SEC West Preview

Since the college season has already gotten started, I better get on my game with these SEC previews. One division down, one to go. I'll be honest - I have much less interest in the SEC West. The Mississippi and Alabama schools really don't interest me, and for the most part have been mediocre for the last ten years with the exception of a couple of good Auburn seasons. LSU, of course, has come on strongly, but as a Tennessee fan, I'm primarily concerned with seeing the Vols win the East, competing with Florida and Georgia. I still hate Alabama, but they haven't been relevant for awhile now.

With that said, let's get right into it. Here is how I see the SEC West finishing:

Auburn 10-2 (6-2)
LSU 10-2 (6-2)
Alabama 7-5 (4-4)
Mississippi State 6-6 (3-5)
Arkansas 6-6 (3-5)
Ole Miss 5-7 (2-6)

I can't say for sure whether LSU or Auburn will come out on top. Auburn does have a slightly easier schedule, since they host LSU and play Tennessee instead of Florida, so I would be tempted to give them any tie-breaker edge. However, I'm still not 100% sold on Auburn's new spread offense, and whether they can shed their history of offensive ineptitude. LSU may struggle without a proven QB, and the rest of the division still has a multitude of questions to answer. Can Arkansas be successful without Darren McFadden and Felix Jones? Will Mississippi State be able to replicate their surprise season? Will Ole Miss' transfer QB solve their offensive woes? Can Alabama succeed with all of its young talent?

Auburn
Expected Finish: 10-2 (6-2)
In addition to the usual grind of the SEC schedule, Auburn will have to face West Virginia in late October, when both teams are reaching their peaks. Auburn is somewhat fortunate that their three toughest games will all be at home - Georgia, LSU, and Tennessee. The Iron Bowl, as always, will be a challenge. Auburn always has a stout defense, and if the offense is as good as people say it can be, Auburn could be a surprise national championship contender.
Best Case: 12-0 (8-0)
Everything goes right and Auburn runs the table, only this time they actually get a chance to play for the National Title. With LSU's question marks, Auburn is primed to step up and claim the spot as top SEC dog.
Worst Case: 6-6 (3-5)
Auburn's new offense doesn't take hold, and the Tigers can't compete with the likes of LSU and Georgia. To add insult to injury, Alabama finally wins the Iron Bowl and Auburn ends up in the Independence Bowl, or computers.com bowl, or wherever they send crappy 6-6 teams.

LSU
Expected Finish: 10-2 (6-2)
LSU's non-conference schedule leaves something to be desired, but should provide four easy wins, and with the two Mississippi schools, South Carolina, and Arkansas, eight wins should be no problem. If the QB situation is resolved, I can see LSU winning at least one of these three games: Georgia, @Florida, @Auburn. It will tough to win any more than that, and all three will be dangerous. Expect the September 20 date with Auburn to set the tone for LSU's season.
Best Case: 11-1 (7-1)
I just can't see LSU going undefeated. They will slip up at least once, and they just don't have the upside potential that Auburn does. Granted, their downside is minimal, but I think what you see is what you get with LSU. Of course, a division title opens up the chance to play for the National Championship, so 11-1 might as well be 12-0.
Worst Case: 8-4 (4-4)
With LSU's cake non-conference schedule, this is about as low as I see the Tigers going. Their swarming defense will win them some close games, but if the offense struggles, they won't be able to keep up with Florida and Georgia.

Alabama
Expected Finish: 7-5 (4-4)
Alabama has a much more difficult schedule than its cross-state rival Auburn, and doesn't quite have the pedigree to convince me they can remain a top 25 team. Not only does Alabama travel to Georgia, Tennessee and LSU, but they have to open up against Clemson. Perhaps Clemson will prove to be overrated, but I think a big loss there will send Alabama spiraling downward. The young talent they have won't be able to contribute right away, and Alabama could struggle.
Best Case: 10-2 (6-2)
Alabama surpasses expectations while a couple of other highly ranked teams falter. The Tide bookends its season with big wins against Clemson and Auburn, and sneaks into the SEC Championship.
Worst Case: 6-6 (3-5)
Perhaps I'm already so pessimistic on the Tide that I don't see them falling much further than my base prediction. With three easy nonconference games and Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Kentucky all at home, I don't see how Alabama doesn't reach six wins. However, I doubt they'll get many more.

Mississippi State
Expected Finish: 6-6 (3-5)
Last year, Mississippi State overachieved and ended up 8-5, despite being outscored by about 2 points per game. I think the Bulldogs will come back down to earth a little this year. MSU has three guaranteed wins on their schedule (LA Tech, SE Louisiana, Middle Tennessee) but I don't expect them to fare well in SEC play. An early season trip to Georgia Tech will prove whether or not this team can match last season's performance.
Best Case: 8-4 (4-4)
Mississippi State matches last season's win total, beats Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl, and pulls off a major upset against Auburn, Alabama or Tennessee.
Worst Case: 4-8 (2-6)
MSU loses at home to Vanderbilt, or worse, loses to one of the cake nonconference teams on its schedule.

Arkansas
Expected Finish: 6-6 (3-5)
Without McFadden and Felix Jones, I just don't see how Arkansas is going to compete this year. Also, their schedule is not too friendly, as nearly all of their "toss-up" games are on the road. Don't expect Arkansas to upset LSU again this year. Unless the Razorbacks can work some magic, they will need to win on the road (Kentucky, South Carolina, Mississippi State) if they want to reach a bowl game this year. Their trip to Texas could end up being a humiliation.
Best Case: 8-4 (5-3)
This would be a serious stretch, and assumes that Arkansas can take all of its "winnable" games and upset at least one of these teams: Texas, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU. The only team I give them a chance against is Alabama, but I'm still not convinced they can even beat Kentucky and South Carolina.
Worst Case: 3-9 (0-8)
I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see this happen. After two easy games against Western Illinois and LA-Monroe, Arkansas has a brutal four game stretch against Texas, Alabama, Florida and Auburn. That could be enough to completely shatter this team's confidence.

