A pair of one-loss teams check in ahead of 9-0 Tide

In the past 48 hours, I've heard from no shortage of Alabama fans complaining about the vile Associated Press pollsters who dared rank their undefeated team below Miami this week. "Please," one e-mailer begged, "tell me you didn't vote Alabama behind a one-loss team."

Sorry to disappoint you, fella. I voted the Tide behind two one-loss teams.

Normally, my philosophy is "a win's a win," but I've never seen a case quite like 'Bama's. The numbers are undeniably incriminating: one offensive touchdown in three SEC games since losing star receiver Tyrone Prothro. Combined record of the opposition: 8-17.

The Tide certainly deserves significant acclaim for getting to 9-0. That's why the Tide reached my top five in the first place. But I can't in good conscience move them up any higher when they're so clearly hanging by a thin thread. If they go on to beat 7-1 LSU and 7-2 Auburn, I'll reconsider. However, as we learned from UCLA, if it looks like the dam is ready to break at any moment, it probably will.

NCAA Football Power Rankings Rank LW Team 1 1 USC Trojans (9-0) With all this talk about Reggie Bush vs. Vince Young for the Heisman, you'd assume reigning winner Matt Leinart is having a crappy year. Well, guess who's leading the country in pass efficiency? Leinart has completed 66.8 percent of his passes for 2,771 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. Next game: Saturday at Cal. 2 2 Texas Longhorns (9-0) Think that Oklahoma State game served as a little wake-up call for the 'Horns? If you're Mack Brown, you can't ask for more of a response than a 62-0 win over Baylor. In his first career start at running back, Ramonce Taylor ran for 102 yards, caught three passes for 43 yards and scored four touchdowns. Next game: Saturday vs. Kansas. 3 6 Penn St. Nittany Lions (9-1) Raise your hand if you saw this coming in August: The Nittany Lions are currently one of just two teams (the other being Texas) ranked in the top 25 nationally in both total offense and total defense. QB Michael Robinson has produced 300 or more yards in three of his past four games. Next game: Nov. 19 at Michigan State. 4 8 Miami Hurricanes (7-1) I hope I'm not offending Eric Winston (he's a big guy), who told reporters after Saturday night's game, "If you guys don't think we're the best one-loss team in the nation, there's something wrong with you." Will you settle for a very-close second, Eric? I'm guessing I know the answer. Next game: Saturday at Wake Forest. 5 5 Alabama Crimson Tide (9-0) Many are comparing this year's Tide defense to that of its 1992 national title team, and rightfully so, but here's the amazing thing: That unit produced four first-round draft picks. This defense may net just one, LB DeMeco Ryans, yet it's been every bit as dominant as that group. Next game: Saturday vs. LSU. 6 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-2) The Irish are a spell-checker's worst nightmare. Saturday's two brightest stars were Tom Zbikowski and Jeff Samardzija -- safety Zbikowski for his TDs on an interception and a punt return, and receiver Samardzija for his 73-yard catch shortly after Tennessee tied the game. Next game: Saturday vs. Navy. 7 10 Ohio St. Buckeyes (7-2) Saturday's 40-2 win over Illinois (is it just me, or does 40-2 sound worse than 40-0?) marked the first time in a decade the Buckeyes have reached 40 points in three straight games. The one constant has been Ted Ginn Jr., who had another monster performance (216 all-purpose yards). Next game: Saturday vs. Northwestern. 8 7 LSU Tigers (7-1) Were Alabama and LSU playing a game of "Who can look least impressive?" heading into their showdown Saturday in Tuscaloosa? The supposed fifth-best team in the country led I-AA Appalachian State 14-0 after three quarters last weekend before "pulling away" for a 24-0 win. Next game: Saturday at Alabama. 9 11 Georgia Bulldogs (7-1) Georgia better get out its checkbook. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Mark Richt's $1.5-million salary has fallen behind, among others, Al Groh's. Are you kidding me? Richt is currently in position to win his third division title in four years. Groh is in position for another trip to Boise. Next game: Saturday vs. Auburn. 10 3 Virginia Tech Hokies (8-1) If the Hokies were looking for an incentive to avoid one of their traditional late-season collapses, they may have received it from Monday's BCS standings, in which Virginia Tech is somehow still sixth. That's just two spots short of a guaranteed at-large berth to one of the four BCS bowls. Next game: Nov. 19 at Virginia.

Read on for teams 11-20 ...