NCAA Football Rankings 11-6-6

THIS WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN NOVEMBER 6, 2006

1. OHIO STATE (10-0)-
Last Week: Won @ Illinois 17-10
Next Game: 11-11 @ Northwestern (3-7)
You can have that “look ahead” game that everyone is calling last weeks near disaster, just don’t have it two weeks in a row. The Buckeyes need to come out and pound the Wildcats to send a message to everyone that they are ready for the showdown with Michigan next week.

2. MICHIGAN (10-0)-
Last Week: Won vs Ball State 34-26
Next Game: 11-11 @ Indiana (5-5)
Indiana is actually playing good football, so Michigan better not take this game lightly like they took last week or we may just have another tOSU/Michigan game next week, not “The Game of the Century” as some have already dubbed it.

3. LOUISVILLE (8-0)-
Last Week: Won vs West Virginia 44-34
Next Game: 11-9 @ Rutgers (8-0)
One down, one to go. As impressive as the WVU win was, it was at home. Next up is the real challenge, following an emotional home win with a tough road game. A win in New Jersey proves they belong in the National Title picture.

4. TEXAS (9-1)-
Last Week: Won @ Oklahoma State 36-10
Next Game: 11-11 @ Kansas State (6-4)
West Virginia was losing a game for the first time since October 15, 2005 in the first quarter against Syracuse, but that didn’t last long. As good as Steve Slaton is, Pat White is what really gets that offense moving. UCONN gives up over 175 ypg on the ground this year, so expect another big day from the White and Slaton combination.

5. AUBURN (8-1)-
Last Week: Won vs Arkansas State 27-0
Next Game: 11-11 vs Georgia (6-4)
If this team could score they would be scary good. Luckily they will play a Georgia team that can’t seem to score either. Take the UNDER in this game, it might take only 1 score to win.

6. FLORIDA (8-1)-
Last Week: Won @ Vanderbilt 25-19
Next Game: 11-11 vs South Carolina (5-4)
A homecoming of sorts for the “Ole Ball Coach” as Steve Spurrier visits the Swamp for the first time since he left for the NFL. That should be the story line here, as Florida should handle the Gamecocks with ease. However, Spurrier surprised the Gators in SC last season.

7. CALIFORNIA (5-1)-
Last Week: Won vs UCLA 38-24
Next Game: 11-11 @ Arizona (4-5)
Cal needs to just keep telling itself, “Don’t look ahead, don’t look ahead.” What lies ahead is a showdown with USC, but Cal needs to take care of business first. Cal is the best team in the Pac-10, now they need to get to the showdown game with the Trojans so they can prove it to everyone in the country.

8. ARKANSAS (8-1)-
Last Week: Won @ South Carolina 26-20
Next Game: 11-11 vs Tennessee (7-2)
I gotta an idea, I think it would be a good idea to replace the starting quarterback, who has thrown over 800 yards and 10 TDs this season, the week of possible the biggest game of the season. That is exactly what Arkansas coach Houston Nutt did this week when he named Casey Dick the starting QB this week against the Vols.

9. WEST VIRGINIA (7-1)-
Last Week: Lost @ Louisville 44-34
Next Game: 11-11 vs Cincinnati (5-4)
You have gotta feel for Cincinnati this week. A week after having their National Title hopes dashed you would think that WVU is out for blood. Cincinnati has one of the better and more underrated defenses in the country, but this Mountaineer offense will be looking for revenge after shooting themselves in the foot repeatedly against Louisville.

10. SOUTHERN CAL (7-1)-
Last Week: Won @ Stanford 42-0
Next Game: 11-11 vs Oregon (7-2)
I don’t know what it is about this team, but they just don’t impress me. I think they have a real good chance of falling again this week against the Ducks. This should be an interesting match-up, Oregon can’t stop anyone and USC has had trouble scoring of late. They had the perfect remedy for their scoring woes though last week, a Walt Harris coached team.

11. RUTGERS (8-0)-
Last Week: OFF
Next Game: 11-9 vs Louisville (8-0)
The State University of New Jersey is making Tony Soprano happy, which is always a good thing. A big game this week against Louisville will be the biggest game in the history of the school since they started playing football in 1869 (6-4 win over Princeton). A win here and Greg Schiano could get elected Governor. Hey if he can turn around a program like Rutgers maybe he can clean up a state like New Jersey, doubtful.