Ole Miss
Expected Finish: 5-7 (2-6)
Ole Miss went winless in the SEC last year, but has generated plenty of buzz about new transfer QB Jevan Snead. We should know what this team is about by the second week, when they travel to face Wake Forest. A win there will generate momentum, but a bad loss could confirm another lost season for the Rebels. I believe they could win home games against Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, but anything beyond that will be a success. With the rest of the division full of questions, who knows, maybe all the experts are right that Ole Miss could surprise people. But I'll believe it when I see it.
Best Case: 8-4 (4-4)
Ole Miss gets that big win against Wake Forest and manages to hold its own against the SEC West. Florida, Alabama, Auburn and LSU have to be considered sure losses, but the rest of the games are winnable.
Worst Case: 3-9 (0-8)
A repeat of last season. Jevan Snead is the next coming of Brent Schaeffer and Ole Miss is back to square one.

Well, that's all for now. It's been a great start for SEC football, as Vanderbilt and South Carolina have already posted big wins. Granted, Miami (OH) and NC State are not huge talents, but it is impressive to see the middle and low SEC teams taking care of business.

SEC East Preview

Now, what you have all been waiting for...the start of college football! Tonight is the official kickoff of the 2008 season, but the real intriguing matchups don't get started until this Saturday. This weekend is highlighted by Alabama-Clemson, Florida-Hawaii, Missouri-Illinois, Kentucky-Louisville, and Tennessee-UCLA. Championships are never won in the first game, but as the cliche goes, they can certainly be lost.

As promised, I will provide a rundown of the upcoming SEC season, starting with the SEC East. Georgia and Florida are the clear favorites, with Georgia currently sitting atop the polls and Florida not far behind at number 5. Interestingly, the SEC media picked Florida to win the SEC, not Georgia, so maybe they know something the national media doesn't...like maybe Georgia has a few more arrests than they've shared... I kid, I kid...

Phil Fulmer has been quoted as saying that nine of the twelve SEC teams feel they have a chance to win the SEC this year. While I appreciate that his point illustrates the depth of the conference, it is a bit of a stretch. Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss have to be dreaming if they really think they can pull off an SEC Championship. You could probably lump South Carolina in there as well, but with the Ol' Ball Coach you can never be too sure.

Here is my prediction for the SEC East finish:
1. Georgia 10-2 (6-2)
2. Florida 10-2 (6-2)
3. Tennessee 9-3 (5-3)
4. Kentucky 7-5 (4-4)
5. South Carolina 5-7 (2-6)
6. Vanderbilt 4-8 (1-7)

Nothing too drastically different from last year, but I don't expect to see Tennessee pull off a surprise SEC East title two years in a row. This division title will come down to November 1, when Georgia battles Florida at the World's Largest Cocktail Party, or whatever they are calling it these days. Kentucky should expect to see a slight dropoff after losing star QB Andre Woodson. Vanderbilt always play tough, but will be hard pressed to surpass last season's five wins. South Carolina simply has a brutal schedule, and could find themselves permanently in last place if they lose at Vanderbilt in their SEC opener.

Georgia
Expected Finish: 10-2 (6-2)
Despite the pundits love, Georgia is no guarantee to even win their division, let alone the national title. Georgia has six games against AP Top 25 teams, including trips to LSU and Auburn. The Bulldogs will also be seeking redemption against Tennessee after last year's 35-14 thrashing. The Florida game could go either way, and as I mentioned before, it could be the difference between playing for the SEC title and playing in the Peach Bowl.
Best Case: 12-0 (8-0)
Clearly, the best case for the Bulldogs is that they meet all the expectations placed on them and run the table. It won't be easy.
Worst Case: 7-5 (4-4)
It isn't inconceivable that Georgia could fall to these depths. I only count four of Georgia games as sure wins (Georgia Southern, Central Michigan, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech). Georgia has to travel to South Carolina (who beat them last year), 15th ranked Arizona State, and the always dangerous Kentucky, which are all winnable games that become much trickier when played on the road.

Florida
Expected Finish: 10-2 (6-2)
Florida has the advantage of a much easier schedule than Georgia, as they only have three games against ranked opponents. While nonconference opponents Hawaii, Miami (FL) and Florida State are big names, they shouldn't challenge the Gators. Other than the Georgia game, the only tests will be traveling to Knoxville to face the Vols and hosting LSU. Of those three games, I expect the Gators to win of them, most likely at Tennessee. A loss to Georgia could ruin any tie-breaking scenarios.
Best Case: 12-0 (8-0) You could argue that any team's "best-case" scenario is a National Title, but I believe it here. With only the three tough games, it isn't out of the question that Florida could run the table. I don't think that they will beat Georgia, but that doesn't mean I think Georgia has a better chance to winning the national title.
Worst Case: 8-4 (5-3) Florida loses all its tough games and then loses to either Miami or Florida State. At this point in time, it's inconceivable for me to believe that Florida would lose to both of these teams. The rest of Florida's schedule is fairly non-threatening.

