Halloween Thrills and Spills

National Overview

Stunning. Shocking. Mind-boggling. Those were just a few of the words used to describe the Fall of Troy Saturday night, and not one of them was hyperbolic. Oregon whipped USC left, right, forward and backward on Halloween, handing the mighty Trojans their worst loss in over a decade, possibly their worst loss of all time. Never under Pete Carroll had USC looked so overwhelmed. The outcome was nigh-inexplicable - unless you accept that Oregon was simply the (much) better team.

I witnessed the rise of the Trojan dynasty at the turn of the century. Could it truly be that we have just seen its fall? It's too early to say, but the lingering stigma this game will have could cost USC dearly in the coming years. The team built their reputation on big-game performances and this was their worst one in a long time.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Oregon over USC was the only big upset of the weekend outside of North Carolina over Virginia Tech, unless you count Tennessee's win against South Carolina (and I don't). Florida won comfortably against Georgia, Texas blasted Oklahoma State (which was a little surprising) and all the mid-major BCS hopefuls blew out their respective opponents. I would include Iowa in this elite group, but the Hawkeyes are clearly not an elite team.

People thought the conference races would generally become clearer after this weekend, but outside of the ACC and Big 12 there is still plenty of uncertainty. Georgia Tech resumes conference play this weekend and Texas has all but assured themselves the division title, but the Pac-10, SEC, Big 10 and Big East are muddled.

One thing we know for sure: Florida will play in the SEC championship game. That speaks a lot more to the weakness of the SEC East than the Gator's dominance, but that's a subject for later. Alabama's monster game versus LSU this weekend should decide the SEC West, so there will be a lot more definitive information about that conference in a week's time.

Oregon took control of the Pac-10 with their USC win, but the Ducks still have a long way to go before they can exhale. They've played just five league games and face a tough matchup with Stanford this week. Arizona is still lurking in the wings with a single conference loss - win out, and the Wildcats go to Pasadena. And as much as Oregon fans won't want to hear it, USC could still pick up the pieces and sneak out another Pac-10 title. They looked left for dead when the Ducks beat them in 2007 and got it done then when Oregon collapsed. This race is not over.

Cincinnati seems to have control of the Big East, but the Bearcats have played the conference's two worst teams - Syracuse and Louisville - the past two weeks. They have a couple of decent squads ahead in Connecticut and West Virginia and are starting to look forward to that big game against Pittsburgh in early December. With the West Virginia loss to South Florida, the Panthers are now the only team with a shot to topple Cincinnati, barring a major upset.

The Big 10 is in shambles right now, and not just because Iowa only beat Indiana thanks to blown calls and couple of miracle plays. Wisconsin shut out the Purdue team that previously beat Ohio State, 37-0, Minnesota beat once-formidable Michigan State and lowly Illinois knocked out Michigan. Penn State was even tied with Northwestern in the fourth quarter before pulling away. This might be the worst BCS conference.

Of course, no team was more overjoyed than Boise State to see Oregon smash USC. The Broncos blew out San Jose State, but no team they play the rest of the season can help their strength of schedule like Oregon can. BYU jumped back into the polls despite being idle and Utah survived a close call versus Wyoming, but TCU was the winner in the polls this week with their 41-0 win over UNLV. The Horned Frogs increased their lead on BSU and if they win out will assuredly be awarded the automatic BCS bid.

On the polls

It's becoming more and more evident that almost no voters watch more than one or two games and then call it a week. If the polls were power rankings indicating current performance, as they purport to be, we wouldn't see several teams ranked where they are now. Once again this week I had trouble finding 25 teams that deserved to be ranked. It seems as if no one can win on a consistent basis.

1) Texas

The Longhorns followed up the Mizzou beatdown with another one of Oklahoma State. I think OSU is a solid team and Texas just destroyed them. The Big 12 may be down, but Texas has been steadily improving over the past several weeks.

2) Oregon

No question. I'll talk more about the "Oregon vs. Boise State" debate later, but for now just be content with the numbers 391 and 613, the Ducks' rushing and total yards against one of the most dominant defenses (at least statistically) in the country. USC has been the gold standard of college football the past decade and they just got humiliated by Oregon's power and speed.

3) Florida

It was Georgia and Georgia stinks, but still, that's a little more like it. The Gators finally looked a bit like themselves this weekend. While the SEC East is obviously very mediocre, Florida did play much better on Saturday, for which I have to give them credit. I still wonder about the offense, though.

4) Alabama

They didn't play so they moved down, but I really couldn't see the Tide losing to Cincy, despite their recent offensive woes. They have to figure out the passing game fast though, because LSU is good enough defensively to take advantage of a one-dimensional offense. Their defense can't save them forever.

