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2006 BCS, polls, Bowl Predictions and computer ratings

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ESPN

The Power 16

Weeks: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

Halloween came early for lots of Power 16 teams. Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Texas survived scares last Saturday. USC wasn't so lucky. The Trojans dropped from No. 3 to No. 9 in this week's rankings after falling to Oregon State. Clemson's a Power 16 ghost after losing to Virginia Tech. The Hokies' win last Thursday knocked the Tigers out of the rankings. However, No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Michigan didn't fall under last Saturday's spell. The Buckeyes and Wolverines continued to cruise toward their Nov. 18 showdown.
Take a look at this week's Power 16:


ESPN.com's Power 16 Week 10 RANKTEAMRECORDPOINTSCOMMENTS


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1Ohio State (16)9-0256Is there a scarier sight for a defense than Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr. and Co.?

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2Michigan9-0237Is there a scarier sight for an offense than LaMarr Woodley, Prescott Burgess and the Wolverines?

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3West Virginia7-0221The Mountaineers haven't had to resort to tricks with treats like Pat White and Steve Slaton in the backfield.

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4Texas8-1203Why haven't the Horns turned into a pumpkin without VY? Redshirt freshman Colt McCoy has thrown 24 TDs and only 4 INTs.

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5Auburn8-1165Ole Miss put a fright into the Tigers last Saturday, but Auburn kept its BCS title game hopes alive.

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6Louisville7-0161Papa John's Cardinal Stadium has been a haunted house for visitors. Will WVU survive its Thursday visit (ESPN, 7:30 ET)?


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6Florida7-1161Georgia's second-half potion almost ruined the Gators' cocktail party.


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8Tennessee7-1149Steve Spurrier has haunted the Vols for years, but Phil Fulmer and UT warded off the Gamecocks last Saturday.


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9USC6-1131The Beavers buried the Trojans' 27-game Pac-10 winning streak with a 33-31 victory.


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10Arkansas7-1112For those who think the Hogs are masquerading as a top-10 team, remember Auburn?


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11California7-1112The Bears were buried after their loss in Knoxville. Don't look now, but Cal's alone atop the Pac-10.


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12Notre Dame7-195The Irish have sent the Midshipmen to the naval graveyard 43 straight times.



13LSU6-247The Tigers lost at Auburn and at Florida. They travel to Tennessee on Saturday. Is that a scary schedule or what?


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14Boston College7-133Playing the Demon Deacons this close to Halloween can't be a good thing for the Eagles.


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15Rutgers8-031The Scarlet Knights have conjured up their best start since 1976.


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16Wisconsin8-130Are the Badgers just wearing a Power 16 costume? Only two of Wisconsin's victories are over teams with winning records.Others receiving votes: Boise State 16, Oklahoma 5, Clemson 2 and Texas A&M 1.
 
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SI

Put up or shut up

Big East powers can prove their worth Thursday night

Posted: Tuesday October 31, 2006 11:45AM; Updated: Tuesday October 31, 2006 2:37P