Tennessee
Expected Finish: 9-3 (5-3)
I may be overly optimistic on the Vols here, especially after losing Erik Ainge, but I feel that the defense will be much improved and the run game should help new starting QB Jonathan Crompton break into a rhythm. Tennessee faces four ranked foes, and I can only expect that they will one of those games. The Knoxville faithful will be furious if Tennessee fails to redeem themselves at home against Alabama after last year's drubbing. Georgia, Auburn and Florida will probably be too much to handle. A nonconference trip to UCLA looks dangerous on the surface, but all reports seem to indicate that the Bruins won't be able to mount much of a threat.
Best Case: 11-1 (7-1) This would put Tennessee in the SEC Conference championship and give them a shot at the national title. I don't see it happening, but they did beat Georgia last year, and if Auburn turns out to be overrated, they could surprise the Tigers. However, I don't see Tennessee beating Tebow and Co., even at home.
Worst Case: 7-5 (4-4) Tennessee loses it four tough games and blows its opener at UCLA. The rest of the non-conference schedule (Wyoming, NIU, UAB) should hardly prove challenging, and the SEC slate of Miss St, South Carolina, Kentucky and Vandy hasn't challenged Tennessee very often in the past.

Kentucky
Expected Finish: 7-5 (4-4)
For a middle team like Kentucky, nearly every SEC game will prove challenging. I also expect the trip to Louisville will be a rude awakening for the post-Woodson Wildcats. Kentucky has the good fortune of facing most of its peers at home (Vandy, Arkansas, South Carolina) so I expect the Wildcats to pull out those victories. Realistically, Kentucky won't challenge its upper crust opponents (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee).
Best Case: 9-3 (5-3) Kentucky scores a big opening win at Louisville and finishes with an even bigger win at Tennessee, ending its long string of futility against the Volunteers.
Worst Case: 5-7 (2-6) Kentucky struggles without Andre Woodson, loses one or two winnable games at home, and misses a bowl berth.

South Carolina
Expected Finish: 5-7 (2-6)
While South Carolina may have slightly better talent than Kentucky, South Carolina has been cursed with one of the most difficult SEC schedules in recent memory. Not only are three of its four SEC home games likely unwinnable (Georgia, LSU, Tennessee), but the Gamecocks will have to face nearly all of their "peer" schools on the road, including Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Kentucky. To top it off, South Carolina opens and closes against ACC teams North Carolina State and Clemson. The only sure win I see is when the Gamecocks host tiny Wofford.
Best Case: 9-3 (5-3)
South Carolina beats all of its peer schools and pulls an upset against one of the top dogs. South Carolina caps off a successful season with a win at hated Clemson.
Worst Case: 3-9 (1-7)
Given their schedule, this is much more likely than a 9-3 cinderella season. South Carolina lays an egg at home against NC State and the season just goes downhill from there.

Vanderbilt
Expected Finish: 4-8 (1-7)
Vanderbilt's schedule is much more comparable to Kentucky's than South Carolina's. A few gimme wins should help Vanderbilt build some momentum going into SEC play, but that won't carry them far. Expect Vandy to aaalmost pull off a big upset but fall just short.
Best Case: 6-6 (3-5)
A couple of close wins finally propel Vanderbilt to that elusive bowl appearance. It isn't crazy to believe that, with a little luck, Vanderbilt could start the season 4-0. Miami (OH), Rice, South Carolina and Ole Miss isn't exactly a murderer's row, and with a home game against Duke, maybe this is the year that Vanderbilt finally makes it to a bowl game.
Worst Case: 2-10 (0-8)
Vanderbilt should beat Rice and Duke, but after that nothing is secure. I think Vanderbilt will manage to win at least once SEC game, but if they don't win their SEC opener against South Carolina, they may not get another shot.

Coming soon...SEC West preview

College Football Rankings

Another week of crazy college football. No one seems to want to win the National Championship this year. Only one undefeated BCS-conference team remains, and Kansas has done it while managing to play only two teams with records currently over .500: 6-5 Texas A&M and 6-4 Central Michigan. Fortunately for us, Ohio State finally decided to lose and save us the trouble of having to watch them get blown out by another SEC team in the BCS Championship.

Right now we are set up with an LSU-Oregon matchup, which I believe would be a fantastic game. Oregon has not played a team with LSU's speed, but LSU has the advantage of having already faced a dynamic running quarterback in Tim Tebow. However, I would not be surprised to see LSU fall to Georgia or Tennessee in the SEC Championship, which could leave us with an Oregon-Oklahoma/Missouri/Kansas matchup. If Oregon slips up against UCLA and/or Oregon State (it could happen) then I honestly have no idea who would end up in the National Championship.

I doubt that the country would vote in two Big 12 teams, since 2 of the 3 will have another loss when all is said and done, so who knows? Maybe Arizona State or West Virginia could sneak back into the race with a couple of upsets. If Georgia gets a lucky break (i.e. Tennessee slips up against Kentucky or Vanderbilt) and knocks off LSU, they would have as good an argument as anyone else.

Speaking of Georgia, they are about as impressive as anyone in the country right now. One of their knocks has always been inconsistency, so we'll see if they can avoid a letdown against Kentucky and in-state rival Georgia Tech. Knowshon Moreno has been impressive, however I was surprised to see that Mel Kiper currently has Moreno listed in his top five for the Heisman. I think he may have just been trying to make a statement on just how good the kid could turn out to be (Herschel Walker anyone?) but to have him rated as top five in the country is a little extreme.

(Segue to...)

