Week 6 College Football Newsletter

Just to let everyone know, I've added a section to the newsletter, called "The Bonehead Remark of the Week". I figured, this way, I could save the "Call of the Week" to the actual games, which would leave room for commentators, announcers, and "analysts" to do their thing and showcase their talents for the bonehead remarks they so often make. There is also a brief section preceding the Top 120 this week, clarifying why the poll lists 120 as opposed to 119 teams.

The Bonehead Call of the Week
This goes to Florida head coach, Urban Meyer, and his poor utilization of time outs at the end of the Gators' 28-24 loss to LSU. Let's put it this way, with five seconds left and the clock stopped, Florida had two time outs left. They called their second with the clock already stopped and the game ended with the Gators' not having utilized all three time outs. Florida could've saved themselves close to an additional minute on their final possession. Would that have been enough to allow Tim Tebow and the Gator offense to score the winning touchdown? It's impossible to say, but it gives the team a much better opportunity than what they were given at the tail-end of this game.

The Bonehead Play of the Week
This could go under "call" as well, but I'm going to cheat and mark this under "play," so I can talk about this along with Urban Meyer. I'm sure not many people saw this game. Heck, as is typical with the ESPN score tracker at the bottom of the screen, this game was initially called incorrectly. Perhaps ESPN assumed it was final and to their credit, it should have been.

Western Michigan led Akron 38-31 with 15 seconds left in Saturday's game. What did the Broncos decide to do when forced to punt deep in their own territory? Take the safety. Punter Jamarko Simmons ran out of the end zone on 4th down for the safety to close the gap to 38-33. What ensued on the free kick? Akron took it back for six, which, math would have it, put the Zips in the lead for good, at 39-38. An intentional safety should ONLY be called if your team will still be up by two scores or more. If Western Michigan was up 38-27, this would be feasible. The safety would make the score 38-29 and at the very worst, Akron would be able to close the gap to a single point. Unless the 9-point play was suddenly discovered in Akron, Ohio, Western Michigan would come out victorious. This is utterly retarded if the safety closes the gap to less than a touchdown. If Western Michigan punted the ball and it were returned for six or if the punt was blocked and recovered for a touchdown, the game would've gone into overtime, assuming Akron kicked the extra point. In the worst case scenario, the Broncos would head to overtime where they'd still have an opportunity to win the game. But no, they take the safety to bring their opponent to within five points. That means, with a touchdown, regardless of the extra point or two-point conversion, Akron would win the game. That's exactly what happened. I'm not sure what kind of math they teach in Michigan, but they may want to hire some new professors.

The Bonehead Remark of the Week
This goes to ESPN.com columnist, Mark Schlabach. Following Saturday's games, Schlabach stated Stanford's win over USC marked the end of a dynasty and stated it may have been the biggest upset in history.
First off, what is it with people exclaiming that a victory is the biggest upset or game of all-time? This year alone, we've had Appalachian State upsetting Michigan, Syracuse over Louisville, Colorado over Oklahoma, and Stanford over USC, amongst others. I've heard or read at least one professional journalist/columnist claim that each of these games (amongst others) were potentially the biggest upset of all-time. I'm hearing/reading it once a week it seems and in regard to different games. Stanford's football program has been down ever since Ty Willingham left, but what Pac-10 team last beat USC at the Coliseum in L.A. before this past Saturday? Stanford. Who played neck and neck with Oregon for three quarters earlier this year, scoring 31 points on the Ducks? Stanford. Who shut-out Dick Tomey's bowl-bound San Jose State Spartans from a year ago? Again, that's Stanford. This is not Wofford, William & Mary, or Prairie View A&M. This is a club from one of the six major conferences in college football. Just as Syracuse upsetting Louisville was not the biggest upset in college football history (I don't care about the spread), neither is Stanford upsetting USC. The Trojans have struggled in Pac-10 play the past couple years. They almost lost a week ago to Washington.

Secondly, one game cannot make or break a dynasty. It takes many games for a team to build a dynasty, just as it takes a few to break it. USC is 4-1 this year and 1-1 in conference. Before the season started, some people were claiming that USC was the best team in college football, no questions asked. Now we're going to immediately jump off the bandwagon and claim their dynasty is finished? Let's wait until the end of the year before we write them off. Many wrote them off last year following their loss to Oregon State and if it weren't for their final regular season game loss to UCLA, they would've played in the National Championship game. So please, let's not claim that all that was once good in Trojan-land is now dead and buried. USC still has to play unbeaten Cal, unbeaten Arizona State, Oregon, Notre Dame, and UCLA. If they win four of those five games and finish the year 10-2, they'll again potentially be invited to a BCS bowl game and if they win all five of those games and finish the year 11-1, they could be in the running for the National Championship game. While yes, I agree that USC needs to quit being so sloppy with the football, especially in conference battles, I'm not going to write them off based on one game. They've been a dominant team in the Pac-10 for several years now. They have a huge bulls-eye marked upon them and will receive all conference opponents' best efforts. Let's let time dictate whether or not this team has lost its dynasty luster.

Conference Breakdown
*indicates Division I-AA opponent

ACC
Virginia Tech 41 Clemson 23 (1-1)
Virginia 23 Middle Tennessee State 21 (2-1)
North Carolina 33 Miami (Florida) 27 (3-2)
Boston College 55 Bowling Green 24 (4-2)
Maryland 28 Georgia Tech 26 (5-3)
Wake Forest 41 Duke 36 (6-4)
Florida State 27 North Carolina State 10 (7-5)

Big East
West Virginia 55 Syracuse 14 (1-1)
South Florida 35 Florida Atlantic 23 (2-1)
Cincinnati 28 Rutgers 23 (3-2)
Utah 44 Louisville 35 (3-3)

Big Ten
Ohio State 23 Purdue 7 (1-1)
Michigan 33 Eastern Michigan 22 (2-1)
Northwestern 48 Michigan State 41 OT (3-2)
Illinois 31 Wisconsin 26 (4-3)
Indiana 40 Minnesota 20 (5-4)
Penn State 27 Iowa 7 (6-5)

Big XII
Colorado 43 Baylor 23 (1-1)
Texas A&M 24 Oklahoma State 23 (2-2)
Oklahoma 28 Texas 21 (3-3)
Texas Tech 42 Iowa State 17 (4-4)
Kansas 30 Kansas State 24 (5-5)
Missouri 41 Nebraska 6 (6-6)

Pac-10
Stanford 24 USC 23 (1-1)
Arizona State 23 Washington State 20 (2-2)
Oregon State 31 Arizona 16 (3-3)
Notre Dame 20 UCLA 6 (3-4)

SEC
Arkansas 34 Chattanooga 15 (1-0)*
Mississippi State 30 UAB 13 (2-0)
Mississippi 24 Louisiana Tech 0 (3-0)
Alabama 30 Houston 24 (4-0)
Tennessee 35 Georgia 14 (5-1)
LSU 28 Florida 24 (6-2)
South Carolina 38 Kentucky 23 (7-3)
Auburn 35 Vanderbilt 7 (8-4)

A Tale of Two Weeks
Week 5: Ball State 49 Buffalo 14
Week 6: Buffalo 31 Ohio 10
Margin Difference: 56 points (-35 to +21)

Week 5: Ball State 49 Buffalo 14
Week 6: Central Michigan 58 Ball State 38
Margin Difference: 55 points (+35 to -20)

Week 5: Nebraska 35 Iowa State 17
Week 6: Missouri 41 Nebraska 6
Margin Difference: 53 points (+18 to -35)

Week 5: Georgia 45 Mississippi 17
Week 6: Mississippi 24 Louisiana Tech 0
Margin Difference: 52 points (-28 to +24)

Week 5: Vanderbilt 30 Eastern Michigan 7
Week 6: Auburn 35 Vanderbilt 7
Margin Difference: 51 points (+23 to -28)

The Conference Yo of the Week
ACC and Big XII. For the second week in a row, the ACC is getting at least a share of this award. But, while the ACC impressed me more than most conferences this weekend, its whole was not as impressive as some individual components and the same can be said of the Big XII. But, add the two together and it makes for the perfect weekend recipe.
In the ACC, for example, Butch Davis and his current club, North Carolina, upset his former team, Miami (Florida), 33-27 in a very entertaining battle. Maryland snuck by Georgia Tech 28-26 in a back and forth tussle, where Tech had an opportunity to kick the go-ahead field goal within the final minute. Wake Forest outlasted the suddenly pesky Duke Blue Devils by the final score of 41-36. But, while those three games were great, the rest of the conference didn't look as impressive. Boston College beat up on Bowling Green. Okay, I guess. Virginia had to come from behind to beat 1-5 Middle Tennessee State, 23-21. Virginia Tech, led by their special teams, beat up on Clemson, 41-23. Florida State and North Carolina State were tightly contested until the very start of the 4th quarter, when the 'Noles took control, in FSU's 27-10 win over the Wolfpack.

The Big XII games were played rather similarly, in that three went down to the final play and the other three were decided in the first fifteen minutes. Kansas and Kansas State tussled back and forth until the end, with Kansas winning 30-24. Texas A&M beat Oklahoma State 24-23, in a game where A&M had found themselves down by two scores for a good portion of the time. Also, one can't forget the Red River Shoot-out, which lived up to its hype this year, with OU coming out on top by the score of 28-21. But, the other three games were not anything to smile about. Texas Tech took care of Iowa State 42-17 (wasn't even that close). Colorado did likewise to Baylor, 43-23 (again, wasn't that close). Finally, Missouri pounded Nebraska into submission, 41-6 (dare I say it wasn't even that close?). Three games were decided by 14 points (average of 4.7 per) and the other three were decided by a combined 70 points (average of 23.3 points per).Combine the best three games from both conferences and that's deserving of a yo this week.