By this point in the season, it's safe to say I've seen more than enough Ohio State and Michigan games to know those teams inside and out. I've seen Florida and Tennessee play enough tough contests to find out what they're made of. Ditto Texas, Cal, USC, Auburn, Notre Dame ... pretty much every highly ranked team.
Except for West Virginia and Louisville.
I'll admit it. The last time I saw the bulk of a Mountaineers game was in their Thursday night rout of Maryland back on Sept. 14. The last time I saw the Cardinals for more than a few plays was their rout of Miami two days later. And it's probably a safe guess that, with the exception of Big East beat writers and coaches, most of my fellow pollsters are in the same boat.
The reality is, West Virginia's and Louisville's high rankings are based less on what they've done than what they haven't done, which, of course, is lose. That's why the Thursday night's showdown presents such a unique opportunity. Not only will the two undefeated foes face off, but they'll do so on national television at a time when nearly every pollster in the country will be able to watch.
I covered Ohio State-Texas. I covered Michigan-Notre Dame. I covered Florida-Auburn. I'll be thinking of all three while I cover this one, because the question myself and all the other voters out there need to ask themselves at the end of the night is: Could the winner beat an Ohio State? A Michigan? A Texas? A Florida? Whether the answer is "yes" or "no," I will adjust my ballot accordingly. I hope my colleagues will do the same.
NCAA Football Power Rankings Rank LW
Team 1 1 Ohio State Buckeyes (9-0)
I give up. I've officially run out of gushing things to say about the Buckeyes, and thus, will now attempt to improvise. ... Did you know there are 550 mg of caffeine in a Starbucks coffee? That's insane! ... I like that new show 30 Rock. ... Do we have any Canadians in the audience tonight? ...
Next game: Saturday at Illinois. 2 2 Michigan Wolverines (9-0)
Since losing WR Mario Manningham to injury, the Wolverines have put up their three lowest scoring totals of the season (17, 20 and 17 points). This would be a problem if not for the fact Michigan's defense has held their opponents in those games to a combined 19 points and 14 rushing yards.
Next game: Saturday vs. Ball State. 3 3 West Virginia Mountaineers (7-0)
Calling all West Virginia students. I know Thursday night's game is huge. I know it's going to be freakin' awesome if the Mountaineers win. But please, do yourselves a favor: Don't burn any couches. Please? It only reinforces some deeply held stereotypes I know you'd like to see go away.
Next game: Thursday at Louisville. 4 4 Florida Gators (7-1)
Did you see the look on Urban Meyer's face when Chris Hetland missed his first field-goal attempt against Georgia? I would sum it up as: "Shoot me now." With Hetland -- a preseason All-SEC pick -- now a staggering 1-of-7, the Gators' coach said Sunday he will consider changing kickers.
Next game: Saturday at Vanderbilt. 5 7 Tennessee Volunteers (7-1)
What a clutch fourth-quarter performance on Saturday night in Columbia. Trailing 17-14 after three, the Vols scored 17 straight points to put the game away, getting a big punt return and a forced fumble along the way. Tennessee has outscored its last five foes 85-20 in the fourth quarter.
Next game: Saturday vs. LSU. 6 5 Texas Longhorns (8-1)
The 'Horns pulled off a far more dramatic rally in Lubbock, but I'm sorry, you give up 518 yards to a 5-4 team, I have to drop you a spot. Texas QB Colt McCoy, on the other hand, has locked up a spot on my All-Interview Team for his huffing, puffing, busted-lip exchange with TBS' Craig Sager.
Next game: Saturday vs. Oklahoma State. 7 11 Cal Golden Bears (7-1)
Moving a team up four spots coming off a bye week -- or eating cheeseburgers, as Charlie Weis calls it -- makes me downright icky. The Bears just happen to be the (extremely) fortunate beneficiaries of USC's and Clemson's losses and some top-10 rearranging (see below).
Next game: Saturday vs. UCLA. 8 10 Arkansas Razorbacks (7-1)
The more we see of both the Razorbacks and Auburn, the more we realize that Arkansas's 27-10 win on Oct. 7 was no fluke. After all, the same Ole Miss team that scared the bejesus out of Auburn last weekend fell 38-3 to Arkansas a week earlier. So, I had to swap the two of them.
Next game: Saturday vs. Tulane. 9 8 Auburn Tigers (8-1)
Kenny Irons goes over 100. The Tigers put up 428 yards. Their defense shuts down Ole Miss QB Brent Schaeffer. And yet the game goes down to the last minute? Basically, Auburn is having trouble finishing drives. If I'm Tommy Tuberville, I'm more concerned by that than I am about the BCS.
Next game: Saturday vs. Arkansas State. 10 12 Louisville Cardinals (7-0)
While Louisville's offense has struggled in recent weeks, I fully expect Brian Brohm & Co. to come out smoking on Thursday night. I'm far more skeptical of whether the Cardinals' defense, which has yet face even a top-50 rushing team, can stand up to Pat White and Steve Slaton.
Next game: Thursday vs. West Virginia. NCAA Football Power Rankings Rank LW
Team 11 6 USC Trojans (6-1)