Which brings me to my opinion on this year's Heisman race. Much like the race for the National Championship, this year's Heisman race has been completely up for grabs, with no real standout contender. I generally agree with the current consensus of Dennis Dixon, Tim Tebow, Darren McFadden, Chase Daniel and Pat White. I could also see arguments for Sam Bradford (leads nation in QB rating) and Todd Reesing (0 INT's in 8 of 10 games) to be in the top five, as well as Kevin Smith (UCF) and Matt Forte (Tulane) who are both on pace to surpass 2000 rushing yards. I hadn't heard of these running backs until a couple of days ago, so I imagine most people haven't either. But anytime someone runs for 2000 yards, you figure a guy has to be pretty decent.

One last guy who has received almost no national acclaim is Mario Manningham (Michigan). This wide receiver has continually kept Michigan in games, especially as of late, with Chad Henne and Mike Hart injured. He has the highest YPC of any receiver with at least 50 receptions, has over 1000 yards and has 100+ yards in his last six games. But more than anything else, the guy gets open and scores touchdowns - he's currently tied for fifth in receiving TD's.

So with all that said, my top five for the Heisman would look like this:

1. Tim Tebow
2. Darren McFadden
3. Dennis Dixon
4. Chase Daniel
5. Mario Manningham

Now that I've done enough rambling, on to this week's edition of my top 25 rankings.

1 – LSU (9-1)
Key Wins: Virginia Tech, Florida, Auburn
Loss(es): Kentucky
The Tigers romped in their late-season non-conference matchup with neighbor Louisiana Tech, but LSU cannot afford to take their collective foot off the gas. They may be tempted to let up with an SEC title game berth already wrapped up, but you can bet that Les Miles will have his Tigers prepared for Ole Miss and Arkansas.
2 – Oregon (8-1)
Key Wins: Michigan, USC, Arizona State
Loss(es): Cal
Oregon moves into prime BCS Championship territory after Ohio State's letdown. Oregon's remaining schedule is not incredibly difficult, but you never know what can happen over three Pac-10 games.
3 – Oklahoma (9-1)
Key Wins: Texas, Missouri
Loss(es): Colorado
The Sooners took care of business against Big 12 weakling, Baylor, and are hoping for their own shot at the BCS title. An underrated Sam Bradford continues to lead this team in the right direction.
4 – Missouri (9-1)
Key Wins: Illinois, Texas Tech
Loss(es): Oklahoma
Another Big 12 team with a high performing quarterback in Chase Daniels, the Missouri Tigers are hoping to avenge their early-season loss to the Sooners. They'll have to get through undefeated Kansas first, though.
5 – West Virginia (8-1)
Key Wins: Mississippi State, Rutgers
Loss(es): South Florida
West Virginia was not particularly dominating in its Thursday night matchup against Louisville, but remain in the hunt for a BCS championship berth. Wins over ranked Cincinnati and UConn could gain the Mountaineers a few votes.
6 – Kansas (10-0)
Key Wins: None
Loss(es): None
Kansas was as good as advertised in pulling away from Oklahoma State. While Big 12 scheduling prevented Kansas from having a regular season matchup with Texas or Oklahoma, a win over Missouri in two weeks would pit the Jayhawks against Oklahoma for the Big 12 Championship, and, with the BCS Rankings the way they are, a possible BCS Championship bid.
7 – Georgia (8-2)
Key Wins: Alabama, Florida, Auburn
Loss(es): South Carolina, Tennessee
Georgia was absolutely dominant in thrashing SEC rival Auburn. I watched this game and can attest that Matthew Stafford is a legit quarterback. The kid can throw.
8 – Ohio State (10-1)
Key Wins: Penn State, Wisconsin
Loss(es): Illinois
I'd like to say "I told you so" but that seems so juvenile. To be fair, no one expected the Buckeyes to last this long, or to even be in a position to compete for the Big Ten title after losing so many players last year. But still... I told you so...
9 – Florida (7-3)
Key Wins: Tennessee, Kentucky
Loss(es): Auburn, LSU, Georgia
Tim Tebow put up a performance for the ages against South Carolina, accounting for 80 percent of Florida's offense and ALL of its seven touchdowns. Wow. There does seem to be a trend for players to have career performances against South Carolina as of late (see: Darren McFadden) so even the Ol' Ball Coach may have to start paying a little attention to his defense in practice now.
10 – Virginia Tech (8-2)
Key Wins: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech
Loss(es): LSU, Boston College
Virginia Tech pulled away late from Florida State to avoid the same fate as ACC colleague Boston College. I find myself having difficulty getting excited about this team, but they could very well win the ACC.
11 – Arizona State (9-1)
Key Wins: Cal
Loss(es): Oregon
Arizona State won last week, so it might seem unfair to drop them three spots, but I just don't feel the same way about this team anymore. A win over USC this weekend might help me find that lovin feelin again.
12 – USC (8-2)
Key Wins: Cal
Loss(es): Stanford, Oregon
USC has almost the exact same resume as Arizona State, aside from the embarrassing loss to Stanford, so it's fitting that they meet this weekend. Oh, and they have hot cheerleaders (See: excuse to run this photo)
13 – Texas (9-2)
Key Wins: Texas Tech
Loss(es): Kansas State, Oklahoma
Texas continues to win after its early season miscues, and with only one game left(Texas A&M), the Longhorns are running out of time to screw things up again.
14 – Tennessee (7-3)
Key Wins: Georgia, Mississippi St, Arkansas
Loss(es): Cal, Florida, Alabama
Tennessee earned some measure of respect in dominating Darren McFadden and the Arkansas Razorbacks. Tennessee seems to be a team that either blows you out, or gets blown out. Only one game (South Carolina - OT) has been decided by less than two touchdowns.
15 – Clemson (8-2)
Key Wins: Florida State, Wake Forest
Loss(es): Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech
Talk about turning on the jets at the right time. Clemson has scored 30 or more points in its last four game while allowing 17 or less in that same span. A win against Boston College ensures a spot in the ACC Championship.
16 – Illinois (8-3)
Key Wins: Penn State, Wisconsin, Ohio State
Loss(es): Missouri, Iowa, Michigan
Illinois boasts an impressive Big Ten resume. Granted, that doesn't carry as much weight this year as it has in the past, but 3 for 4 against the big time programs (Penn St, OSU, Wisconsin, UMich) is hard to ignore. With Juice Williams and Rashard Mendenhall returning next year, the Illini should be a Big Ten favorite.
17 – Boise State (9-1)
Key Wins: Fresno State
Loss(es): Washington
Boise State shut out Utah State, which makes sense, since Utah State has also been shut out of the win column this year. I probably have Boise State too high, but I don't feel like adjusting this anymore.
18 – Virginia (9-2)
Key Wins: Georgia Tech, UConn, Wake Forest
Loss(es): Wyoming, NC State
Virginia is getting a lot of love after blanking Miami in the last game at the Orange Bowl. I still see the team that has managed to win six games by five points or less. Sure, they deserve credit for pulling out the close ones, but one or two bounces the other way and no one is talking about Virginia.
19 – Cincinnati (8-2)
Key Wins: Rutgers, South Florida, UConn
Loss(es): Louisville, Pitt
Back in the rankings after dominating UConn, Cincinnati has an even bigger test against West Virginia this weekend. Can you imagine if Cincinnati ended up in a BCS bowl? It could happen if they beat West Virginia and UConn loses to West Virginia.
20 – Michigan (8-3)
Key Wins: Penn State, Illinois
Loss(es): Appalachian St, Oregon, Wisconsin
Tough to penalize the Wolverines for the loss to Wisconsin when Henne and Hart did not play, who were obviously being rested for the deciding Big Ten game against the Buckeyes, but I will a little bit.
21 – Kentucky (7-3)
Key Wins: Arkansas, LSU
Loss(es): South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi State
After managing to squeak by Vanderbilt, Kentucky is still in position to win the SEC East. As I said last week, though, not gonna happen. They need to knock off Georgia and Tennessee to reach the promised land.
22 – Boston College (8-2)
Key Wins: Wake Forest, Virginia Tech
Loss(es): Florida State, Maryland
Another week, another loss to an unranked foe. Some redemption could be in order as they travel to play at Clemson in what should decide the ACC Atlantic Division champion.
23 – Hawaii (9-0)
Key Wins: Fresno State
Loss(es): None
Hawaii struggled but still won when Colt Brennan was knocked out of last week's game. They are still in position to impress with games against Boise State and Washington. To be honest, Boise State will be a tougher matchup than Pac-10 also-ran Washington.
24 – Auburn (7-4)
Key Wins: Florida, Arkansas
Loss(es): South Florida, Miss St, LSU, Georgia
The Tigers were embarrassed at Georgia last week. Perhaps they were intimidated by the "black-out" but whatever the case may be, Auburn has two weeks to re-group for the season finale against in-state rival Alabama
25 – Penn State (8-3)
Key Wins: Wisconsin
Loss(es): Michigan, Illinois, Ohio State
Penn State waltzed by Temple and finishes up at Michigan State, who haven't been able to stop anyone on defense all year.