The Conference Yo No of the Week
Big Ten and SEC. The Big Ten had a couple very solid games, but outside of those, had nothing to write home about, even via e-mail. Northwestern's 48-41 overtime win against Michigan State was an offensive shoot-out if there ever was one (not counting UTEP's 48-47 victory over Tulsa in regulation this past weekend). Illinois' 31-26 win over Wisconsin was a very entertaining game, as well. The Illini had control throughout, but the Badgers, as they so often know how to do, just wouldn't go away and as usual, gave the vibe they'd come back and win yet another game in not the most Monroe-esque of styles. But, outside of those two games, Big Ten football was anything but stout. Michigan struggled to put Eastern Michigan away, in the Wolverines' 33-22 win. Ohio State had no problems with then undefeated Purdon't in West Lafayette, disposing of the Boilers 23-7, with Purdue's only touchdown coming against the Buckeyes' scrubs late in the 4th quarter. Indiana was just the latest team to beat up on the GO-phers, defeating Glen Mason's old club, 40-20. Penn State made Iowa look like a I-AA school, beating the Hawkeyes' 27-7.

The SEC held the best record of any major conference over the weekend, at 8-4, but after one sees whom all they played, they'll know why the Southeastern Conference indeed went 8-4. Mississippi State struggled with 1-4 UAB through three quarters before exploding in the fourth to win 30-13. Mississippi shut-out Louisiana Tech (without Tim Rattay and/or Troy Edwards) 24-0. Tennessee beat-up on Georgia early and never looked back in their 35-14 victory over the Bulldogs. Arkansas struggled for three quarters against I-AA Chattanooga, before winning 34-15. South Carolina ended Kentucky's unbeaten run in an impressive 38-23 showing. Alabama led Houston 23-0 after one, but were outscored 24-7 from that point forward in the Tide's 30-24 win over the Cougars. Vanderbilt put forth a very disappointing showing in their 35-7 loss to Auburn. The only great SEC game over the weekend was the duel between Florida and LSU, in the Tigers' 28-24 come-from-behind victory. Like I said, the SEC may have been 8-4 and had the best record of any major conference this past weekend, but with three out of four conference games being sub-par and the four non-conference wins coming against: UAB (1-4), Louisiana Tech (1-4), Houston (2-3), and Chattanooga (0-6), and none of those wins being all too impressive, there's a good reason the conference did go 8-4 over the weekend.

Game(s) of the Week
5. Texas A&M 24 Oklahoma State 23: While I didn't pay as close attention to this game as I did others, it most certainly held my attention in the final minutes. Okie State led the game by two scores in the first half, before A&M rallied to take a 24-20 lead. The Cowboys came back, led by Bobby Reid, who had replaced the injured Zac Robinson at quarterback, but were held to a field goal with just under five minutes to play, to trim the lead to 24-23. But, on one of the most boneheaded decisions of the week, Mike Gundy called for an all out block on the punt with just under a couple minutes remaining and the Cowboys roughed the punter. With no time outs remaining for OSU, this allowed for A&M to run the clock out with a couple kneel downs.

4. Oklahoma 28 Texas 21: As should be hoped for every Red River Shoot-out, this game went back and forth via sevens. The largest margin in the game was a touchdown and in the end, OU was the one able to avenge last week's upset loss to even their conference record at 1-1. On the other side of things, Texas has started the year 0-2 in conference play.

3. Kansas 30 Kansas State 24: This game was full of questions to be answered. Kansas State had dominated Texas in Austin a week prior, winning 41-21 over the Longhorns. Kansas was 4-0 coming into the game, having outscored their first four opponents by the score of 214-23 (average of 53.5 - 5.8). However, those same four opponents currently have a record of 5-19. So, was Kansas State going to have a let-down week at home against their inner-state rivals? Was Kansas for real? The Jayhawks definitely appear to be for real following this game. It was back and forth throughout and every time K-State appeared to garner an edge, Kansas came right back. The Big XII North appears to be wide open this year (with exception to Iowa State) and these two schools from Kansas should be in the thick of it until the end.

2. Arizona State 23 Washington State 20: I don't like to praise myself too often, but I am proud to state that I called this one. While I picked Arizona State to win the game, with the game being in Pullman and Wazzu coming off an embarrassing 28-point loss to Arizona, I felt ASU may run into some trouble in this game. Run into trouble is what they did. In fact, if it weren't for a missed field goal at the very end of regulation by the Cougars, who knows, we could still be playing now. Okay, that's highly unlikely, but here's a more feasible possibility - the Sundevils may have been handed their first loss of the season.

1. LSU 28 Florida 24: It's very rare that a game as hyped as this one lived up to that anticipation. This game was that rare gem. It had a bit of everything: Defensive stands, hard hits, lapses in special teams, a chess match by the coaches, emotion, passion, leadership, gutsy calls, second guesses, etc. When it all came down to it, as hoped, the trailing team had control of the football inside the opposition's five-yard line with under two minutes to play. LSU's 28-24 comeback win illustrated a lot on Saturday night. It displayed just how good these Tigers can be and it also depicted that they certainly aren't unbeatable.

Disappointment(s) of the Week
5. Auburn 35 Vanderbilt 7: Just as Kentucky was the surprise team from the SEC a year ago, many (including myself) thought Vanderbilt may take on a similar role this season. While the Commodores are 3-2, those two losses are to Alabama and Auburn and in an unimpressive fashion. Auburn may be playing at or near their peak right now, but if Vanderbilt wants to be the surprise SEC team this year, they're going to have to beat one or two reputable SEC programs. They have a great opportunity this weekend against Georgia, whom they've given fits to in recent years. But, they'll have to play a great deal better than they did this past Saturday if they want to have any kind of chance against the Bulldogs.

4. South Carolina 38 Kentucky 23: Kentucky came into the game at 5-0, with big wins over Louisville and Arkansas, and ranked in the top ten for the first time since Rick Pitino was head coach. Yes, it's been that long! But, South Carolina's defense pressured Heisman candidate Andre Woodson all evening and prevented the Wildcats' offense from getting into any kind of rhythm. I have to say that I was impressed by the Gamecocks' performance, but was ultimately disappointed by the fifteen point margin of victory.

3. Missouri 41 Nebraska 6: Both clubs came into the game with two of the most statistically efficient offenses in the Big XII and two of the least statistically efficient defenses in the conference. Both teams also had a lot to prove, as Missouri came into the game at 4-0, but outside of an opening week win against Illinois, had yet to beat a quality opponent and Nebraska was trounced by USC in their other Top 25 game. It had all the makings of an entertaining shoot-out type of ball game. Well, one of the two teams maintained their statistical efficiency on offense, but the other took a serious dive. Missouri more than doubled Nebraska in total yardage and if Chase Daniel had stayed in for the 4th quarter, I have to imagine Mizzou would've scored at least one more time. Many answers were provided at game's end, but unfortunately, not exactly the kind of answers I was expecting.

2. Virginia Tech 41 Clemson 23: I had extreme difficulty in making this pick. At first, I figured I'd take Clemson, in that the game was at home and neither team had a landmark victory yet this year. Clemson's first week win over Florida State was the closest thing to it for either club until this past Saturday night. The first half was like watching a video game, where one dominant team's offense only racks up 100 yards, but finds themselves up by three to four scores at the half. Why? Defensive and special teams' scores. So long as Virginia Tech's offense didn't turn the ball over, their defense and special teams did the rest. To my chagrin, this game was over in the second quarter.

1. Tennessee 35 Georgia 14: Sure, I picked the Volunteers to win this football game, but not in this fashion. Tennessee came into the game with one of the worst defenses in all of college football. They allowed Cal to score 45, gave up another 59 to Florida, 27 to Arkansas State, and 19 to Southern Mississippi. Going into the game on Saturday, they were averaging to give up 37.5 points per game to teams with a combined 13-8 record. But, for whatever reason, perhaps the week off aided Tennessee tremendously and they dominated Georgia from start to finish. Georgia's defense, which is usually solid, got run and thrown over all game long. I'll be very curious to see if Tennessee can keep up this momentum or if they'll be extremely inconsistent all year and I'm curious to see just how consistent Georgia's offense can/will be the rest of the way through.

Kudos
Beamer Ball. If anybody watched the first half of the Clemson/Virginia Tech game this Saturday, they'll know exactly what I'm referring to. Through Frank Beamer's tenure, his Hokies have been best known for their special teams, whether that be through a blocked kick/punt or a kick/punt return, the Hokies have found ways more than any other team to utilize those special teams for scoring opportunities. This was illustrated to a perfect T this past Saturday.

At the very start of the game, with 13:50 left in the opening quarter, the Hokies' corner, D.J. Parker, intercepted a Harper pass and returned it 32 yards for the game's first score, putting his Hokies up 7-0.

A little past the mid-way point in the first, with 4:48 left on the clock, Hokies wide receiver and special teams' specialist, Eddie Royal, returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown to put Virginia Tech up 17-0.

Finally, with 6:59 left in the second quarter, following a field goal by Clemson to put the Tigers on the board, Virginia Tech's Victor Harris ran the ensuing kickoff back 100 yards for another score, putting Tech up 24-3.This doesn't even include another punt return for a touchdown by Eddie Royal that was called back due to an illegal block in the back.

With these three touchdowns, it gave Tech 63 non-offensive TD's since '99, the most of any college team in that span.

No Kudos
Nebraska. When former Oakland Raiders' head coach, Bill Callahan, was hired by Steve Pederson to coach the Nebraska Cornhuskers four years ago, he confidently stated that he was going to take Nebraska to a new level, lead them into another direction. Parity was not to be accepted. What was expected of Nebraska football was excellence and anything short of that would not be tolerated.

