Let’s a take moment of silence to remember Tito’s Idaho Vandals. *Pause*
A week of so much potential for wonderful chaos left us with a more set picture. Although TCU is largely assuredly to be undefeated, the suddenly don’t have any great wins. Oregon St. & Baylor both lost, and Utah got embarrassed by a Notre Dame team that got whalloped by Navy. It appears that Boise, strengthened by Virginia Tech’s dominance in the ACC, will likely jump TCU if the Broncos beat #18 Nevada in two weeks. Oregon appears in good shape, as Arizona and Oregon St. don’t look as troublesome as they did a week ago, though they did have to survive a scare at Cal. Auburn gets a week off to pray that Cam Newton isn’t declared ineligible while trying to prepare themselves for a trip to Bama.
It is hard to imagine a one-loss team like LSU getting into the title unless Boise, Auburn, and Oregon all lose. Possible, but for LSU it would require Auburn to probably lose twice (or get declared ineligible) so it appears LSU’s chances are equivalent to the chances of Christ coming back in the next few weeks. LSU appears to be the only one with a chance, as the computers don’t give anyone else much love, though I suspect Ohio St. could muscle their way into the picture with a big win over Iowa.
So yes, put me on record as publicly declaring that LSU’s chances of making it to the title game are equivalent to those of the Second Coming in the next few weeks. I doubt I will have to eat crow for that statement. Now to the rankings! Only 4 people this week, as MJ was busy writing actual blog posts and Tito went to the funeral of the Idaho Vandals. This week is a momentous occasion however, as we have our first unanimous #1! All comments by me unless indicated otherwise.
- Oregon – They didn’t look so invincible against the Cal Bears (DH)
- Auburn – Auburn boosters are really glad they get to go to Atlanta; now they can just drop the check off at Cecil Newtons rather than putting the checks in the mail.
- Boise St. – Week in and out they look like the real deal, but Nevada still awaits (DH)
- TCU – Never was a win so unremarkable, and a past opponent’s loss so remarkable (DH)
- LSU – May have to worry about style points to secure getting an at-large bid to a BCS bowl.
- Wisconsin – Running up the score against hapless Indiana is so un-Big Ten Like, Michigan awaits (DH)
- Stanford – This is who Notre Dame & other elite academic schools should model themselves after (DH)
- Ohio St. (TIE w/ Stanford) – Joe Pa & Matt McGloin still don’t know what hit them in the second half (DH)
- Nebraska – The Texas loss will really hurt, as they’re probably in the title game without it. Still, taking the Big 12’s last title with it to the Big 10 will be a nice consolation prize.
- Oklahoma St. – Even if everyone is doing it, it’s still a lot of fun to mess with Texas
- Michigan St. – Turned from hating Iowa to becoming their biggest fans in the course of 3 hours.
- Alabama – Rebounded nicely against Miss. St. to reestablish themselves as a huge threat to Auburn.
- Arkansas – Got a scare from UTEP, but will have to win out to recover a season that started off with high expectations
- Virginia Tech – With the division all but wrapped up, is playing more for Boise than themselves.
- Oklahoma – With all their problems, can still win the division if they win out (assuming Okie lite drops behind them)
- South Carolina – Not only did they win, they beat Florida down in the Swamp in a must-win game for the Gators. Very impressive. Now they get a chance to upset the WarPlainsTigerEagleMen for a berth in the Sugar Bowl
- Missouri – A win over Kansas St. was helped by the Wildcats’ fumble at the goal-line. They should be set for #2 in the North
- Texas A&M – a late season surge may be too late for the Big 12, but preventing Texas from going to a bowl would be more valuable
- Nevada – They’ll get their moment against Boise St.
- Iowa – Northwestern is underrated, but the luster got taken off their match against Ohio St.
- Mississippi St. – Wasn’t a pretty loss, but no shame in it. Miss. St. just isn’t in the elite of the SEC, but they’ve established themselves as a very solid team.
- USC – I’ve been hating on this team for a while, but solid performance against Stanford and the win v. Arizona makes you wonder what would have happened if USC hadn’t been sanctioned this year. Bad news for Notre Dame
- Arizona – Not the best way to prove yourself before the big game
- Northwestern – Does Pat Fitzgearld have the Wildcats poised to be the future Stanford? (DH)
- Miami (FL) – An outside chance at the ACC isn’t much, but they’d still love to knock VT down a peg.
Others receiving votes: Utah, North Illinois, Maryland
LSU continues to romp through their most difficult schedule since they take “all-comers”.
They destroyed the University of the Little Sisters of the Poor this past weekend to increase their chances of playing for the mythical championship.
//sarcasm off
I am no fan of LSU (or anyone else in the SEC for that matter), but let’s not pretend that TCU or Boise State would still be undefeated if they had played LSU’s schedule.
Boise State’s “signature” win was a last-second comeback against a team that lost to James Madison.
Tito:
LSU has 7 bowl eligible teams, with an additional 3 BCS teams on the schedule. They play two in-state teams in accordance with LSU’s determination to help other in-state schools financially. Name me a team with a better schedule than LSU. Certainly not Boise, who plays 3, maybe 4 bowl eligible teams this year.
LSU’s cupcake games are Boise’s conference showdowns. Name me a team with a tougher schedule.
Easy to say when the BCS schools avoid Boise State.
That’s fair?
Easy to say when the BCS schools avoid Boise State.
That’s fair?
Yeah, which is why Boise played Oregon St. and Virginia Tech this year. No ones playing them.
