collegefootballtopten.com

I thought this would be fun. Milkshake is really a misnomer, as any good milkshake is made with ice cream, but ice cream, of course, is made with milk.  So I guess it comes out in the wash.

This list, like so many here at CFTT, is subjective.  Since I have only lived in Arkansas and Texas, well, my milkshake consumption is limited.  Nevertheless, I have an idea of what MY top ten milkshakes are.  So, here goes.

10.  McDonald’s
The restaurant that started the hamburger craze also started the milkshake craze, I suppose.  They do have good milkshakes and they are nice to have on a hot day.

9.  Wendy’s
Few fast food restaurants have the thickness in their shake as the Wendy’s Frosty™.  It really is a creamy soft serve ice cream.  Dave Thomas would be proud.

8.  Jack in the Box
Try their oreo cookie ice cream shake.  Enough said.

7.  Whataburger
A Texas hamburger institution, and they have a great chocolate shake too.

6.  Seattle’s Best Coffee
They announce that they have the “world’s best coffee shake,” and I believe it too.  I’ve never tried anyone else’s, but SBC’s is pretty good.  They use real ice cream.

5.  Dairy Queen
I grew up being treated at DQ.  Great soft serve ice cream, and they are the first place that I realized could mix flavors.  I gained 5 pounds that week.  Peanut butter and chocolate together, wow!

4.  Fuddruckers
At least in our town, they use real Blue Belle ice cream to make their shakes and malts.

3.  Braum’s
Based out of Oklahoma, they have some of the best ice cream around.  A former boss also swore by their milk.  Oh, and they do make a good milkshake using that premium ice cream.

2.  Pappa’s Burger
One of the waitresses recommended a oreo-peanut butter milkshake and I tried it.  It was awesome.  She knew what she was talking about.

1.  Purple Cow
Based out of Central Arkansas (we have a few in the DFW area), they simply have a great milkshake.  I had a peanut butter-chocolate (are you seeing a pattern) and it was outstanding.  I couldn’t even slurp up the peanut butter with my straw as it was so thick.

Where do you get your favorite milkshakes from?

OK, I admit it, the title was a little bit of a tease.  I have an idea for the spring here at CFTT, and I need your help.  I want to create the top ten football movies of all time list.  Now, I know that is a daunting task, but I believe in my friends and readers at CFTT.

I have started by brainstorming as many movies as I possibly could.  I got help from my friend Lee Cochenour of Celebrity Book Signings and my friend at the Chili’s on University Drive in Fort Worth.

I will start by compiling a list, as many as I can come up with.  Then, we will vote on the movies.  Then, I will seed the movies for a tournament based on the number of votes each movie received.  We will then pair off the movies in a tournament format narrowing it down to the final two where one movie will be declared the top football movie of all time.

During the process, we will identify the top ten movies.

I had help compiling the list from these sites:  www.bostonbaseball.com and www.sportsinmovies.com.

Here are the movies thus far.

1. The Express
2. Jerry Maguire
3. North Dallas Forty
4. Leatherheads
5. Semi Tough
6. Brian’s Song
7. Gridioron Gang
8. The Football Factory
9. Little Giants
10. Gameplan
11. Angels in the Endzone
12. We Are Marshall
13. Paper Lion
14. Jim Thorpe, All American
15. Knute Rockne, All American
16. Necessary Roughness
17. Varsity Blues
18. Any Given Sunday
19. Friday Night Lights
20. Remember the Titans
21. Facing the Giants
22. Air Bud: Golden Receiver
23. All The Right Moves
24. The Best of Times
25. Code Breakers
26. Comebacks
27. Everybody’s All-American
28. Rudy
29. The Longest Yard (original)
30. Invincible
31. Wildcats
32. The Replacements
33. The Junction Boys
34. Radio
35. Heaven Can Wait
36. Something Can Wait
37. The All-American
38. Crazylegs
39. Footsteps
40. Full Ride
41. Fumbleheads
42. Goal Kicking Philadelphia Phenomenon
43. Glory Days
44. Gus
45. Halfback of Notre Dame
46. Hometown Legend
47. Johnny Be Good
48. The Longshots
49. Lucas
50. The Program
51. Quarterback Princess
52. Saturday’s Hero
53. School Ties
54. Second String
55. The Slaughter Rule
56. That’s My Boy
57. Two for the Money
58. The Waterboy
59. The Longest Yard (new)

If I missed a movie you think should be considered, send me an email, or respond in the comments.  Thanks.