This is year four in the Callahan era in Lincoln and his Cornhuskers have not shown much improvement in that time span. While I admit to being skeptical of the Callahan hiring at first announcement, I was willing to give the guy a chance. I didn't understand the firing of a coach after a 9-3 season (10-3 with bowl win), but believe that, in the end, Frank Solich wouldn't have lasted another three years in Lincoln. However, while Solich had trouble nabbing top-quality recruits, he also made the most of those prospects. From what's transpired during the Callahan era, it's been the direct opposite. Four and five-star level talent has been recruited, but those high expectations and potential have not been depicted through play on the field.

Nebraska does have a tradition of excellence and those lofty expectations are being thwarted due to poor game planning and poor coaching/execution. Nebraska isn't a Rutgers, a Kansas State, or a Virginia Tech. Rutgers gave current head coach Greg Schiano a contract extension even following a one-win season. Why? The Scarlet Knights had been dreadful for an extended period of time and in order to improve the program, they were wise to stick with a head coach for a longer period than what is typical. The same was true with Bill Snyder in Manhattan, Kansas with his Wildcats and with Frank Beamer in Blacksburg, Virginia. The same can't be said for Nebraska. The Cornhuskers have been a successful program for a great number of years and unlike Rutgers, K-State, or Virginia Tech, it wouldn't take 5-10 years to turn the team around. They were 10-3 the season before Callahan began to lead his team. While he was planning to alter the team's style, especially on the offensive end, taking over a team who won ten games the year before shouldn't be the most difficult of chores for a head coach. I'm sure Schiano, Snyder, Beamer, and others could only dream of such an opportunity. But, as we're at the midpoint in year four, I'm not seeing much progression under Bill Callahan.

I was skeptical at first because of his previous experience in the NFL. While yes, he had led the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl, this was shortly after Jon Gruden left Oakland to take the job in Tampa Bay. So, in actuality, like Callahan took control of Solich's players in his first year in Lincoln, he took control of Gruden's players in the Raiders' Super Bowl run. The year following the Super Bowl loss to Tampa? The Raiders went 4-12, with many players becoming outspoken in regard to their head coach. College football is a much different game than the pro game, so I was willing to give Callahan a chance in Lincoln due to that very fact. But, there were a few red flags which had been raised that I had to keep in the back of my mind.

In year four of his tenure at Nebraska, the year has been quite reminiscent to the 2002 season under Frank Solich, where Nebraska went 7-7. NU didn't just lose games that year. They were rocked out of the stadium. They were blown out by Penn State 40-7, fell badly to Iowa State 36-14, lost to Oklahoma State 24-21, got nipped by Texas 27-24 in Lincoln, got clobbered 49-13 by Kansas State, fell 28-13 to Colorado, and lost in the Independence Bowl to Mississippi by the score of 27-23. Teams progressing and heading toward elite status are not going to get blown out. You won't see LSU lose 41-6 this year or USC or Oklahoma and the like. USC will lose 24-23. Oklahoma will fall 27-24. Even on their worst of afternoons/evenings, the teams will find a way to be competitive and make a game of it. In Nebraska's two losses this year, they've done anything but stay competitive. With 3-3 Oklahoma State, 5-1 Texas A&M, 4-2 Texas, 5-0 Kansas, 3-2 Kansas State, and 4-2 Colorado still left on the Husker slate, unless NU improves, especially on defense, expect a couple to a few more losses by season's end.

From 1969 through 2001, Nebraska won at least 9 games every season and at the very most, lost three games. This was also the case in 2003, as NU went 10-3 in Solich's final season. While Frank Solich had a rough season in 2002, as the Cornhuskers went an even 7-7, that tradition of winning has been anything but sustained in the Callahan era thus far. Nebraska went 5-6 in his first season, 8-4 in 2005, 9-5 in '06, and are 4-2 to start this year.

From 1962 to 1972, Bob Devaney led the Huskers to a 101-20-2 (.829) record. From 1973 to 1997, Tom Osborne led Nebraska to a 255-49-3 (.836) mark. Frank Solich coached the team from 1998 to 2003 and the squad posted a 58-19-0 (.753) record in that time-span. Under Callahan thus far, the Huskers are 26-17 (.605). Callahan would need to win 32 of his next 34 games to break even with Solich.

Want more history? No problem. In the 1970s, Nebraska held the 5th best record in college football, at 98-20-4 (.820). They had the very best record in all of the country in the '80s, when they went 103-20-0 (.837). They dropped to 2nd in the '90s, when they posted an even better record, going 108-16-1 (.864). In the 2000s, however, Nebraska has dropped to 20th in the country, as they've gone 60-29-0 (.674), 17 of those losses coming under Callahan.

Bill Callahan and the rest of his crew may be able to excuse themselves of their first year blunders, as they were forced to run an entirely different style of offense with players that Frank Solich recruited. In year four, they no longer have that excuse and should be vastly improved from their initial season. From what I've seen thus far this season, that's difficult for me to believe. These statistics further back my claim. Nebraska's defense has received most of the blame this season and rightly so, I suppose, but at this point, their offense is only ranked at #45 in all the nation and 9th in the Big XII conference. They are ranked dead last in the conference in both total and scoring defense. They're ranked 96th overall in total defense and 75th in scoring defense. NU is ranked 94th in punt returns and 52nd in kick returns. NU has knocked the quarterback down with the ball in his hands only six times in six games this season, which ranks them at #105 in the country. If they don't attain 19 sacks in the final six games, this will go down as their worst sack output in the school's history. NU's defense has already allowed 174 points in six games. The record at Nebraska for allowing points is 335. If they allow 162 points in the next 6 or 7 games (27 ppg if they play 6 more and 23 ppg if they goto a bowl), that record will be broken as well. Another record that could be broken deals with yardage allowed. NU has allowed 2,649 yards of offense thus far into the season. Just 2,148 (358 ypg if they play 6 more and 307 ypg if they goto a bowl game) more yards will break the all-time record in Lincoln.

With the parity in the Big XII North, Nebraska has had a wondrous opportunity to once again establish dominance in the conference, but they have done anything to make the most of that opportunity. Kansas has shown vast improvements under the tutelage of Mark Mangino. Gary Pinkel is attempting to raise his Missouri Tigers to the top of the conference as they have started the year at 5-0. Ron Prince of Kansas State and Dan Hawkins of Colorado have already made an impact in just the second year with their respective programs. It's now year four for Bill Callahan and company in Lincoln, Nebraska. While some have been overly patient with the transition and appear to be adopting the infamous Chicago Cubs' fan motto of, "Wait until next year," fans will be shouting for some changes if things don't improve soon. Steve Pederson may have been genuine in telling the state he wanted to move the team in a new direction, but that direction wasn't what he nor the fans had hoped for.

Player of the Week
I give the runner-up of this award to Missouri quarterback, Chase Daniel. In the Tigers' contest against Nebraska, Daniel completed 33 of 47 passes (70.2%) for a career high 401 yards. He also carried the ball eleven times for 72 yards (6.5 per), and a couple touchdowns.

While, from a statistical standpoint, my player of the week may not be as impressive as Daniel, but from a deciding factor, I think he was truly the most valuable player of the week to his club. I'm talking about defensive end Eric Norwood of South Carolina. The man was a beast against Kentucky this past Thursday. The Gamecocks started strong in the contest, driving down the field, but fumbling the ball out of the end zone for a touchback. How did the defense respond? Just ask Mr. Norwood, who picked up a fumble by Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson and rumbled two yards into the end zone to put his team up 7-0 with 10:53 left in the opening quarter. That was a huge shift in momentum right there. At the outset of the third quarter and Carolina clinging to a 17-10 lead over the Wildcats with Kentucky driving, Norwood picked up another fumble and ran 53 yards for another touchdown to put Carolina up 24-10. His two touchdowns ties a NCAA record for defensive scores in a game with three other players. With or without Daniel, it doesn't appear that Missouri would've fallen to Nebraska on Saturday. Without Norwood, South Carolina may not have won on Thursday, Kentucky may still be undefeated and in the top five.

Surprise of the Week
5. Temple 16 Northern Illinois 15: Remember when Garrett Wolfe was in the backfield for Northern Illinois? Remember when NIU was almost a Cinderella story? An unbeaten? Those days are long gone evidently, as Temple, a notoriously bad football program, upended the Huskies this weekend. Temple came into the game winless, which included a 42-7 blow-out loss to Buffalo. To say I was surprised by this result is an understatement. Now, the only question I have is, just how bad are the now 1-5 Northern Illinois Huskies?

4. Buffalo 31 Ohio 10: While I admit to thinking about taking Buffalo in this one, nowhere in my rightened mind did I think they'd win by three touchdowns. Ohio is the defending MAC runner-up. Buffalo hasn't been a Division I-A team for very long, but a two win season is considered successful in their book. Well, Turner Gill is at that magical two win landmark and we're just at the midpoint of the season.

3. Louisiana-Monroe 30 Arkansas State 13: Another winless team, Louisiana-Monroe, won their first game of the season this past Saturday, defeating then 2-2 Arkansas State, who had only lost to Texas and Tennessee by a combined 29 points. Meanwhile, Louisiana-Monroe had gotten stomped on by the following: Tulsa by 18, Clemson by 23, Texas A&M by 40, and Troy by 17. So, what happens? As logic would put it, winless Louisiana-Monroe, whose closest loss was by 17 points, beats up on 2-2 Arkansas State, who had only lost to and put up tough fights against Texas and Tennessee, by 17 points.

2. Stanford 24 USC 23: The biggest upset in history? The end of a dynasty? Yeah, whatever. But, while I'm not going to exaggerate this victory, it was a rather large upset. But, just like they did the previous week against Washington, USC failed to take care of the football, with John David Booty's four interceptions. It'll be very interesting to see how each team reacts and progresses from here.