One of the few criticisms of Trojans QB John David Booty this season has been his reluctance to throw down field. Well, he didn't have a choice in the second half against Oregon State, and as it turns out -- he's pretty good at it. Expect USC's offense to keep airing it out the rest of the way.
Next game: Saturday at Stanford. 12 13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-1)
Rag on the Irish if you want. Criticize their O-line. Belittle their defense. But this business about Brady Quinn being overrated? Absurd. Despite often shabby protection, the guy has thrown for 2,233 yards, 21 TDs and four interceptions. Call me crazy, but I find that to be acceptable.
Next game: Saturday vs. North Carolina. 13 14 LSU Tigers (6-2)
Uh oh -- it's another one of those pesky big games. On the road. Against a tough defense. Will LSU's offense show up? QB JaMarcus Russell will be on the spot as always, but it will certainly help if the Tigers can run for more than the 66 yards they averaged against Auburn and Florida.
Next game: Saturday at Tennessee. 14 16 Boston College Eagles (7-1)
On Saturday, Boston College and Wake Forest will play a football game that will more than likely determine a spot in the ACC championship game. You read that right. If the Eagles win, maybe, just maybe, the Boston media will give it more coverage than a Red Sox minor-league acquisition.
Next game: Saturday at Wake Forest. 15 17 Oklahoma Sooners (6-2)
Ladies and gentlemen, the Allen Patrick era is upon us. In the Sooners' impressive win at 7-1 Missouri on Saturday, Adrian Peterson's replacement -- both currently and, we assume, next season -- carried 36 times for 162 yards. The 36 carries matched Peterson's career-high.
Next game: Saturday at Texas A&M. 16 15 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-0)
What a strange game against UConn on Sunday night. The Scarlet Knights won 24-13, but not before Huskies RB Donald Brown torched them for 199 yards and Ray Rice managed just 79. Most disturbing, however: the sight of Rice limping off the field at the end with a bruised ankle.
Next game: Nov. 9 vs. Louisville. 17 18 Boise State Broncos (8-0)
I'm not normally one for comparing recent scores with ones from early in the season, because teams can change dramatically in the course of two months, but it is worth noting that the same Oregon State team that knocked off USC last weekend fell 42-14 to the Broncos on Sept. 7.
Next game: Wednesday vs. Fresno State. 18 9 Clemson Tigers (7-2)
Virginia Tech showed last Thursday that if you can somehow manage to slow down Clemson RBs James Davis and C.J. Spiller, the Tigers are pretty much helpless. Facing way too many third-and-longs, QB Will Proctor was a miserable 11-of-28 for 86 yards and an interception.
Next game: Saturday vs. Maryland. 19 20 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-2)
It wasn't pretty, but the Jackets' 30-23 win over Miami on Saturday pretty much assures they'll be heading to Jacksonville in December. Tech now leads both the 'Canes and Hokies by a game, holds the tiebreaker over both and plays two of its last three games against UNC and Duke.
Next game: Saturday at N.C. State. 20 21 Wisconsin Badgers (8-1)
While the Badgers have won five straight, they haven't had a chance to truly prove themselves since losing to Michigan in their Big Ten opener. That will change this week against 6-3 Penn State. If John Stocco and P.J. Hill(who is questionable due to injury) can move the ball consistently on that defense, alert the authorities.
Next game: Saturday vs. Penn State. NCAA Football Power Rankings Rank LW
Team 21 -- Virginia Tech Hokies (6-2)
With Lee Suggs watching from the sideline, Branden Ore proved he's worthy of carrying on the Hokies' tailback legacy with a magnificent 203-yard performance against Clemson. Tech is most likely out of ACC title contention but would set up a strong finish if it can win at the Orange Bowl.
Next game: Saturday at Miami. 22 25 Texas A&M Aggies (8-1)
The last three Oklahoma-A&M games in College Station have all been classics. The Sooners carry no national title hopes like they did in those seasons, but this will still be a huge game in Big 12 country. In particular, Dennis Franchione's team would gain some serious legitimacy with a win.
Next game: Saturday vs. Oklahoma. 23 23 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-1)
Oklahoma-Texas A&M? Wrong call again, GameDay. You didn't show up for the Clemson game, and now you're passing on the only game in the county Saturday involving two first-place BCS-conference teams? GameDay at Groves Stadium: It's my new mission. It's going to happen.
Next game: Saturday vs. Boston College. 24 -- Washington State Cougars (6-3)
These guys are pretty good -- and right now they're on fire. The Cougars followed up their home upset of Oregon by going to the Rose Bowl and taking it to UCLA. QB Alex Brink threw for 405 yards. The three teams that have beaten Wazzu, by the way, are Auburn, Cal and USC.
Next game: Saturday vs. Arizona. 25 24 Oregon Ducks (6-2)
Are the Ducks still the best team in their state? It's certainly up for debate following the Beavers' upset of USC. We'll give Oregon the benefit of the doubt for now, particularly since the Ducks have a better record, but I'm wondering just how they'll fare at the Coliseum in two weeks.
Next game: Saturday vs. Washington.
 