I will give everyone time to check out the movies (not literally) and decide which ones they like.  Next week, we will begin collecting votes for the movies.  The following week I will announce votes, etc.  and begin pairing off movies for the tournament.

The college football season is over.  It was completed last night in a slug-fest in Miami for the “mythological,” the coach’s, or whomever else agrees to

crown them, BCS National Championship Game.  Florida got the win.  Now, being a blogger, I am not obligated to vote for Florida as my number one team.  How will I go?  Well, here it is.

1.  Florida, 13-1
I believe in Tebow.  It’s that simple.  I belive that Tebow can literally “will” his team to victory even if they aren’t playing that great.  No team will try harder, play harder, prepare harder (you get the picture) than Tebow and Company.  He said it!

2.  USC, 12-1
The Trojans had the most impressive performance in a bowl game.  They might even be the best team.  They just hate going to Corvallis (Oregon that is).

3.  Utah, 13-0
The Utes did everything that anyone could ask them to do.  Their schedule even played out nicely as they got to knock off four ranked teams.  And, they showed they could play physical when they lined up and went toe-to-toe with Alabama.  I wonder what would have happened if Brian Johnson hadn’t have led them to that touchdown against TCU in Salt Lake City?

4.  Tie, Texas 12-1 and Oklahoma 12-2
Texas was less than impressive in the Fiesta Bowl against an offensively challenged Ohio State and Oklahoma gave away the national title game by twice failing to score in the red zone against Florida.  Oh yeah, the Sooners who routed Texas Tech lost to the Longhorns on a neutral field in October.  I can’t make up my mind!

6.  Alabama, 12-2
The Tide is good.  They are much better than people thought they would be this year.  Their only losses were to Tebow (and Co.) and Brian Johnson’s Utah Utes.

7.  TCU, 11-2
The TCU is a tail of  “what if?”  They knocked off previously unbeated Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl, but they just missed (field goals) on their chance against Utah in Salt Lake City.  Their defense finished the year number one overall.  Before Florida’s ultimate slow-down of Oklahoma’s offense, no one other than Texas even came close to having an answer for the Sooners than the Frogs did.

8.  Georgia, 10-3
What was supposed to be a magical coming-out season for the Georgia faithful ended taking a detour.  The ‘Dawgs may have been a victim of too much “hype” and not qute enough wins.  Oh well, there is always next year.

9.  Penn State, 11-2
The Nittany Lions were over-matched against USC, but they showed everyone that they did not give up easily and play the entire game.  The game wasn’t as close as the score, but Jo Pa’s team never quit.

10.  Boise State, 12-1
The Broncos won everything their schedule threw at them.  Unfortunately, they weren’t quite ready for the Horned Frogs.  They did show that they had a good defense to complement the explosive offense.

It was another stellar sesaon in college football.  There were plenty of controversy, passion, and upsets to really keep the college football fan watching the game.  It might be even better if we had a true “post season,” but we had plenty of moments to keep things going.

1.  Alabama crushes Clemson
I don’t know if this game was a sign of things to come or not, but the Crimson Tide who was a paltry 6-6 the year before absolutely beat down the Clemson Tigers who was ranked number 9 in the preseason rankings.  The loss would eventually lead to the dismissal of Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden (see below).  ‘Bama’s win would lead to the Sugar Bowl.