Also given consideration:
Wisconsin
Connecticut
Miss State
Cal
Alabama

Tough Break, NBC Sports

Notre Dame's season just keeps getting better and better. For non-Notre Dame fans, of course. The Irish managed to make a bad season infinitely worse by falling to long-time whipping boy Navy. For the first time in 44 years. Let's make this a little more real for our readers. 44 years ago, Roger Staubach won the Heisman Trophy. Dr. Martin Luther King gave his "I have a dream" speech. President Kennedy was assassinated. The University of Alabama admitted its first black students ever. And 44 years ago, Navy defeated Notre Dame.

One positive note, Notre Dame managed to put up nearly as many points against Navy (44) than it had in its previous seven losses (60). Now for more bad news - Notre Dame's leading rusher (James Aldridge) has a grand total of 374 yards, or 8 fewer yards than Darren McFadden has put up in his last two games. Notre Dame's leading receiver (Robby Parris) has a grand total of 312 yards, or 9 fewer yards than what Jordy Nelson of Kansas State has gained in his last two contests.

Not to be outdone, Nebraska lost a lengthy streak of its own, losing to Kansas for the first time in 39 tries. The Cornhuskers amazingly gave up 76 points to its former doormat.

In honor of these fallen streaks, I would like to mention of few streaks that still live on:

Tennessee holds the nation's longest winning streak over a single opponent (22 over Kentucky) but that streak is anything but safe as the resurgent Wildcats hope to finally exorcise their orange demons.

Michigan State continues to own the nation's longest streak for most consecutive seasons with a fourth quarter meltdown. Nice work against Michigan. We knew you had it in you.

New England moved to 9-0 , longest active winning streak in the NFL.

Bill Belichick is still the biggest douchebag alive.

Travis Henry hopes to continue his streak of impregnating a woman in each city where he plays. Still some work to be done, but you'll get there, big guy.

Escobar Season lost its fifth straight fantasy matchup. Unfortunately, not all of Travis Henry's 'scores' count in the standings. I think I need to speak with the commissioner.

Now on to this week's college football rankings.

