College Football Top Eight Rankings for October 15, 2007

It’s October 15. The BCS rankings are now upon us. The computers favor South Florida, but the humans like the big program name. The last time I checked, I was a human, so I’m going with the big program. Unlike most, I’ve had an opportunity to watch both teams on a few occasions and view Ohio State as the stronger undefeated team.

Our view on pre-season rankings
Everything you saw back in August and September were simply suggestions by individuals who are supposed to be more knowledgeable than you or me. These “suggestions” serve as a reference point that allow for pundits without this season’s game tape to go off of.

How this ranking works?
This ranking will not be like a poll, which often drops a school’s ranking by a minimum of four spots for any loss regardless of circumstance. We will do our best to look at the full body of work. If you consistently win in unimpressive fashion, then I’ll note it. If you demolish teams and then produce a 60-minute brain fart on the gridiron, then I might forgive it to a degree.

Why only rank the top eight teams?
In a fantasy world, these top eight teams would participate in a playoff system, which would be played at seven current Bowl sites. If only the university presidents bought into this just and highly lucrative manner in which to crown a national champion.

RANKING FOR OCTOBER 15, 2007
1. Ohio State: Their best win was at Purdue, who just got throttled at Ann Arbor. The defense is stout and the offense is becoming more consistent.
2. LSU: Still the best team in the nation in my humble opinion. Suffered one too many injuries late in Lexington and that gave the Wildcats the confidence to open up their passing game.
3. South Florida: Auburn’s continuous surge, West Virginia getting back to the basics and North Carolina being competitive even in losses is the main reason for the jump from 8 to 3.
4. Boston College: For a top 5 team in almost every poll imaginable, Matt Ryan and his team remains under the radar. The October 25th trip to Blacksburg will be BC’s toughest challenge to-date.
5. Oklahoma: Two huge wins in as many weeks, but what’s missing? I’m not in love with 79 points given up in their three conference games. They’ll face a couple duds to help the defensive statistics, but the Big XII South contains few lemons.
6. California: Since this ranking started, the question was, “Can the defense sustain a poor game from the offense?” With a freshman at QB, that question was emphatically answered as the Bears lost in Berkeley to Oregon State. With Nate Longshore at QB, I still see this team as the best in the Pac-10.
7. Oregon: This squad is just drilling teams and must continue to do so while others like USC continue to struggle. Dennis Dixon’s performance at the Big House gains more steam as the Wolverines have begun pulverizing their opposition.
8. Kentucky: It’s a SEC toss-up between South Carolina, Florida and Kentucky. Who has Florida defeated? It could be Kentucky after this week, but the Wildcats just defeated top cat. By virtue of the better win, Kentucky gets the nod with the 8th and final playoff spot. The ‘Cats underrated defense and running game will not be taken for granted by Florida’s coaching staff this week.