2.  USC routs Ohio State
I think we were all waiting for this early season match-up of the two football behomoths.  Ohio State was fresh off of another loss in the BCS Title Game, and USC had what was considered one of the best defenses in a while.  Note even close.  It didn’t help the Buckeyes that “Beanie” Wells was hurt, but most people would have said that it didn’t matter.

3.  Oregon State upsets USC
It happens every year, or at least it seems like it does.  USC dominates, but

they slip up against someone in the Pac-10 Conference.  The Beavers were rebuilding their front seven on defense and had gotten whipped by Penn Stae in Happy Valley.  The Beavers used a freshman running back by the name of Jacquizz to jump out to a big lead in Corvallis and hold off the Trojans for the first real shocking upset of the year.

4.  Texas Tech beats Texas on Crabtree touchdown catch
It is probably one of the more memorable plays of the year.  I can still hear Brent Musberger making the call, “Touchdown, Red Raiders, with a second to go!”  Graham Harrell to Micahel Crabtree.  How many times have they done that?  This time, it was to beat the number one team in the country.

5.  Toledo upsest Michigan in the “Big House”
Last year it was Appalachian State.  The first game of the year this year was Utah.  And, if that wasn’t enough, the Wolverines have lessened any intimdation factor it has at home with a loss to Toledo.  Coach Rod has a lot of work to do.

6.  Tommy Bowdon is fired (uh, resigned?)  mid-season
It was bound to happen.  Things just weren’t going very well at Clemson this season.  They started the season ranked number 9, and they were sporting expectations of an ACC Championship and BCS Bowl.  First they got whipped by Alabama, and it seemed to go down hill from there.  The mid-season firing definitely raised some eyebrows.

7.  Tommy Tuberville fires Tony Franklin in mid-season and then resigns at the end of the year
Well, the mid-season thing worked so well for Clemson that Auburn head

coach Tommy Tuberville decided to relieve Offensive Coordinator Tony Franklin of his duties early.  The “spread” thing just wasn’t working that well.  At the end of the year, Tuberville decided the whole thing wasn’t working that well.  Auburn missed the post-season and that was enough to inspire him to move on.

8.  Syracuse upsets Notre Dame and Buffalo upsets Ball State
These two upsets also “shook the earth” (see below, Utah).  It has been a tough tenure for Syracuse coach Greg Robinson, but he got a parting gift from his players as they knocked off Notre Dame late in the season.  Nevertheless, Notre Dame was able to improve on last year’s bowless season by making it to the Hawaii Bowl.  Buffalo was among the worst programs in NCAA Division I football when head coach Turner Gill arrived.  Just a few years later, the Bulls upset undefeated Ball State in the MAC Championship Game to win the title.

9.  Myron Rolle wins a Rhodes Scholarship and then plays in the Maryland game
Florida State Safety Myron Rolle is not just a smart guy, he is a brilliant guy.  On the day of November 22, 2008, Rolle interviewed for and won a Rhodes Scholarship, and then he received a police escort to Byrd Stadium to help his team beat Maryland.  He had a long day, and he deserved the next day off.  This only happens once in every other generation.  We should enjoy Myron’s success on and off the field.  He has a tough choice to make after school:  the NFL, or Oxford.

10.  Utah upsets Alabama in the Sugar Bowl
My original list did not include this, but it is well worth the inclusion.  Utah, the original BCS Buster, knocked out Alabama on Friday night January 2, 2009 for one of the most “ground shaking” upsets of the year.  The Utes, who is not a flashy team, plays very “blue collar” like.  Take away a punt return by Alabama in the second half and the score is 31-10.  There will be arguments for Utah to be national champions.

As you know from last year, this is not really a ranking of the bowl games.  I am more interested in possible sponsors this year for bowls and maybe a few suggestions for games.  It seems that several of the games are sponsored by banks and websites.  Of course, as you know, half of the games have already been played.

1.  The Peet’s Coffee Bowl
The game could be played in Berkley, California at Cal’s Memorial Stadium.  Berkley is where Peet’s began, and Peet’s is the best coffee on the shelf.  This bowl game would feature a team from the Pacific 10 Conference and the Western Athletic Conference.