LSU is not under an obligation to play every non-AQ team that wants a shot at the big time.
But you dodged the question: name me a team with a tougher schedule.
I defer on Boise State until next year… when they are a member of the Pac 10. At that point, we’ll see how they fare with a tougher schedule.
Bring on the Huskers! I believe they are entitled to another “don’t let the door hit you on the way out” loss. 🙂
A flashback to 1998:
VATech’s loss to James Madison was a fluke. Aside from that game, VATech has played pretty well. It’s loss to Boise State was as close as could be, and it was the opening game of a very young and inexperienced defense against a team full of returning starters. That said, while Boise State is a good team I agree that they would likely not be able to withstand the weekly challenges of a top conference.
I defer on Boise State until next year… when they are a member of the Pac 10. At that point, we’ll see how they fare with a tougher schedule.
You mean Utah. Utah and Colorado are joining the PAC 12. Boise is joining the MWC next year, so TCU and Boise will be playing each other.
Mike,
The Hokies are running the table in the ACC – weakest BCS conference not called the Big East.
😉
And I say that as an ACC alum.
This is why college is such bs. So Boise St is given the shaft not just because they play a weak schedule that is the result of higher profile programs ducking them, but even the good teams that they beat are downgraded because they don’t really play a tough enough schedule, or the teams that they beat aren’t really that good. Let’s go nuts and just look at the teams beaten by the teams beaten by the teams beaten by the teams beaten by Boise St and TCU and see what their strength of schedule is like.
Let’s cut this farce out already and just declare that only teams in the Big 10, Pac 10, Big 12, and SEC are truly eligible for the title game, and in the former two conferences only in certain select years when the conference is strong.
Eh, screw it, whoever wins the SEC should just be declared the national champion.
Eh, screw it, whoever wins the SEC should just be declared the national champion.
Works for me. 😉
So Boise St is given the shaft not just because they play a weak schedule that is the result of higher profile programs ducking them,
I think TCU could make this claim, but not Boise. They played 2 BCS teams, and not puny ones either. Both OSU and VT were close to winning their conference the year before.
Plus VoTech is back from the brink this year.
Oh, please. Spare me the cries about how college football is a sham. I don’t think Boise State has played as tough a schedule as LSU, but I still have the Broncos ranked 2nd because (1) they’ve done what’s been asked of them and (2) I think Alabama will beat Auburn while Boise State will likely run the table. If that happens, then Boise State belongs in the championship game.
But if there are 4 or 5 undefeated teams at the end of the season, and one of those teams has beaten several other top 25 teams, forgive me for being more impressed with that team than I am the gimmicky team playing on a gimmicky blue field. I have them at #2 right now, so all you playoff crybabies should just be satisfied with that.
😉
I think TCU could make this claim, but not Boise. They played 2 BCS teams, and not puny ones either. Both OSU and VT were close to winning their conference the year before.
Yes, but then we hear about how these programs really aren’t that strong, and they play in weaker BCS conferences, etc. It’s like Boise St can’t win. First they’re knocked for playing in a weak conference, and then the wins against teams from elite conferences are pooh-poohed. I’m sure BSU would welcome the opportunity to play upper echelon schools, but that’s just not going to happen – and I don’t even blame the elites for ducking BSU when their conference schedules are so tough. Why on Earth would LSU or Alabama or Oklahoma schedule BSU or TCU when they’ve got to play five or six top 25 teams within their own conference?
The system itself is what the problem is.
Eh, who cares. Real football is played on Sundays anyway. 🙂
And I predict the Hokies will lose whatever BCS bowl game they play in, assuming they beat whatever 7-4 team they play in the ACC championship.
Well, at least “real football” was finally played in the Meadowlands on Sunday. Finally.
You may be right, Jay, but I’m not so sure. If Hokies run the table, the most likely Orange Bowl opponent will be TCU, which should be a very interesting game. I’m a Duke guy myself, but admit to being a fan of Beamer ball. His end of season team rankings consistently out-perform his recruiting class rankings, which is the mark of good coaching. And Beamer is not afraid to play a risky non-conf opponent ala Boise State, something he does pretty much every year. If the Orange Bowl match-up turns out to be TCU then one would expect a high-scoring game, which is why it will probably be a defensive struggle.
I think this year’s Tech team might be a bit under-rated. Beamer has admitted he should not have scheduled a game for the Saturday after the Monday night Boise State game (I doubt Boise State did), and it was that loss to James Madison that really haunts them. IMO the loss to Boise State was predictable given that Tech was starting 7 or 8 newbees on defense and Boise State’s offense brought back everyone. That experience mismatch probably does not amount to much now, but it certainly would in game 1.
The only thing sadly that will get LSU in is if this Cam Newton thing explodes. That is SEC followers and voters learn that AUBURN got to where it at by having a player that should not be playing and their is revolt with votes going to LSU
It already appears to me as Clay Travis reported that Newton very likely is already no eligible
Nebraska offered a 2 for 1 vs Boise State and they declined…
SEC West teams play the toughest schedule. And, LSU has the most Top 25 wins this season.
Of course, a playoff would solve all of this.
(But, then, we’d have arguments about how many teams get in the playoff. With an 8 team playoff, teams 9 -12 would complain; and so forth.)
As for Cam Newton, maybe he should be ineligible. Either way, his team spanked LSU. No doubt. I’d love for LSU to make the SEC Championship game (assuming that they beat Arkansas; not an easy task). But, I’d always have the memory that on the field – where it matters – they got beat. For me, it would always have an asterisk.