Without Tebow, a Gator loss means nothing

It's not common for me to venture into the national college football scene, but I mean come on, it's Tim Tebow. You all know by now that Tebow sustained a rather big concussion against Kentucky two weeks ago, and that as of this article, he's not yet cleared to play against the LSU Tigers this Saturday in Baton Rouge.

So what if he doesn't play? Florida has everything to lose by putting Tebow back in before he's ready. Conversely, but more importantly, the Gators basically have nothing to lose if the hold Tebow out one more week. That's because, in college football, image is everything when the final polls come out in December. Fresh off a win over the SEC West champ in the SEC title game, a once-beaten Florida team would be guaranteed a spot in the BCS Championship Game, if that one blemish is against No. 4 LSU in Baton Rouge without Tim Tebow taking the Gators snaps. Florida could lose this week by two touchdowns, but without Tebow, it will be viewed as a fluke, and virtually ignored if Florida wins out.

Do Florida coaches and fans really want to risk Tebow becoming a vegetable, just to beat LSU on the second week in October? This game means almost nothing to the national title race if Tebow is benched. In fact, Florida would get brownie points for the "we care more about our players than our wins" image emanating from sidelining Tebow.

There are no other real challengers in the SEC East this year, despite what many OMGSEC! folks would have us believe. So, it's not like one SEC conference loss would jeopardize any chances of playing in the conference title game in December.

And speaking of that title game, what if LSU happens to win the SEC West? Unlikely, I know, but very possible still. Does anyone really think any team could beat this Florida team twice? LSU could beat a Tebow-less Florida this week, but it's a fat chance in hell they could do it again, against a Tebow-ful Gators squad late in the year.

I would hope that if Tebow isn't fully ready to come back, the doctors and coaches will make the right decision this week. There is way too much to lose. Yet surprisingly enough, there's much to gain by benching the 2007 Heisman winner. A loss at No. 4 LSU this week means nothing without Tebow. We all know it.

That's all I have to say about that.

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Dennis Dodd takes his own words served cold

Everyone's favorite college football hack columnist at CBS Sports, Dennis Dodd, defended Florida against the recent media scrutiny of its legal issues. He argued that because the Gators and Urban Meyer are really good, they're being given unfair attention for their wrongdoings. I'm not sure where to start, so let's begin with this: he must really not remember ANYTHING, even stuff he has already written about to great extent.

Higher standards? Title wins shouldn't exacerbate UF sins

"...The total now stands at 24, as in the number of arrests in Urban Meyer's four seasons. The number would be appalling if we weren't such hypocrites. The reason we care about that number for a fleeting moment is the reason we'll forget just as fast.

Meyer wins... [and] as long as Florida keeps winning big, does it really matter?"

I bet you I can answer that, with Dodd's own words, served on a chilled platter of fresh, crisp Google. God, the internet is wonderful, isn't it?

"It's ultimately up to the coach to recruit kids of character... Boys will be boys, sure, but what's happening at Penn State would be a national scandal if it was anyone else but Joe Paterno as coach. It's funny that other programs have leadership from its veteran players. Paterno had to suspend three of his senior guys last week a couple of weeks after ESPN portrayed the dearth of the off-field problems. Is it possible that in his zeal to win, JoePa took some chances on kids of questionable character?"

Oh, come on. Is that all you've got? If it weren't for the fact that Dodd has been on a personal crusade to oust Paterno since George W Bush was garnering a 90 percent approval rating, if not earlier, then this would be surprising to see such hypocrisy spewing from his keyboard.

Dodd is on record arguing that Penn State was being let off the hook, because of its stature as a national power and an untouchable head coach at the helm.

This week, he's on record arguing that Florida is being attacked too much, because of its stature as a national power and an untouchable head coach at the helm.

Now THAT, to quote a certain college football hack columnist, "would be appalling if we weren't such hypocrites."

Related articles:
It's not whining if Florida does it - Zombie Nation 6/17/09

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It's not whining if Florida does it

Remember the outrage that swept across the college football universe when Penn State football players were getting into regular legal trouble? There were calls that Joe Paterno lost control of his team, that he was recruiting bad eggs just to win games, and Penn State had lost its image of a stand-up football program. And anyone who came out to defend the program and its iconic coach was beaten down with accusation of homerism and just plain whining.

Funny how things change when the team in question just finished up winning its second national championship in three years.

Questions have come up recently about just how wholesome the Florida Gators have been under Urban Meyer. There have been several arrests since Meyer came on board in 2005, including several of players he recruited.

Well, as with any high-profile team, scrutiny is amplified in these situations. Yet for some reason, no one is telling the Florida homers that it's time to stop the whining.

"References were made [by rival schools' fans] to Florida as "The University of Felons," just as references were made to Florida State as "Free Shoes University" in the 1990s and Miami as "The Bad Boys" in the 1980s following the Hurricanes' repeated disciplinary problems.

This time there was a similar outcry from national news outlets for the reigning champion Gators to clean up their act.

But is the recent controversy justified?

A survey of court records from The Sun has revealed:

* Florida players have been charged with crimes in 24 cases during Meyer's four years as coach.

* There have been 21 arrests, with three more players issued citations and later booked on charges.

* Of the 24 cases in which players have been charged, nine of those charges were for felonies.

* Charges involving eight of the 24 cases either were dropped or not pursued.

* The arrest rate for Florida players is comparable to the rate for the entire student body." -- Kevin Brockway, The Gainesville Sun, June 11 2009

That's right, now that the tables have turned onto the Gator nation, complaints are circulating that the accusations of wide-spread delinquency within the program cannot be backed up or are being based off of twisted statistics.

Let me just say one thing to Gator fans: You don't know the half of it.

Where are the constant daily updates on sports media sites about your teams' criminal trends? Where is Outside the Lines with one of their trademark hatchet jobs? Where are the doubters saying that your program and its successes are just product of lower standards?

That's right, none of that is out there. So, stop whining.

So Florida has had 24 players charged the last four seasons, which averages out to six per year. The average number per year at Penn State from 2002-08 (the years in question by OTL)? 7.6, and that's going by the same metric as Florida: players charged, regardless of what happened later in the case.

