The 2007 Lineal Championship game is set: it will take place on January 1st, 2008, at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, when unranked Missouri takes on #1 Arkansas. The winner will finish the 2007 college football season at #1 in the Lineal Top 25, thereby taking the Lineal National Championship. The "other" championship game, that held by the BCS, will pit #2 LSU vs. #10 Ohio State. The winner of that contest will finish either 3rd or 4th, depending on the results of the Arkansas game.
Either way, the BCS national champion and the Lineal national champion will differ for the first time since 2003, when USC held the Lineal title but finished 2nd to LSU in the ESPN/coaches poll. USC did win the AP designation, however, and the Lineal champion has been the AP champion every year since 2001.
If Arkansas prevails, this will be their first Lineal Championship since 1964. Missouri, believe it or not, has never held the Lineal #1 spot, even for a single week! I might do some research later to see what their highest position in the rankings has been.
A Missouri win would also disrupt the glut of SEC teams that has formed at the top of the chart. All of the top eight teams play in bowl games, so there are certain to be some losses by those teams, but if the #1 team isn't dislodged the pack would form again if the Razorbacks get to the conference season undefeated.
As for this week's rankings, there isn't much change. A few teams within the ranks beat a few other teams. You know, minor upsets like #17 Pittsburgh beating #11 West Virginia, but nothing significant.
All-Time Lineal Top 25 as of 12/1/2007 lw now Team rec relevant results
1 1. Arkansas 8-4
2 2. LSU 11-2 beat #7 Tennessee
3 3. Georgia 10-2
4 4. Auburn 8-4
5 5. Florida 9-3
6 6. Mississippi State 7-5
7 7. Tennessee 9-4 lost to #2 LSU
8 8. Kentucky 7-5
9 9. Illinois 9-3
10 10. Ohio State 11-1
17 11. Pittsburgh 5-7 beat #11 West Virginia
11 12. West Virginia 10-2 lost to #17 Pitt
12 13. Cincinnati 9-3
13 14. Connecticut 9-3
14 15. South Florida 9-3
15 16. Louisville 6-6 beat #16 Rutgers
16 17. Rutgers 7-5 lost to #15 Louisville
22 18. Arizona State 10-2 beat #18 Arizona
18 19. Arizona 5-7 lost to #22 Arizona State
21 20. Southern Cal 10-2 beat #19 UCLA
19 21. UCLA 6-6 lost to #21 Southern Cal
22. Oregon State 8-4 beat #20 Oregon
20 23. Oregon 8-4 lost to Oregon State
23 24. Virginia Tech 11-2
24 25. Florida State 7-5
out:
25 Maryland 6-6
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