2.  The ESPN.com Bowl
The “mouse ears” as Randy Galloway refers to them already runs  several bowls ( I think 7) so why not go all out and have a bowl sponsored by their website.  It would be great.  It could feature teams from the Big East and the Big Ten since the game would be played in  at Rentschler Field in East Hartford near the ESPN headquarters of Bristol, CT.

3.  The ING Penny Bowl
Several bowls have the backing of financial institutions, but none would be more confusing than a bowl sponsored by ING.  Do you remember the commercials where the guy looking for the rest of the word, but it’s just ing?  They have some of the best deals for online banking, helping you save pennies.  There you have it.  The teams that play in the game can be the highest ranked teams with lions for their mascot.  The game would be played in Denver, CO where one of ING’s affiliates are located.  The match-up would pit a team from the Western Athletic Conference against a Mountain West Conference team.

4.  The Wal-Mart Retail Bowl

Wal-Mart is the retail standard bearer.  Everybody measures themselves based on Wal-Mart.  Their brand is well known, and they could have a great bowl game.  This bowl would be played at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, AR just down the road from Wal-Mart’s headquarters in Bentonville.  Playing in the game would be teams from the Conference USA and the Sun Belt.

5.  The Collegefootballtopten.com Bowl
Hey, I might as well have a bowl game.  It seems websites get in the act every year.  And while we are at it, I think I want my bowl game to be played at the new Cowboys Stadium.  I really don’t care who plays in the game, but I’ll take a Mountain West Conference team and a Big 12 Conference team.

6.  The Cracker Barrel Apple Butter Bowl
Cracker Barrels are all over the country, and they have the best apple butter around, at least when you add it to their biscuits.  Since there is no real big stadium in Lebanon, TN where Cracker Barrel has its headquarters, they could play the game at Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium in Murfeesboro.  Teams from the Sun Belt Conference will play a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

7.  The Panera Bread Bowl
Sponsored by Panera Bread of St. Louis, the Bread Bowl would be played in St. Louis at the Edward Jones Dome featuring teams from the Mid American Conference and the Big Ten.

8.  The Starbucks Seattle Bowl
I know, I know, we already have a game sponsored by a coffee, but Starbucks is an institution.  It has the brand power behind it already.  And, it is a great opportunity to have a bowl game in Seattle.  The game would be played in Seattle’s Husky Stadium, and it will feature anyone willing to travel to Seattle in December.

9.  The Idaho Potato Humanitarian Bowl
This bowl can be held in Boise at the famous “blue turf,” we just want to replace the sponsor with the potato growers in idaho.  Idaho is, you know, the home of the best potatoes in the world.

10.  The Riceland Foods Rice Bowl
This bowl can be played at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, AR.  The game would feature teams from the Sun Belt and the Conference USA.

There you have it.  There are suggestions, but mostly additions.  Enjoy the rest of the bowl season.

Note:  Remember my reasons for updating every three weeks, even if some of you think I am really an idiot.

1.  Florida, 12-1
Alabama was number one in my poll, and Florida beat them in the SEC Championship Game and looked good doing it.  Florida has been on a tear after the loss to Ole Miss.  Tim Tebow has become a great leader, and he has lead this team to where it is now.

2.  Oklahoma, 12-1
There is no easy way to do this.  Oklahoma beat the number two team in my poll, Texas Tech, therefore, I will put them at number 2.  That being said, arguments can be made for both Texas and Oklahoma.  Texas, we know, beat Oklahoma on a neutral field the first weekend of October and only loss to Tech on the road on a TD pass with one second left on the clock.  Oklahoma destroyed Texas Tech, and, I might add, is not the same team it was in October.   They are running the ball better, and they have fixed some of their defensive holes.