5) Cincinnati

I'm keeping this team here for now, but I question their quarterback situation. The Bearcats got through two patsies without much of an issue, but that could change once they start to play some real live teams. I've gone back and forth with Cincy and TCU, but I couldn't justify moving the Horned Frogs up.

6) TCU

TCU's strength of schedule is starting to have an effect. The UNLV team they shut out is more talented than their 3-6 record, and certainly better than the San Jose State team Boise State whaled on. TCU has already passed BSU in the polls. Once they beat Utah (and I'm pretty sure they will), the debate will be all over.

7) Boise State

The Broncos, unfair as it is, aren't going to catch many breaks the rest of the way. To realistically play their way into a BCS game, they're going to have to win by 30+ from here on out. Their win over Oregon is the only thing keeping them afloat right now; without it, they'd probably be outside the top 15.

8) LSU

I continue to be skeptical of LSU and their shutout of Tulane changes nothing. They get a chance to impress me this week when they square off against Alabama. Both teams have strong defenses and ugly offenses. Please don't be another 7-3 SEC slugfest. The winner of this game will probably go to the SEC championship to face Florida.

9) Georgia Tech

Tech doesn't really deserve to move up after struggling against Vandy. Vandy? This team's lack of defense is really becoming evident. However, they're still rolling along on offense and can wrap up a berth in the ACC championship with a win this week. It's difficult to beat the Yellow Jackets when you only have a week to prepare for the mighty flexbone.

10) USC

USC shouldn't despair because of one really bad game. True, this was their worst loss in a long, long time. But isn't it possible Oregon is just that good? If you really think the Trojans should be ranked lower, answer me this: would they lose to any of the next five teams in my rankings? I don't think so. In fact, I think they would blow out all of them except Oklahoma.

11) Iowa

Oh. My. Goodness. Outside of Texas Tech's faceplant against Oklahoma last season, Iowa's win over Indiana was the worst performance from a top 10 team I've ever seen. For three quarters, the Hawkeyes couldn't run, couldn't pass and turned the ball over like a grade-school team. They needed incredibly poor officiating to overturn two clear Indiana touchdowns (more on this later) and benefitted from perhaps the luckiest play this decade (I couldn't find a video of it, sorry). This is not a great team and once they play a legitimate opponent they are going to get worked.

12) Penn State

The Nittany Lions keep creeping up my rankings, and even I'm not sure how they're doing it. Their best win - Michigan - doesn't look remotely impressive now. Maybe I'm just buying in to all the preseason hype. From what I've seen, PSU doesn't seem to be improving by leaps and bounds. However, I do recognize that they have a lot of talent and as the reigning Big 10 champs I'll give them a little leeway.

13) Houston

The Cougars made it way too close against Southern Miss this weekend, but squeaked out an are-you-kidding-me 50-43 win. Case Keenum had a ridiculous stat line, but what's with the defense? This team is a lot like Georgia Tech, except they throw every down instead of running.

14) Pittsburgh

The Panthers had a bye this week and get another next week versus Syracuse. Then the heavy lifting starts. I really like this team and fully expect them to continue their streak. The season-ending stretch of Notre Dame, West Virginia and Connecticut is exactly a murderer's row, but it’s definitely not a cakewalk either.

15) Oklahoma

OU nearly slipped up in a big way against K-State but righted the ship in time to prevent a disastrous upset. The winner of the annual rivalry game against Oklahoma State will probably finish second in the conference. After OSU's performance versus Texas, no one will take the Cowboys in that game. The Sooners look like the second-best team in the Big 12.

16) Ohio State

Why were you guys playing New Mexico State in the last week of October, exactly? Not really a great way to regain national respect. Ohio State gets a pass for now because their season comes down to the next three games - Penn State, Iowa and Michigan. Beat Iowa and all is forgiven, but if not there could be turmoil in Columbus.

17) Arizona

'Zona got the bye week bump, but I believe they're for real. They'd better buckle up, though. After a guaranteed win versus Washington State this week, they face Cal, Oregon, rival ASU and USC. I can see anything from a 5-0 to a 1-4 finish. The first step is dismissing WSU, which they should have no problem with.

18) Utah

Utah made things unnecessarily interesting the last couple games but managed to come out unscathed. It looks like this team is saving everything for that clash of the titans with TCU, a team they've owned recently. I sure hope they've been looking ahead, because if their recent performance is how good the Utes really are, they're going to get plastered by the Horned Frogs.

19) Oregon State

The pass defense has really become an issue, as seen against UCLA. However, I still have the utmost faith that Mike Riley can rally his team to another strong finish. We've seen it too often for it to not happen again, right? The Cal game this week, in Berkeley, will show everyone just where the Beavers stand.

