BLOGALICIOUS COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP TEN-PLUS

1. Ohio State (def. Michigan State 24-17) - this still feels fraudulent to me, so I sought out some "objective" ranking information. A straight RPI has Ohio State at number one, while the Sagarin ranking has them third. Of course, they also have Kansas second. So I suppose I'll remain part of the charade, at least for another week.

Next opponent: at Penn State

2. LSU (def. Auburn 30-24) - the only member of the SEC circle of death to win last week, so they get a reward. I look forward to their stomping of the Buckeyes in the BCS title game.

Next opponent: Idle

3. Oregon (def. Washington 55-34) - the loss to Cal takes some of the sheen off of this week's game (though perhaps not as much as if they'd lost to, say, Stanford). As with any games that hype a top offense against a top defense, it'll be the other side of the coin - the Ducks' D against the Trojan offense - that'll decide things.

Next opponent: USC

4. West Virginia (def. Mississippi State 38-13) - it still feels odd to put "key conference matchup" and "Rutgers" in the same sentence. Then again, the other key conference matchup is UConn and South Florida. Madness!

Next opponent: at Rutgers

5. Kansas (def. Colorado 19-14) - good win on the road, but College Station just seems like that much more of a hostile environment that Boulder, even if it is much closer to sea level. I can't see the Jayhawks pulling this out, but A&M is inconsistent enough to keep the door open for a KU win.

Next opponent: at Texas A&M

6. Oklahoma (def. Iowa State 17-7) - be happy I didn't drop you completely after such a lackluster performance. Take your week off and think about what you did.

Next opponent: Idle

7. Arizona State (idle) - speaking of likely frauds, the Sun Devils start their two-part exam to prove themselves this week. Luckily for them, the first part is a take-home, albeit against a team that has to be looking to take last week out on someone.

Next opponent: Cal

8. Virginia Tech (idle) - you know what needs to be done. Now please do it.

Next opponent: Chestnut Hill Barber College (10/25)

9. Missouri (def. Texas Tech 41-10) - holding the Red Raiders to 10 points is an accomplishment, especially as the lowest point total for them prior to this was 35. They've still got a ways to go, but I like the odds of a rematch with Oklahoma in the Big XII title game. This week should get them on their way. Of course, you would have thought the same thing last week for the Sooners.

Next opponent: Iowa State

10. North Dakota State (def. Minnesota 27-21) - I know it's no great shakes to beat the Gophers this year, but for a program that's in the middle of a transition from Divison II, it's well worth celebrating. Shame they're ineligible for the 1AA playoffs this year (part of the transition process, apparently).

Next opponent: Southern Utah

109. Minnesota (lost to North Dakota State 21-27) - didn't you used to not suck?

Next opponent: at Michigan