3.  Texas, 11-1
See Above

4.  Alabama, 12-1
The Tide is a bruising team.  They will absolutely knock you silly on both sides of the ball.  They only had one slip this year.  Unfortunately, it was in their last game against Florida.  I really would love to see them play one of those great Big 12 South games.  Oh well, they play Utah in the Sugar Bowl.

5.  USC, 11-1
No one will know for sure how good USC is.  It was a bad Thursday night in Corvallis earlier this year, and if Oregon State had not have been so beat up by the end of the season, USC would have had somewhere other than the Rose Bowl to go play.

6.  Utah, 12-0

The Utes are not a flashy team.  They play good defense, and they are led on offense by a senior QB.  They make just enough plays on offense to win their games.  They run a spread offense, but it is a grind-it-out kind of blue collar offense.  They took care everyone, and then they rallied to knock off TCU before pulling away from BYU to get to that undefeated season.  They deserve what they get.

7.  Texas Tech, 11-1
This is, undoubtedly, the best season in Red Raider history.  Mike Leach showed me something as he worked to improve his running game and his defense to get his team to this special place.  In most years, 11-1 would be good enough for a BCS Bowl.  A blowout loss to Oklahoma did not help their case.

8.  Penn State, 11-1
Joe Pa may have turned his best performance this year.  He just keeps winning games.  His offense was off- the-chart good this year, and his defense was its usual good self.  One loss to an improving Iowa team in Iowa City took them out of the national title hunt.

9.  TCU, 10-2
I just wasn’t sure if the Frogs were a top ten team.  However, after the season was over, I realized they were just a better offense away from being BCS buster material.  The Frog offense was good against most teams, but when they played teams with good defenses (Oklahoma, Utah), they just couldn’t generate enough points.  TCU finished number 2 in the country in total defense, and if you don’t think they were good, give Bob Stoops a call.  The Sooners scored over 700 points this year, but they only scored 35 on the Frogs with 21 of those coming in the first quarter.  That is 19 points below the Sooners’ average.  TCU is good.

10.  Boise State, 12-0
Unfortunately, the Broncos only played one team who was ranked this year making it hard to know how good they really are.  It’s not their fault, but it hurts their credibility.  They get a chance to prove it in the Poinsettia Bowl against TCU.  Many are calling it one of the best match-ups in the bowl season.  Nevetheless, it is really hard to go undefeated in 12 games in spit of who is on your schedule.

Ron Gift, otherwise known as Grayhound’s Picks rallied to win the DFW Pickem based on tie breakers.  Ron had an incredible four tie breaker wins to put him in a tie for first with Gary Hutcherson, otherwise known as HUTCH’s Picks, with 58 points.  When you look at the pic of the final results at the bottom, it will list cftt’s picks as first, but that is me.  Therefore, I will not be awarding myself any prizes.

Ron is retired and lives in Henrico, VA, which is near Richmond.  Ron kind of roots for the underdog, and he likes and admires Joe Paterno which helps him lean toward Penn State.  At 73 years young, Ron has 4 children and 8 grandchildren.  Ron will receive a autographed copy of A Cowboy’s Life by Bob Lilly.  Congratulations Ron!

The second place winner (co-winner) is Gary Hutcherson who lives Frankfurt, KY.  Gary is a native Texan and a big Dallas Cowboy fan.  Gary also follows the Texas Longhorns and the Alabama Crimson Tide.  It must have been a good year for Gary.  Gary also mentioned that he played linebacker for Western Kentucky University.

Rounding out the top 5 is THE FINCH from SpitbloodTCU.com, tommyallen’s picks, and rebeltimes picks.  I have accumulated a few prizes, therefore, the top 5 will receive something from

Collegefootballtopten.com.  It was a good year as we will not play the next week of the championship games.  Gary asked me if we were going to do a bowl pickem, but I have decided not to.  However, if you are interested in joining a bowl pickem, I recommend you signing up to play with SpitBloodTCU.  I am sure there will be others at the Fun Office Pools website.  I have thought about doing some kind of mock playoff which would be interactive somehow.