1. Rice 31 Southern Mississippi 29: The game was in Hattiesburg. Rice was 0-4 going into the contest with their closest loss coming at the hands of I-AA Nicholls State. Their other three losses came by the combined score of 159-55 (average of 53.0 - 18.3) to teams with a record of 12-6, including a 42-17 loss to Baylor. There was no way that Rice would stroll into Hattiesburg and beat Southern Miss, unless the Golden Eagles turned the ball over seven times. Ha! Like that's going to happen. Well, actually, it did. Southern Miss turned the ball over, count them, seven times and still only lost by two points.

Nebraska Game (from an unbiased perspective)
Where to begin? Where to begin? Hmm... Okay, here I go.

I'm going to be honest. I'd seen both teams play this year and going into this game, I truly felt that the home team would hold the advantage. If the game were played in Lincoln, I'd probably have picked the Huskers by one score. But, with it being a night game in Columbia, I went with the Tigers by 10. I didn't expect much defense. Missouri had allowed 34 points to Illinois, 25 points to Mississippi, 24 more to Western Michigan, and 17 to I-AA Illinois State. Heading into their game on Saturday with the Huskers, Missouri had allowed a total of 100 points (25.0 average) to teams with a combined 9-15 record (that includes 5-1 Illinois). They came into Saturday night's game with the 93rd ranked defense in the country. Nebraska's wasn't much better. In two of their previous three games, the Huskers had allowed 40+ points, in giving up 49 to USC and then 40 to Ball State the week following. If I had to pick, I'd say Missouri had the better offense, Nebraska the better defense, undecided on special teams, and undecided on coaching, as well.

From the opening snap on offense, Missouri, led by quarterback Chase Daniel, was in control of the game. Daniel marched his Tigers down the field on their opening possession, holding the ball for over four minutes, which ended in a Tiger touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. That lead would soon extend to 14-0, before the two teams traded off on field goals with Missouri going into the half with a 20-6 lead.

Nebraska had kicked to start the game, so the Huskers had an opportunity to sneak back into it at the start of the second half. With a touchdown, NU would've trailed by seven in the third quarter, but Missouri's defense was up for the challenge. The Tigers' defense held NU in check for the most part and gave Chase Daniel more than ample time and opportunity to deliver one crushing blow after another to the Cornhuskers. Missouri scored 21 unanswered points in the second half en route to a 41-6 blow-out win over their North rival Cornhuskers.
In regard to the game's statistics, I read many complaints on how Nebraska wasn't able to convert on third down. I disagree with that. NU converted on 20 first downs and were 6 of 16 on third down (37.5%). That's not exceptional, but it's not a poor percentage either. If coaches and/or fans want to complain about third downs, how about Missouri's efficiency on third down? For the game, Missouri was 10 for 15 (66.7%) on third down. That's remarkable. To convert one out of three on third down can be frustrating. To convert one out of two first downs can drive an opposing coach crazy. But, to convert two out of every three third down? Those are back-breakers and heart-breakers right there.

For the game, Nebraska's offense didn't even eclipse the 300-yard mark, finishing the game with 297 yards of total offense, 223 through the air and 74 on the ground. They averaged just 5.2 yards per pass attempt and only 3.0 yards per carry. Nebraska accumulated 10 penalties for 57 yards and committed one turnover, an interception by Sam Keller. The time of possession battle wasn't nearly as porous as last week against Iowa State, but NU's opponent still held the advantage, as Nebraska held on to the football for 28:20.

Missouri, meanwhile, converted 32 first downs in the game. They totaled 606 yards, 411 through the air and 195 on the ground. The Tigers averaged 8.4 yards per pass attempt and 5.4 yards per carry. They didn't turn the ball over at all, but did commit 9 penalties worth 79 yards.
Individually, no Husker held very gaudy numbers. Sam Keller was 25-43 on the evening for 223 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception. Marlon Lucky was the most active Husker on offense, as he totaled 123 yards, including 67 rushing and 56 receiving.

All of the gaudy offensive statistics belonged to Missouri, Chase Daniel in particular. The Tigers' quarterback was 33 for 47 (70.2%) for a career high 401 yards (12.2 yards per completion and 8.5 yards per attempt) and added 11 carries for 72 yards (6.5 ypc) and 2 scores. Daniel completed passes to nine different receivers, including stud tight end, Martin Rucker, who caught nine balls for 109 yards (12.1 average) and a touchdown.

Up next for the Huskers is their homecoming game against Oklahoma State. The Cowboys beat Nebraska in Stillwater just a year ago. While I do think Nebraska has the all-around superior team to that of Oklahoma State, I'm not entirely sold on NU winning this football game. If Callahan and Cosgrove can get their club focused, NU shouldn't have many problems in ousting the Cowboys in Lincoln. But, as we saw following the annihilation Nebraska suffered at the hands of USC in Week 3, it took NU three full quarters to get on track against Ball State the following week and they still almost (probably should've) lost to the Cardinals in the 41-40 victory. Nebraska cannot go through a similar such hangover this weekend after their embarrassing 41-6 loss to Missouri. Oklahoma State, while not great, is a far superior team to Ball State and will get the best of Nebraska if another such hangover occurs. I'm not thinking that it'll happen, but wouldn't bet against it either.

Solich Update
There are tough times in Bobcat-land for Frank Solich and company, as Ohio lost their fourth consecutive game this past Saturday, falling to Turner Gill and his now 2-4 Buffalo Bulls by the final score of 31-10. This drops Ohio to 0-2 in the MAC and 2-4 overall. Up next is another MAC battle for the Bobcats, as they take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles at home.

Gill Update
Turner Gill's Buffalo Bulls are just 2-4 this year, but those two victories have come by the combined score of 73-17. With the 31-10 trouncing of Ohio on Saturday, Buffalo has a 2-1 MAC record and are 2-4 overall. Up next, they take on the 2-4 Toledo Rockets at home. The Rockets have won their two games by a combined two points. With a win, Buffalo will be 3-1 in conference and 3-4 overall. That may not sound like much, but for anyone who has followed Bulls' football, that's a huge step in the right direction for the program.

Random Note of the Week
For the first time this season, no Division I-A team is playing a I-AA club.

Predictions
Wednesday
Navy at Pittsburgh: With a week off to heal from injuries and two horrendous losses to Virginia and Connecticut, Pittsburgh should be able to rebound at home against the Midshipmen to even their record at 3-3.
Pittsburgh 31 Navy 24

Thursday
Florida State at Wake Forest: Having now won three straight, with the game at home, and with their offense beginning to finally click, I'm giving a slight edge to Wake Forest. Florida State is ranked now anyway, right? So, that puts them at an immediate disadvantage right there for how things have transpired the past two weekends.
Wake Forest 27 Florida State 24

Friday
Hawaii at San Jose State: With or without Colt Brennan at quarterback, I feel that Hawaii has too much on offense for San Jose State to counter efficiently enough. But, is an upset completely out of the question? Nope, not at all.
Hawaii 48 San Jose State 28

Saturday
Central Florida at South Florida: USF realized this past weekend they can't take anyone for granted, as Howard Schnellenberger's Florida Atlantic club gave the Bulls all they could handle for four quarters. Jim Levitt's crew faces an even tougher school from the state of Florida this week, in George O'Leary's Golden Knights of Central Florida. If USF didn't receive their wake-up call a week ago, I may have been tempted to take UCF in this one, but I have a feeling Levitt won't allow his club to lose focus again, especially in Tampa this weekend.
South Florida 38 Central Florida 24

Purdue at Michigan: While Michigan has looked anything but impressive the past couple weekends against the likes of Northwestern and Eastern Michigan, Purdue hasn't done much to impress me this year either. If it wasn't for a late 4th quarter score against the Buckeyes' scrubs this past Saturday, the Boilers would've been shut-out at home. In Ann Arbor, I have to give the slight edge to the Wolverines to win their 5th straight, including three in conference.
Michigan 34 Purdue 31

Minnesota at Northwestern: The battle of the two cellar dwellers of the Big Ten this year. Unfortunately for Minnesota, the game is at Northwestern and unfortunately for the Gophers, I happen to believe they are the true Big Ten doormat this year. The Wildcats win their second straight to improve to 4-3 on the season.
Northwestern 38 Minnesota 31

Virginia Tech at Duke: Virginia Tech better be careful in this game. That sounds/feels wrong for me to say, considering it's against Duke, but the Blue Devils have been a pest this year. They lost to Virginia by 11, Wake Forest by 5, and Miami (Florida) by 10. But, with the defense ever improving, even with the absence of linebacker Vince Hall, I look for the Hokies to scratch and claw their way to a victory.
Virginia Tech 23 Duke 10

Rutgers at Syracuse: Syracuse is the ultimate Big East rebound team, or so they would seem. They played the role nicely this past weekend to West Virginia, following the Mountaineers' 21-13 loss to South Florida, and fell to West Virginia 55-14. They decided to play out of character earlier this year as they upset Louisville 38-35 following the Cardinals' tough loss to Kentucky. So, now it's Rutgers' turn, following two consecutive losses, to the likes of Maryland and Cincinnati. Call me a pessimist, but I think the Orange's best days of the season are behind them. The Scarlet Knights dominate.
Rutgers 38 Syracuse 10

Kent State at Ohio State: Ohio State certainly picked the year to play MAC schools. First it was Akron and now the Golden Flashes. Regardless of who they play in the MAC this season, the Buckeyes would win.
Ohio State 35 Kent State 6

Eastern Michigan at Ohio: Frank Solich and his Ohio Bobcats are in trouble. The defending runner-up in the MAC has lost four straight games, including a 31-10 blow-out loss to Buffalo this past weekend. With the game at home, I'd hope that the Bobcats could end their swoon against EMU.
Ohio 24 Eastern Michigan 20