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TheMile;648443; said:
The computers see our schedule as stronger. To the computers, a weak Big 12 makes our Notre Dame win more impressive than Texas, and Wisconsin gives us a boost, too.
Click to expand...

I'm sure you're right. I wasn't trying to say that the computers are crazy because they pick Michigan over Ohio State. Computers are crazy for many other reasons. (I posted my computer rankings last year, and they consistently had Temple over one or two 2-win teams.)

But I would have thought that Texas's schedule, despite being mostly in a weak Big XII, would still be better than Notre Dame's. But maybe it's so close that Wisconsin gives Michigan the edge in all polls.

Regardless of which team is #1 and which is #2, it all comes down to who wins The Game.
 
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Charlie "Not So" Wise or is it Charlie "So" Wide

I am not sure if this is posted somewhere..here you go...someone finally stood up to old fat Charlie..
BCS race already getting ugly



College Football | Sports
By JOHN LINDSAY
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
We're still six weeks away from the only set of Bowl Championship Series standings that mean a thing. But already the politicking makes next week's mid-term congressional elections seem civil by comparison.
Just as Congress fights over control of those red and blue states, college football remains mired in its own class war _ much of it antagonized by the creation of the Bowl Championship Series eight years ago.
Even though the system is usually stacked in their favor, the haves _ schools from the traditional power five conferences, the Southeastern, Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-10 _ are already bent out of shape. Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville says that the Bowl Series will never give an SEC team a fair shake since the nation's toughest league doesn't usually allow a team to go through unscathed. And even when it does, like Tuberville's Tigers did in 2004, somehow the SEC gets the shaft.
Though there's more than a kernel of truth to Tuberville's argument, it still hands us a chuckle. After all, isn't the whole BCS the brainchild of former SEC commissioner Roy Kramer? Not so humorous is the ludicrous whining of "60 Minutes" latest star _ Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, who complained about the Fighting Irish losing ground to two SEC teams (Tennessee and Florida) after the Irish miracle escape of UCLA last week. "One of the teams that jumped us had the same (close) game that we had. Another team wasn't even playing. They were home eating cheeseburgers and they end up jumping us. That befuddles me."
For Weis to complain about a system that contorts like the old cartoon character "Gumby" to get the Irish into a major bowl every year they marginally deserve it is akin to Britney Spears complaining that her gold records aren't shiny enough.
And one more thing. We men of generous proportions need to stay away from cheeseburger references. Speaking of ground chuck, that's pretty much what the Irish's schedule resembles. If West Virginia's schedule is so suspect, exactly who have the Irish beaten? A Georgia Tech team that redefines erratic? Winless Stanford? Crumbling Purdue? This week's tasty morsel _ hapless, lame duck North Carolina? Earth to Charlie: Lighten up (in more ways than one).
As for the have-nots, the aforementioned Mountaineers took advantage of USC's shocking loss at Oregon State to move up to third in this week's BCS standings, thus infuriating SEC fans that claim No. 4 Florida, No. 6 Auburn or even No. 11 Tennessee are all superior to West Virginia, which travels to No. 5 Louisville in Thursday night's first mega-BCS showdown.
And if the Mountaineers or Cardinals go unbeaten as Big East champs, look for another big-money precinct, No. 7 Texas, to crank up its we're-entitled-to-this PR machine. Not to mention the argument the Michigan-Ohio State loser will have... Our head is starting to hurt.
But wait, there's the no-win plight of undefeated Rutgers _ yes Rutgers _ 12th in this week's BCS standings. A brief mind-boggling list of teams the Scarlet Knights are ahead of (Wisconsin, LSU, Oklahoma, Miami, Penn State and Florida State). Remember that from 1993-2002, Rutgers went 27-83-1. By comparison, FSU went 104-19-1 over that span.
Yes in the college football world, pigs are officially flying.
In the better world of a 16-team Division I playoff, Rutgers could actually get a chance against an Ohio State, Michigan or Florida to become football's version of basketball's George Mason, which shocked the world with its run to the Final Four last March. Instead, the Knights could likely go 12-0 and still lose out on the BCS national title game to any one-loss team.
Why? Because the BCS was never designed to help _ or even accommodate _ schools like Rutgers.
Rule of thumb? With the BCS, complaining always wins out over competition. So the BCS honchos are now down to hoping for the path of least moaning, which appears to be West Virginia going 12-0 and taking on either undefeated Ohio State or Michigan for the national title. WVU would then bring a 17-game winning streak to Glendale, Ariz. including last year's impressive Sugar Bowl win in Atlanta over SEC champ Georgia.
The other BCS games are potentially good matchups with Ohio State-Michigan loser vs. either USC or Cal in the Rose Bowl, Florida vs. Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, Texas vs. the ACC champ in the Orange Bowl, and maybe Boise State-Louisville in the Fiesta Bowl.
BCS. Those three letters do sum it all up well: Best of a Crummy Situation.
UPSET PICK: Va. Tech equaled our five straight losing picks with three TDs en route to spanking overrated Clemson. At 3-7, we've still got a long way to go but will inch closer to .500 when N.C. State, a 6-point underdog, gets up to deck No. 20 Georgia Tech Saturday in Raleigh.
LINDSAY'S LOSER: A tip of our hat to Temple from snapping the nation's longest losing streak at 20 with a resounding 28-14 win over Bowling Green, a team that trounced the hapless Owls, 70-16 and 70-7 the past two seasons. With Central Michigan, Penn State and Navy (combined record of 16-9) still left, it's hard to see the Owls (1-8) busting out on a winning streak. But when you've gone 3-40 since 2003, any triumph must be savored.
 