Because, as many readers here know, if the number of Penn State players actually convicted is used, then the numbers are quite different:

"The court documents seemed to form the back bone of the investigation. ESPN trots out the 46 players charged since 2002 but only 27 have been found guilty. I'm not here to say that all 46 didn't do anything wrong, however, it isn't a good faith move to cite 46 charges but then bury the 27 convictions. If charges were dismissed it means that the person is in fact not guilty so why trot it out as a shock statistic. -- TINNOMJ, 7/28/08

According to Brockway's article, only 16 Florida players have been convicted since 2005, about 4 per year. What do you get if you divide up those 27 Penn State convictions over the six years uner the microscope? 4.5, which is actually more consistent with the average rate of conviction for Florida players under Meyer, as opposed to just players charged or arrested.

So, Florida homers, why the hell are you complaining about a little more attention being paid to your team's criminal run-ins? You have absolutely NOTHING to complain about.

Penn State was run through the media gauntlet because it had a half-player more than the Gators convicted per year.

Brockway asked in his article if the media attention was justified. Well, YES.

Excuses and explainations were shunned by critics when Penn State loyalists tried to defend their team, regardless of whether they were valid retorts or not.

Nine of the Florida players arrested were from Meyer's first recruiting class. The excuse for that? Well, Meyer only had a month to put that class together. Ok, so Meyer needed good players to win right away. I mean, he'd have the chance to recruit better character after he won, right?

Funny, because no one seemed to care when it was Paterno trying to win more games, then worry about the details later. And he was coming off a 7-16 run without the benefit of great recruting classes going in (Ron Zook was a great recruiter at UF, just not a great game coach).

Other schools have had much worse arrest records during the last four seasons. So of course, Floridians are crying foul for singling out the Gators. Georgia has had 30 arrests. Tennessee has had 21. What he heck? (Tim Tebow wouldn't approve of using curse words in that argument)

You know, I might take that argument against the media scrutiny into consideration, if it weren't for the TWO national titles won by Meyer in that timeframe. Georgia and Tennessee: Zero.

Florida is the highest of the high-profile programs right now. Yes, even higher than USC (C'mon, those Trojans are sooo 2004). And when you're the premier team in college football, on track to win three national titles in four years, then yes, you will be given much more attention in every respect.

It could be argued that not only did Penn State not deserve the lambasting by the media last year, but that Florida is being let off the hook. The stats are eerily similar, as are the situations and excuses.

And if I wanted to really throw off the balance of the two situations, I'd mention that Penn State had to combat the ruthless tyranny of a nut-job radical District Attorney, who was well-known to be on a political crusade against the Penn State football team. I doubt Florida coaches and players have to worry about fighting a corrupt justice department, in addition to the actual, valid criminal cases.

I suggest those out there who are outraged that Florida is being scrutinized so harshly by the media just stop whining, take a deep breath, then zip it. This is nothing new, and the Gators are hardly being given the worst of it. But we can't tell them that, because, I mean, it's Florida.

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Gators chomped; link dump

◊ I never really feel comfortable using the word 'dump' in a headline. Oh well, that's the way it goes. Here's some quick thoughts on last night's game, and some linkage for your pleasure.

• The game: It was an all-timer. Sure, the Lions would not have even gotten to this point without the fantastic conference season, with wins over Michigan State, Illinois and Purdue. However, if Penn State makes it to the final round of the NIT, we can look to the win over Florida, in Gainesville, as the final cog in one of the most successful seasons in modern Penn State basketball history.

You can share your own quick thoughts on the ZN TagBoard, on the right⇒ sidebar. No signup required!

Other reactions to Penn State's NIT campaign:

• Black Shoe Diaries

• Nittany White Out

• Crispin and Cream

• Nittanydelphia

*One football note: Spring practice starts today. I'm so freakin' excited!

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ZN's CFB Top 25 2008 :: Final

Close the book on 2008...

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Florida (3), [13-1, Won vs Oklahoma 24-14]
2. Utah (6), [13-0, Won vs Alabama 31-17]
3. USC (8), [12-1, Won vs Penn State 38-24]
4. Oklahoma (1), [12-2, Lost vs Florida 24-14]
5. Texas (2), [12-1, Won vs Ohio State 24-21]
6. Penn State (5), [11-2, Lost vs USC 38-24]
7. Ohio State (7), [10-3, Lost vs Texas 24-21]
8. Alabama (4), [12-2, Lost vs Utah 31-17]
9. Texas Christian (12), [11-2, Won vs Boise State 17-16]
10. Oregon (13), [10-3, Won vs Oklahoma St 42-31]
11. Boise State (9), [12-1, Lost vs TCU 17-16]
12. Georgia (20), [10-3, Won vs Michigan St 24-12]
13. Iowa (21), [9-4, Won vs South Carolina 31-10]
14. Virginia Tech (22), [10-4, Won vs Cincinnati 20-7]
15. Missouri (24), [10-3, Won vs Northwestern 30-23]
16. Mississippi (NR), [9-4, Won vs Texas Tech 47-34]
17. Texas Tech (10), [11-2, Lost vs Ole Miss 47-34]
18. Cincinnati (14), [11-3, Lost vs Virginia Tech 20-7]
19. Oregon State (25), [9-4, Won vs Pitt 3-0]
20. Michigan State (16), [9-4, Lost vs Georgia 24-12]
21. BYU (17), [10-3, Lost vs Arizona 31-21]
22. Northwestern (19), [9-4, Lost vs Missouri 30-23OT]
23. Georgia Tech (11), [9-4, Lost vs LSU 38-3]
24. Oklahoma State (15), [9-4, Lost vs Oregon 42-31]
25. West Virginia (NR), [9-4, Won vs North Carolina 31-30]

Dropped Out:
Pittsburgh (18), [9-4, Lost vs Oregon St 3-0]
Ball State (23), [12-2, Lost vs Buffalo 42-24]
Boston College (25), [9-5, Lost vs Vanderbilt 16-14]

On the Cusp:
Nebraska (NR), [9-4, Won vs Clemson 26-21]
Florida State (NR), [9-4, Won vs Wisconsin 42-13]
California (NR), [9-4, Won vs Miami 24-17]
Pittsburgh (18), [9-4, Lost vs Oregon St 3-0]
Ball State (23), [12-2, Lost vs Buffalo 42-24]
Boston College (25), [9-5, Lost vs Vanderbilt 16-14]

Notes: I was very tempted to place Utah at the No. 1 slot, but that would have been out of pure bias. I'm not a fan of the SEC, but Florida did stake its legitimate claim as No. 1. I really liked what Utah had done this season. But from top to bottom, the level of competition was a little bit weaker (very little) than Florida's. It was almost too much to get over when the Gators lost to Ole Miss in the Swamp. In the end, though, clamping down on Oklahoma was enough for me. I also wanted to put USC at No. 2, but the loss to Oregon State still sticks out like a sore thumb. I still believe that USC could beat any team in the country, but they didn't. Texas was less than impressive in its win over Ohio State, which seemed too be the first real good defense the Horns faced all year. I won't get into my rah-rah speech about how Penn State played better against USC than most think, but I will say that the Lions are a much better team than the final AP/Coaches Polls show. Alabama, TCU and Oregon (kind of) barely looked like real top-10 teams, especially the Tide and the Frogs, but really, who else is going to go there? The Ducks are probably legit. The rest of the top 25 teams stunk it up this bowl season. The worst game of all being the 3-0 "win" by Oregon State over Pitt. And with that, on to 2009!