1.) LSU
LSU just managed to scrape by a motivated Alabama squad. Four consecutive SEC games decided by a touchdown or less have Tiger fans on the edge of their seats. Louisiana Tech should give LSU a breather this week.
2.) Oregon
Oregon dominated Arizona State with an even balance of run and pass. Assuming that Dennis Dixon's injury is nothing serious, Oregon will have plenty of ammunition to support its run to the BCS title game.
3.) Ohio State
Ohio State slogged its way to a 17-17 fourth quarter tie with the PJ Hill-less Badgers before blowing the game open. The Buckeyes defense looks to be for real, having allowed 17 or fewer points in each of its contests so far. Illinois and Michigan have the playmakers to test Ohio State's defense.
4.) Oklahoma
Oklahoma has struggled at times over the last month, but was clicking on all cylinders against the hapless Aggies. Barring an unexpected collapse, the Sooners look to take on Missouri or Kansas in the Big 12 Championship.
5.) Missouri
Kansas is starting to gain support and has passed Missouri in the polls. Don't forget that Missouri blew out Nebraska 41-6 (nearly the same margin as Kansas) while also blowing out a Colorado team that hung tough with Kansas. Until Kansas beats Missouri, I don't believe that the Jayhawks deserve to be ranked ahead of Missouri.
6.) WVU
Idle this past weekend, WVU faces a still-dangerous Louisville team this week. With the early loss to South Florida, West Virginia cannot afford any slipups in the Big East.
7.) Kansas
Kansas managed to go from underrated to overrated somewhere in between its ninth and tenth touchdown against Nebraska. Kansas travels to OK State in what could be the Jayhawks' toughest challenge yet.
8.) ASU
Arizona State was beaten by a better team in the de facto Pac-10 championship game last weekend. Other than its win against Cal, ASU doesn't have alot to stand on. Consecutive wins against UCLA and USC would go a long way towards proving that Arizona State still belongs in the top ten.
9.) Georgia
The 'Dawgs gave up 34 points to Troy State, who probably deserves more credit than they have received, but nonetheless the game raised a few questions. This weekend's game against Auburn is HUGE. A loss effectively knocks either team out of the SEC championship race.
10.) Florida
Florida avoided a letdown by thrashing Vanderbilt. You can bet that the Gators will be excited for this week's game: Florida travels to South Carolina to face the Ol' Ball Coach.
11.) Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech really put the screws to a weak-looking Georgia Tech, who missed the presence of star running back Tashard Choice. A suddenly dangerous Florida State team comes into Blacksburg this Saturday.
12.) Auburn
Auburn cruised over lightweight Tennessee Tech, but the schedule ends in tough fashion with games against rivals Georgia and Alabama. Two wins would certainly vault the Tigers into BCS at-large consideration, despite the three losses.
13.) Michigan
One cannot say enough about Mario Manningham. This playmaker has bailed Michigan out of more tough situations than I can remember. Michigan travels to Wisconsin this weekend and then next weekend (sh!) the Buckeyes come into town. I think I speak for all SEC fans when I say that I would love to see Michigan win the Big Ten. It's not everyday that a team that loses to a I-AA team is in position to win the Big Ten.
14.) BC
The wheels finally came off of BC's pumpkin carriage and Matt Ryan's Heisman hopes. The loss to Florida State still leaves BC in position to win the ACC and chance at a BCS bowl, but no dice on competing for the National Championship.
15.) USC
USC has a chance to post its first notable win of the season. The Trojans face off against Cal this weekend.
16.) Connecticut
After routing Rutgers, Connecticut certainly looks like the real deal. Imagine if someone had said that sentence five years ago. That would have just sounded plain ridiculous.
17.) Texas
Another fourth quarter comeback for the Longhorns ensures that they stay in the Top 25. Jamaal Charles has been the savior of this team, racking up 470 yards in his last two games. Texas Tech's porous defense shouldn't present much of a challenge for the Texas running game, but their aerial attack should trouble the Longhorns defense.
18.) Cal
After three straight losses, Cal was able to hold off Washington State and get the win. A win at home over USC this weekend would help ease the pain of falling from #2 to Pac-10 also-ran.
19.) Alabama
Nail-biter loss to LSU doesn't diminish the fact that Alabama has re-established itself as contender. The Crimson faithful is eagerly anticipating the season finale against hated Auburn.
20.) Tennessee
Tennessee looked like a finely tuned offensive machine against last week's opponent. Unfortunately, that opponent was 1-8 Louisiana Lafayette. The Volunteers' questionable defense must be very nervous at the prospect of chasing down Darren McFadden and Felix Jones this Saturday.
21.) Boise State
Boise State was impressive in handling San Jose State. With winless Utah St and 1-9 Idaho next on the schedule, Boise State should have plenty of time to prepare for Colt Brennan and the Hawaii Warriors.
22.) Clemson
Clemson has blown out all of its weaker opponents, but struggled against anyone presenting a moderate challenge (Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech) so it will be interesting to see if Clemson shows up for Wake Forest, BC and South Carolina.
23.) Kentucky
Kentucky was idle last week. If Kentucky can knock off Tennessee and Georgia, they could be right back in the thick of the SEC East race. I consider that to be a pretty big 'if' at this point, though.
24.) Virginia
Not quite dead yet, Virginia eked by Wake Forest to stay atop the ACC Coastal division.
25.) Hawaii
Hawaii finally gets a chance to prove itself this week. The Warriors face off against Fresno State in a battle of WAC contenders.

Others warranting consideration: Florida State, Illinois, Penn State, Cincinnati, Arkansas

Welcome to SEC Bias

Welcome to South-East Coast Bias. Let me just get this out the way: The SEC is the best conference in the country. Football in particular. The Big Ten? Fuck you. ACC? Eat a dick. PAC 10? Bunch of hippies.