Georgia Tech at Miami (Florida): There are more questions than answers pertaining to both clubs entering this game. Miami is coming off an embarrassing 33-27 loss to North Carolina, which showcased quarterback Kyle Wright tossing four interceptions. Tech is coming off a 28-26 loss to Maryland. With the game at home, I give a very slight edge to Miami, but to be perfectly honest, I have no idea what to expect out of either team.
Miami (Florida) 24 Georgia Tech 20

Illinois at Iowa: For how crisp Illinois looks on offense and how porous Iowa's has been, I have to pick the Illini. A let-down is a possibility, though.
Illinois 31 Iowa 17

Texas at Iowa State: Need I even pick this game? Texas. There, I picked.
Texas 27 Iowa State 13

Alabama at Mississippi: Alabama has not looked too impressive following their 3-0 start. They scored 23 points against Houston in the 1st quarter this past Saturday, leading 23-0 heading into the 2nd and almost blew it, in their 30-24 win over the Cougars. It won't get any easier this weekend, but I see them doing just enough to squeak out a win in Oxford.
Alabama 24 Mississippi 17

Oklahoma State at Nebraska: Okie State is coming off a heart-breaking 24-23 loss to Texas A&M in College Station and Nebraska is coming off a loss that wasn't so heart-breaking, in their 41-6 loss to Missouri in Columbia. With the game in Lincoln, I give the slight edge to Nebraska, but have to wonder if the Huskers will be hung-over at all after their embarrassing loss. A hang-over almost bit them earlier this year, as they fell to USC in Week 3 and had to come from behind to defeat Ball State 41-40 the week following.
Nebraska 35 Oklahoma State 28

Baylor at Kansas: Kansas better beware of the let-down following their big win in Manhattan this past weekend, but at home against Baylor? It probably won't matter. The Jayhawks improve to 6-0 on the season.
Kansas 52 Baylor 14

Toledo at Buffalo: Toledo comes into this game at 2-4 with their two wins coming by a combined two points, a 36-35 win over Iowa State and a 35-34 win over I-AA Liberty. With the game in New York and the Bulls actually coming off a very impressive 21-point victory over Ohio, I know I'll probably get burned for doing this, but I'm picking the Bulls!
Buffalo 35 Toledo 31

Western Kentucky at Ball State: Western Kentucky may be coming off a bye, but I don't think any amount of preparation time would prepare them enough for a road game against Ball State. The Cardinals bounce back from last week's loss to beat the Hilltoppers.
Ball State 34 Western Kentucky 17

New Mexico at Wyoming: How 'bout them Cowboys? Wyoming is now 4-1 following their 24-21 win over TCU this past Saturday and that includes a 20-point win over 5-1 Virginia. New Mexico is 3-2 and not bad, by any stretch of the imagination, but I can't see the Lobos winning on the road in this one. Cowboys improve to 5-1.
Wyoming 28 New Mexico 21

Tennessee at Mississippi State: The Vols have to be wary of a let-down in Starkville against the 4-2 Bulldogs following their 35-14 slaughtering of the other SEC Bulldogs (Georgia). But, even if that's the case, I think Tennessee's offense, led by Erik Ainge, will be too explosive for the Bulldogs' inconsistent offense to counter.
Tennessee 27 Mississippi State 17

Bowling Green at Miami (Ohio): Anything's possible in the MAC this year. There isn't one stand-out club as in year's past. Like .500 ball clubs? Check out the MAC. Bowling Green comes in at 3-2 and Miami at 3-3. With that in mind, expect an average game with two average teams, but with Bowling Green, slightly above average, to squeak by.
Bowling Green 28 Miami (Ohio) 17

San Diego State at Utah: Utah is a bit bipolar this year. They have crushed UCLA by the final of 44-6 and beat Louisville this past week, 44-35, but they've also been shut-out by UNLV, 27-0. As could be expected, they have a 3-3 record to show for it. With the game in Salt Lake City and the Utes coming off a big nationally-televised win, I'm picking them to win, but won't be surprised if they get shut-out again.
Utah 28 San Diego State 17

Arizona at USC: What is it with USC and Pac-10 games these past couple years? They may breeze by non-conference foes such as Nebraska and Notre Dame, but when conference opponents come a-calling, the Trojans put their cars in neutral. They almost fell to Washington two weeks ago, in their 27-24 victory and then lost to Stanford 24-23 this past weekend. How about losing to the two potentially worst teams in the conference in back-to-back weeks? Just as I couldn't see last week's loss to Stanford, I can't see this loss to Arizona. I'm going with USC, but tentatively, for how poorly they're playing.
USC 35 Arizona 10

Boston College at Notre Dame: Congrats to the Irish, in their first win of the season, a 20-6 victory over UCLA. They've shown some improvement over the past 2-3 weeks. With the game in South Bend and the improvements the Irish have displayed of late, I could see an upset here, but am having a hard time picking against 6-0 Boston College. Although, with how top ten teams have fared of late, I should just pick against the Eagles for that fact alone. But, regardless, I'm going against the logic of this season and am going with the 4th ranked and unbeaten Golden Eagles.
Boston College 27 Notre Dame 20

LSU at Kentucky: If Kentucky's defense was worth a darn, I may have taken the 'Cats in this one at home, but that's not the case. LSU should be able to run all over the 'Cats' defense and should be able to contain Andre Woodson enough to ensure the victory.
LSU 34 Kentucky 17

South Carolina at North Carolina: This would have looked like a pretty rotten match-up a couple weeks ago, but with SC's big win against Kentucky this past week to improve them to 5-1 and North Carolina's big upset of Miami this past weekend, it looks a bit more intriguing, especially with it being played in Chapel Hill. But, even though I have a gut feeling the Tar Heels may come through in this one, I just can't pick against Spurrier's Gamecocks against an ACC foe. The game is closer than many may project, but the favored Gamecocks still come out victorious to improve to 6-1.
South Carolina 31 North Carolina 24

Wisconsin at Penn State: This is a huge Big Ten game, with Penn State coming in at 4-2 and those two losses coming to Big Ten opponents (Illinois and Michigan) and Wisconsin coming off a conference loss to Illinois. Even with the game in Happy Valley, I think the Badgers should be able to do what they tend to do and win ugly. PSU suffers their third conference loss.
Wisconsin 24 Penn State 20

Rice at Houston: Rice "earned" their first victory of the season this past week, by beating Southern Miss 31-29. I put "earned" in quotes because Southern Miss handed the ball to the Owls not once, not twice, not three times, not four times, not five times, not even six times, but on seven different occasions. At home, Rice shouldn't expect Santa Claus to arrive for the second time before December. Houston ends their losing skid to even out at 3-3.
Houston 38 Rice 24

Connecticut at Virginia: Many complain about 5-0 UConn's schedule thus far and with good reason, although their schedule hasn't been as weak as Hawaii's and is slightly weaker than the likes of Kansas and Cincinnati. Here's a golden opportunity for the Huskies to prove the nay-sayers wrong. Unfortunately, with the game being in Charlottesville, I don't see that happening. Virginia improves to 6-1 on the season.
Virginia 24 Connecticut 20

Army at Central Michigan: Central Michigan is 3-0 in the MAC and in impressive fashion and just as unimpressively, are 0-3 out-of-conference. But, I think that trend will change this weekend at home. The Chippewas appear to be clicking on offense again, as was demonstrated this past weekend when they scored 58 points against Ball State.
Central Michigan 31 Army 21

Washington State at Oregon: Following a bye week to recover from the very difficult home loss to Cal, the Quack Attack should be back and ready for the Cougars at home, who are themselves coming off a very difficult three-point loss to unbeaten Arizona State.
Oregon 34 Washington State 17

Texas A&M at Texas Tech: Two words - Michael Crabtree. If you haven't seen the freshman Red Raider wide out, I recommend watching this game. He and the rest of Mike Leach's gang in Lubbock should be too much for Franchione's ever so inconsistent offense.
Texas Tech 42 Texas A&M 28

Western Michigan at Northern Illinois: Oh, how the mighty in the MAC have fallen. Just ask Northern Illinois, who had been a perennial bowl contender the previous few years. This past weekend, they fell to MAC newbie Temple. I have a hard time seeing that same club beaten these Broncos.
Western Michigan 24 Northern Illinois 10

TCU at Stanford: This has all the makings of a let-down for the Cardinal. Stanford was 1-3 heading into their battle with then #2 ranked USC this past Saturday, before upsetting the Trojans 24-23. TCU has been struggling to score many points all year, but with how high Stanford has been flying since Saturday night's victory, I have to pick the road team in this one to send the Cardinal crashing back down to earth again.
TCU 24 Stanford 17

Fresno State at Idaho: The young Bulldogs are improving as the weeks move along and even if they don't show the same level of progression in this game as they have the past couple weeks, Fresno should be able to beat the Vandals.
Fresno State 38 Idaho 20

Air Force at Colorado State: The Rams are 0-5 with their worst loss (in terms of margin) being by 12 points to TCU. Unfortunately, for Rams' fans, I see the same trend continuing this Saturday.
Air Force 24 Colorado State 21

Georgia at Vanderbilt: I want Vandy to win. I'll be rooting for them on Saturday. But, in knowing that Vandy won just a season ago and Georgia is coming off a very embarrassing nationally-televised loss to Tennessee on Saturday, I have a difficult time believing that Mark Richt will allow his team to get upended in this one.
Georgia 24 Vanderbilt 17

Temple at Akron: Well, they did it. The Temple Owls won a game to improve to 1-5 on the season. Now that they did that, I'd say their year's work is done. Akron wins at home to improve to 4-3.
Akron 28 Temple 13

Missouri at Oklahoma: Both teams have the potential for a let-down, so I don't think either team will hold an advantage in that respect. But, with the game in Norman, and until this past Saturday, Missouri's defense being ranked 93rd in the country, I'm giving the edge to the Sooners.
Oklahoma 38 Missouri 24