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Review: 2009 BCS Championship Game

Finally, we got a BCS title game that was worth watching after halftime. In fact, that's when it started to get good. I thought both Florida and Oklahoma played hard, but both also played sloppy. The game was still a toss up until the last five minutes, and even then, there was the feeling it could somehow go either way. Here's a few quick thoughts on the final game of the 2008-09 college football season.

Oklahoma - Oklahoma was painfully predictable on offense, particularly when inside the five yard line. I'm not going to pick apart the second goal-line stand by Florida, as it was a fluky interception that halted that scoring threat. But the first stop was inexcusable by Oklahoma and Bob Stoops' staff. After being held to no gain on a third-down run to the left side, I said to myself, "Oklahoma is going to run it to the same spot, and Florida knows it." Oklahoma did, and Florida did, too. It was the kind of goal-line stand that will go down as a key series in college football history. No, it wasn't as dramatic as the 1978 stand by Alabama against Penn State, but it was just as painful for the losing side. I'm still convinced that if Oklahoma ran it to the right, or called play action faking left and throwing right, the game would have been very different. It's a shame for the Sooners, because Sam Bradford played very well, and the offense was really able to move at will otherwise. Did anyone notice how Thom Brennaman and Charles Davis (the announcers, both of them!) had no clue it was only third down? Yeah, it's a basic concept that was lost in the shuffle, I guess.

Florida - I wasn't rooting for Florida. I'm not crazy about Tim Tebow. But I love Percy Harvin. If he decides to return for 2009, I would vote for him over Tebow for the Heisman. Harvin is head-and-shoulders above any other college player, when it comes to hitting the home run. And Harvin wasn't even fully healthy! I thought Oklahoma ran the ball with surprising ease outside of the goal lines, which told me only one thing: the Gators defense got lucky. That's not to say luck is a bad thing. Florida created its own good luck in this one, with super-timely turnovers, and benefitted from Oklahoma's disastrous play-calling inside the red zone. Tebow's two picks were terrible, and he still has a lot of work to do on his pass game. But the real star of the game was Florida's scoring defense. The game would have been ugly, if it hadn't been for (again) the goal-line stands and the incredible turnovers caused by the Gators. Outside of Harvin, the Florida offense was not impressive at all, and I'm now wondering which is the culprit: is Oklahoma's defense that good? or was the SEC offenses exposed as really "Big Ten" offenses with a better national image?

General Observations - I was shocked this morning when I heard Brent Musburger tell Mike & Mike in the Morning:

"We came to an SEC, Big XII shootout, and a Big Ten game broke out!"

I wasn't surprised that he made the observation that the game was much lower-scoring that we had expected. But I couldn't believe that he used the Big Ten as a measuring stick. It got me thinking, doesn't Musburger's statement just prove that there is really nothing wrong with the Big Ten, other than its national perception? Heading into the fourth quarter, this game was 7-7. Heading into the fourth quarter of Penn State's win over Ohio State in Columbus, the game was 6-3 Buckeyes. But that Big Ten game was viewed as two offensively weak teams, battling it out in boring, stone-aged football. Wasn't that exactly what we saw last night? Actually, Florida runs the most stone-aged of stone-aged offenses, the single-wing! Oklahoma runs a pro-style offense, with a drop-back passer and a north-south run game. I still don't understand why it's fine for two really good teams to win a shootout, yet, if it's a slugfest, something's got to be wrong.

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Preview: 2009 BCS Championship Game

No. 2 Florida vs. No. 1 Oklahoma

Florida

The Question on Everyone's Mind: Can the SEC make it three in a row?

The Answer to Everyone's question: Probably, but it's definitely a level playing field this time. In 2008, Ohio State backed into the title game, getting there only due to mammoth upsets in late November and early December. LSU was No. 1 several times during the season, and wasn't given enough credit going into the game. In 2007, Ohio State had the now-famous "50 days" from its last game until the title game, while Florida was a very underrated team. This year, Oklahoma has played a game as recently as Florida, and is just as good (on paper) as the Gators. This should be a good test for both Florida and Oklahoma.

How the Gators can win: Get to Sam Bradford. Teams all year had difficulty putting pressure on the Heisman winner, while all he needs is that split second longer to make a killer throw. Florida has to jam the Sooners' receivers, while forcing Bradford to throw sooner than he wants to, and that's no small task. I have confidence that Tim Tebow and the offense will score enough points to keep pace with Oklahoma, but if the Gators' defense can't slow the Sooner attack, this will turn into a shootout. On top of all that, Oklahoma will be without Demarco Murray, the team's leading rusher. So Florida should tee off on the one-dimensional offense.

Oklahoma

The Question on Everyone's Mind: Is the Big XII a fraud?

The Answer to Everyone's question: Again, probably. I'm still giving the edge to Oklahoma, but that's only because I think Florida's defense has had trouble with good offenses. Oklahoma's is very, very good. However, the Big XII's bowl outing this season has been more embarrassing than the Big Ten's, but no one seems to care. This was labeled as the absolute best conference this year, but has seen its best teams struggle mightily against inferior competition. Missouri, Texas Tech and Texas played terrible games against only mediocre teams. But Oklahoma could throw a wrench into that perception by beating Florida.

How the Sooners can win: Bomb away. Who cares if Bradford throws an interception, or there's a fumble? Oklahoma is fielding the most prolific offense we've seen in a long time, and the scary part of it is that it's under the pro-style scheme. Alabama was able to push around the Florida defensive front. Oklahoma's line is even better, if not the best and biggest in the country. The Sooners need to use that. Get a few quick scores, and force Florida into comeback mode. That's not to say Oklahoma should play keep away, but if the Sooners can make Tim Tebow throw more than run, and get the ball down-field, the nation's leader in turnover margin will have plenty to feed on. Considering that points might come easily in this game for both teams, Oklahoma has the early advantage. Keep Bradford upright for at least 2.5 seconds per dropback, and the Sooners win.