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My .02:

Arkansas is vastly underrated and ND is overrated. All 4 teams immediately behind ND in this poll would crush them.

Will L'ville jump Texas in the human polls assuming a win over Rutgers?
 
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Bleed S & G;653423; said:
if i were a betting man, i'd bet the irish would beat wvu
Click to expand...


I don't think Brady Quiff and the offense would see the field enough to affect the game the way they need to. No way ND could stop WVU's running game. Arkansas, LSU and Cal would stomp a mudhole in the Domers.

I've said all year ND should be 10-15th and they have done zilcho to convince me otherwise.
 
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AP Poll summarized on Yahoo.

tOSU all ther #1 votes.

Ohio State is unanimous No. 1 in AP poll; Louisville up to No. 3 By RALPH D. RUSSO, AP Sports Writer
November 5, 2006
It's unanimous.
Ohio State received all 65 first-place votes in The Associated Press Top 25 released Sunday to become the first unanimous No. 1 in three years.
The last team to sweep the media panel voting was Oklahoma on Nov. 30, 2003, the week before the Sooners lost the Big 12 championship game to Kansas State.
The Buckeyes have been top-ranked all season, and for the fourth straight week their Big Ten rival, Michigan, was No. 2.
The Buckeyes and Wolverines had closer-than-expected wins Saturday. Ohio State won 17-10 at Illinois and Michigan held off Ball State 34-26.
Louisville received its best ranking, moving up two spots to No. 3 after its 44-34 victory over West Virginia on Thursday. The Mountaineers had been No. 3, but their first loss of the season dropped them seven spots to No. 10.
No. 4 Texas was just three points behind unbeaten Louisville.
The Cardinals were ranked as high as No. 2 by five voters and as low as ninth by Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star.
"After watching the West Virginia-Louisville game Thursday night I was shocked at how poorly the defenses played," Whitlock said in an e-mail to the AP on Sunday. "I don't think either one of those teams would survive against the best teams in the SEC. So there are four SEC teams that I think are better than Louisville. I also think Ohio State, Texas, USC and Michigan are better than Louisville."
Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman had Louisville No. 2 and said the Cardinals deserve credit for having one of the nation's best offenses.
"This has got to be one of the most complex voting situations I've seen because people don't know what to make of the Big East," he said. "Style points mean everything this time of year. When I see Michigan struggle at home against Ball State and Louisville smash third-ranked West Virginia, I think you have to give them credit for that."
No. 5 was Auburn and Florida was sixth, the Southeastern Conference rivals separated by six points.
Southern California was No. 7, right in front of Pac-10 rival California.
Notre Dame and West Virginia finished off the top 10.
Three SEC teams start the second 10, with Arkansas, LSU and Tennessee. The Tigers beat the Volunteers 28-24 on Saturday and the Razorbacks host Tennessee this week.
Unbeaten Boise State was No. 14 and unbeaten Rutgers was 15th. The Scarlet Knights get a chance to make a big leap in the ranking on Thursday night when they host Louisville.
"If Louisville beats Rutgers by two touchdowns, I might reconsider my position," Whitlock said.
No. 16 was Wisconsin, followed by Oklahoma and three Atlantic Coast Conference teams -- Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.
Oregon is No. 21 with Boston College, Maryland, Texas A&M and BYU rounding out the Top 25.
Maryland and BYU were in the rankings for the first time this season. The Terps defeated Clemson 13-12 on a last-second field goal to move into the rankings for the first time since the middle of the 2003 season. The loss knocked Clemson out of the rankings for the second time this season.
Washington State also dropped out of the rankings after being in for just one week. The Cougars lost 27-17 at home to Arizona.
Click to expand...

BTW, those two oddball W.Va. votes from California?
They both bumped Louisville to 4th, slipping W. Va. to 7th and 8th. A little inconsistency?
 
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