20) Oklahoma State

That showing against Texas was pathetic. I've maintained ever since I saw him in the Holiday Bowl that Cowboys QB Zac Robinson is one of the most overrated players in the country, but even I didn't expect four picks. The sad thing is, the Big 12 is so bad that Okie State is probably still the third best team. I've ranked them because their offense always gives them potential to win in a shootout.

21) Wisconsin

The Badgers have been the epitome of Big 10 football all year - plodding, unimaginative and uninteresting. Unlike most teams in their league, however, Wisconsin has a bit of a nasty streak. They came off of their bye week and absolutely crushed Purdue, who, if you recall, beat Ohio State. I'm ready to put them back in the top 25, if only because there are so few worthy teams.

22) Virginia Tech

Every time I think I have the Hokies figured out, they go out and play like they did against North Carolina. This team is incredibly inconsistent. They can play with anyone on a good day, but on the other days it's best to just close your eyes and wait for the carnage to be over. I'm leaving them ranked, but it's on a trial basis.

23) Notre Dame

Notre Dame still hasn't beaten anyone (Wazzu? Trying to play all the worst teams in the Pac-10, are we?). But the truth, however ugly, is that the Irish will go 10-2 if they upset Pitt this month. With that record, I think they will receive a BCS bowl bid. Do they deserve it? No. But when was the last time a Notre Dame team deserved its hype?

24) BYU

After TCU the rest of the schedule should feel like a cool breeze for the Cougars. There's still the matter of the rivalry game with Utah, but if the Utes play like they have been recently it'll be over by halftime. A 10-2 record with the ambitious schedule BYU played would be quite respectable. Remember, this team did beat Oklahoma.

25) California

An extremely tentative ranking, pending the Oregon State game this week. The Bears beat a pair of weak teams to get back to respectability, but it would exorcise a lot of demons if this team could beat OSU. In 2007 the Beavers beat second-ranked Cal when the Bears had national title aspirations. The program hasn't been the same since. I think OSU is definitely the better team, but I'll give Cal the benefit of the doubt for a week. Show me something, Bears.

Random Thoughts and Observations

The number one thing on everyone's minds after Oregon's win over USC is the debate: Oregon vs. Boise State. This has the potential to be the biggest story of the season if both teams keep winning. I moved the Ducks ahead of the Broncos, so it's fair to explain what my reasoning is.

Boise State will argue that their head-to-head victory should be enough to keep them ahead of Oregon. If on-field performance doesn't matter, what does? BSU beat the same Oregon team that has reeled off wins over Utah, Cal and USC, thus they should be ranked higher.

Oregon will say that one game doesn't make a season and that they have greatly improved since the opening-night debacle. They will argue that their much tougher schedule should be cause for them to jump the Broncos by season's end, if not immediately.

As much as I hate to do it, you can see by my rankings that I believe Oregon is a better team now. Power rankings reflect current performance, as I have said many times, and Boise State has done nothing to prove that they are better team now than when the beat Oregon. Additionally, lest anyone forget, BSU did not look good in that game either. Their opponents have uniformly been of atrocious quality (Fresno State is the only other team with a winning record) and the BCS computers are going to continue to drop them as the year wears on. The truth of the matter is that no one outside of Boise honestly believes the Broncos would win in a rematch. It's not fair, because Boise State has tried to improve their schedule and no big schools want to play them. But it's also true that you shouldn't be rewarded with a major bowl game because you walked through the easiest schedule in the country. In the end, Oregon is more deserving of a high ranking.

After the Brandon Spikes incident this weekend, it's fair to wonder if Florida has any shame at all. The linebacker was caught on video attempting to gouge the eyes of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey after a play. Coach Urban Meyer said in a press conference that "football is an emotional game" although that his program "did not condone that kind of behavior." Then he suspended Spikes for a paltry one half of one game, against lowly Vanderbilt. Most damning of all was the response from Tim Tebow, who said that "we didn't do anything they didn't do to us."

This kind of logic was abandoned by rational people sometime during grade school. ESPN's Pat Forde wrote today that Urban Meyer has shown that "nothing, not even thuggish behavior, will be allowed to substantively interfere with our pursuit of a national title." I usually don't like Forde; I find him a little too amused at his own wit. But he's absolutely right on this one. It's stunning that a proud program like Florida can face the nation and say that a 30-minute suspension for Spikes is somehow appropriate.

For the record, I know that Ealey has said he doesn't think Spikes should be suspended. Tough. It's not his decision to make. This isn't even a football decision. Regardless of the fact that this sort of thing happens sometimes in football, regardless of the fact that Georgia was playing dirty too, there is just no excuse for this. None. There is no moral justification for trying to blind someone.