Predictions

What will happen: I expect both teams to come out strong, but a little sloppy. Florida will probably take a lead into the locker room, but it won't feel comfortable. Alabama led Florida at the half, but we all knew the Gators were ready to pounce. Oklahoma will try to run the ball early, but find that it's much easier to throw. Bradford will throw for a pedestrian 250 yards, but make the important plays when needed. Tebow will outplay Bradford, raising doubts as to which quarterback should have won the Heisman. But Oklahoma will settle down and take advantage of its size and talent up front to muscle its way to the BCS championship.

Score: Oklahoma 36, Florida 29

**The poll (below the posts) will be open only until the game starts, so get those votes in!

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Someone's not in love with Tebow?

I'll come right out with it. I like CFN, probably more so than any other college football site. Sure, they may not have loved everything I've written about them. But they're still a hell of a lot better than ESPN-types.

What am I getting at? Well, where, anywhere, have you heard someone, anyone dare say that Tim Tebow is not the OH-MY-GOD-HE'S-THE-MOST-AWESOMEST-INCREDIBLE-HANDS-DOWN-GREATEST-COLLEGE-FOOTBALL-PLAYER-IN-THE-HISTORY-OF-MAAAAAN!!!!!!!!!!!

I just read it today, actually, courtesy of a Mr. Pete Fiutak. CFN on Dec. 9, 2008:

"Media, coaches, and everyone surrounding college football, I’m begging you to quit with the insufferable fawning and deification of Tebow like Dick Vitale and the college hoops-types like to do with Tyler Hansbrough, a marginally talented, grindy player who’ll make a nice living sitting on someone’s NBA bench. Tebow is a better football player than Hansbrough is a college basketball player, but running around and screaming “let’s go” all the time and getting in players’ faces doesn’t make him special. It makes him annoying."

I encourage you to go read the entire column, as it only get's better. But why hasn't anyone in the main stream media seen this already? Ratings, money, good TV, and oh yeah, ratings. ESPN isn't stupid. Tim Tebow is good looking (when you're the Heisman winner, you can get a lot of tail), a good student (well, for Florida), and super Christian (circumcising young Asian kids is his idea of a vacation). All that sells faster than $8 Bud Lights at a NASCAR race.

I think the problem I have with Tebow, which isn't personal, is that people are equating him being marketable with being a good football player. Colt McCoy could be in the same boat, but isn't. My guess is that it comes down to a simple production difference. Tebow already won a national championship (34-6 since 2006). And while Texas has been very, very good under McCoy (31-7 since 2006), he still won't get a shot at the BCS title.

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ZN's CFB Top 25 2008 :: Pre-Bowls

Who's better: The No. 1 team, or the No. 2 team that beat the No. 1 team? Wow, my head hurts.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Oklahoma (2), [12-1, Won vs Missouri 62-21]
2. Texas (1), [11-1, DNP]
3. Florida (3), [12-1, Won vs Alabama 31-20]
4. Alabama (4), [12-1, Lost vs Florida 31-20]
5. Penn State (5), [11-1, DNP]
6. Utah (6), [12-0, DNP]
7. Ohio State (7), [10-2, DNP]
8. USC (8), [11-1, Won at UCLA 28-7]
9. Boise State (9), [12-0, DNP]
10. Texas Tech (10), [11-1, DNP]
11. Georgia Tech (11), [9-3, DNP]
12. Texas Christian (12), [10-2, DNP]
13. Oregon (13), [9-3, DNP]
14. Cincinnati (15), [11-2, Won at Hawaii 29-24]
15. Oklahoma State (17), [9-3, DNP]
16. Michigan State (18), [9-3, DNP]
17. BYU (19), [10-2, DNP]
18. Pittsburgh (25), [9-3, Won at UConn 34-10]
19. Northwestern (20), [9-3, DNP]
20. Georgia (21), [9-3, DNP]
21. Iowa (22), [8-4, DNP]
22. Virginia Tech (NR), [9-4, Won vs Boston College 30-12]
23. Ball State (16), [12-1, Lost vs Buffalo 42-24]
24. Missouri (23), [9-3, DNP]
25t. Oregon State (24), [8-4, DNP]
25t. Boston College (14), [9-4, Lost vs Virginia Tech 30-12]

Dropped Out:
(None this week)

On the Cusp:
Mississippi (NR), [8-4, DNP]
West Virginia (NR), [8-4, Won vs South Florida 13-7]
North Carolina (NR), [8-4, DNP]
Nebraska (NR), [8-4, DNP]
Florida State (NR), [8-4, DNP]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 2008 :: Week 15

Only one more week of rankings left. College football is a crazy sport, isn't it?

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Texas (3), [11-1, Won vs Texas A&M 49-9]
2. Oklahoma (2), [11-1, Won at Oklahoma St 61-41]
3. Florida (1), [11-1, Won at Florida St 45-15]
4. Alabama (4), [12-0, Won vs Auburn 36-0]
5. Penn State (5), [11-1, DNP]
6. Utah (6), [12-0, DNP]
7. Ohio State (7), [10-2, DNP]
8. USC (8), [10-1, Won vs Notre Dame 38-3]
9. Boise State (10), [12-0, Won vs Fresno St 61-10]
10. Texas Tech (9), [11-1, Won at Baylor 35-28]
11. Georgia Tech (21), [9-3, Won at Georgia 45-42]
12. Texas Christian (12), [10-2, DNP]
13. Oregon (18), [9-3, Won at Oregon St 65-38]
14. Boston College (23), [9-3, Won vs Maryland 28-21]
15. Cincinnati (17), [10-2, Won vs Syracuse 30-10]
16. Ball State (16), [12-0, Won vs Western Michigan 45-22]
17. Oklahoma State (11), [9-3, Lost vs Oklahoma 61-41]
18. Michigan State (19), [9-3, DNP]
19. BYU (24), [10-2, DNP]
20. Northwestern (20), [9-3, DNP]
21. Georgia (15), [9-3, Lost vs Georgia Tech 45-42]
22. Iowa (22), [8-4, DNP]
23. Missouri (13), [9-3, Lost vs Kansas 40-37]
24. Oregon State (14), [8-4, Lost vs Oregon 65-38]
25. Pittsburgh (NR), [8-3, Won vs West Virginia]

