GFB Top 25 Week 9

Iowa fans are still seaching for respect from human voters (they're 7th in the AP and 8th in the Coaches'), but they can't cry about what the BCS computers spit out this week: they ranked the Hawkeyes number one, which has moved them up to fourth in the latest BCS Standings. Being that I'm not a computer, I of course had to disrespect them, placing them third behind Alabama and Florida. On a neutral field Bama is still the best team in the country to me, and I think Florida's defense AND offense is better than Iowa's too. However, I did move the Hawkeyes ahead of Texas, dropping the Longhorns out of the top 3 for the first time all season despite them blowing out Missouri.

Why? Because outside of Texas and Oklahoma (I maintain that just about everybody on this list outside the top three would also have three loses if they had to face BYU on a neutral field, Miami in Miami, and Texas at the Texas State Fair. Especially without their starting quarterback and top receiving target), I have no idea if anyone else in the Big 12 is any good. No conference has done a bigger 180-and not in a positive direction- than the Big 12 has from 2008 to 2009. I toyed with moving Oklahoma State up until I looked at their schedule- their signature win is over Georgia, who is 4-3 right now. Otherwise? They've beaten up crappy non-conference opponents and the Big 12 North, which is the most bi-polar division of any conference in the country. To the Cowpokes' credit, they've done it for the most part without their starting tailback and not just their best receiver, but maybe the best receiver in the country. Still, they haven't been overly impressive, and we'll find out this Saturday what they're made of when they play Texas (which is also probably the last team with a shot of stopping the Longhorns march to the National Title game. Iowa fans should be BIG Oklahoma State fans this weekend).

Elsewhere, I moved Cincinnati ahead of USC but couldn't push TCU over them quite yet. Just a gut feeling at the moment that USC is gaining momentum and is better than TCU, and has just as solid a resume right now. Oregon and Georgia Tech moved into the top 10 as well with continued strong performances, and the winner of the Oregon/USC contest will move ahead of Cincy to 5 regardless of what the Bearcats do.

And Penn State fans, I've finally moved your team up, all the way to 11 ("this one goes up to 11"). Michigan is heading in the wrong direction since their fast start, but they're still a good football team, and Penn State handled them with relative ease. While the schedule strength is still soft (Sagarin has their sked ranked 79th, which is actually an improvement!), they're playing really good football and their stats are off the charts. In a season that's been largely devoid of style points from the the top teams, it's hard not to take notice, and be impressed, with the JoePa's.

Pittsburgh jumps into my poll at 19, but we'll have to wait a couple of weeks before finding out if Wannstead has actually figured things out. Bye this week, then an expected romp over Syracuse, but boy does the schedule turn in their final three games: home to Notre Dame, at West Virginia (one of the most un-fun road environments in the country), then home to Cincinnati. Arizona also enters the poll for the first time, as the more Iowa wins, the better the Wildcats' road loss to the Hawkeyes looks. Still, like Pittsburgh, Zona's stay in the polls could be short lived: they also have a bye week then a patsy next week (Washington State), but close at Cal (who Gopher fans should note are 24th in the BCS), home to Oregon, at Arizona State, then at USC December 5th. Yikes! Good luck with that, Mike Stoops.

1. Alabama (8-0)
2. Florida (8-0)
3. Iowa (8-0)
4. Texas (7-0)
5. Cincinnati (7-0)
6. USC (6-1)
7. TCU (6-0)
8. Oregon (6-1)
9. Georgia Tech (6-1)
10. LSU (5-1)
11. Penn State (6-1)
12. Virginia Tech (5-2)
13. Boise State (7-0)
14. Miami (5-2)
15. Ohio State (6-2)
16. Houston (6-1)
17. Oklahoma State (6-1)
18. South Carolina (6-2)
19. Pittsburgh (7-1)
20. Utah (6-1)
21. West Virginia (6-1)
22. Wisconsin (5-2)
23. Arizona (5-2)
24. BYU (6-2)
25. Oklahoma (4-3)

Dropped Out: 18. Kansas (5-2) 24. Texas Tech (5-3)