Ratings 11/4  
Ratings (November 4)

This is setting up to be a great year for arguments. Which two teams should be in the Orange Bowl? If Oklahoma, Miami and Florida State win out, then you've got Oklahoma plus ... which one? Please don't tell me that you have to take Miami because they beat FSU. First of all, it was in Miami, either team could have won and it looks to me like FSU has improved dramatically since. Plus, if you use that logic for Miami then you have to replace Miami with Oregon (would Aflac sponsor the Orange Bowl?). You see, Miami lost to Washington which only has 1 loss, so put Washington above Miami. But Washington lost to Oregon, which only has 1 loss. So put Oregon above Washington above Miami above FSU. Does it sound silly yet? My point is that it's not clear cut between Miami and FSU, or even Miami and Florida, or Nebraska (if they win out) or the three 1-loss Pac-10 teams.

Florida State ran up the score enough on Clemson to climb into a near tie with Oklahoma at the top. That should change this week. You should also notice that joining the three Florida teams in the top 10 are two Oregon teams, the mighty Ducks and the dam Beavers. The two South Carolina teams have dropped into the 20's but the two Michigan teams (Michigan and Western Michigan, that is) are hanging in there. You might object to Wisconsin being #18, but Wisconsin is the only team to beat Oregon (which beat Washington which beat Miami ...) and the only team to beat Western Michigan. And the Badgers have played all the good teams in the Big 10.

Several big games this week! Oklahoma goes to College Station to play Texas A&M, the Sooners' toughest road game of the year. The other half of the Big 12 should be decided by the Nebraska - K State game. Florida State will need to win by 80 to please the computer, but the Florida game is their concern. Virginia Tech is at Central Florida; that's the team that won at Alabama so don't laugh too loud. South Carolina gets to do the Florida road trip; they'll have about as much fun as Clemson and Tech did. If Purdue breeses by Michigan State, they should clinch the Rose Bowl over amazing Northwestern. The ratings, adding 4 points for home team, predict:

Oklahoma by 9 over Texas A&M
Nebraska by 1 over Kansas State
Florida by 14 over South Carolina
Miami by 23 over Pittsburgh
Florida State by 43 over Wake Forest
Virginia Tech by 15 over Central Florida
Georgia Tech by 13 over Virginia
Oregon State by 1 over Arizona
Washington by 12 over UCLA
Purdue by 7 over Michigan State


1 Oklahoma 67.98
2 Florida State 67.14
3 Nebraska 64.48
4 Miami F 61.91
5 Washington 61.4
6 Florida 60.44
7 Oregon 60.16
8 Kansas State 59.11
9 Ohio State 57.91
10 Oregon State 57.7
11 Virginia Tech 57.65
12 Notre Dame 55.88
13 Purdue 55.45
14 Northwestern 54.8
15 Texas A&M 54.79
16 Michigan 54.67
17 Mississippi State 54.22
18 Wisconsin 53.8
19 UCLA 53.73
20 Western Michigan 53.63
21 Arizona 52.65
22 Clemson 52.45
23 Texas 51.25
24 Georgia Tech 50.7
25 South Carolina 50.69
26 Auburn 50.57
27 Georgia 50.47
28 TCU 50.31
29 Colorado State 50.23
30 Arizona State 50.2
31 Louisville 49.67
32 LSU 49.56
33 Tennessee 49.23
34 Toledo 48.98
35 Texas El Paso 47.56
36 Southern Miss 47.09
37 Southern Cal 46.94
38 Boston College 46.22
39 Iowa State 45.93
40 NC State 45.52
41 West Virginia 45.48
42 Illinois 45.2
43 Stanford 45.06
44 Minnesota 44.99
45 San Jose State 44.79
46 Michigan State 44.65
47 East Carolina 44.54
48 Mississippi 44.46
49 Fresno State 44.07
50 Texas Tech 44.01
51 Syracuse 43.95
52 California 43.59
53 Northern Illinois 43.4
54 Pittsburgh 43.03
55 Colorado 42.49
56 Boise State 42
57 Washington State 41.61
58 Virginia 41.6
59 UAB 41.44
60 Alabama 41.11
61 Penn State 41.06
62 Maryland 40.99
63 Air Force 40.69
64 Kansas 40.68
65 Arkansas 40.34
66 Cincinnati 39.82
67 North Carolina 38.85
68 Indiana 38.61
69 Central Florida 38.51
70 New Mexico 38.24
71 Iowa 37.88
72 BYU 37.61
73 Utah 37.48
74 UNLV 37.44
75 Ohio 36.79
76 Temple 36.38
77 Kentucky 35.97
78 San Diego State 35.96
79 Marshall 35
80 Memphis 34.32
81 Idaho 34.03
82 Middle Tennessee 33.82
83 Rice 33.63
84 Utah State 32.93
85 Miami O 32.66
86 Missouri 31.91
87 Tulane 31.19
88 Vanderbilt 31.17
89 Oklahoma State 30.9
90 New Mexico State 30.75
91 Akron 30.71
92 Baylor 30.47
93 Rutgers 29.61
94 Houston 28.66
95 Tulsa 28.15
96 Ball State 27.71
97 Louisiana Tech 26.01
98 Navy 24.05
99 SMU 23.51
100 Nevada 23.47
101 Army 22.77
102 North Texas 22.77
103 Duke 22.51
104 Hawaii 21.3
105 Bowling Green 20.96
106 Arkansas State 20.71
107 Wake Forest 20.43
108 Wyoming 20.35
109 Eastern Michigan 20.15
110 Connecticut 19.09
111 Kent 14.75
112 Central Michigan 14.37
113 Louisiana Lafayet te 12.99
114 Buffalo 12.85
115 Louisiana Monroe 11