnati (6-0) (+4) W @ Rutgers, 28-23

18. Illinois (5-1) (+8) W v. Wisconsin, 31-26

19. Wisconsin (5-1) (-13) L @ Illinois, 26-31

20. Kansas (5-0) (+7) W @ Kansas State, 30-24

21. Purdue (5-1) (-4) L v. Ohio State, 7-23

22. Florida State (4-1) (+11) W v. NC State, 27-10

23. Connecticut (5-0) (+6) Bye

24. Boise State (4-1) (+11) W v. New Mexico State, 58-0

25. Texas A&M (5-1) (+7) W v. Oklahoma State, 24-23

My Next 10: Texas Tech, Mississippi State, Auburn, Rutgers, Tennessee, Indiana, Kansas State, Wyoming, Georgia, Texas

The much ballyhooed spread offense has gotten a lot of love the last few years, but the Auburn Tigers found the perfect way to stop it in their 20-17 win at Florida.

Josh Thompson and Pat Sims in the middle were stout in taking away the dive/draw plays that Florida had used so well early this season. Tim Tebow found some running lanes in the fourth quarter, but overall the Tiger run defense was admirable.

And since Auburn didn’t have to stack the middle to stop the run, they could play blanket coverage and swarm to receivers.

That leads to the next key point: While Brandon Cox and the Tiger offense have struggled this year, there's no questioning the speed and tackling on the defensive side of the ball.

The Tigers gang-tackled from sideline to sideline to stop the ball, forcing the Gators to grind out yards instead of taking them in chunks. A spread offense often struggles when asked to grind out yards, which was the case this weekend.

And what can you say about Cox? In a statement game, he was poised in the pocket and improvised when necessary. Running backs Ben Tate and Mario Fannin had some success on the ground, and Cox was efficient finding holes in the Gator zones for seven yards at a time.

It helps that the Gator defensive line aside from Derrick Harvey is very young and soft right now—but Cox stepped up as a leader should.

While the Miss State loss was a pretty bad one, the Bulldogs are better than they’ve been in years. What's more, Auburn’s loss to South Florida doesn’t look so bad with the Bulls beating everyone they play.

With the victory at Florida, it isn’t too late for the Tigers to turn their season around.

For the Gators, it was exactly the kind of game young teams lose. Brandon Cox’s senior leadership over the Gator defense’s inexperience was a huge asset for the Tigers.

This taste of mortality for Florida may do them some good in the long run.



The USC Trojans faced a very inspired team on the road in a hostile environment—and came out with a close victory.

USC committed 16 penalties, turned the ball over three times, missed a field goal, and had a punt blocked...but still found a way to win on a day when ranked teams were falling all across the country.

John David Booty was decent, throwing for 236 yards and a touchdown against two picks, but the backs saved the day for “Running Back U.”

Stafon Johnson ran the ball 14 times for 122 yards and a TD. Chauncey Washington had 20 carries for 106 more yards and another score.

The Trojan defense wasn’t bad either, allowing a paltry 190 yards of total offense by the Huskies. Though he ran for a pair of scores, Jake Locker showed his inexperience, as he was limited to 87 yards, an interception, and a sub-50 percent completion percentage.

To their credit, the Huskies did capitalize on USC's mistakes—most of their 24 points were the result of USC turnovers. That sort of opportunistic play will help them immensely down the line.

As it stands, though, the Trojan ground attack, defense, and big-game swagger are the best in the nation. It’s why they’re the class of the Pac-10...by far.




There were six “upsets” that took place this weekend—but that doesn’t mean that all of them were completely unexpected.

Rutgers and Texas had each looked unimpressive over the early part of the season, with Texas struggling to beat lesser teams and Rutgers playing a joke of a schedule.

With each team facing real competition for the first time, it isn’t much of a surprise that they both went down.

I rarely drop teams too far if they continue to win, but I wouldn’t have been the least bit upset if some poll voters had Texas and Rutgers in the upper teens instead of the Top 10. After this weekend, it's hard to justify Texas as a Top 20 team, and I have Rutgers out of my poll completely.

Texas at least has a decent win over TCU, and Kansas State’s only loss was at Auburn. Rutgers’ best win is vs. Navy. That’s not good enough to justify a ranking.

Clemson had floated into the top eight of some people’s polls, but the Tigers have a history of inconsistency. The fact is that Clemson had wins over a Florida State team that was still breaking in an offensive line (and dominated the second half of the game)...and a bunch of scrubs.

Losing on the road to teams that are good but not great has been Clemson’s M.O the last few years. I refused to move them up past No. 16 until they showed they could beat Georgia Tech, which they failed to do.

West Virginia wasn’t really favored to win on the road against a very talented South Florida team. I picked West Virginia because I thought they had learned from their loss last season against the Bulls. 

Maybe not.

The Mountaineers dink-and-dunk passing game allowed South Florida to stack the box.  Apparently, West Virginia still hasn't learn that fast defenses that can tackle can shut down its conservative offense.

That said, I’m not going to punish West Virginia too severely for losing on the road to a very good Bulls team.

Florida’s loss was a true upset—but even that loss didn’t come completely out of the blue. Like USF, Auburn has the speed, the defensive line, and the tackling ability needed to stop the spread.

Tommy Tuberville knows how to beat Florida, and knows how to win on the road against elite teams. With Brandon Cox coming around, Auburn is back to being Auburn again. Florida still takes a hit in the polls for losing at home to a team that lost to Miss State.

