Just when you thought you didn’t know who the best teams in the country were, here comes the first Bowl Championship Series rankings to confuse you even more. They’re due out a week from today, and the timing couldn’t be better.
With No. 2 Southern California’s shocking pratfall against Stanford on Saturday and No. 5 Wisconsin’s loss to Illinois, five teams have been bounced from the top five the past two weeks. California moved up to No. 2 in the coaches poll Sunday, but its lead over Ohio State dropped from 50 points to 17.
That doesn’t mean the Bears will be No. 2 in the BCS. The BCS computers won’t have enough data this early, which is why Massey’s computer ratings had California 10th last week.
This is so wide-open the first BCS poll won’t mean much. Cal still must play Arizona State (Oct. 27) and USC (Nov. 10), and Ohio State finishes the season against Wisconsin, Illinois and at Michigan.
Top-ranked Louisiana State next visits Kentucky and Alabama sandwiched around a home game with Auburn.
“You could still have a one-loss team,” said Jerry Palm, BCS analyst for College . “You could have two. This thing’s a long ways from over.”
USC struggles. The Trojans’ problems started at Washington, where they threw two interceptions, lost a fumble and committed 16 penalties for 161 yards.
John David Booty, a heavy Heisman Trophy candidate only nine days ago, has thrown six interceptions the past two weeks and may miss Saturday’s game against Arizona with a broken finger.
Not that the USC faithful will care. They booed the Trojans off the field at halftime with a 9-0 lead.
“I didn’t think they brought it (Saturday) and I knew we had it,” Stanford receiver Evan Moore said after the game.
Pritchard arrives. The Stanford hero who threw the winning 10-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal is the nephew of Jack Thompson, Washington State’s famed “Throwin’ Samoan” from the 1970s. Sophomore Tavita Pritchard was so desperate for playing time last year he played special teams and some wide receiver. He had replaced starter T.C. Ostrander, who sat out after suffering a seizure in a restaurant Sept. 30.
USS Nebraska keeps sinking. That loud noise you heard last night from the east wasn’t thunder or Missouri’s offense, although against Nebraska, it could’ve been. It’s the collective sound of all the doors slammed behind Nebraska fans officially humiliated by this season.
The Cornhuskers have become embarrassingly bad, particularly their defense, which is ranked 96th, giving up 441.5 yards per game. It has given up 40 points to three opponents in a season for the first time since 1943 when it went 2-6.
Missouri’s 41-6 win made it three 40-point games out of four opponents and the Cornhuskers (4-2) still have half the season left, starting with Oklahoma State on Saturday.
At least the Cowboys aren’t ranked. Nebraska coach Bill Callahan is 3-8 against top-25 teams.
Irish offense still stinks. Don’t get too cocky, Notre Dame fans. You just beat the most inconsistent, mind-boggling team in college football. UCLA’s seven turnovers led to three Notre Dame scoring drives of – count ’em – minus-7, 29 and 2 yards. The first two resulted in field goals; the last turned into one of Notre Dame’s five offensive touchdowns all season. The Irish had all of 140 yards total offense.
“I’ve never been in a stranger game,” UCLA defensive end Bruce Davis said. “That doesn’t make it any easier. Their offense was mediocre, at best. To go out there to hold that offense to less than 200 yards and lose?”
The Ferentz log. Will someone please explain why Iowa gave Kirk Ferentz one of the nation’s three richest contracts at more than $2.8 million a year? Since 2005 his Hawkeyes have gone 15-16 and have lost eight of their past 11. The three wins came against Northern Illinois twice and Syracuse.
Footnotes. Is North Texas glad it hired a high school coach? Despite 10 returning defensive starters, under Todd Dodge the Mean Green is last in total defense at 547 yards a game and lost 38-29 to previously winless Louisiana-Lafayette. … LSU hasn’t lost a Saturday night home game since Alabama won at Tiger Stadium, 31-0, in 2002. … Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree, who set an NCAA freshman record for six straight multiple-TD reception games, was the QB at Dallas’ Carter High.