Tulane at UAB: A battle of the 1-4's in Birmingham. Both teams just seem to find ways to lose in the end. UAB fought hard with Mississippi State this past weekend until they collapsed in the 4th. Tulane played LSU tough for 2 1/2 quarters, until LSU finally awoke from their slumber. Being that these two clubs seem so evenly matched, I'm giving the edge to the home team.
UAB 28 Tulane 21

Oregon State at California: With a week to relax and prevent a potential let-down, the Cal Bears should up-end the Beavers in Berkeley.
California 45 Oregon State 27

Indiana at Michigan State: The Spartans have collapsed in the second half of the season the past few years. They're attempting to head down a similar path this year, following their 48-41 overtime loss to Northworstern and with a loss to Indiana this weekend, that'll set MSU back to 4-3 with three consecutive conference losses.
Indiana 38 Michigan State 31

Marshall at Tulsa: Winless Marshall should stay that way after falling to the Golden Hurricane this weekend. Tulsa rebounds from a tough 48-47 loss to UTEP.
Tulsa 49 Marshall 24

Louisiana-Monroe at North Texas: I've made an ode not to pick North Texas this year. I'm sticking to that this week and am going with Louisiana-Monroe.
Louisiana-Monroe 27 North Texas 20

Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas State: Arkansas State rebounds from a rough setback this past Saturday against Louisiana-Monroe to defeat the Rajun Cajuns at home.
Arkansas State 31 Louisiana-Lafayette 17

Louisville at Cincinnati: This is not a good match-up for the Louisville Cardinals. Cincinnati has a very tough defense and should limit the Cardinals' usually explosive offense to less than average output and Louisville's defense has a rough time slowing anybody down. Cincy improves to 7-0 on the year.
Cincinnati 45 Louisville 24

New Mexico State at Louisiana Tech: With Aggies' star quarterback, Chase Holbrook, questionable for the game on Saturday, I have to go with the Bulldogs at home.
Louisiana Tech 31 New Mexico State 21

SMU at Southern Mississippi: So long as Southern Miss doesn't turn the ball over seven times again like they did against Rice this past week, they should even their record at 3-3 with a win over the 1-4 Mustangs.
Southern Mississippi 30 SMU 13

Auburn at Arkansas: Auburn has been playing much better since their two losses, to South Florida and Mississippi State. They defeated defending champ Florida 20-17 two weeks ago and then blew-out Vanderbilt 35-7 this past weekend. Riding that momentum, I see the Tigers winning again, against the very one-dimensional Razorbacks' offense.
Auburn 24 Arkansas 17

Middle Tennessee at Memphis: The Blue Raiders have been playing much better over the past couple weeks. They gave Virginia all they could handle this past weekend, before falling 23-21 to the Cavaliers. With the improvements being shown here over the past couple weeks or so, I look for MTSU to ride that into this Saturday and win in Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee 31 Memphis 24

East Carolina at UTEP: Like defense? Then you may have trouble watching UTEP this year. Two weeks ago, they defeated SMU 48-45 in overtime. This past Saturday, the beat Tulsa 48-47 in regulation. East Carolina has bounced back from an early season struggle to win two straight, including an impressive 52-38 victory over then 3-1 Central Florida this past Saturday. I look for Skip Holtz to lead his team to a third straight victory with a big conference win on the road.
East Carolina 45 UTEP 35

Colorado at Kansas State: I think Kansas State is a solid club, but I also think that Dan Hawkins finally has his kids believing in he and his system/philosophy. This was displayed two weeks ago in Colorado's 27-24 upset win over Oklahoma and then again this past weekend, as Colorado scored 43 points against Baylor. I think the Buffs will continue their winning ways in Manhattan this weekend with a huge conference win against the Wildcats.
Colorado 24 Kansas State 21

BYU at UNLV: Brigham Young has shown some improvements as the year has progressed and following a bye week to rest, I look for them to improve to 4-2 on the year with a win in Las Vegas. UNLV falls to 2-5.
BYU 34 UNLV 20

Washington at Arizona State: If the game were played in Seattle, I'd go with the Huskies, but with it being in Tempe, I have to pick Dennis Erickson's Sundevils to improve to 7-0 on the season.
Arizona State 31 Washington 24

Sunday
Nevada at Boise State: The Broncos are improving by the week, as Hal Mumme's New Mexico State Aggies can attest to, in BSU's 58-0 pummeling of the Aggies this past Sunday. Nevada is talented, but inexperienced, and will have a hard time with BSU.
Boise State 38 Nevada 21

Week 6 Record: 33-21 (.611)
Overall Record: 181-76 (.704)

Fact or Fiction
"Fact or Fiction: A team will finish unbeaten this year."

Fiction. Through Week 6 of the season, we are down to eleven unbeatens: LSU, Arizona State, Ohio State, South Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Hawaii, California, and Boston College.
Let's start in the Pac-10. Unlike the other major conferences, the Pac-10 basically plays a round robin tournament, as each team faces all nine conference opponents. Cal and Arizona State will square off at some point in the season and at the end of the game, one team will suffer a loss. But, Cal has to still face USC, UCLA, and Washington, amongst others. Arizona State has to face Oregon, USC, and UCLA, amongst others. I have a hard time believing that either team, especially Arizona State, will be able to win all their conference games and finish the season undefeated.

The two unbeaten Big XII teams, Missouri and Kansas, have looked solid in the early going, but have not been tested much. The Jayhawks' win over Kansas State is very impressive, but they have a very long way to go and a lot yet to prove to indicate they have the capability of running the table. They face Baylor this week, so unless they lay a complete egg, they should be able to start the year 6-0 and 2-0 in conference. Missouri will be tested even earlier, as they goto Norman this weekend to face Oklahoma. That is a HUGE game for the Tigers. Throughout Gary Pinkel's tenure in Columbia, the Tigers have had a tendency to lose the big game. They will have to show otherwise on the road this weekend and in the weeks ahead, as well. While both teams have impressive offenses, I have a difficult time believing their defenses will be able to hold the opposition on a consistent basis, especially in the scenario that their offense has an off week, which is bound to happen at some point in the season. The Big XII appears to have a great deal of parity this year and while these two clubs appear to be two of the better teams in conference, they look to be beatable.

Boston College has had an easy go of it thus far. They may be unbeaten, but let's look at their schedule. They faced a battered Wake Forest team in Week 1, a bad (to put it nicely) North Carolina State team in Week 2, an inconsistent Georgia Tech squad in Week 3, and have since faced: Army, Massachusetts, and Bowling Green en route to their 6-0 record. Up next? 1-5 Notre Dame. Matt Ryan is very solid at quarterback and the ACC is weak enough, where it's possible a club like BC could run the table, but from what I've seen thus far from the Eagles, I don't see it happening.

Hawaii could very well have the potential to go undefeated if their quarterback, Colt Brennan, happened to be healthy this season. That is appearing less likely by the week, as he has sprained the same ankle in two successive games. Hawaii will score multitudes of points with or without their star quarterback, but with Boise State improving on a weekly basis and Hawaii's defense doing little more than standing around and getting in the way of offensive players, I have to believe the Warriors will lose at least one game this season.

What about the three remaining Big East teams? Connecticut has had the benefit of playing one of the softest (outside of Honolulu) schedules in the country. With Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Louisville all having down years, UConn does have an opportunity to finish 5th in the conference and go bowling, but I can't see much more than that from this club. They could very well lose this upcoming weekend to Virginia. Cincinnati is a dangerous team. They're stingy on defense (just ask Ray Rice and Rutgers) and have a fairly efficient offense. But, with West Virginia and South Florida still on their slate, it's going to be difficult to finish the year unbeaten. That brings me to South Florida. I think they probably have the best chance of these three Big East schools to finish the year unbeaten, but as we saw this past weekend against Florida Atlantic, it's not going to be easy. South Florida has beaten Auburn and West Virginia this year, but still have to face Rutgers and Cincinnati. So long as Jim Levitt keeps them focused, they have a chance, but it's always difficult going 12-0 in a season. But, of all the teams I've listed thus far, I think South Florida has the best chance of reaching that point. The winner of the Cincinnati/South Florida game has the best opportunity to go 12-0 of all the teams I've listed thus far.

That brings me to LSU. After the Tigers' 48-7 dismantling of then #9 Virginia Tech on national television, they've been the media's favorite as the top team in the land. While I tend to agree that they may have the best defense in college football, their passing game is extremely inconsistent and as was shown on Saturday night, they're beatable. It's going to be very difficult for them or any team to run the table in the SEC. There doesn't appear to be a doormat this year. Mississippi gave Florida a tough time. Mississippi State beat Auburn. Kentucky is back on the map. Vanderbilt is young and exciting. Auburn has bounced back from their early season troubles. Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, and Tennessee all appear to be solid. Florida is young and will improve as the season progresses. South Carolina has been impressive thus far. LSU has already beaten South Carolina and Florida, but in SEC country, every week is a battle and LSU is bound to find themselves on the lower end of a SEC battle at some point in the season, as is usually the case every year. Just ask Florida from last year (Auburn).

