I think we’re seeing a lot more programs facing your predicament: contenders, but not annually, and certainly not achieving a level of dominance. The NCAA grand poobahs have mandated a higher degree of parity among programs (through a lower ceiling on scholarships, etc.) and it shows, with the flipside of parity being higher rankings volatility. We’re seeing a lot of teams (like freakin’ Vanderbilt) reaching the promised land that is the AP Top 25 rankings, only to be undone by an upset or predictable defeat.
Looks like a couple of good weekends shaping up. Couple of big upsets perhaps in the BCS rankings.
I’m rootin’ for Pokes and Buckeyes. Lets hope they can do something. Even if Ok St loses, maybe they can beat up Texas and soften them up for Texas Tech (who I’m watching now, and they don’t look half bad).
Should be a good night for football…
Did you all enjoy Wisconsin’s clinic on “How to lose a Football Game”? :smack:
They played fairly well today, small redemption for a pretty horrible season if they knock off a ranked Mich. St. All they had to do was kill those last two minutes…
Holding! Ten yards. False Start. Five more. Have to punt, now. The rest is the stuff legends are built around…
Stupifying. I really feel sorry for the fans who sat there the whole game, only for it to end like that!
OK, Oregon/Cal isn’t a huge game. But, why isn’t ABC broadcasting it in High Def? This is a game which is going out to most of the West Coast. I guess they’re saving money figuring everyone is watching Georgia/Florida.
Roll tide! This is a truly great picture that perfectly sums up the entire game.
Well, the Gators are thoroughly dismantling the Bulldogs, which should position them very nicely in the BCS. Probably an outside shot at best at the national championship, but odder things have happened.
Nice win by Ole Miss over Auburn. Anyone else think Auburn is looking for a new coach next year? Lane Kiffin a fit at Auburn?
I would not want to coach at Auburn. Why would a talented player pick Auburn over Alabama or Florida?
As an MSU grad, I enjoyed the ending immensely. Michigan State’s dropped passes? Not so much.
The one drop was almost a magic trick, though. He catches the ball at the two, runs in for the score… and there’s the ball, just sitting there all alone, still on the two. 
Damn.
Tech is coming out guns blazing. Raiders have had the ball most of the first quarter - only 8 plays for the horns, and 1 a safety. Sis in the band says the stands are as crazy as the people in Joker makeup the cameras seem to like so much.
No way they get up this much next week though.
They have a lot more than an outside shot.
If Texas loses, Florida vs Penn State is the most likely outcome.
I think I deserve a Fan of the Week Award, for sitting 4 hours in driving rain in Berkeley. Of course it helps that the Bears won…doubt I would’ve stayed to the end of a loss.
Florida still has to get by Florida State. Today’s loss sucked, but FSU is still able to beat Florida. Florida vs Alabama would be an amazing game this year. I’d also say that Alabama could beat Florida today in an SEC championship game.
Not if Texas Tech goes undefeated.
Rough day for the state of Washington,the two big schools lost by a combined score of 114-0.
I’m still amazed at how bad Washington and Washington State are this year.
I have no idea who will coach Washington next year. But, they need a coach who can recruit and also one who knows about defense.
Both losses today were embarassing. Could you imagine Alabama and Auburn getting blown out by 50 point margins in the same week? Florida State and Miami?
Used to happen all the time with Washington and Washington St. I remember growing up in the 60s and 70s that Washington, Wash. St., Oregon and Oregon St. were football doormats, especially for UCLA and USC.
Texas Tech wins it on an unbelievable touchdown with one second left on the clock.
They are certainly capable of going undefeated, but they have Oklahoma State up next, followed by a road game at Oklahoma. I don’t think they win both of those.
That leaves the door open for the winner of Florida and Alabama. Based on their blowouts of Georgia and LSU, I think Florida is the favorite to win out and go to the national championship.
http://jax2.zenblue.net/b12flow.png
That explains the situation in the Big XII south pretty well.
Slight nitpick: They won this game in the first half. They scored the requiste points on the last play. They pretty much had the Longhorn’s number today. Colt just got them close. I, for one, didn’t see it coming, but liked it none the less. Kinda like going to a family reunion and getting laid by the stranger your cousin brought.
Random observations: ASU sucks. And thier coach looks like an old lesbian. 
90% of kickoffs could be called “offsides” if anybody really gave a damn. They need to bring back the 5-yard facemask penalty. The 15 yarder changes the game too much for an innocent touch. Hooray for Pittsburg!
[Note: I wrote the following before finding this thread. I’ll read the thread tomorrow.]
Is everybody in agreement that Texas Tech should leapfrog Penn State and move into 2nd place? And furthermore, if, Og forbid, Florida should beat Bama, that Florida should leapfrog Penn State as well? No offense to the Big 10, but I think it’s pretty safe to say at this point that the Big 12 champ should meet the SEC champ for the title. Unless something surprising happens, I’m pretty sure that the computers will put Penn State at 3rd or lower.
You might say “Are you advocating a system that places the champions of the 2 strongest conferences together in the Championship Game?” I’d say that that’s not any worse than any other plan. Hell, I’d ALMOST say that the Championship Game should include the SEC champion and the highest non-SEC team, but times could change to where the SEC is no longer the dominant conference. (Some would say that the Big 12 is stronger than the SEC this year. I’ll wait until after bowl season to decide. (BTW, Arkansas, 1-4 in the SEC, just beat #19 Tulsa, 5-0 in C-USA.))
BTW, I have a, now (seemingly) ancient issue of SI in my bathroom to remind me that there was a time (pre-season) when Georgia was #1 and 'Bama was barely ranked. Just pointing out how useless pre-season polls are. In fact…
[goes to retrieve August issue of SI]
It’s worse than I thought. These are SI’s rankings:
- Georgia (!)
- Ohio State (!)
- USC
- Missouri
- Florida
- Oklahoma
- Auburn (!!!)
- Texas Tech
- LSU
- Wisconsin
- Clemson (!!!)
- Tennessee (!!!)
- Texas (Despite the recent loss, I have to give 1 “!” Shoulda been in the top 10.)
… the rest (only goes to 20) don’t matter, except that 'Bama isn’t in there.
Florida State doesn’t have a chance in hell of defeating UF. It will not happen, and it will probably be a blowout.