Grayhound’s Picks won based on winning 4 tie breakers.

I thought I would do an update of the Top Ten Returning QB’s article I wrote earlier in the year.  How are some of those QB’s doing anyway?  Have you ever heard of Nate Davis?

1.  Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
Sam was spectacular Saturday night against Texas Tech, and, well, has been all year.  Remember, he has one more game left with Oklahoma State before he plays in post-season play.
Numbers: 193.76 QB Rating, 68.2%, 3,710 and 42 touchdowns, 6 INT’s and a 193.76 rating.

2.  Tim Tebow, Florida
Tebow started slow, but he and Florida cranked it up after Ole Miss.  Tebow also hasn’t had to worry as much about running the ball as Florida has found other ways to run it.  He is, however, still a threat.
Numbers: 175.19 QB Rating, 65.8%, 2,114 yards passing, 427 yards rushing, 22 passing TD’s and 11 rushing TD’s.

3.  Todd Reesing, Kansas
Kansas has struggled after their Orange Bowl year.  The Jayhawks will make another bowl, but it won’t be as pretty.
Numbers: 144.99 QB Rating, 64.8%, 3,200 yards, 24 TD’s, and 10 INT’s

4.  Rusty Smith, Florida Atlantic
I expected more from Florida Atlantic this year, but then Head Coach Howard Schnellenberger found himself a marked man after talking like Texas wasn’t very physical.  The Longhorns whipped them in the first game, and they were never the same.
Numbers: 123.30 QB Rating, 54% 2,529 yards passing, 17 TD’s and 13 INT’s.

5.  Nate Davis, Ball State

Davis just helped Ball State to a perfect 12-0 record and the MAC West Division Championship. David Letterman will be very proud.  I wonder if Davis will end up doing a “Tonight’s Top Ten” on Letterman.
Numbers: 168.98 QB Rating, 67.2%, 2822 yards passing, 24 TD’s and 7 INT’s.

6.  Graham Harrell, Texas Tech
A dream season for the Red Raiders in spite of the loss to Oklahoma.  Texas Tech has a legitimate shot at a BCS bowl game.  Harrell and his receiver, Michael Crabtree, are possible Heisman Trophy finalists.
Numbers: 164.96 QB Rating, 70.5%, 4,438 yards passing, 39 TD’s and 6 INT’s.

7.  Chase Daniel, Missouri
The Tigers were number two in the country before losing at home to Oklahoma State.  Then, they went to Austin and lost, but have been winning ever since.  We all know that Chase was playing well.
Numbers: 171.18 QB Rating, 76.5%, 3,592 yards passing, 30 TD’s and 11 INT’s.

8.  Trevor Vitatoe, UTEP
Vittatoe is a poduct of Euless Trinity High School in Texas and he has just been a great QB for UTEP.  Unfortunately, the Miners haven’t matched his play.
Numbers: 149.08 QB Rating, 59.2%, 2,961 yards passing, 31 TD’s and 6 INT’s.

9.  Colin Kaepernick, Nevada
Nevada gave Boise State everything that it wanted and some more Saturday before bowing out to Boise’s perfect season.  Kaepernick runs Chris Ault’s Pistol really well, and he still young.
Numbers: 128.03 QB Rating, 54.4%, 2,082 yards passing, 1,087 yards rushing, 15 passing TD’s and 4 INT’s, 16 rushing TD’s

10.  Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State
Robinson has led Oklahoma State to one of its best seasons in years, and a win Saturday against Oklahoma would mean 10 wins.
Numbers: 178.02 QB Rating, 67.2%, 2,481 yards passing, 21 TD’s, 7 INT’s and 418 yards rushing.

Note:  Remember my reasons for updating every three weeks, even if some of you think I am really an idiot.

1.  Alabama, 11-0
The Crimson Tide keep winning, but they are starting to look a little less intimidating.  They have some business to take care of in the “Iron Bowl.”  Then, they have to beat Florida, the hottest team in the country, in the SEC Championship Game.  Defeat Arkansas State 35-0, at LSU 27-21 OT, Mississippi State 32-7.

