Last week, the majority of e-mailers lauded my ascension of 6-0 South Florida to No. 1 over what many deemed a less-deserving, 7-0 Ohio State team.
A week later, much of my inbox can be split into two camps: One consists of gloating Buckeyes fans questioning my intelligence in light of the Bulls' galling loss at 5-2 Rutgers. (Which makes me wonder, if OSU happens to lose on Saturday at 6-2 Penn State -- currently ranked one spot higher than Rutgers -- will that be viewed as an equally egregious crime?)
Then there are the critics questioning the audacity of myself or any other voter who would keep a one-loss LSU team above not only the Buckeyes (whom I moved up from No. 3 to No. 2 this week), but also fellow undefeateds Boston College, Arizona State and Kansas. Why, they ask, would I place the SEC on such a pedestal as to essentially treat the Tigers' loss to Kentucky as a mulligan? Is not the ultimate goal of this sport to go undefeated?
It's a perfectly valid complaint ... if these were the Dec. 2 rankings, after all teams had completed their bodies of work. As of Oct. 20, however, none of the four aforementioned undefeated teams had yet faced the meat of their conference schedules, while LSU, in the last three weeks alone, has beaten No. 9 Florida and No. 23 Auburn while losing in triple overtime at No. 14 Kentucky.
For the sake of argument, however, let's pretend for a second the SEC does not exist. That the Tigers' wins over Florida, Auburn and No. 15 South Carolina carry no more or less significance than, say, Ohio State's wins over Purdue, Michigan State and Northwestern. That LSU has played the same exact conference schedule as every remaining undefeated team (I know it's a stretch, but just play along for a second).
Even then, LSU would still boast a 49-7 win over a 6-1 Virginia Tech team currently ranked eighth in the BCS standings. This is notable for two reasons:
1) Even without their conference games, the Tigers have still beaten a higher-ranked foe than any of the undefeated teams. (In fact, none of them have beaten a BCS-ranked foe of any kind).
2) That same Virginia Tech team that the Tigers beat by six touchdowns plays undefeated Boston College on Thursday night -- and is currently listed as a three-point favorite.
Back in the real world, of course, I did give LSU credit for those South Carolina, Florida and Auburn wins when filling out this ballot. And it's not that I didn't count the Kentucky loss as well; I just think going 4-1 against top-25 foes is more becoming than 0-0.
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It's no coincidence that Matt Flynn's career-high 313-yard night against Auburn (which came in allowing an average 170.6 passing yards per game) coincided with the return of top LSU receiver Early Doucet, who caught seven passes for 93 yards in his first extended action since Sept. 8.
Last game: Beat Auburn, 30-24.
Next game: Nov. 3 at Alabama.
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Ranked foes or not, there's no disputing OSU's defensive dominance. Case in point: Michigan State RB Javon Ringer entered last week's game averaging 169.2 yards over his previous four outings. The Buckeyes held him to 49 yards on 18 carries and held the Spartans to 185 yards total.
Last game: Beat Michigan State, 24-17.
Next game: Saturday at Penn State.
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Last weekend, the Ducks -- despite losing No. 2 tailback Jeremiah Johnson for the season -- racked up a school-record 465 rushing yards at Washington. This wasn't a one-week thing, either; Oregon ranks third nationally in rushing offense -- one spot ahead of current Tailback U, Arkansas.
Last game: Beat Washington, 55-34.
Next game: Saturday vs. USC.
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It's been a long time since the ACC produced must-see TV, but Thursday night's showdown in Blacksburg qualifies. It will be interesting to see what kind of wrinkles BC offensive coordinator Steve Logan -- a veteran of many Thursday-night games at East Carolina -- throws at the Hokies.
Last game: Beat Notre Dame, 27-14.
Next game: Thursday at Virginia Tech.
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The poor Sun Devils just want a little respect and figured they'd get it if they knocked off previous No. 2 Cal; now, it will just look like a case of beating someone while they're down. Still, I'm curious to see how ASU's 14th-ranked defense fares against the most dangerous offense they've faced.
Last game: Beat Washington, 44-20.
Next game: Saturday vs. Cal.
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Did nobody notice just how badly the Sooners struggled at 1-7 Iowa State last Saturday? OU trailed 7-0 at the half (against a team that lost 56-3 to Texas a week earlier) and didn't seal the outcome until the final two minutes. The defense and running game ultimately saved them.
Last game: Beat Iowa State, 17-7.
Next game: Nov. 3 vs. Texas A&M.
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Last week's Rutgers loss had to be humbling for Bulls QB Matt Grothe, who made several big plays early (including an 18-yard TD run) but wound up getting sacked seven times and making several late mistakes. He'll need to put it behind him quickly; UConn's sixth-ranked defense awaits.
Last game: Lost to Rutgers, 30-27.
Next game: Saturday at Connecticut.
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One recurring flaw of the Mountaineers is their tendency to start fast, but ease up. Against Mississippi State, they raced to a 31-0 second-quarter lead -- then notched just two first downs on their next five possessions. WVU's much-improved defense ensured the Bulldogs never rallied.
Last game: Beat Mississippi State, 38-13.
Next game: Saturday at Rutgers.
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While Tim Tebow has thus far pulled off the Superman role, carrying the load for Florida both running and passing, that might change this week against Georgia. The QB, who ran 20 times against Kentucky, bruised his non-throwing shoulder, and Florida may have to limit his exposure.
Last game: Beat Kentucky, 45-37.
Next game: Saturday vs. Georgia.
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Here's a crazy stat for you: The Jayhawks are the first Big 12 North team in five years to start conference play 3-0. If they're as good as this ranking indicates, they should have little trouble reaching 4-0 this week when they visit America's most deceiving 6-2 team, Texas A&M.
Last game: Beat Colorado, 19-14.
Next game: Saturday at Texas A&M.
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