Because of the nature of the Spikes play, comparisons have been drawn to Oregon's LeGarrette Blount. I agree with the analyst on College Football Live (sorry, don't know his name) who stated that while Blount's transgression was worse, it was clearly an emotional response to a taunt, while Spikes actively sought out Ealey in order to inflict injury. I don't like what Blount did either, but Oregon did the right thing by suspending him for an extended period. A half-game for Spikes doesn't even amount to a slap on the wrist.

On the subject of Blount, it appears that the Oregon running back will be reinstated this week. This has been a very controversial affair for Oregon fans, Oregonians and nation at large. I was surprised by the University's initial yearlong suspension but was proud of the hard-line response. When it was announced that he could come back at some point, I felt frustrated because it made Oregon look like it was caving in by allowing a great player to get away with a terrible action. However, I have since modified my position because it is clear that Oregon does not need Blount to win. At this point, bringing him back would be, as coach Chip Kelly has said, "a human being decision." This argument is completely plausible, so I will support the reinstatement when it comes and hope that Blount can continue to move on as a better person.

The officials in the Big 10 were clearly offended by the national uproar over the poor performance of their counterparts in the SEC (this year) and the Pac-10 (last several years) and took it upon themselves to show the country a thing or two. The zebras overturned two clear Indiana touchdowns against Iowa this weekend in a blatant "BCS penalty" situation, keeping the Hawkeyes undefeated season alive. I thought Florida was the luckiest team in the country after the Arkansas debacle, but Iowa has ended any debate.

Pac-10 fans have to be rooting for Tennessee every game. The Volunteers have become a relatively respectable team in the SEC and could conceivably win their final three conference games against Ole Miss, Vandy and Kentucky. How embarrassing would that be for the SEC? UCLA, which beat UT, can't win a Pac-10 game. Right now the Vols are the second-best team in their division and about the fourth-best team in the conference. The Bruins are almost certainly the second-worst team in the Pac-10. Just food for thought on which league is the toughest from top to bottom. By the way, four of the six BCS computers rank the Pac-10 as the number one conference. The other two have the Pac-10 second.

I was wondering how the poll voters ranked teams according to conference affiliation because of how much conference strength is hyped. To that end, I counted up the number of teams ranked from each conference. The SEC and Big 12, regarded as the strongest leagues the past few years, should have the most teams in the top 25, right? Well, here are the results of my research (rankings from AP poll):

SEC: 3 teams

Big 12: 3 teams

Big 10: 4 teams

Pac-10: 4 teams

ACC: 3 teams

Big East: 2 teams

Mountain West: 3 teams

WAC: 1 team

Conference USA: 1 team

Independent: 1 team

This is significant because it shows even the "experts" don't believe the recycled arguments they've been feeding the public for the last few seasons. Isn't it reasonable to think that the best conferences would have at least as many ranked teams as other leagues, if not more? Well, according to this metric the SEC and Big 12 are tied with the ACC and Mountain West for third place, behind the Big 10 and Pac-10 in first. It's completely dishonest for voters to tell people every week that one conference is superior and then rank the teams in that conference lower. It's appalling that in the year 2009, we still decide the champion of collegiate football through a bizarre voting and computer system that emphasizes everything but on-field play. You want to complain about the rankings, Boise State? The school presidents holding back a playoff are the real enemy.

Heisman-worthy (right now)

Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama

I'll keep Ingram on here for now, as he shouldn't be penalized for not playing. But the Tide's best offensive player needs to step it up after his worst game of the season last time out. The whispers that 'Bama's line is doing all the heavy lifting are starting to get louder, though. He's still got a good shot as a sentimental favorite, because for some reason no player in Alabama's storied history has ever won the Heisman.

C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson

I've long been a fan of Spiller for his lightning speed and sick return ability, but until now couldn't really justify putting him on the short list. However, the recent lack of viable candidates and Spiller's magnificent performances in the past month have changed that. He's the heart and soul of Clemson, which has now won three straight, including an upset of Miami (FL), and is the reason the Tigers might win the ACC Atlantic.

(Clemson also beat Coastal Carolina. I mention this because I had to find some way to include a reference to the greatest mascot in sports, the Chanticleers!)

Colt McCoy, QB, Texas

McCoy continued his impressive mid-season push with another strong performance last week. If Texas goes undefeated, there's almost no question that he'll win. The thing is, he's finally starting to play like he deserves it. The only problem is that his defense is so good he rarely has to win games by himself and make dramatic plays.

Case Keenum, QB, Houston

You knew this was coming. Just in case you weren't convinced, Keenum rescued his defense from their nauseating performance this Saturday by throwing for 559 yards and five touchdowns at an 81 percent completion rate! Are you kidding me? The man has thrown for an average of 411 yards and three touchdowns per game with only five interceptions. The production is there. The wins are there. Voters, please don't do this great quarterback a disservice by failing to invite him to New York.