Dropped Out:
Florida State (25), [8-4, Lost vs Florida 45-15]

On the Cusp:
North Carolina (NR), [8-4, Won vs Duke 28-20]
Virginia Tech (NR), [8-4, Won vs Virginia 17-14]
Nebraska (NR), [8-4, Won vs Colorado 40-31]
Florida State (25), [8-4, Lost vs Florida 45-15]
MIssissippi (NR), [8-4, Won vs Miss St 45-0]
Tulsa (NR), [10-2, Won vs Marshall 38-35]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 2008 :: Week 14

Is that what the Big XII's "best" team plays like? Well, since they're not the best in that conference anymore, we don't have to worry. Could be a fun three weeks from now until Dec. 7.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Florida (3), [10-1, Won vs Citadel 70-19]
2. Oklahoma (5), [10-1, Won vs Texas Tech 65-21]
3. Texas (4), [10-1, DNP]
4. Alabama (2), [11-0, DNP]
5. Penn State (6), [11-1, Won vs Michigan St 49-18]
6. Utah (7), [12-0, Won vs Brigham Young 48-24]
7. Ohio State (9), [10-2, Won vs Michigan 42-7]
8. USC (8), [9-1, DNP]
9. Texas Tech (1), [10-1, Lost at Oklahoma 65-21]
10. Boise State (10), [11-0, Won vs Nevada 41-34]
11. Oklahoma State (11), [9-2, DNP]
12. Texas Christian (13), [10-2, Won at Air Force 44-10]
13. Missouri (14), [9-2, DNP]
14. Oregon State (17), [8-3, Won at Arizona 19-17]
15. Georgia (16), [9-2, DNP]
16. Ball State (18), [11-0, Won at Central Michigan 31-24]
17. Cincinnati (20), [9-2, Won vs Pitt 28-21]
18. Oregon (19), [8-3, DNP]
19. Michigan State (15), [9-3, Lost at Penn St 49-18]
20. Northwestern (23), [9-3, Won vs Illinois 27-10]
21. Georgia Tech (NR), [8-3, Won vs Miami, FL 41-23]
22. Iowa (NR), [8-4, Won at Minnesota 55-0]
23. Boston College (NR), [8-3, Won at Wake Forest 24-21]
24. BYU (12), [10-2, Lost at Utah 48-24]
25. Florida State (NR), [8-3, Won at Maryland 37-3]

Dropped Out:
Pittsburgh (21), [7-3, Lost at Cincinnati 28-21]
Miami, FL (22), [7-4, Lost at Georgia Tech 41-23]
Maryland (24), [7-4, Lost vs Florida St 37-3]
North Carolina (25), [7-4, Lost at North Carolina St 41-10]

On the Cusp:
West Virginia (NR), [7-3, Won at Louisville 35-21]
Pittsburgh (21), [7-3, Lost at Cincinnati 28-21]
MIssissippi (NR), [7-4, Won at LSU 31-13]
Tulsa (NR), [8-2, Lost at Houston 70-30]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 2008 :: Week 13

Not much controversy this week. Well, except for LSU sucking, along with the rest of the SEC.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Texas Tech (2), [10-0, DNP]
2. Alabama (1), [11-0, Won vs Miss St 32-7]
3. Florida (3), [9-1, Won vs South Carolina 56-6]
4. Texas (4), [10-1, Won at Kansas 35-7]
5. Oklahoma (5), [9-1, DNP]
6. Penn State (6), [10-1, Won vs Indiana 34-7]
7. Utah (7), [11-0, Won at San Diego St 63-14]
8. USC (8), [9-1, Won at Stanford 45-23]
9. Ohio State (10), [9-2, Won at Illinois 30-20]
10. Boise State (9), [10-0, Won at Idaho 45-10]
11. Oklahoma State (11), [9-2, Won at Colorado]
12. BYU (13), [10-1, Won at Air Force 38-24]
13. Texas Christian (12), [9-2, DNP]
14. Missouri (14), [9-2, Won at Iowa St 52-20]
15. Michigan State (17), [9-2, DNP]
16. Georgia (15), [9-2, Won at Auburn 17-13]
17. Oregon State (19), [7-3, Won vs California 34-21]
18. Ball State (16), [10-0, Won at Miami, OH 31-16]
19. Oregon (24), [8-3, Won vs Arizona 55-45]
20. Cincinnati (22), [8-2, Won at Louisville 28-20]
21. Pittsburgh (21), [7-2, DNP]
22. Miami, FL (NR), [7-3, Won vs Virginia Tech 16-14]
23. Northwestern (NR), [8-3, Won at Michigan 21-14]
24. Maryland (NR), [7-3, Won vs North Carolina 17-15]
25. North Carolina (18), [7-3, Lost at Maryland 17-15]

Dropped Out:
Florida State (20), [7-3, Lost vs Boston College 27-17]
LSU (23), [7-3, Won vs Troy 40-31]
Tulsa (25), [8-2, Lost at Houston 70-30]

On the Cusp:
Georgia Tech (NR), [7-3, DNP]
Boston College (NR), [7-3, Won at Florida St 27-17]
Florida State (20), [7-3, Lost vs Boston College 27-17]
LSU (23), [7-3, Won vs Troy 40-31]
Tulsa (25), [8-2, Lost at Houston 70-30]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 2008 :: Week 12

If parity was the goal, then I think college football has achieved it. The bottom half of the top 25 is just a nightmare. Anyway, Rose Bowl here we come. Well, hopefully.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Alabama (1), [10-0, Won at LSU 27-21 (1OT)]
2. Texas Tech (4), [10-0, Won vs Oklahoma St 56-20]
3. Florida (3), [8-1, Won at Vanderbilt 42-14]
4. Texas (6), [9-1, Won vs Baylor 45-21]
5. Oklahoma (5), [9-1, Won at Texas A&M 66-28]
6. Penn State (2), [9-1, Lost at Iowa 24-23]
7. Utah (8), [10-0, Won vs TCU 13-10]
8. USC (9), [8-1, Won vs California 17-3]
9. Boise State (11), [9-0, Won vs Utah St 49-14]
10. Ohio State 12), [8-2, Won at Northwestern 45-10]
11. Oklahoma State (7), [8-2, Lost at Texas Tech 56-20]
12. Texas Christian (10), [9-2, Lost at Utah 13-10]
13. BYU (13), [9-1, Won vs San Diego St 41-12]
14. Missouri (14), [8-2, Won vs Kansas St 41-24]
15. Georgia (15), [8-2, Won at Kentucky 42-38]
16. Ball State (16), [9-0, Won vs Northern Illinois 45-14]
17. Michigan State (17), [9-2, Won vs Purdue 21-7]
18. North Carolina (18), [7-2, Won vs Georgia Tech 28-7]
19. Oregon State (NR), [6-3, Won at UCLA 34-6]
20. Florida State (25), [7-2, Won vs Clemson 41-27]
21. Pittsburgh (NR), [7-2, Won vs Louisville 41-7]
22. Cincinnati (NR), [7-2, Won at West Virginia 26-23]
23. LSU (19), [6-3, Lost vs Alabama 27-21 (1OT)]
24. Oregon (NR), [7-3, Won vs Stanford 35-28]
25. Tulsa (NR), [8-1, DNP]


