SportsRatings Top 25 week 9: Glut of 1-loss teams in Big Ten, Big Twelve

Welcome to the SportsRatings College Football Top 25 for the week ending October 30, 2010. This is a subjective ranking, not a computer power rating. It does attempt to use several rules, some of which include honoring head-to-head results whenever possible, and giving more consideration to teams with wins over other top 25 teams.

This week, the top of the rankings is pretty easy. Oregon stays #1 after clobbering USC, Boise State holds onto #2 as Virginia Tech entering the polls helps them stave off #3 Auburn, and TCU remains #4 a week ahead of their showdown with undefeated #5 Utah.

 Then it gets tough. From #6 through #14, the teams can be in just about any order. But with my guidelines there's a big of direction. In the Big Ten, Michigan State has to remain ahead of Wisconsin, who remains ahead of Ohio State. And in the Big Twelve, Nebraska has priority over Missouri who tops Oklahoma.

With that in mind, we move Alabama up to #6 as Nebraska has that nagging home loss to 4-4 Texas. The Cornhuskers still jump a long way from #15 as they have two wins over 1-loss teams. Missouri follows at #8, only dropping a couple of spots, and LSU is at #9 after their idle week. The Tigers face Alabama next week.

Michigan State deserves to drop a lot after losing 37-6 to Iowa, but they must remain ahead of Wisconsin. This means the Badgers have to be downgraded a bit, and they fall to #11. Oklahoma falls from #10 to #13. Wisconsin gets the higher nod since, with two top 25 wins, they should be ahead of #12 Stanford who has none; Oklahoma meanwhile has only a win over FSU who hangs on at #25. Finally, Ohio State stays at #14 as their sole top 25 win—Miami—fades away.

SportsRatings Top 25 - week nine 2010 (thru 10/30/2010)
lw	#	Team	Rec	Losses/important wins
1	1	Oregon	8-0	wStanford 52-31
2	2	Boise State	7-0	w@VTech 33-30
3	3	Auburn	9-0	wLSU 24-17, SCar 35-27, Ark 65-43, @MissSt 17-14
4	4	TCU	9-0	wBaylor 45-10
7	5	Utah	8-0
8	6	Alabama	7-1	L@SC 35-21; w@Ark 24-20
15	7	Nebraska	7-1	L Texas 20-13; wMizz 31-17, @OKst 51-41, @KSt 48-13
5	8	Missouri	7-1	L@Nebraska 31-17; wOklahoma 36-27
11	9	LSU	7-1	L@Auburn 24-17; wMissSt 29-7
6	10	Michigan St	8-1	L@Iowa 37-6; wWisconsin 34-24
9	11	Wisconsin	7-1	L@MichSt 34-24; wOSU 31-18, @Iowa 31-30
12	12	Stanford	7-1	L@Oregon 52-31
10	13	Oklahoma	7-1	L@Missouri 36-27; wFSU 47-17
14	14	Ohio State	8-1	L@Wisc 31-18; wMiami 36-24
17	15	Oklahoma St	7-1	L Nebraska 51-41; w@KState 24-14
16	16	South Carolina	6-2	L@KY 31-28, @Aub 35-27; wBama 35-21
20	17	Arizona	7-1	L OregonSt 29-27; wIowa 34-27
18	18	Arkansas	6-2	L@Aub 65-43, Bama 24-20
24	19	Iowa	6-2	L@Arizona 34-27, Wisc 31-30; wMichSt 37-6
21	20	Mississippi St	7-2	L@LSU 29-7, Aub 17-14
22	21	Nevada	6-1	L@Hawaii 27-21
23	22	Baylor	7-2	L@TTech 45-38, @TCU 45-10; wKState 47-42
--	23	Virginia Tech	6-2	L JMadison 21-16, Boise 33-30; NCst 41-30
--	24	NC State	6-2	L@ECU 33-27ot, VTech 41-30; wFSU 28-24
13	25t	Florida St	6-2	L@NCState 28-24, @OK 47-17; w@Miami 45-17
25t	25t	Syracuse	6-2	L@Wash 41-20, Pitt 45-14
		out:
19	--	Miami FL	5-3	L@Virg 24-19, @OSU 36-24, FSU 45-17
25t	--	Kansas St	5-3	L@Baylor 47-42, Nebraska 48-13, OKst 24-14

Oklahoma State slides up to #15 after beating Kansas State; Arizona moves up to #17; and Iowa jumps from #24 to #19 for toppling Michigan State. SEC teams South Carolina and Arkansas, who play each other next weekend, hold at #16 and #18. Mississippi State, Nevada, and Baylor move up a notch each.

The biggest moves in the rankings happened due to Florida State and Miami losing. The Seminoles fell to North Carolina State, which both moves the 6-2 Wolfpack ahead of them, but also 6-2 Virginia Tech, who beat N.C. State earlier. And because Miami lost to Virginia and fell out, Florida State no longer has a top 25 win and tumbles all the way to a tie at #25 with Syracuse, who against all odds holds on for a 2nd week in the rankings after taking apart Cincinnati 31-7.

Last week's reserve supply of 2-loss teams was whittled down by nine, with Hawaii and San Diego State probably the best of 8 remaining in terms of résumés. There are several 3-loss teams that are probably better picks for the rankings, including Illinois (who has lost only to Missouri, Michigan State, and Ohio State) and Oregon State (a win over Arizona, losses to Boise, TCU, and Washington).

Comments

[mj]

Utah really took a dive since then. Too bad, thought it was our season.