OK - so that's coming on a little strong. But realistically speaking, I think history bares out the truth that the SEC is the top conference in college football. This season is no different. Currently seven teams are ranked in the AP Top 25, including four in the top 15. No other conference has more than four in the top 25.

All that aside, I think I need to point out the East Coast Bias that is present in today's sports coverage. Not a novel concept, I know, but since when does Matt Ryan become a Heisman contender? In ESPN.com's latest Heisman poll, Matt Ryan ranks second. Sure, the first and third ranked contenders are SEC quarterbacks, but it boggles my mind that Matt Ryan would even be under consideration. Up until his comeback win against VaTech, which mind you occurred after ESPN's latest poll, what had he done? His team is ranked second and he is the quarterback. Big whoop. That's how Jason White and Chris Weinke won the Heisman. Is that really what we want?

And yes, I'm still angry that Charles Woodson won the Heisman instead of Peyton Manning.

So in this column (column sounds more official than blog) I'll be mostly writing about football, with some occasional NBA and MLB observations. I may even foray into Formula One, soccer, and other European-type sports. I'll also occasionally write about random things that piss me off, whether it's work-related (I do have a real job), random annoying assholes, or petty complaints about Pop Culture. I should probably also point out that my favorite teams are the Tennessee Volunteers, Chicago Bears and Atlanta Braves. If I had to pick an NBA team, I'd go with the Pistons. There is a logic here, which I'll explain at a later date, but no, I'm not a bandwagon fan. If I was, I'm sure I'd be a fan of USC, the Red Sox and the Patriots. But I'm not. Because bandwagon fans suck.

Anyhow, on to the meat of my first subject

I felt that, as a college football aficionado, it was important for me to generate my own Top 25. My criteria may differ slightly from that of the fine individuals who submit ballots for the AP, Harris Poll, etc, in that I consider potential as well as current performance. This is due to the fact that many teams (Pac-10 and Big Ten in particular) have yet to get into the heart of their schedules. For example, BC may be 8-0, but did they really deserve to be #2 just because they have gone the season without losing a game?

1 – LSU (7-1)
Key Wins: Va Tech (48-7), Florida (28-24), Auburn (30-24)
Loss(es): @ Kentucky (43-37)
LSU has shown that they are the most dominant team in college football right now, despite the 3OT loss to Kentucky. An upcoming trip to Tuscaloosa will give the Tigers a chance to re-establish themselves and start looking forward to an SEC Title re-match with Florida.
2 – Ohio State (8-0)
Key Wins: @ Purdue 23-7
Loss(es): None
Ohio State has not done anything to prevent them from attaining the number one ranking, but until they play (and beat) a top opponent, I cannot rank them higher than a team that has already defeated three top 15 opponents. Unfortunately, tough tests appear to be few and far between in this year’s Big Ten.
3 – Oregon (6-1)
Key Wins: @ Michigan (39-7), Fresno State (52-21)
Loss(es): Cal (31-24)
The early win against Michigan is looking better and better as the Wolverines roll through the Big Ten, and the Ducks will have two opportunities to put their own exclamation point on a surprising run with consecutive home games against USC and Arizona State.
4 – Oklahoma (7-1)
Key Wins: @ Texas (28-21), @ Missouri (41-31)
Loss(es): @ Colorado (27-24)
Sam Bradford has led a resurgence in the Sooners’ passing game, but Oklahoma will need to avoid mental lapses like last week’s uninspired effort against Iowa State to remain in the top 5.
5 – Florida (5-2)
Key Wins: Tennessee (59-20), @ Kentucky (45-37)
Loss(es): Auburn (20-17), @ LSU (28-24)
Two tough losses, but with the way Tim Tebow and company are playing, I have a hard time believing that any of the remaining one-loss and undefeated teams could knock off the Gators. If Tebow continues playing the way he has so far, he'll be hearing plenty more "Fuck You Te-Bow" chants at opposing stadiums.
6 – ASU (7-0)
Key Wins: Colorado (33-14)
Loss(es): None
Arizona State has not faced a strong challenger this season, but the Sun Devils put their undefeated season to the test starting this week with a brutal PAC-10 run, including Cal, Oregon, @UCLA, and USC.
7 – USF (6-1)
Key Wins: @ Auburn (26-23), W Virginia (21-13)
Loss(es): @ Rutgers (30-27)
USF has shown enough with wins over SEC power Auburn and Big East contender West Virginia to prove that they deserve a top ten ranking. Their Big East schedule is set up for a possible 11-1 finish.
8 – Missouri (6-1)
Key Wins: Illinois (40-34), Nebraska (41-6), Texas Tech (41-10)
Loss(es): @ Oklahoma (31-41)
Like Oregon, Missouri is getting some mileage out of an early season victory over a Big Ten opponent. The Tigers have rolled through their Big 12 challengers, with the exception of Oklahoma. If Kansas continues to roll, the end-of-season matchup with the Jayhawks could prove interesting.
9 – BC (8-0)
Key Wins: @ Georgia Tech (24-10), VT (14-10)
Loss(es): None
With a win over Virginia Tech, BC has proven that it deserves to be undefeated. However, BC’s credentials aren’t significantly more impressive than ASU, or even Kansas, so I can’t match the #2 AP ranking until BC proves it can go the distance.
10 – WVU (6-1)
Key Wins: None
Loss(es): USF (13-21)