Dropped Out:
West Virginia (20), [6-3, Lost vs Cincinnati 26-23]
Georgia Tech (21), [7-3, Lost at North Carolina 28-7]
Northwestern (22), [7-3, Lost vs Ohio St 45-10]
Minnesota (23), [7-3, Lost vs Michigan 29-6]
California (24), [6-3, Lost at USC 17-3]

On the Cusp:
Virginia Tech (NR), [6-3, Won vs Maryland 23-13]
Air Force (NR), [8-2, Won vs Colorado St 38-17]
West Virginia (20), [6-3, Lost vs Cincinnati 26-23]
Georgia Tech (21), [7-3, Lost at North Carolina 28-7]
Northwestern (22), [7-3, Lost vs Ohio St 45-10]
Minnesota (23), [7-3, Lost vs Michigan 29-6]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 11

The final stretch just got really interesting. Penn State fans: don’t worry. It’s still very early.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Alabama (3), [9-0, Won vs Arkansas St 35-0]
2. Penn State (2), [9-0, DNP]
3. Florida (5), [8-1, Won vs Georgia 49-10]
4. Texas Tech (6), [9-0, Won vs Texas 39-33]
5. Oklahoma (4), [8-1, Won vs Nebraska 62-28]
6. Texas (1), [8-1, Lost at Texas Tech 39-33]
7. Oklahoma State (8), [8-1, Won vs Iowa St 59-17]
8. Utah (9), [9-0, Won at New Mexico 13-10]
9. USC (10), [7-1, Won vs Washington 56-0]
10. Texas Christian (11), [9-1, Won at UNLV 44-14]
11. Boise State (12), [8-0, Won at New Mexico St 49-0]
12. Ohio State 13), [7-2, DNP]
13. BYU (14), [8-1, Won at Colorado St 45-42]
14. Missouri (15), [7-2, Won at Baylor 31-28]
15. Georgia (7), [7-2, Lost vs Florida 49-10]
16. Ball State (18), [DNP]
17. Michigan State (20), [8-2, Won vs Wisconsin 25-24]
18. North Carolina (21), [6-2, DNP]
19. LSU (22), [6-2, Won vs Tulane 35-10]
20. West Virginia (24), [6-2, Won at UConn 35-13]
21. Georgia Tech (NR), [7-2, Won vs Florida St 31-28]
22. Northwestern (NR), [7-2, Won at Minnesota 24-17]
23. Minnesota (16), [7-2, Lost vs Northwestern 24-17]
24. California (NR), [Won vs Oregon 26-16]
25. Florida State (17), [Lost at Georgia Tech 31-28]

Dropped Out:
Tulsa (19), [8-1, Lost at Arkansas 30-23]
Oregon (23), [6-3, Lost at California 26-16]
Notre Dame (25), [5-3, Lost vs Pittsburgh 36-33]

On the Cusp:
Maryland (NR), [6-2, DNP]
Pittsburgh (NR), [6-2, Won at Notre Dame 36-33]
Cincinnati (NR), [6-2, Won vs South Florida]
Oregon State (NR), [5-3, Won vs Arizona St 27-25]

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Penn State jumped by Texas Tech in AP Poll

Well, it happened. We all had a feeling it would. The newest No. 2 team in the AP poll, Texas Tech, jumped over idle Penn State today. With the fall of previously-No. 1 Texas, Penn State now received six first-place votes in the AP. No. 1 Alabama got 46, No. 2 Texas Tech got 12, and now-No. 4 Florida got one.

On the sane, rational, BCS-relevant side of the polls, the USA Today Coaches Poll saw through the sensationalist fog, and voted Penn State No. 2, bumping Texas Tech up to No. 3. Alabama got 40 first-place votes, followed by Penn State's 14, then Texas Tech's six, and Oklahoma took the No. 4 slot, and one first-place vote.

Why don't I agree with this? This is why.

I'll have the complete weekly "Penn State in the Polls" post up later today, with all the rankings and where Penn State landed.

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Why Penn State should now be No. 2

As No. 1 Texas lost tonight in Lubbock, coupled with No. 8 Florida's demolition of No. 6 Georgia, I immediately started the inevitable argument: Who should be No. 2 now? I came up with a few reasons why Penn State shouldn't get jumped by any other team this week, specifically Texas Tech or Florida.

1. Texas Tech's win wasn't as impressive as Penn State's in Columbus. Tech won a night game, at home, against a Texas team that was a bit overrated overall, and very overrated on defense. State won a night game, away, in a stadium where the home team only lost three games since 2001, against an Ohio State team that wasn't overrated overall, but definitely underrated on defense coming into the game. Texas Tech also made several costly mistakes, like turnovers, penalties and gave up many big plays for scores. Penn State played a very clean game, away remember, without turnovers, no penalties and never gave up even a touchdown.

2. Florida already lost a game, at home, to a very mediocre Mississippi squad. In college football, you must win your games first, then argue for a spot in the National Championship game. Until there aren't any undefeated BCS-conference teams (Alabama, Penn State and Texas Tech are the only three left), you have no place in the title picture. Should Bama, PSU or Tech fall, then Florida can reenter the race.* And if the final polls come down to which team's loss was "better" or "worse," then the check list goes: 1. Home loss, or away loss? 2. How good or bad was the other team? 3. Was the game result close, and was the entire game close?

