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As the season progresses, my Power Rankings reflect the respective "powers" of the teams at that particular moment. They are a like a snapshot of each team's current state. Yes, the teams' seasons are cumulative, but the further you go along, the less relevant early-season results become for the simple reason that teams change. Neither the Gamecocks or the Bulldogs are the same teams they were when they played on Sept. 8. The quarterback that led South Carolina to that victory, Blake Mitchell, was just benched as a result of his performance against LSU. The quarterback for Georgia who played so poorly in that game, Matthew Stafford, just delivered himself the ultimate confidence boost by throwing a game-winning touchdown in overtime in a hostile atmosphere. And while this information was not available at the time I submitted my ballot, it's also worth noting that South Carolina just lost its best defensive player, Jasper Brinkely, for the season.

I don't know whether any of that means Georgia would beat the Gamecocks if they played today, and quite honestly, it doesn't matter. The only scenario in which it would bother me to have the loser ranked higher than the winner at a future date would be if the two teams both won out and were in contention for a spot in the national-title game. In that case, yes, I would make sure South Carolina was ranked higher. But both teams would also have complete bodies of work by then by which to judge them whereas right now we're catching them mid-stream.

OK -- the picture on the first page of last week's Mailbag shows Colt McCoy in see-through pants. You can see his jock strap. Am I the only one that is bothered by this?
--Lisa, Dallas

For the record, Lisa is particularly bothered by Texas' pants -- this is not the first time she's written in about them. I hadn't bothered to notice until she pointed out that picture. Yep, sure enough -- see through. I'm pretty sure most teams wear the same style of pants. I'm guessing we'll find out soon enough whether she's the only one bothered by them.

Why did Steve Pederson extend Bill Callahan's contract before he even saw the results of this very pivotal year? Nebraska really is not that much farther along than with Frank Solich. They are still losing big to ranked teams and barely beating teams that they should. For all of his recruiting prowess, the defense is horrible with slow athletes.
--Eric, Fargo, N.D.

I've spent four years trying to figure out why Pederson hired Callahan in the first place, so I sure as heck don't have an answer to the contract-extension thing. It does seem that he's mostly succeeded in transforming the Huskers' offense into his preferred West Coast likeness but now the defense has become their downfall. Defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove is not a very popular figure in Lincoln right now, and understandably so, but ultimately Callahan is the one who opted to hire him from Wisconsin rather than retain fan favorite Bo Pelini (who can currently be found leading the nation's top-ranked defense at LSU), and ultimately Pederson is the one who thought this whole Callahan experiment was a great idea to begin with.

Actually, I do have an answer regarding the contract extension. Surely Pederson knew well that this would be, as Eric described it, a pivotal year for Callahan, and the extension was largely a symbolic way to demonstrate his confidence. I wonder if he would have gone through with it, however, if he could have known ahead of time Ball State would come to town and put up 600 yards on Callahan's team.

Stewart, did you put the trivia item in Jordana Spiro's Wikipedia page that mentions she was "named 2007 College Football Mailbag Celebrity Crush by SI.com's Stewart Mandel?"
--Mark, California

No, I did not. I assume her publicist did.

My dad is a subway alum from New York. I was raised on Notre Dame. Here's a question: Why should I be a fan anymore? I have spent countless dollars on tickets and memorabilia. I am hated by friends and co-workers. I consistently expect national championships but clearly couldn't expect that at a Division II level. I DON'T KNOW WHY I CARE ANYMORE. My life has been made worse by this team -- people like me less, I feel completely empty inside every fall, I waste hard earned money. If I was a fan of Star Wars I would also be ridiculed by many but at least I know how that ends. This is a never-ending torment. I haven't read the book yet, but I think I'm the tattered souls part.
--Mark, Indianapolis

Indeed, Mark, you are the definition of a tattered soul -- but it's that kind of loyalty that makes college football what it is. I'm sure the ribbing is getting to be unbearable, but you've certainly earned my admiration.