2.  Texas Tech, 10-0
The Red Raiders have played some of the most exciting football in the past three weeks beating routing Kansas and Oklahoma State slipping past Texas 39-33.  The Raiders go to Norman to play the Sooners and then get Baylor at home to finish the season.

3.  Florida, 9-1
Fans can argue that Texas looks better on paper when considering the results, but no one is hotter than Florida is now.  The Gators survived the early part of their schedule, and then they were promptly upset by Houston Nutt’s Ole Miss Rebels.  Then, the Gators regrouped and have not looked back since.  The Gators won at Georgia (49-10) and Vandy (42-14) and annihilated South Carolina 56-6.

4.  Texas, 10-1
The Longhorns may be the victim of circumstances when it is all over.  The Horns beat Oklahoma on a neutral field and their only loss is on the road in a very close game to Texas Tech.  But, when the dust settles, will Oklahoma get the nod to play in the Big 12 Championship Game?  It could happen.  What do you do with three teams with one loss, to each other, tied for first?  The Horns lost at Texas Tech 39-33, won over Baylor 45-21 and at Kansas 35-7.

5.  Oklahoma, 9-1
The Sooners have rebounded from the October loss to the Longhorns, and they are looking to exact a little revenge on Texas Tech who beat them last year and further completecate the Big 12 South.  However, even if they beat the Raiders, they have to beat a very salty Oklahoma State team in Stillwater.  The Sooners won at Kansas State (58-35), beat Nebraska 62-28, and at Texas A & M 66-28.

6.  USC, 9-1
The Trojans got their revenge on Stanford last week in Palo Alto pulling away for the 45-23 win.  The Trojans beat Washington 56-0, Cal 17-3 and at Stanford (45-23).  Up next is Notre Dame and UCLA.  Unfortunately, USC may go 11-1 and not make the Rose Bowl.  Oregon State controls its own destiny there.

7.  Utah, 11-0
I don’t know what to say about the Running Utes.  They just keep winning.  They aren’t flashy, their defense leads the way and they are able to win the game when trailing.  The Utes beat New Mexico and TCU 13-10 and ripped San Diego State 63-14.  The next game is what locals call the “Holy War.”  It’s the yearly rival with BYU, and it is a home game for Utah.  These kind of games transcend records, so Utah will be in for a tough, close game.  If they win this game, they will go to a BCS Bowl.

8.  Penn State, 10-1
The Nittany Lions is a feel good story, but they saved everyone a lot of Big Ten heartache when they lost at Iowa a couple of weeks ago.  They are still a go for the Rose Bowl.  How do you like that match up, Penn State versus Oregon State, a rematch?  The Lions won at Ohio State  (13-6), lost at Iowa (24-23) and beat Indiana (34-7).  Up next, Michigan State.

9.  Oklahoma State, 9-2
What can you say about the Cowboys?  They have been impressive all year.  Yes they loss two games, but those games were on the road against teams that were ranked number 1 and number 2 when they played them.  OSU had its own gauntlet to run, and they managed beat Missouri on the road.  What’s more, every top 5 team they have played has been on the road.  The next on will be in Stillwater.  After a week off, they get cross state rival Oklahoma.  The Cowboys beat Iowa State (59-17), loss to Texas Tech (56-20) and beat Colorado (30-17).

10.  Missouri
The Tigers had dropped out in my last poll because they had dropped two straight games.  But give them credit, they are pretty good.  One of those losses was at Texas in Austin.  The Tigers take care of business, and their offense is just so explosive.  They get the unfortunate task of facing whoever survives the Big 12 South in the Big 12 Championship Game.  Good luck.  The Tiges won at Baylor (31-28), beat Kansas State (41-24) and won at Iowas State (52-20).  Next up, the “Border War” against Kansas on November 29th.

