On the eve of a huge Friday of college football, there’s a new #1 in the C Ratings. #1 Boise State is the beneficiary of #2 TCU not playing last week, but they should increase their lead after playing #16 Nevada while TCU plays lowly New Mexico.
#3 Oregon didn’t slip for their idle hands, but #7 Auburn fell hard, falling behind #5 Stanford and #6 Oklahoma, resulting in Bedlam for the Big 12 South title slightly outpacing the Iron Bowl for Game of the Week. Auburn may have to beat down on #9 Alabama to justify the respect the BCS is giving the SEC. If a one-loss SEC team goes to the National Title Game ahead of an unbeaten team from a non-BCS conference I’ll just put my head in my hands. The SEC is the best conference top-to-bottom, but its best teams haven’t been as dominating as you would like.
Other notes on this week’s C Ratings:
- #10 Virginia Tech breaks into the Top 10 after completing their road to the division title. Given the record of ACC teams, expect them to get a very good seed in the Golden Bowl Tournament.
- #11 Wisconsin is looking better, but #4 Ohio State still looks like a worldbeater, even if every non-BCS team in the country now hates their guts.
- #12 Nebraska and #13 Missouri are once again back-to-back in the ratings. The game that made the difference in the North is likely making the difference in the ratings as well.
- #14 Arkansas is actually ahead of overrated #17 LSU. Expect them to prove they deserve it. #15 South Carolina could have a trap game against a Clemson team in positive B Points.
- #18 Navy is off until the Army game.
- V-Tech has locked up one division, but ACC Madness continues in the other. The Atlantic basically comes down to the #19 NC State-Maryland game, even though Maryland now has three conference losses and #23 Florida State has finished its conference schedule, heading into the Florida game, with two.
- #20 West Virginia has the highest rating for a Big East team this season, but they’re a long shot to win the Big East even if they beat rivals Pittsburgh.
- Congratulations to #21 Texas A&M for winning the Lone Star Showdown (not yet reflected in the rankings) for the first time in forever, and reminding us all why this used to be the Southwest Conference’s premier rivalry.
- The Land Grant Trophy game may be the best of the early games on Saturday. #22 Michigan State hopes to win the Big Ten by beating a decent Penn State team and rooting for rival Michigan. Iowa now finds itself just barely outside the Top 25.
- Finally, #24 Notre Dame breaks into positive B Points – and the Top 25 – after beating up on Army in Yankee Stadium, and #25 Arizona is going to be a bit of a long shot to upset Oregon.
Best game of week: #6 Oklahoma @ #8 Oklahoma State, Saturday 8pm ET, ABC
Complete C Ratings