The University of Idaho Argonaut

My rankings aren’t changing much this week due to the fact that one loss for some teams doesn’t mean as much as for others. Starting with the undeniable   No. 1:

1. Florida (6-0)- The Gators continue to roll with a tight win over Arkansas last weekend. This proves to me even in close games right down to the last second the Gators know how to win.

2. Alabama (7-0)- The Crimson Tide is right on the Gators’ heels for the No. 1 spot in the country. I will jump them to No. 1 if the Gators struggle again and ‘Bama continues right on through Tennessee. Both teams are exceptionally well-oached and have more skill than any other team in the country.

3. Texas (6-0)- No surprise here for the Longhorns at No. 3. They escaped the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma but without Sam Bradford. Mizzou is next, away. The Longhorns might want to be on a mild upset alert.

4. Iowa (7-0)- I still stand corrected on the Hawkeyes. They have continued to walk past competition. Their strength of schedule might get them jumped in the coming weeks, but if they stay unbeaten a BCS bowl is in their future.

5. LSU (5-1)- A bye week is what the Tigers needed after the loss to powerhouse Florida. LSU should stroll past Auburn this weekend and stay in the top 5.

6. USC (5-1)- Notre Dame gave the Trojans all they could handle, but couldn’t contain USC in South Bend. USC looks stronger every week, but I have a hard time trusting any team in the Pac-10, i.e. USC vs. UW and Oregon vs. Boise State.

7. Miami (5-1)- Miami quarterback Jacory Harris, whose passer rating ranks in the top ten of quarterbacks in the nation, has continued to win in fashion. The U should walk through the rest of its ACC schedule and compete in whatever BCS bowl they might get.

8. Penn State (6-1)- My only problem with Penn State is their schedule is not tough enough to carry them through the whole season with this kind of ranking. If the Nittany Lions win out the season, including Ohio State, they can compete for a BCS bowl.

9. Georgia Tech (6-1)- No one expected the Yellow Jackets to upset No. 4 Virginia Tech. But they did, improving their quest for an ACC title. Georgia Tech is through the hardest part of their schedule with only one loss. As long as they don’t get lazy, they could easily win out.

10. Cincinnati (6-0)- Unfortunately for the Bearcats, the Big East is just too weak to aspire for much more than the No. 10 rank. They beat South Florida last week, but that is child’s play compared to what the other top 10 teams did. This might be as high as Cincinnati goes, unless they win out in convincing style.

11. Oregon (5-1)- The Ducks continued on their five-game-winning streak last week at UCLA. Oregon just kills me.

The Ducks got shot out of the sky by Boise State and then won their next five games by an average margin of 21.6 points. I don’t get it.

12. TCU (6-0)- Coach Gary Patterson’s iPod play list last week must have worked. The Horned Frogs routed Colorado State 44-6. Perhaps their toughest test of the year will be this weekend at ranked BYU.

13. Virginia Tech (5-2)- I expected so much more from Frank Beamer and the Hoakies. Getting upset last weekend was not want they wanted or needed in order to chase the National Championship title. They are still in the hunt for the ACC title, but BCS bowl bids might be out of the question.

14. Oklahoma State (5-1)- I’m not too impressed with what the Cowboys have done so far, however if they win this weekend, and beat Texas in two weeks then they will prove to me exactly why they deserve No. 14. Right now they are here on loan.

15. Boise State (6-0)- The Oregon Ducks are the Broncos’ best friend right now. Expect a route of failing Hawai’i this weekend and I’m sure the BCS and Bronco fans will have them playing in the National Championship by the end of October. Needless to say, I won’t.

16. Brigham Young (6-1)- If there is a conference trying to prove they deserve credit, it’s the Mountain West and BYU is one of its front-runners along with TCU and Utah.

One loss means a lot to BYU and another could collapse their season, but putting up 42.3 points per game, I don’t see the chances of another loss being too high.

17. Utah (5-1)- Continuing the trend with the Mountain West, No. 17 belongs to the Utes of Utah. I’ll admit their schedule thus far has been more similar to a walk in the park, but like conference opponents BYU and TCU, the Utes are putting up big numbers  on the scoreboard.

18. Ohio State (5-2)- It is very simple. Terrelle Pryor needs to lock it down. He is a major reason for the Buckeyes success. Pryor must step it up this week against the Golden Gophers of Minnesota.

19. Pittsburg (6-1)- The Panthers are in the same boat as the Bearcats and that is the weak schedule of the Big East and another loss will certainly knock them out of the Top 25. Looking at the last three games of their season I see Notre Dame, West Virginia and Cincinnati. Those will be the real test of their season.

20. West Virginia (5-1)- Nothing different here from Pitt and Cincinnati. Had the Mountaineers beat Auburn, they would be the highest of Big East teams. For now they teeter on the end of the Top 25.

21. South Carolina (5-2)- Even with two losses the Gamecocks strength of schedule holds them in the Top 25. I thought I was going to bump them out with a loss to Alabama, but they have the tools to keep winning and even move up.

22. Wisconsin (5-2)- The Badgers have their toughest two weeks of their season against Ohio State and Iowa over. Unfortunately, they dropped both games. Wisconsin can bounce back very quickly after their bye week against Purdue.

23. Ole Miss (4-2)- The Rebels continue to flirt with the Top 25 week in and week out. I put them here because their two losses came by way of Alabama and South Carolina. Other than that they have walked through the competition.

24. Notre Dame (4-2)- I am confident the Irish will not lose again. The Irish played USC tough but came up short. Charlie Weis might still be on the hot seat.

25. Idaho (6-1)- The Vandals’ rushing defense, passing offense and total offense all rank in the top 28 in the nation. Also, the Vandals’ rushing offense and scoring offense rank in the top third in the nation.

To top it off, they are one of 12 teams that are already bowl eligible. I’m not sure Idaho’s strength of schedule is strong enough to keep them here long, but for now the Mighty Vandals can enjoy their success at No. 25.

Other teams that are quietly working their way up to the Top 25 conversations are Central Michigan, California and Boston College.
In a game where one loss means more than it should, teams will be giving it their all as the halfway point in the season has come.