Finally, we have Ohio State. Of all the teams I've listed, I think the Buckeyes have the best opportunity to run the table and finish the regular season undefeated. Why? For two reasons: 1) Their defense - outside of Baton Rouge, Ohio State may have the best defense in the country. In fact, I wouldn't completely rule it out from being the very best. 2) The Big Ten - Unlike LSU in the SEC or even Cal/ASU in the Pac-10, Ohio State doesn't have to face quality opponents week in and week out. Minnesota is a doormat this year. Iowa has an offense about as efficient as George W. Bush reading a Dr. Seuss book to kindergartners. Northwestern appears to be garnering some momentum on the offensive side of the ball, but like the St. Louis Rams, defensive teachings have been outlawed at the University. Michigan State seems to be headed for their annual second half collapse. Michigan, Penn State, and Purdue have been winning more than losing, but haven't done so in an impressive fashion. Wisconsin wins, wins, and wins, but their defense seems to be run by a Kevin Cosgrove clone and their offense appears to be too one-dimensional to put up much of a fight against the Buckeyes. Indiana is a mystery team at this point. They're 5-1, but haven't proven that they are truly legitimate yet, with their one loss coming by 13 to Illinois. As of now, Illinois is the biggest in-conference threat to the Buckeyes, but with their youth on offense, it'd be tough for me to see them getting the best of Jim Tressel's defense. One game I would keep an eye on is the Buckeyes' regular season finale against Michigan. The Wolverines had all eyes on the National Championship game last year before they lost to their arch enemy. Seniors on the club, such as tailback Mike Hart, quarterback Chad Henne, and center Jake Long came back to school this year for a shot at a national championship. While that opportunity has long since passed the Wolverines, following their losses to Appalachian State and Oregon to start the season, they do still have an opportunity to salvage a Big Ten title and BCS bowl bid. If they beat the Buckeyes, they could potentially kill two birds with one stone, in capturing a Big Ten crown and ending the Buckeyes' unbeaten string, also ending their chance at playing in the national title game. That would be quite the payback for last year's loss. But, as of right now, I'd say that the Buckeyes have the best chance at running the table.

Like I mentioned at the outset, though, I have a difficult time believing that any team will finish the regular season undefeated. Let's just look at these last two weeks. Twenty Top 25 teams have lost, including nine Top 10 squads. It's hard to believe that the upsets will remain at such a clip for an extended period of time, but even if it occurs at half the pace, there's no way that any team will finish the year at 12-0. Playoff, anyone?

Inside the Numbers
-20 top 25 teams have lost over the past 2 weeks (9 top 10 teams)

-Texas Tech freshman receiver Michael Crabtree, through 6 games, has 1,074 receiving yards and 17 touchdown receptions, breaking the NCAA freshman record for TD catches in a season.

-Wisconsin went into the weekend with the nation's longest win streak, at 14 games. That came to an abrupt halt with their 31-26 loss to Illinois.

-With Saturday's 24-23 loss to Stanford, USC's 35-game home win streak and 24-game Pac-10 home win streak were snapped, the nation's longest going into Saturday. Who was the last Pac-10 team to beat USC at home? In 2001, those same Stanford Cardinal did just that.

-Illinois is 3-0 in Big Ten conference play for the first time since 1990.

Rant of the Week: "Schizophrenic"
I don't know where, why, or how this started, but I think that some commentators may want to take a few psychology courses in the upcoming spring semester.

Why is it that if a team is inconsistent, does an announcer now refer to that club as "schizophrenic"? I first heard it used by John Saunders a couple years ago on ABC. This past Saturday, I overheard Rece Davis use the same term. I'm sure I've heard others refer to teams in the same manner in the past couple of years, as well.

Let me spell things out for these commentators, with help from dictionary.com. Alright, here we go.

"Schizophrenia - Psychiatry. Also called dementia praecox. A severe mental disorder characterized by some, but not necessarily all of the following features: Emotional blunting, intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech and behavior, delusions and hallucinations."

Let's look at another definition:

"Dissociative identity disorder (AKA Multiple Personality Disorder) - DID is a mental condition whereby a single individual evidences two or more distinct identities or personalities, each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment. This condition is not an equivalent for schizophrenia, as is a common misconception."

How about one more definition while we're at it?

"Bipolar - Psychology. Relating to a major affective disorder that is characterized by episodes of mania and depression."

As one can plainly see, referring to a team as "schizophrenic" makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. It makes more logical sense for me to refer to these commentators as mentally retarded (which isn't true...I don't think) than it is for them to refer to these teams as "schizophrenic."

Let's look at these traits of a schizophrenic: Emotional blunting, intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech and behavior, delusions, and hallucinations. Based on this information, how can anyone insinuate that a football team is similar to a schizophrenic? Did they actually watch the Oscar Award-winning film, "A Beautiful Mind"? Do these coaches give their players hits of LSD before game time, so that they hallucinate for the duration of the game and it appears to viewers that they may be schizophrenic? Does a quarterback shoo the rest of his team to the sideline and attempt to take the defense on by himself, as he wants to be socially isolated? Or does he just walk off the field entirely, with football in hand, into the locker room to read a book? Are all the players mic'ed up and we can actually hear their disorganized speech?

Again, as one can plainly see, it'd make much more sense for a commentator to label a team as having multiple personalities or being bipolar than to label them as being schizophrenic. The next time I see eleven guys on the field screaming that they want to catch the moving tree, followed by a few stutters, some odd dance moves from the '60s, and they attack the left hash mark at the 23-yard line, violently hitting it with their helmet, yelling out the name of another, which they claim to be theirs, then I will give these commentators their due and say, "Hey, you're absolutely right. This team is either high on acid or delusional from schizophrenia." But, I have a gut feeling that it's never going to happen, so until that point of...never...how about Saunders, Davis, and company stop trying to sound intelligent by using psychological lingo and instead sounding like complete idiots? It'd be like me calling arguably the most steady and consistent player in basketball, Tim Duncan, bipolar or claiming he has dissociative identity disorder (MPD).

Top 120 Poll
First off, I'd like to make a quick note on the 120th team in the poll. As many of you, I'm sure, know, until this year, Division I-A had a total of 119 teams. I thought that was the case this year, as well, before I read a couple articles in the second week of the season dealing with former I-AA school, Western Kentucky. While the Hilltoppers won't officially be in the Sun Belt Conference until 2009, they will be considered a I-A independent until that time, along with Army, Navy, and Notre Dame. The 2007 and 2008 seasons are considered "reclassifying" years for the Hilltoppers. This season, they face a total of six Division I-A schools and six I-AA teams. This will not bode well for their schedule strength in my poll, but I figured I may as well include them and get used to the fact they're a I-A team, whom will be affiliated with a conference in the near future. If there are any questions on the situation, feel free to check out ESPN.com, goto the college football category, then click on teams, followed by Western Kentucky, and scroll through their page. There are a couple of good, informative articles and columns regarding their joining Division I-A. Now, onto the poll.
1. LSU (6-0): 314.2
2. Arizona State (6-0): 293.1
3. Ohio State (6-0): 286.5
4. Missouri (5-0): 285.6
5. South Florida (5-0): 283.0
6. Kansas (5-0): 280.8
7. Cincinnati (6-0): 280.7
8. Boston College (6-0): 274.9
9. California (5-0): 272.7
10. Oregon (4-1): 272.5
11. Oklahoma (5-1): 266.7
12. Illinois (5-1): 262.5
13. South Carolina (5-1): 262.2
14. Connecticut (5-0): 261.8
15. Kentucky (5-1): 259.7
16. West Virginia (5-1): 258.5
17. Florida (4-2): 249.1
17. Hawaii (6-0): 249.1
19. Virginia Tech (5-1): 246.8
20. Boise State (4-1): 246.1
21. Auburn (4-2): 244.7
22. Texas A&M (5-1): 241.9
23. Texas Tech (5-1): 240.5
24. Florida State (4-1): 240.0
25. Purdue (5-1): 239.0
26. Wyoming (4-1): 238.0
27. Indiana (5-1): 237.5
28. Wisconsin (5-1): 236.5
29. USC (4-1): 235.1
30. Colorado (4-2): 232.5
31. Virginia (5-1): 229.0
32. Nebraska (4-2): 221.5
33. Texas (4-2): 221.2
34. Alabama (4-2): 218.2
35. Kansas State (3-2): 217.8
36. Rutgers (3-2): 216.8
37. Tennessee (3-2): 216.2
38. Georgia (4-2): 215.5
39. Wake Forest (3-2): 212.0
40. Michigan State (4-2): 211.3
41. BYU (3-2): 211.1
42. Penn State (4-2): 209.8
43. Mississippi State (4-2): 207.8
44. UTEP (4-2): 206.3
45. Arkansas (3-2): 203.6
45. Clemson (4-2): 203.6
47. UCLA (4-2): 201.1
48. Air Force (4-2): 198.9
49. Michigan (4-2): 198.7
50. Maryland (4-2): 198.6
51. Tulsa (3-2): 196.2
52. Bowling Green (3-2): 196.0
53. Georgia Tech (3-3): 195.7
54. Akron (3-3): 194.0
55. New Mexico (3-2): 193.9
56. Oklahoma State (3-3): 193.5
57. Miami (Florida) (4-2): 193.2
58. Troy (4-2): 189.9
59. Oregon State (3-3): 189.8
60. Fresno State (3-2): 188.1
61. Vanderbilt (3-2): 183.8
62. Washington (2-3): 183.6
63. Navy (3-2): 183.1
64. Stanford (2-3): 182.1
65. East Carolina (3-3): 179.9
66. Central Florida (3-2): 179.5
67. Ball State (3-3): 179.2
68. TCU (3-3): 177.1
69. Western Kentucky (3-2): 170.2
70. Utah (3-3): 168.5
71. Northwestern (3-3): 167.9
72. Central Michigan (3-3): 163.2
73. Miami (Ohio) (3-3): 162.7
74. Pittsburgh (2-3): 161.6
75. Baylor (3-3): 160.0
76. Army (3-3): 159.6
77. North Carolina (2-4): 159.3
78. Louisville (3-3): 159.2
79. Kent State (3-3): 158.0
80. Florida Atlantic (3-3): 157.8
81. New Mexico State (3-3): 153.8
82. Mississippi (2-4): 149.9
83. Washington State (2-4): 148.2
84. Western Michigan (2-4): 148.0
85. Houston (2-3): 147.9
86. UNLV (2-4): 147.0
87. San Diego State (2-3): 144.6
88. San Jose State (3-3): 141.6
89. Arizona (2-4): 139.6
90. Nevada (2-3): 139.5
91. Arkansas State (2-3): 138.5
92. Iowa (2-4): 136.3
93. Southern Mississippi (2-3): 134.7
94. Minnesota (1-5): 131.3
95. Duke (1-5): 128.9
96. Ohio (2-4): 127.5
97. Buffalo (2-4): 127.2
98. Louisiana-Monroe (1-4): 120.2
99. Toledo (2-4): 119.7
100. Louisiana Tech (1-4): 116.7
101. Notre Dame (1-5): 115.7
102. Memphis (2-3): 115.3
103. Eastern Michigan (2-4): 114.9
104. Middle Tennessee State (1-5): 112.9
105. North Carolina State (1-5): 111.7
106. UAB (1-4): 110.4
107. Tulane (1-4): 104.6
108. SMU (1-4): 103.0
109. Syracuse (1-5): 97.9
110. Temple (1-5): 97.4
111. Rice (1-4): 91.6
112. Iowa State (1-5): 89.7
113. Idaho (1-5): 88.4
114. Louisiana-Lafayette (1-5): 83.6
115. Colorado State (0-5): 81.7
116. Utah State (0-6): 80.9
117. Marshall (0-5): 68.9
118. Northern Illinois (1-5): 64.7
119. Florida International (0-6): 61.0
120. North Texas (0-5): 38.0