I still have no idea where the hell that Oklahoma loss to Colorado came from, given how dominating the Sooners had been up to Saturday afternoon.

It may be the strangest result we’ve had in the season so far, and the more I try to explain why it happened, the more my head hurts.

Colorado was playing at home and showed tremendous resolve after falling behind early. The loss is probably a fluke, but it shows that Dan Hawkins is starting to turn things around in Boulder.

Purdue’s season starts next week vs. Ohio State in one of the more under-the-radar big games of Week Six.

Ron Zook’s kids at Illinois finally have a little bit of experience. They showed last year that they had athleticism, but they had no idea what to do with it. Now they’re turning into playmakers—and in the topsy-turvy Big 10, the Illini have a fighting shot at winning the conference.

Nice to see Indiana off to a good start after the death of head coach Terry Hoeppner before the season. The Hoosiers overcame a lot of adversity last year while Hoeppner was trying to recover from brain surgery, and are continuing to show that fighting spirit this year.

After a win at Iowa, the Hoosiers are 1-1 in the Big 10 and get Minnesota next. With a win over the Gophers, the Hoosiers would have five wins overall and would only need one more to become bowl eligible. And what a wonderful tribute a bowl game would be to Coach Hoeppner’s memory.

Speaking of bowl eligibility, Vanderbilt is three wins away. They go to Auburn next, where the Tigers have already lost twice this season...but they did just beat Florida.

As usual, Oregon beat themselves in a big game. Four turnovers and a costly fumble at the end is what we’ve come to expect from the Ducks.

Still, their defense held strong for most of the game, they have talent all over the roster, and losing to Cal isn’t a death sentence.

In fact, with so many teams at the top of my poll losing, I actually moved Oregon up.

Colt Brennan threw five picks against Idaho, dropping him far in my Heisman rankings. Hawaii hasn’t beaten anybody this year, so why are they ranked so high?

Florida State’s defense is back, and their offensive line is getting less inept by the week. They have a long way to go, but the Seminoles made a statement against Alabama.

Sign of the times: South Florida is the highest ranked Florida team right now.

Oregon State’s special teams and quarterback situation are a mess. They’re starting to master the art of the collapse.

Nice job big, bad Texas Tech. Look how mighty you are, putting up 75 points against Northwestern State.

Maybe if you could, you know, beat teams like Oklahoma State, or score 75 points against teams like Texas, or maybe Oklahoma, people would accept you as the potent, state-of-the-art offensive machine you strive to be...instead of the run-of-the-mill neighborhood bully you really are.

Virginia is really playing well. They blasted Pitt 44-14, and that early-season loss to Wyoming is looking a lot smaller in the rear-view mirror.

Somebody predicted Auburn would beat Florida this weekend. That was (hangs head despondently), that was Mark May, proving why he’s a smarter man than all of us, and why we should never disagree with his opinions.

You know what else is pretty smart? My Top 25!

Top 25:

1) USC
2) LSU
3) Cal
4) Ohio State
5) USF
6) Wisconsin
7) Oregon
8) Arizona State
9) West Virginia
10) Oklahoma
11) Florida
12) Boston College
13) Georgia
14) Kentucky
15) South Carolina
16) Purdue
17) Missouri
18) Cincinnati
19) Nebraska
20) Virginia Tech
21) Texas
22) Virginia
23) Georgia Tech
24) Clemson
25) Hawaii

In the back of everyone's mind, you know who I am talking about. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech's leader of the most prolific offense known to college football. Why is everyone going ape crazy over Hawaii's Colt Brennan? Is it his passing numbers? His teams success? What does he have that Harrell doesn't have? Let's look at some of these stats...

1.) Team records*:  Hawaii 3-0; Texas Tech 3-0

2.) Passing yards as of week 3*:  G. Harrell 1317; C. Brennan 1262

3.) Passing TD's*:  G. Harrell 14; C. Brennan 12

4.) Conferences:  Texas Tech: Big XII; Hawaii: WAC

Sure, I know you are thinking that these don't count because they are still just non-conference stats. The thing is, if you look at these same stats at week 10 or week 12, you would see the same thing.

So why is Brennan being placed as a Heisman hopeful and Harrell is shoved to the side like all other Texas Tech football alums?  Why don't the voters just look at the stats?

The way I see it, Harrell is more deserving of the talk for two main reasons that set these two statistical mosters apart. First one being that Harrell has had to work with a completely new recieving corps this year. Putting up those numbers with so many new hands catching the ball is deserving of a mention.

Reason number two is being the conference that each team is in. Let's look at the Western Athletic Conference first. There is only one undefeated team at this point of the season, Hawaii. That's right, everyone else in the WAC has suffered at least one loss, including the mighty Boise State. Now we look at the Big XII Conference and we see that there are four undefeated teams in the South alone, six total. These teams include the powerhouses Oklahoma, Texas, and Nebraska, but they also have Missouri, Texas A&M and of course Texas Tech. Of those teams, Tech has to play three of those teams every year. This year Tech adds Missouri to the mix of conference play.

Now then, don't go saying that I am a Colt Brennan hater. He is doing a wonderful thing for a mid-major conference team, but there is better out there. If you are will to bring up Colt Brennan, then you should have no problem talking about Texas Tech's Graham Harrell. 

*All stats recorded from www.foxsports.com