3. Penn State's schedule is tougher than the doubters suggest. Have you noticed that every time anyone (ahem, Mark May, Desmond Howard & Co.) runs down Penn State's "soft" non-conference schedule, they always leave out that pesky team from Corvallis? Yeah, Penn State embarrassed that same Oregon State team which beat Southern California. Throw in Ohio State, Wisconsin (yes, still a tough place to play) and Illinois, and you've got a decent schedule. Florida lost to Ole Miss, and beat very clearly overrated LSU and Georgia teams, neither of which were true road wins. I'm not saying Florida's schedule was easier than Penn States, just not hard enough to jump an undefeated Penn State in the rankings.

So there you go. Argue all you want. That's what college football is about, "every week is a playoff," right?

*This situation should actually remedy itself. Should Bama go undefeated, and Florida wins out, they'll meet in the SEC title game, eliminating one of them from NC consideration. Plus, Texas Tech will have to run the table, which would be very impressive, earning the Red Raiders their spot in the NC game above any one-loss team.

**On Alabama: while I do believe Penn State could beat Alabama, the Crimson Tide gets my nod for No 1 right now. That's not due to the lack-luster win over Arkansas State (which Penn State bumped from its 2008 schedule in favor of Oregon State, just saying), but because they have a slightly better resume, right now, than the Nittany Lions.

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ZN's Top 25 2008 :: Week 10

The top three is really boring this year, isn't it? Not for Penn State fans. We are quite happy right now.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Texas (1), [8-0, Won vs. Oklahoma St 28-24]
2. Penn State (2), [9-0, Won at Ohio State 13-6]
3. Alabama (3), [8-0, Won at Tennessee 29-9]
4. Oklahoma (4), [7-1, Won at Kansas St 58-35]
5. Florida (6), [7-1, Won vs Kentucky 63-5]
6. Texas Tech (7), [8-0, Won at Kansas 63-21]
7. Georgia (12), [7-1, Won at LSU 52-38]
8. Oklahoma State (9), [7-1, Lost at Texas 28-24]
9. Utah (11), [8-0, DNP]
10. USC (5), [6-1, Won at Arizona 17-10]
11. Texas Christian (13), [8-1, Won vs Wyoming 54-7]
12. Boise State (14), [5-0, Won at San Jose St 33-14]
13. Ohio State (8), [7-2, Lost vs Penn St 13-6]
14. BYU (18), [7-1, Won vs UNLV 42-35]
15. Missouri (20), [6-2, Won vs Colorado 58-0]
16. Minnesota (21), [7-1, Won at Purdue 17-6]
17. Florida State (25), [Won vs Virginia Tech 30-20]
18. Ball State (23), [8-0, Won vs W. Michigan 38-16]
19. Tulsa (24), [8-0, Won at Central Florida 49-19]
20. Michigan State (NR), [6-2, Won at Michigan 35-21]
21. North Carolina (NR), [6-2, Won vs Boston College 45-24]
22. LSU (10), [5-2, Lost vs Georgia 52-38]
23. Oregon (NR), [6-2, Won at Arizona St 54-20]
24. West Virginia (NR), [5-2, Won vs Auburn 37-17]
25. Notre Dame (NR), [5-2, Won at Washington 33-7]

Dropped Out:
South Florida (15), [6-2, Lost at Louisville 24-20]
Georgia Tech (16), [6-2, Lost vs Virginia 24-17]
Pittsburgh (17), [5-2, Lost vs Rutgers 54-34]
Northwestern (19), [6-2, Lost at Indiana 21-19]
Cincinnati (22), [5-2, Lost at UConn 40-16]

On the Cusp:
Connecticut (NR), [6-2, Won vs Cincinnati 40-16]
Maryland (NR), [6-2, Won vs NC State 27-24]
South Florida (15), [6-2, Lost at Louisville 24-20]
Georgia Tech (16), [6-2, Lost vs Virginia 24-17]
Northwestern (19), [6-2, Lost at Indiana 21-19]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 9 2008

The top is really starting to separate themselves from the rest of the pack.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Texas (3), [7-0, Won vs. Missou 56-31]
2. Penn State (1), [8-0, Won vs. Michigan 46-17]
3. Alabama (2), [7-0, Won vs. Ole Miss 24-20]
4. Oklahoma (4), [6-1, Won vs. Kansas 45-31]
5. USC (5), [5-1, Won at Washington St 69-0]
6. Florida (6), [6-1, DNP]
7. Texas Tech (8), [7-0, Won at Texas A&M 43-25]
8. Ohio State (9), [7-1, Won at Michigan St. 45-7]
9. Oklahoma State (11), [7-0, Won vs. Baylor 34-6]
10. LSU (10), [5-1, Won at South Carolina 24-17]
11. Utah (12), [8-0, Won vs. Colorado St 49-16]
12. Georgia (14), [6-1, Won vs. Vanderbilt 24-14]
13. Texas Christian (NR), [7-1, Won vs. BYU 32-7]
14. Boise State (16), [5-0, Won at Southern Miss 24-7]
15. South Florida (17), [6-1, Won vs. Syracuse 45-13]
16. Georgia Tech (NR), [6-1, Won vs. Clemson 21-17]
17. Pittsburgh (NR), [5-1, Won vs. Navy 42-21]
18. BYU (7), [6-1, Lost to TCU 32-7]
19. Northwestern (25), [6-1, Won vs. Purdue 48-26]
20. Missouri (13), [5-2, Lost at Texas 56-31]
21. Minnesota (22), [6-1, DNP]
22. Cincinnati (23), [5-1, DNP]
23. Ball State (24), [7-0, DNP]
24. Tulsa (NR), [7-0, Won vs. UTEP 77-35]
25. Florida State (NR), [Won at NC State 26-17

Dropped Out:
Wake Forest (15), [4-2, Lost at Maryland 26-0]
Michigan State (18), [5-2, Lost vs. Ohio State 45-7]
North Carolina (19), [5-2, Lost at Virginia 16-13]
Connecticut (21), [5-2, Lost at Rutgers 12-10]
Vanderbilt (20), [5-2, Lost at Georgia 24-14]

On the Cusp:
Boston College (NR), [5-1, Won vs. Virginia Tech 28-23]
Kentucky (NR), [5-2, Won vs. Arkansas 21-20]
Virginia Tech (NR), [5-2, Lost at Boston College 28-23]
Maryland (NR), [5-2, Won vs. Wake Forest 26-0]
Oregon (NR), [5-2, DNP]

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ZN's CFB Top 25 :: Week 8 2008

With Oklahoma's shoot-out loss to Texas in Dallas, there's a big shakeup on top of my weekly rankings. I'm fully ready to take the worst homerism shots all year, and you'll know why in a second. Let me just say, I rarely rank teams where the "common belief" ranks them, just because everyone else is ranking them there. Sure, Texas beat Oklahoma, and the Sooners were supposedly the best team up until three days ago. But Georgia was also the best team, as was USC. So you can't tell me that there's no way, no how that Penn State can be the No. 1 team right now. If Texas wins this week, yes, I might put them at No. 1 over Penn State. But right now, treating Wisconsin like a junior varsity high school squad, in Madison, at night, looks a lot more impressive than winning a one-dimensional shoot out on a neutral field, at 11 a.m. local time.