Conference Strength
Mean Power Number
1. SEC: 227.1
2. Big XII: 221.0
3. Big East: 214.9
4. Pac-10: 211.8
5. Big Ten: 210.7
6. ACC: 199.5
7. MWC: 173.4
8. Independents: 157.2
9. WAC: 156.0
10. MAC: 142.5
11. C-USA: 136.5
12. Sun Belt: 112.7

Mean Ranking
1. SEC: 33.9
2. Big XII: 36.8
3. Big East: 42.4
4. Big Ten: 43.9
5. Pac-10: 45.4
6. ACC: 50.3
7. MWC: 66.2
8. WAC: 76.1
9. Independents: 77.3
10. MAC: 84.9
11. C-USA: 87.9
12. Sun Belt: 98.0

Median Power Number
1. Big East: 237.7
2. Big XII: 227.0
3. SEC: 217.2
4. Big Ten: 211.3
5. ACC: 206.1
6. Pac-10: 195.5
7. MWC: 177.1
8. Independents: 164.9
9. MAC: 148.0
10. WAC: 141.6
11. C-USA: 125.0
12. Sun Belt: 116.6

Median Ranking
1. Big East: 26.0
2. Big XII: 31.0
3. SEC: 35.5
4. Big Ten: 40.0
5. ACC: 47.5
6. Pac-10: 53.0
7. MWC: 68.0
8. Independents: 72.5
9. MAC: 84.0
10. WAC: 88.0
11. C-USA: 97.5
12. Sun Belt: 101.0

ACC (12)
8. Boston College (6-0): 274.9
19. Virginia Tech (5-1): 246.8
24. Florida State (4-1): 240.0
31. Virginia (5-1): 229.0
39. Wake Forest (3-2): 212.0
45. Clemson (4-2): 203.6
50. Maryland (4-2): 198.6
53. Georgia Tech (3-3): 195.7
57. Miami (Florida) (4-2): 193.2
77. North Carolina (2-4): 159.3
95. Duke (1-5): 128.9
105. North Carolina State (1-5): 111.7

Mean Power Number: 199.5
Mean Ranking: 50.3
Median Power Number: 206.1
Median Ranking: 47.5

Big East (8)
5. South Florida (5-0): 283.0
7. Cincinnati (6-0): 280.7
14. Connecticut (5-0): 261.8
16. West Virginia (5-1): 258.5
36. Rutgers (3-2): 216.8
74. Pittsburgh (2-3): 161.6
78. Louisville (3-3): 159.2
109. Syracuse (1-5): 97.9

Mean Power Number: 214.9
Mean Ranking: 42.4
Median Power Number: 237.7
Median Ranking: 26.0

Big Ten (11)
3. Ohio State (6-0): 286.5
12. Illinois (5-1): 262.5
25. Purdue (5-1): 239.0
27. Indiana (5-1): 237.5
28. Wisconsin (5-1): 236.5
40. Michigan State (4-2): 211.3
42. Penn State (4-2): 209.8
49. Michigan (4-2): 198.7
71. Northwestern (3-3): 167.9
92. Iowa (2-4): 136.3
94. Minnesota (1-5): 131.3

Mean Power Number: 210.7
Mean Ranking: 43.9
Median Power Number: 211.3
Median Ranking: 40.0

Big XII (12)
4. Missouri (5-0): 285.6
6. Kansas (5-0): 280.8
11. Oklahoma (5-1): 266.7
23. Texas A&M (5-1): 241.9
24. Texas Tech (5-1): 240.5
30. Colorado (4-2): 232.5
32. Nebraska (4-2): 221.5
33. Texas (4-2): 221.2
35. Kansas State (3-2): 217.8
56. Oklahoma State (3-3): 193.5
75. Baylor (3-3): 160.0
112. Iowa State (1-5): 89.7

Mean Power Number: 221.0
Mean Ranking: 36.8
Median Power Number: 227.0
Median Ranking: 31.0

C-USA (12)
44. UTEP (4-2): 206.3
51. Tulsa (3-2): 196.2
65. East Carolina (3-3): 179.9
66. Central Florida (3-2): 179.5
85. Houston (2-3): 147.9
93. Southern Mississippi (2-3): 134.7
102. Memphis (2-3): 115.3
106. UAB (1-4): 110.4
107. Tulane (1-4): 104.6
108. SMU (1-4): 103.0
111. Rice (1-4): 91.6
117. Marshall (0-5): 68.9

Mean Power Number: 136.5
Mean Ranking: 87.9
Median Power Number: 125.0
Median Ranking: 97.5

Independents (4)
63. Navy (3-2): 183.1
69. Western Kentucky (3-2): 170.2
76. Army (3-3): 159.6
101. Notre Dame (1-5): 115.7

Mean Power Number: 157.2
Mean Ranking: 77.3
Median Power Number: 164.9
Median Ranking: 72.5

MAC (13)
52. Bowling Green (3-2): 196.0
54. Akron (3-3): 194.0
67. Ball State (3-3): 179.2
72. Central Michigan (3-3): 163.2
73. Miami (Ohio) (3-3): 162.7
79. Kent State (3-3): 158.0
84. Western Michigan (2-4): 148.0
96. Ohio (2-4): 127.5
97. Buffalo (2-4): 127.2
99. Toledo (2-4): 119.7
103. Eastern Michigan (2-4): 114.9
110. Temple (1-5): 97.4
118. Northern Illinois (1-5): 64.7

Mean Power Number: 142.5
Mean Ranking: 84.9
Median Power Number: 148.0
Median Ranking: 84.0

MWC (9)
26. Wyoming (4-1): 238.0
41. BYU (3-2): 211.1
48. Air Force (4-2): 198.9
55. New Mexico (3-2): 193.9
68. TCU (3-3): 177.1
70. Utah (3-3): 168.5
86. UNLV (2-4): 147.0
87. San Diego State (2-3): 144.6
115. Colorado State (0-5): 81.7

Mean Power Number: 173.4
Mean Ranking: 66.2
Median Power Number: 177.1
Median Ranking: 68.0

Pac-10 (10)
2. Arizona State (6-0): 293.1
9. California (5-0): 272.7
10. Oregon (4-1): 272.5
29. USC (4-1): 235.1
47. UCLA (4-1): 201.1
59. Oregon State (3-3): 189.8
62. Washington (2-3): 183.6
64. Stanford (2-3): 182.1
83. Washington State (2-4): 148.2
89. Arizona (2-4): 139.6

Mean Power Number: 211.8
Mean Ranking: 45.4
Median Power Number: 195.5
Median Ranking: 53.0

SEC (12)
1. LSU (6-0): 314.2
13. South Carolina (5-1): 262.2
15. Kentucky (5-1): 259.7
17. Florida (4-2): 249.1
21. Auburn (4-2): 244.7
34. Alabama (4-2): 218.2
37. Tennessee (3-2): 216.2
38. Georgia (4-2): 215.5
43. Mississippi State (4-2): 207.8
45. Arkansas (3-2): 203.6
61. Vanderbilt (3-2): 183.8
82. Mississippi (2-4): 149.9

Mean Power Number: 227.1
Mean Ranking: 33.9
Median Power Number: 217.2
Median Ranking: 35.5

Sun Belt (8)
58. Troy (4-2): 189.9
80. Florida Atlantic (3-3): 157.8
91. Arkansas State (2-3): 138.5
98. Louisiana-Monroe (1-4): 120.2
104. Middle Tennessee State (1-5): 112.9
114. Louisiana-Lafayette (1-5): 83.6
119. Florida International (0-6): 61.0
120. North Texas (0-5): 38.0

Mean Power Number: 112.7
Mean Ranking: 98.0
Median Power Number: 116.6
Median Ranking: 101.0

WAC (9)
17. Hawaii (6-0): 249.1
20. Boise State (4-1): 246.1
60. Fresno State (3-2): 188.1
81. New Mexico State (3-3): 153.8
88. San Jose State (3-3): 141.6
90. Nevada (2-3): 139.5
100. Louisiana Tech (1-4): 116.7
113. Idaho (1-5): 88.4
116. Utah State (0-6): 80.9

Mean Power Number: 156.0
Mean Ranking: 76.1
Median Power Number: 141.6
Median Ranking: 88.0