Week 6

The Craziest Year Ever?

Last week, five of the Top 10 teams lost. This week, four more fell as well (though one team, Florida, was one of those teams both weeks). USC lost to Stanford. Among the Top 5 now are California, Boston College, and South Florida. I didn't make any picks this week because in the midst of 3 tests and a paper I'll be honest--I forgot to before Thursday night. And thank God I didn't, I don't think anyone could have predicted this week in college football.

1. Stanford over USC...the biggest upset in college football history?
Well, except for Michigan's little hiccup against Appalachian State. The Vegas line on this game was USC -40.5. The same oddsmakers didn't even make a line for the App. State-Michigan game, so that upset still reigns supreme. But this does not at all lessen the magnitude of what the Fighting Jim Harbaughs accomplished last night. It doesn't get any more exciting than a completed 4th and 20, and then a touchdown on 4th and Goal, resulting in an underdog win. The two coaches, Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll, have had a year-long verbal battle that apparently is not over--Carroll refused to shake his opponent's hand after the game. As a huge fan of sportsmanship, I could write for hours about how classless of a move this is, but all I'll say is that Carroll deserved this loss and deserves every loss that's coming his way for the rest of the season...and there will be at least one more. What a chump. GO TREE.

2. LSU the clear number 1...and only sure thing.
No championship team gets through the season without a gutcheck. The Tigers got their first last night, and they responded accordingly. The Gators gave them every ounce that they could handle, but the Tigers played a tenacious fourth quarter--marked by five absolutely ice-blooded calls by coach Les Miles--and came away with an earned victory. For all the arguments that could be made about who is ranked number 2 and beyond, there is no argument over who is the top team in the land and the odds-on favorite to win the National Championship. That being said...LSU will lose a game. I don't believe any team can survive a modern day SEC schedule without a defeat. Even if LSU escapes Kentucky, Auburn, and Arkansas, they'll face the Gators (who will win the rest of their games) again in the SEC Championship. On a neutral field. Against an extremely revenge-oriented Florida team. If LSU can win out, they deserve to be called one of the best teams in modern history.

3. Ohio State back among the elite.
And deservedly so. The Buckeyes had a shakey start but have really gelled and are coming on strong. They handedly beat a #23 ranked Purdue to remain undefeated, and are now the favorites to win the Big Ten and perhaps even to face LSU in the national title game. Let's face it, California is a Pac-10 team...they'll lose a game (my guess is against Arizona State). The Buckeyes on the other hand benefit greatly from Michigan's struggles and Wisconsin's loss. Other than LSU, I think Ohio State is one of the few other teams capable of going undefeated. I'm not saying they will--I think they'll lose one--but they have a decent chance to do so. But don't get too excited, Buckeye fans...you might not want to be in too big of a hurry to get burned by SEC speed on a national stage again.

4. Boston College and South Florida...really two of the best five teams?
They both have great, playmaking quarterbacks and have beaten everyone that has been placed in their way. I still have trouble thinking of them as being better teams than the likes of Oregon, Oklahoma, Florida, USC, etc...but for now, the absolutely deserve to be ranked where they are. USF is just such a great story, how can you not cheer for them? They've only had a football team for 11 years! COUGHHINT UNCW HINTHINTCOUGH. And Boston College...Matt Ryan is Mr. Consistency. With him taking the snaps, you can never count BC out of a ballgame. In a cupcake ACC conference, the Golden Eagles also have a chance to go undefeated...but will the voters take this as enough to put them in the BCS National Championship over a one-loss Pac-10, SEC, Big 12 or Big Ten team?

5. National championship picture is about as clear as a Picasso painting.
The way this year is going, at the end we'll have a one-loss team (LSU) and an absolute slew of two loss teams from the major conferences. Then we'll have a few one loss teams, and even maybe an undefeated team, from the "lesser"...here's looking at you, ACC and Big East...divisions. Florida's hopes are dashed, since even a victory over LSU in the SEC Championship wouldn't be enough to put them over the Tigers unless LSU lost a game before that, too. Oklahoma, Ohio State, USC, California, Oregon, South Florida, Cincinnati, West Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Arizona State, Wisconsin, and a slew of other teams are all still right there in it. Of all those teams I think the teams with a realistic chance are USC, Cal, Oklahoma, USF, and Ohio State. We won't know down to the very wire, though, and I'm looking very much forward to the second half of the season.

Golden Top 25
1. LSU
2. California
3. Ohio State
4. South Florida
5. Boston College
6. Oklahoma
7. USC
8. West Virginia
9. South Carolina
10. Missouri
11. Oregon
12. Virginia Tech
13. Arizona State
14. Florida
15. Wisconsin
16. Cincinnati
17. Hawaii
18. Kentucky
19. Illinois
20. Kansas
21. Florida State
22. Auburn
23. Georgia
24. Texas
25. Texas Tech

Heisman Race
1. Mike Hart, RB Michigan (976 rushing yards, 10 rushing TD's)
2. Graham Harrell, QB Texas Tech (2,726 passing yards, 30 total TD's)
3. Rashard Mendenhall, RB Illinois (945 total yards, 12 total YD's)
4. Matt Ryan, QB Boston College (1,857 passing yards, 16 total TD's)
5. Andre Woodson, QB Kentucky (1,536 passing yards, 20 total TD's)

on the bubble: Darren McFadden, Tim Tebow, DeSean Jackson