AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2007 > October > 09
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
LSU solid No. 1, but who’s No. 2?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two weeks ago seven out of the top 13 lost. Last weekend four of the top 10 bit the dust. Where does that leave us in the BCS race? Here’s my new top five.
1. LSU (6-0): We’ve had the Tigers up here for a while but now the rest of the country is on board. After beating Florida last Saturday night, it’s hard to figure out where LSU might lose. Auburn comes to Baton Rouge on Oct. 20 and that could be interesting. LSU could play Florida again in the SEC championship game and that would be REALLY interesting.
2. California (5-0): I was tempted to put Ohio State here because, as you know, there is a strong East coast bias among college football writers. At least that’s what my friends on the West coast say. The Bears get points for going on the road to beat Oregon, which I think is a pretty good team. California should be 7-0 when it goes to Arizona State on Oct. 27.
3. Ohio State (5-0): The Buckeyes are playing really good defense, holding Purdue (which was averaging over 45 points per game) to only seven points last Saturday. An Oct. 27 trip to Penn State might be a challenge but the Buckeyes should be 11-0 when they go to Michigan on Nov. 17.
4. Boston College (6-0): The Eagles have been flying under the radar for a while because they haven’t played any high profile games. That is about to change because Saturday they go to Notre Dame, which is a big time game even when the Irish are bad (like they are now), and on Oct. 25 comes a trip to Virginia Tech. If BC is 8-0 after going to Blacksburg, we’re going to have take a serious look at Coach Jags and the Eagles.
5. Oklahoma (5-1): Sorry, South Florida fans. But I still think the Sooners are one of the best five teams in the country. But I am anxious to see how Oklahoma plays Saturday against Missouri, which may be better than a lot of us think. The Sooners always invest a lot into the Texas game. They had better be ready against Mizzou.
Others to watch:
South Carolina (5-1): With road games at Tennessee and Arkansas and a home game with Florida, it’s going to be hard for the Head Ball Coach to go 11-1. But if he did, South Carolina would get a rematch with LSU in Atlanta. Wouldn’t that be fun?
South Florida (5-0): The Bulls play Central Florida on Saturday and then have a short week before a Thursday night trip to Rutgers. Watch out for the Scarlet Knights.
Southern Cal (4-1): There is no explanation for the loss to Stanford. None. Still, this team is loaded and if a one-loss team gets to the big name, the Trojans could be it.
Virginia Tech (5-1): Is it just me or has Frank Beamer done a good job re-inventing his team since a 48-7 loss at LSU? The Hokies just dominated Clemson on the road.