Falling

Penn State (but not out)
Georgia

Rising

Utah
Oklahoma State

Note:  Remember my reasons for updating every three weeks, even if some of you think I am really an idiot.

1.  Alabama, 8-0
Rarely do I move someone down if they don’t lose.  Alabama has had a few close calls, but those happen during the middle of the season when teams are playing conference games and injuries are piling up.  Last three weeks: Won against Ole Miss 24-20 and at Tennessee W 29-9.  This week, Arkansas State Red Wolves.

2.  Texas, 8-0
The Longhorns have earned their rankings.  They have beaten some good  teams including Oklahoma when they were number 1.  That gives them the number 1 ranking in the BCS Poll.  Last three weeks: (1) Oklahoma (in Dallas) W 45-35, (11) Missouri W 56-31 and (6) Oklahoma State W 28-24.  As you can see, the Horns have run a gauntlet, and this week they travel to Lubbock to take on number 7 ranked Texas Tech.  This time, they are on the road.

3.  Penn State, 9-0
The Nittany Lions are the class of the Big Ten.  They even handled Ohio State last week in the “Horseshoe.”  Last three weeks: at Wisconsin W 48-7, Michigan W 46-17 and at (9) Ohio State W 13-6.  Next up Penn State is at Iowa (11/8).

4.  Texas Tech, 8-0
The Red Raiders is a different animal this year.  They really have a great opportunity with Texas coming in to Lubbock and ESPN’s Gameday in town.  They actually have a running game, and their defense is holding up.  Last three weeks: Nebraska W 37-31 OT, at Texas A&M W 43-25 and at (23) Kansas W 63-21.  Next up, the Longhorns come calling.

5.  Florida, 6-1
The Gators have begun to put things together after getting blindsided by Houston Nutt’s Ole Miss Rebels in Gainesville.  The offense is beginning to find itself.  The defense has been pretty good outside of the Ole Miss game.  Last three weeks: (4) LSU W 51-21, Kentucky W 63-5.  Next up is Georgia in Jacksonville and the “World’s Largest Cocktail Party.”

6.  USC, 6-1
Unfortunately for the Trojans, they don’t have anyone left on their schedule that’s ranked to improve their strength.  However, their defense seems to be it’s great self again.  No more trips to Corvallis, and maybe a trip to the BCS.  Problem is, Oregon State is leading the conference.  Last three weeks: Arizona State W 28-0, at Washington State W 69-0, and at Arizona W 17-10.  Next up, Washington.

7.  Georgia, 7-1
The Bulldogs are still trying to claw their way back into contention for the BCS title and a special season.  To do that, they will have to beat a very hot Florida team this week.  Georgia does seem to be getting some of their weapons back.  Last three weeks: Tennessee W 26-14, (22) Vanderbilt W 24-14, and at LSU W 52-38.  Up next, Florida.

8.  Oklahoma, 7-1
The Sooners rebounded after their loss to Texas, but their defense seems to be giving up a lot of points.  Of course, they are in the Big 12.  They have a couple of big games later.  For now, they just keep winning to give themselves a shot at the Big 12 Championship game.  Last three weeks: lost to (5) Texas 45-35, Kansas W 45-31, and at Kansas State W 58-35.

9.  Oklahoma State, 7-1
I have a mind to put the Cowboys higher.  They fought Texas “tooth and nail” in Austin before losing close.  The Cowboys have an upset at Missouri.  They have a balanced offense and a pretty good defense.  They might be a big surprise when the year is over.  Last three weeks: at (3) Missouri W 28-23, Baylor W 34-6, and lost to (1) Texas 28-24.

10.  Utah, 8-0

My pick for a BCS buster from the beginning was Utah.  They struggled to look impressive early, but the past few weeks they have begun to look like a worthy team.  They get TCU at home next Thursday night for what will probably decide the Mountain West Conference title.  Last three weeks:  at Wyoming W 40-7 and Colorado State W 49-16.

Falling

Missouri
LSU
BYU

Rising

Utah
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech