College Football Rankings - October 15th

The first BCS poll comes out today. The only certainty is that The Ohio State University will be ranked first. Fellow undefeateds Michigan and USC should follow (in some order), then the disrespected unbeatens from the Big East (Louisville and West Virginia) should be mixed in with the one-loss crowd. Way down the board will be the third unbeaten team from the Big East, Rutgers.

Speaking of Rutgers, how's this for a fact - there are six undefeated teams from the BCS conferences, and 3 of them are from the Big East. After a rough few years, I think that conference is on the way back, though it looks like respect from voters and the public will continue to lag.

Here's how I'd rank the top 25 teams in the country today:

1. Ohio State - They've looked absolutely dominant, and I can't see why they won't be ranked first going into their season-ending showdown against Michigan.

2. Michigan - They should also run the table, setting up a #1 vs #2 matchup to finish the season against OSU. I give them the nod over the other undefeated teams because they have the most impressive win, dominating Notre Dame in South Bend.

3. West Virginia - They've looked dominant against both bad and mediocre competition.

4. USC - They have a good team, but they look eminently beatable.

5. Louisville - With Brian Brohm back, they could challenge the Mountaineers in Morgantown a few weeks from now. They also own a blowout win over Miami, before that program completely fell apart.

6. Texas - Aside from getting rolled by the Buckeyes, they've looked like a top-flight team once again.

7/8/9/10. Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas. They all have one loss, all but Arkansas' are at the hands of one of the other three teams in this group. I don't know how to separate them at this point, so I won't.

The Rest:

11. Notre Dame 12. Clemson 13. Rutgers 14. California 15. Georgia Tech 16. Nebraska 17. LSU 18. Boise State 19. Oregon 20. Wisconsin 21. Texas A&M 22. Missouri 23. Boston College 24. Iowa 25. Georgia

Games To Watch Next Week:

Georgia Tech at Clemson - These could be the two best teams in the ACC, and might end up facing off in the championship game come December.

Texas at Nebraska - Both teams need a win to keep the inside track to the Big 12 title game. A win for Nebraska would also reestablish them as a top program.

Rutgers at Pittsburgh - The Scarlet Knights need this win to prove their legitimacy, while the 6-1 Panthers need this win to reestablish their credentials as a good program.

Upset Special:
Washington will beat Cal on the road.