College Football Week 9 Preview
October 28th, 2010Well, folks, Oklahoma did it. They proved that the top of the NCAA totem is but a temporary perch. The #1 ranked team in the country has fallen each week for the past three weeks in a row.
Emily Dickinson: "Fame is a fickle food."
Confucious: "Big tree...fall hard."
Davy Crockett: "Fame is a shaved pig with a greased tail."
If it helps, think of Dickinson as Oklahoma, Confucious as Ohio State, and Crockett as Alabama. The ghosts of BCS past, past-er, and past-est. Their purpose: to teach this week's potential victim, newly appointed #1 Auburn, how to "dougie". If, in the process, Auburn learns how not to squander their spot atop the BCS, I'll consider it a bonus.
Auburn could very well hold onto their #1 BCS ranking. They are so convincing that I don't dare complain that Oregon (the consensus #1 in the non-computer polls) deserves their spot. Auburn has beaten #12 LSU, #19 Arkansas, and #20 South Carolina (who dethroned ex-#1 Alabama in Week 6). Oregon's only Top 25 victory came against #13 Stanford, who has zero Top 25 wins.
Both Oregon and Auburn are undefeated, as are five other teams still in contention for the prized #1 and #2 spots. There is an argument to be made for all of them, but Boise State's is still the most compelling. BCS-haters will cite the human polls (which have Boise St. at #2 and Auburn at #3) and the fact that Boise State has beaten their marginally weaker opponents by massively greater margins (BSU by 35pts/game compared to Auburn's 15pts/game) as proof that the Broncos deserve to play Oregon for the championship.
Fortunately for the BCS, many currently undefeated teams will eliminate themselves from the argument by losing in the coming weeks. Unfortunately for the BCS, if any of these teams win this week and ride the momentum to end-of-the-season perfection, Boise State won't be the only team that gets cheated of a National Championship opportunity.
Who can keep the streak going? Almost every remaining unbeaten team has their work cut out for them this week. Bring on the upsets!
#1 Auburn at Mississipi (6:00PM ET) - Auburn will have the curse of the #1 seed working against them, but Cam Newton working in their favor. I'll put my money on the QB who received every single 1st place Heisman vote in the latest poll.
#2 Oregon at USC (8:00PM ET) - Don't write off USC. Matt Barkley is a quality QB and Lane Kiffin is nearly as conniving as Pete Carroll. As we learned from Texas two weeks ago (defeated #5 Nebraska), the historically great programs are capable of an upset even during off years.
#3 Boise State 49, Lousiana Tech 20 (Tues, Oct. 26) - How are these guys not #2 in the BCS?
#4 TCU at UNLV (11:00PM ET) - TCU is Boise State Junior. Expect a blowout.
#5 Michigan St. at #18 Iowa (3:30PM ET) - Michigan State was unranked coming into the season (and until Week 4). Their coach had a heart attack in an overtime thriller Week 3 and returned to the coaching gauntlet within weeks. Iowa is their last real challenge.
#6 Missouri at #14 Nebraska (3:30PM ET) - Mizzou dethroned Emily Dickinson last week. We'll see if it was a fluke this week against a solid Nebraska group.
