In this playoff-devoid world of power rankings,
media polls and coaches' polls, we obsess over
hierarchy like a wannabe capo in The Sopranos.
Only difference being, if you break rank in this
borgata, it's an upset rather than an upsetting
experience; you'll get carried off on someone's
shoulders, not over someone's shoulder.
This weekend -- highlighted, sort of, by Nebraska at
Iowa St. and Kentucky at Florida -- officially flips
the switch on the meat-grinder, the beginning of the
conference season. While we can't predict who's gonna
come out in one piece, we can, using this season of
The Sopranos as our guide, tell ya where 'dey
stand right now.
Level 1: The Untouchables
Even the "made" guys in the Soprano clan are depressed
this season; disaster looms as money runs short and
FBI agents move in. Only the New York boss, Carmine,
has the stugots to give Tony this advice: "A Don
doesn't wear shorts."
So far, only two teams are entitled to be this ballsy.
Miami is the obvious one: 26 straight wins, plus a
"statement" pounding of Florida on Sept. 7. Once
again, they're giving out the orders.
Virginia Tech is the only other. It's passed every
test so far, beating three ranked teams (LSU, Marshall
and Texas A&M). At season's end, there won't be room
for two Dons in the Big East, but until the Hokies
play the 'Canes on Dec. 7, they should be safe.
(On the fringe: Texas, Ohio State, Oregon)
Level 2: Big shots, with baggage
All can't be well in the world when Tony Soprano feels
compelled to stash money in his tool shed, or when his
wife wants to talk about "estate planning." At least
four top-10 teams can relate -– they're powerful, but
have too many issues to be completely in the clear.
Oklahoma, although ranked No. 2, lost its No. 1 QB,
Jason White, to a knee injury and its No. 3 QB, Brent
Rawls, to a concussion, in a span of two weeks.
Florida could still be in for a roller coaster ride.
The Gators' run defense finally held a team to under
100 yards rushing on Saturday, but they did it against
the Vols' Troy Fleming and Jabari Davis, not Cedric
Houston.
Rebounding powers Notre Dame and Florida State are
both 4-0, but neither is out of the gauntlet just yet.
Trips to Air Force, FSU and USC loom for the
Fighting Irish, while the Seminoles' war path is still
blocked by Miami, ND, N.C. State and Florida.
Level 3: On the up-and-up, but deservedly
so?
Chris was anointed as the family's newest capo in the
latest episode; but would he have been "made" if Tony
were aware of what Chrissy lights up when the lights
go down? Probably not.
The undefeated-yet-unproven are a staple of the Top 25
this time of year; these soldiers still have work to
do.
Georgia is an ugly 3-0 on the way to a No. 8 ranking,
and may not get tested until Oct. 12 vs. Tennessee.
No. 17 N.C. State and No. 21 Wisconsin are both an
NCAA-leading 5-0, but neither can boast a win over a
ranked opponent. Penn State, after soundly beating
Nebraska, could be on its way out of this crowd; ditto
for Kansas State, which showed its mettle in a 27-20
win over USC on Saturday.
Level 4: In deep; in need of some
help
Adriana, dually threatened by the FBI and the prospect
of Tony finding out she's in trouble with the FBI,
capped off the last episode by projectile vomiting all
over the Feds' interrogation room.
A few teams have puked in the face of pressure so far:
Tennessee, for one, tossed up its cookies (and a
number of fumbles) against Florida. Nebraska should be
here, too, after brutally failing its first test
against Penn State. Colorado has already dropped out
of the rankings with losses to Colorado State and USC,
but the Buffs always seem to rebound.
A "whacked" category would be far too premature, but
these teams have been forewarned: now is the time to
make a move.
Fountain of flexibility
Who slipped the Viagra into Joe Paterno's Metamucil?
He seems to have concocted a potent formula for
dealing with a 21st-century quarterback dilemma.
Paterno ordered starting QB Zack Mills to line up as a
wide receiver on three different plays against
Louisiana Tech, in order to get athletic backup
Michael Robinson on the field. The result? A pair of
rushing touchdowns by Robinson, a 49-17 win and a 3-0
record heading into PSU's conference opener vs.
Iowa.
Give it a week …
The week leading up to Florida's rain-drenched 30-13
win over Tennessee, focus was all on what Ron Zook
hadn't done: 1) beaten Miami, 2) stopped the run, or
3) made star QB Rex Grossman look like a star in the
Gators' new offense. After one upset of the Vols,
Zook's resume doesn't look so bad: He's now the only
rookie coach in Florida history to beat a top-five
team on the road.
Prognosis: unclear
It seemed miraculous in August when Wisconsin's Lee
Evans said he'd return by Oct. 5 from an April ACL
tear. Now, perhaps too miraculous. Evans didn't even
suit up for the Badgers' win over Arizona Saturday,
and Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez wouldn't make any
guarantees about the star WR returning at all
this season unless the doctors provide clearance.
HOT: Charles Rogers, Michigan State He gets double- and triple-teamed, and still puts
up big numbers against Notre Dame. His team may not be
winning, but he's the best WR in the
nation.
NOT: Kelley Washington,
Tennessee
His ego may not be able to handle it, but "The Future"
would only be "The Wingman" anytime Rogers is
around.
HOT: T.A. McClendon, N.C. State
While the Maurice Clarett bandwagon steals his
thunder, this freshman RB has been a
more-than-adequate backfield mate for Philip Rivers,
scoring five TDs against Texas Tech on
Saturday.
NOT: Lloyd Carr's ruse
Michigan's coach pulled off a fake field goal against
Utah, claiming he had discovered a weak spot in the
Utes' special teams. Just admit it, coach, when you're
3-for-11 on field goals, the fake is the best
available option.
Florida State at Louisville, 7:45 p.m. EDT
(Thursday), ESPN This game looked a whole lot more intriguing in
the preseason, when that whole "age of parity" thing
was a big deal. Now, with FSU rolling at 4-0 and
Louisville reeling at 2-2, more impatient fans are
ready to fast-forward to Oct. 12, when the 'Noles play
the 'Canes in Miami. Regardless, the C-USA shouldn't
be taken lightly, seeing what almost happened to Ohio
State at Cincinnati last week.
Nebraska at Iowa State, 3:30 p.m. EDT, ABC
Gone are the days where the Cyclones cringed at
the mere mention of playing the Huksers. And, for once,
ISU has the Heisman-caliber quarterback. If
shell-shocked Nebraska drops its second straight game
on the road, it could become –- gasp -– the fourth-best
team in the Big 12 North.
Kentucky at Florida, 3:30 p.m. EDT, CBS Call this the "Relieved Coaches Classic."
Florida's Ron Zook gets a fresh start after his
aforementioned win over Tennessee; Kentucky's Guy
Morriss, after an awful 2001 season, is 4-0 and just
had his contract extended through 2007. Who knows if
the Gators are good enough to run the table in the
SEC, but one thing is for certain after that muck-fest
in Knoxville: They're better at snapping the ball to
the QB than the Vols are.
How this week's big game played out on EA Sports'
NCAA Football 2003.
Nebraska spanks Iowa State, 34-3. Not a stretch if
you consider the scores from the teams' two meetings
this decade (49-27 and 48-14), but unlikely if you've
seen how lethal QB Seneca Wallace has been thus far.
The 'Clones, it seems, were slighted by the game's
programmers. Nebraska's D-line managed to plow into
the pocket on about 80 percent of the passing plays,
making it tough going for Wallace.
On defense, stopping the Huskers' cyber-option can be
a frustrating process. Use 4-4 sets to load up the
box, and pick plays that keep the linebackers spread
wide (Rush Zone) rather than committed to one side or
the other (Crash Strong or Weak). Make your
predictions at the line by shifting your LBs to the
left or right with a defensive audible.
If the season ended today, taking
into consideration the rule that guarantees Notre
Dame a spot if it wins nine games ...
Fiesta:
Miami
vs. Texas
Rose:
Ohio
State vs. Oregon
Sugar:
Florida
vs. Notre Dame
Orange:
Florida
State vs. Oklahoma
Each week during the season, this space will
be devoted to your comments on a particular issue.
Last week's topic: Maurice Clarett is getting serious
attention as a Heisman candidate. 1) Can a freshman
win the award? 2) What kind of affect would it have on
college football if he did take home the
Heisman?
Yes, if he is the best player in the country. Why
not? In this age of prima donna athletes, how much
bigger can their heads get? Freshmen already demand to
be on the field when they first arrive on campus.
Michael Bruno, Pittsburgh
A freshman can and should win the award if he's the
best college player. It's called the Heisman Trophy,
not the Upperclassman Heisman Trophy. Honoring the
athlete who is TRULY the best college player would
give the award some credibility.
Lamarr Alexander, San Dimas,
Calif.
Clarett is certainly good enough to win as a freshman,
but the best freshman RB in the history of college
football -- Herschel Walker -- didn't take home the
Heisman, and neither will Clarett.
Stan Thaxton, Americus,
Ga.
If Michael Vick couldn't win the Heisman as a
freshman, then I don't think it's possible.
R.J. Carey, Manassas, Va.
It's only possible, but not probable, that a freshman
can win the Heisman. Clarett's performance
notwithstanding, his strong consideration for the
award is also because the expected frontrunners have
underperformed this year thus far. If he did win it,
though, it would still have little long-term affect on
the game, mainly because it would be considered an
aberration.
Mark Price, Columbus, Ohio
This week's topic: Which coach has dug himself
the biggest hole so far this season, and why?
Luke Winn is college football producer for
CNNSI.com. To send him a comment or question, click
here.
