Ratings 11/4
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&M1 | 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 |