12. LSU (7-2)-
Last Week: Won @ Tennessee 28-24
Next Game: 11-11 vs Alabama (6-4)
Last week they played in one of the best games I’ve seen all year, maybe second only to their game with Auburn. LSU is all but out of the SEC West race, but with easier games against ‘Bama and Ole Miss before the showdown with 1st place Arkansas anything can happen.

13. TENNESSEE (7-2)-
Last Week: Lost vs LSU 28-24
Next Game: 11-11 @ Arkansas (8-1)
Another big-time game in the SEC this week so there is no time to dwell on last weeks 4th quarter breakdown. I expect the Vols to bounce back large this week and give the Razorbacks all they can handle.

14. WISCINSIN (9-1)-
Last Week: Won vs Penn State 13-3
Next Game: 11-11 @ Iowa (6-4)
The Big Ten has a bigger gap between its top rate and second-tier teams then the Grand Canyon. What happened?? Iowa was supposed to be good this season and they lose to teams like Indiana and Northwestern. To bad Wisconsin didn’t get a chance to play Ohio State this season, then we could have had a REAL Big Ten champ.

15. NOTRE DAME (8-1)-
Last Week: Won vs North Carolina 45-26
Next Game: 11-11 @ Air Force (4-4)
Charlie Weis probably hates that he keeps moving down in my poll too; well here is a hint Charlie, PLAY SOME ONE!!!!! I hate how Notre Dame gets free pass every year for their schedule. Every year, a handful of Big Ten teams, one or two other BCS conference teams (normally second rate), the academies, and USC and Stanford, that is their schedule EVERY YEAR!!!!! The problem is that everyone except Michigan, who embarrassed them, in that group stinks this season. You know you have problems when a linebacker from North Carolina has this to say after the game, “they really aren't different from what we see from week to week. Actually, they are a little slower than most teams in the ACC,” and the ACC is terrible this year, OUCH!!

16. GEORGIA TECH (7-2)-
Last Week: Won @ NC State 31-23
Next Game: 11-11 @ North Carolina (1-8)
This is one of those “second rate” schools that Notre Dame schedules, amazingly enough though they are the best team in a terrible ACC. They should keep that up this week against a terrible North Carolina team, maybe at least this week the Tar Heels will be impressed with the team that beats them by 3 touchdowns.

17. OKLAHOMA (7-2)-
Last Week: Won @ Texas A&M 17-16
Next Game: 11-11 vs Texas Tech (6-4)
No Adrian Peterson??? No problem. The Sooners lose the best running back in the country for the season and all his replacement Allen Patrick does is run for 440 yards in 3 games.

18. WAKE FOREST (8-1)-
Last Week: Won vs Boston College 21-14
Next Game: 11-11 @ Florida State (5-4)
In this crazy world we call ACC football it wouldn’t surprise me at al if the Seminoles beat Wake this week. If that were to happen you could be looking at Maryland and Georgia Tech in Jacksonville for the ACC Championship, that is exactly what people were expecting coming into the season, right?

19. TEXAS A&M (8-2)-
Last Week: Lost vs Oklahoma 17-16
Next Game: 11-11 vs Nebraska (7-3)
In the middle game of a brutal final 3 game stretch against OU, Nebraska and Texas, the Aggies need to get a win here because that season finale in Austin could be a tough place to pick up a “W” especially with the Longhorns having a possible trip to defend its National Championship on the line.

20. BOISE STATE (9-0)-
Last Week: Won vs Fresno State 45-21
Next Game: 11-11 @ San Jose State (6-2)
This team just isn’t that good. Me and 10 friends could win 6-7 games if we played this schedule. Remember when Utah earned a trip to the BCS a few years back and then were in a complete BLOW OUT in their bowl game?? That is what will happen again this year if the Broncos get a BCS bowl bid, except they will be the ones getting blown out, not like Utah.


OK- only 20 teams this week, and the simple reason is that they’re just aren’t that many good teams in college football this year. That is why we have a mess at the top and the whole problem with the BCS. Last year it was easy, everyone knew that Texas and USC were the 2 best teams in the country. This year we don’t have any great teams; just about 10-12 really good ones and a bunch of above average ones.