What We Learned This Weekend in College (Football)

It was an excellent weekend of college football, resulting in some significant shaking up of the rankings. Here are 10 lessons we learned...

#1 Polling is Fucking Stupid
Alabama leapfrogged Texas in the AP Poll, but not the Coaches' Poll. What I've never ever been able to understand is what qualifies a team to be #1, #2, #3, and so on? What does it mean to be the "best" team? Does that mean the most talented? The team that's played the best. The team that's played the best against the toughest competition? I wouldn't really care about this kind of philosophical stuff if the polls didn't represent 2/3 of the equation that determines the National Championship finalists. At least you know what the computers factor in.

#2 Nebraska is Underrated
It's hard to give much credit to any team in the Big XII North, but Nebraska is 4-1, with that 1 loss coming to #4 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Oh, and that loss came with 21 seconds left. They beat Missouri on the road, which is hardly earth-shattering, but it's decently impressive. They get to play Oklahoma at home in November. Nebraska can find itself in the Top 10 by the time they face Texas in the Big XII Championship.



#3 Texas Doesn't Know How to Schedule
The Longhorns fell to 3rd because of their schedule. UL-Monroe, Wyoming and UTEP. That's not a good non-conference schedule for a team hoping to make the title game. I understand the logic behind it. Why add to what will be a tough Big XII schedule. But Texas' only hopes to have a huge win over a Top 10 team lie with the afore mentioned Cornhuskers of Nebraska. They do play Oklahoma next, but if they beat them OU will be taking a long vacation from the rankings.

#4 Winning SEC Road Games Is Next to Impossible
I'll give credit to Florida for winning in Baton Rouge. Auburn had been 5-0 until they rolled into Fayetteville, Arkansas. Georgia went to Knoxville and lost. And Kentucky couldn't pull it out in Columbia, SC. The SEC has a lot of parity, and the smallest edge is often enough for Team A to beat Team B. That edge is often homefield advantage. Plus those stadiums down there are epic.

#5 Oregon is a Top 10 Team
How come Virginia Tech loses to Alabama, but they find themselves 5th? USC lost to a crappy team and is in the Top 10. Ohio State, just like Oregon, lost to a Top 6 team. But somehow the Ducks are ranked 13th and 16th by the polls. Halloween: USC @ Oregon.



#6 Maybe God Truly Is On Tim Tebow's Side
Offensive pass interference. That's how Tebow was able to throw his touchdown pass in Florida's 13-3 victory over LSU. What's irritating is that the Florida defense held LSU to 3 points. So even if said offensive pass interference HAD BEEN called, the Gators still would have been able to win 6-3! Because of the defense! Not Tebow!

#7 Nobody Wants to Win the ACC
Apart from Virginia Tech, who utterly outclassed a helpless BC side, nobody in the ACC is willing to be consistent. Duke beat NC State. Maryland went from 1st in the Atlantic Division to 3rd. And Virginia, one of the worst programs in the country, has a legitimate chance to win the ACC Coastal Division. All they need is an upset over Virginia Tech and hope for these other teams to fall over themselves.

#8 Everybody Should Watch the ACC
As much as I bash the ACC, it has provided some of the best games of the season. Virginia Tech's played some classic battles, as has Miami. Saturday night, FSU and Georgia Tech butted heads and the Yellow Jackets won 49-44. There was 1,071 yards of offense. Tech ran for 401 yards on 57 carries. Tech threw 8 passes. 3 different Tech backs ran for TDs. 5 different FSU receivers caught TDs. There were 0 interceptions the entire game.



#9 TCU Might Ruin the Whole Party
The only undefeated Mountain West team out there are the TCU Horned Frogs. They're 5-0. They've yet to face the other powers in the MWC in Utah and BYU. Then again, they're already ranked 12th and 8th by the polls, and if they beat those quality opponents and run the table, it'll be hard to shut them out of the BCS.

#10 Alabama and Virginia Tech Know How to Schedule
If you're a BCS contender, schedule a big opponent in Week 1, in a neutral location. A fellow BCS contender. Don't be like OU and schedule a BCS wannabe. Alabama and Virginia Tech played each other in Atlanta and BOTH teams won. Enough time's passed so that Virginia Tech's wriggled its way back into the Top 5. And Alabama has a massive win already in its pocket before beginning their SEC schedule. If Bama loses a game, and it comes down to a question between a 1 loss Alabama side and a 1 loss Texas (or Ohio State, or USC, or whoever), then Bama's scheduling of Virginia Tech will push them into the title game. Well done, Tide.