The Mountaineers lack a signature win, but could get the closest thing to it with a win at Rutgers this weekend.
11 – Kentucky (6-2)
Key Wins: Louisville (40-34), LSU (43-37)
Loss(es): @ South Carolina (38-23), Florida (45-37)
Kentucky finally fells Louisville, who then turns around and lies down on its season. With Andre Woodson leading the charge, Kentucky looks like a legitimate threat. A porous defense (25 or more points allowed in five games) could thwart any further improvement in the Wildcats ranking.
12 – Kansas (7-0)
Key Wins: @Kansas St (30-24), @ Colorado (19-14)
Loss(es): None
Kansas has dominated its lesser opponents and knocked off its first two Big 12 challenges. The Jayhawks host Missouri looms in the season finale.
13 – USC (6-1)
Key Wins: @ Nebraska (49-31)
Loss(es): Stanford (23-24)
USC has done little to prove that it deserved the almost universal assumption that a National Championship was a mere formality. As with the other PAC-10 teams, the next few weeks will sort out the pretenders from the contenders. Perhaps USC will still have a chance to redeem themselves after an inexplicable loss to the Cardinal.
14 – VT (6-2)
Key Wins: @ Clemson (41-23)
Loss(es): @ LSU (7-48), @ BC (10-14)
VT let an away win over BC slip through its fingers, but if the Hokies can run the table, they will set up a potential rematch with BC in the ACC Championship. You can bet that VT would love a second chance at Boston College.
15 – Auburn (5-3)
Key Wins: Kansas State (23-13), Florida (20-17)
Loss(es): USF (23-26), Miss St (14-19), @ LSU (24-30)
Auburn may have three losses, but it’s tough to be too hard on them given how close each of those losses was. The win over Florida came at just the right time for this program, thrusting them back into the SEC title hunt.
16 – Cal (5-2)
Key Wins: Tennessee (45-31), @ Oregon (31-24)
Loss(es): Oregon St (28-31), UCLA (21-30)
A promising season appears to have derailed as the Golden Bears have suffered two straight defeats. With the return of talented QB Nate Longshore, Cal will look to rebound against undefeated Arizona State.
17 – Michigan (6-2)
Key Wins: Penn State (14-9), Purdue (48-21), @ Illinois (27-17)
Loss(es): App St (32-34), Oregon (7-39)
Either the Big Ten is really lousy, or Appalachian State was a fluke loss. Mike Hart has carried this team all season, and the Wolverines will need him back and healthy if they hope to contend for the Big Ten title. All eyes are on 11/17, when the Buckeyes come into town. That game will likely decide the Big Ten championship.
18 – South Carolina (6-2)
Key Wins: @ Georgia (16-12), Kentucky (38-23)
Loss(es): @ LSU (16-28), @ Vanderbilt (6-17)
What gives? South Carolina knocks off SEC East rivals Kentucky and Georgia, and then falls to Vanderbilt. This week’s matchup against Tennessee will help prove whether Spurrier-led South Carolina has finally made the leap to being a legitimate SEC contender.
19 – Alabama (6-2)
Key Wins: Tennessee (41-17)
Loss(es): Georgia (23-26), @ FSU (14-21)
Nick Saban welcomes his former employer, LSU, into Tuscaloosa this weekend, as the Crimson Tide looks to move into a three-way tie for first place in the SEC West. Up until the thumping of the Vols, Alabama had not looked particularly impressive.
20 – Texas (5-2)
Key Wins: None
Loss(es): Kansas State (21-41), Oklahoma (21-28)
It’s hard to tell if Texas even belongs in the top 25. Texas has lost to the only two decent teams it has played and has looked sluggish in its victories. Upcoming games against rivals Nebraska, Texas A&M and Texas Tech will help show what kind of team the Longhorns are fielding this year.
21 – Virginia (7-1)
Key Wins: U Conn (17-16), Georgia Tech (28-23)
Loss(es): @ Wyoming (3-23)
Aside from the opening loss to Wyoming, Virginia has led a charmed life, winning four games by a total of six points. Virginia could very well be headed to the ACC Championship as the Coastal division representative.
22 – Rutgers (5-2)
Key Wins: South Florida (30-27)
Loss(es): Maryland (24-34), Cincinnati (23-28)
With Ray Rice running strong, Rutgers is certainly capable of surprising a few teams. One of those teams might be West Virginia, who visits New Jersey this weekend.
23 – Penn St (6-2)
Key Wins: Wisconsin (38-7)
Loss(es): @ Michigan (9-14), @ Illinois (20-27)
Penn State appears to be peaking offensively at just the right time: Ohio State comes into town this weekend. Penn State has put up 27 or more points in its last three games, but will likely have a tough time moving the ball against OSU.
24 – Georgia (5-2)
Key Wins: Oklahoma St (35-14), Alabama (26-23)
Loss(es): South Carolina (12-16), @ Tennessee (14-35)
Georgia has struggled with consistency this year. The OT win over Alabama was a great win for the program and it looked like Matt Stafford might have made “The Leap” but the ‘Dawgs came crashing down with a blowout loss at Neyland Stadium.
25 – Hawaii (7-0)
Key Wins: None
Loss(es): None
Winning games is tough, and Hawaii has certainly shown that with a couple of close games against mediocre opponents. But you have to give them credit for not slipping up yet. Until Hawaii loses a game, they will stay in my top 25. But don’t expect them to beat both Fresno State and Boise State.

Others given consideration:
Clemson, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Illinois, UCLA

This should be an excellent weekend for college football, with five matchups between Top 25 teams. In addition, several important conference games will serve to clear up space at the top of each conference. Florida at Georgia, OSU at Penn State, USC at Oregon - should all be great games.

If it wasn't for Halloween parties, I'd be up late watching the Tennessee-South Carolina tilt, but instead I'll have to settle for working on my Tony Montana accent and slamming Heinekens and Jaeger Bombs.