Rank. Team (LW), [Record, LW Result].

1. Penn State (4), [7-0, Won at Wisconsin 48-7]
2. Alabama (2), [6-0, DNP]
3. Texas (7), [6-0, Won vs. Oklahoma 45-35]
4. Oklahoma (1), [5-1, Lost vs. Texas 45-35]
5. USC (10), [4-1, Won vs. Arizona St. 28-0]
6. Florida (14), [6-1, Won vs. LSU 51-21]
7. BYU (6), [6-0, Won vs. New Mexico 21-3]
8. Texas Tech (9), [6-0, Won vs. Nebraska 37-31]
9. Ohio State (8), [6-1, Won vs. Purdue 16-3]
10. LSU (5), [4-1, Lost at Florida 51-21]
11. Oklahoma State (15), [6-0, Won at Missouri 28-23]
12. Utah (12), [7-0, Won at Wyoming 40-7]
13. Missouri (3), [5-1, Lost vs. Oklahoma St 28-23]
14. Georgia (11), [5-1, Won vs. Tennessee 26-14]
15. Wake Forest (20), [4-1, Won vs. Clemson 12-7]
16. Boise State (16), [5-0, Won at Southern Miss 24-7]
17. South Florida (17), [5-1, DNP]
18. Michigan State (23), [5-1, Won at Northwestern 37-20]
19. North Carolina (22), [5-1, Won vs. Notre Dame 29-24]
20. Vanderbilt (13), [5-1, Lost at Mississippi St 17-14]
21. Connecticut (21), [5-1, DNP]
22. Minnesota (NR), [6-1, Won at Illinois 27-20]
23. Cincinnati (NR), [5-1, Won vs. Rutgers 13-10]
24. Ball State (NR), [7-0, Won vs. W. Kentucky (AA) 24-7]
25. Northwestern (19), [5-1, Lost vs. Michigan St 37-20]

Dropped Out:
Kentucky (18), [4-2, Lost vs. South Carolina 24-17]
Auburn (24), [4-3, Lost vs. Arkansas 25-22]
Wisconsin (25), [3-3, Lost vs. Penn State 48-7]

On the Cusp:
Tulsa (NR), [6-0, Won vs. SMU 37-31]
Virginia Tech (NR), [5-1, DNP]
Texas Christian (NR), [6-1, Won at Colorado St 13-7]
Georgia Tech (NR), [5-1, Won vs. Gardner-Webb (AA) 10-7]
Pittsburgh (NR), [4-1, DNP]
California (NR), [4-1, DNP]
Oregon (NR), [5-2, Won vs. UCLA 31-24]

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A one-loss PSU could share National Title

I was thinking today, if Penn State loses to Ohio State in two weeks, how can they win at least a share of the National Championship? Well, there are a thousand ways, but I thought this was the most interesting. Let's assume every MNC contender loses one game, if they haven't already. That's the BCS's and the pollsters' worst nightmare. Between the pro-SEC and pro-Big XII biases, those two would get in under my train of thought, relegating Penn State to the Rose Bowl. So how can they do it? Let's find out one way they could.

The set up, End of the regular season:

Penn State goes 11-1, loses a close game at Ohio State, which also goes 11-1.
Missouri goes 12-1, w/ surprising second win over Texas in Big XII Title Game.
Texas goes 12-2, w/2 losses to Missou, one in Big XII Title Game.
Florida goes 12-1 w/ win over Bama in SEC Title Game.
Alabama goes 12-1 w/ loss to UF in SEC Title Game.
Oklahoma doesn't get to Big XII Championship game, so they're out.
USC goes 11-1, can't escape that Oregon St. loss, and a weak Pac-10, so they're out.

The bowl selections:

Rose: Penn State (11-1) vs. USC (11-1) No one wants an OSU/USC rematch, so PSU is the default selection. Penn State beats red-hot USC by 14+.
Fiesta: Texas (12-2) vs. Alabama (12-1) Texas beats Bama in a good game.
Sugar: Ohio State (11-1) vs. Utah, or some other undefeated non-BCS team. Ohio State wins.
Orange: Big East winner vs. ACC winner. Outcome doesn't matter.
BCS Title Game: Florida (12-1) vs. Missouri (12-1) SEC fans will scream that Bama deserves a shot, but we'll all laugh at them. Missouri wins by a hair.

Ok, so that's where we are. Now for the reasoning. Missouri wins the BCS National Title, in a sloppy, close game over Florida, which makes the Bama loss to the Gators look worse, but Bama loses to Texas anyway, so it doesn't matter. Both SEC teams are out of contention. Texas recently lost to Missouri in the Big XII title game, and no team will win the championship without even winning its own conference. Texas is out. Ohio State, the Big East champs and the ACC champs were never in it. USC loses by a relatively big margin to Penn State. USC's out. Now, if Penn State loses a close game, I mean like 1-2 points, at Ohio State, and Ohio State finished the season on a dominating run, but can't get away from the USC loss, Penn State will have a fantastic shot at being named the AP National Champions.

In college football, it's all about perception. Penn State's loss at Ohio State will look better than Missouri's loss at home to Oklahoma State, especially if the Cowboys turn out to be a 9-3 sort of team. Penn State would HAVE TO beat USC by two touchdowns, and never let the game be in doubt. If that all happens, the Nittany Lions could very well be celebrating a some-what meaningless AP National Championship.

Remember, this is purely hypothetical, and one of the very few ways Penn State could win the AP title. If one of the things I said, does not happen, then it doesn't work. I get that. And I realize that all those other teams could lose games by the end of the season, which would get Penn State in almost automatically. But my scenario assumes all those teams lose one game only. So, if you have other coherent ideas of how PSU could win the AP with one loss, please comment. This is the kind of fun stuff we can talk about now, so let'er rip.

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