AP Top 25 weekly review (game week 12)

By T Erickson | Thursday, November 15, 2007 | ( 0 )

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Ohio State surrendered their one month reign on top of college football and the next six ranked teams each eagerly nudged upward a notch, with LSU reclaiming the pinnacle position. The Buckeyes tumbled six slots to #7. Boston College coulda and shoulda been numero uno, but two consecutive losses have bounced the former #2 all the way down to #18. Biggest gainers this week were Illinois (plus 10) and Virginia (plus 7). Besides BC, the biggest losers were Michigan (minus 10) and Connecticut (minus 9).

NO. 1 LSU TIGERS (9-1). By the time they took the field last Saturday night against Louisiana Tech, Les Miles' Tigers already knew that Ohio State had lost and the No. 1 ranking was low-hanging fruit. They also knew that it wouldn't hurt to pile some points on the outmanned Bulldogs to ensue not being passed by Oregon and Kansas. Mission accomplished: The final, 58-10. As an added side benefit, LSU also clinched the SEC West, since both Auburn and Alabama obligingly lost.

NO. 2 OREGON DUCKS (8-1). Nobody had it easier than the Ducks last week as they enjoyed a bye, healed their feathers, and moved up to the championship level in every poll. Now they just have to survive a much improved and hungry Arizona Wildcat team on the road on Thursday night. Can they beat the jinx that has been plaguing several other teams that occupied the heir apparent slot? We think they just might not ... Tucson is known for some wild west shootouts, and there seems to be an upset brewing down there this week.

NO. 3 OKLAHOMA SOONERS (9-1). The Okies buried Baylor 52-21 and will try to keep Texas Tech from laying that many on them this week in Lubbock. The Sooners' September 29 loss to Colorado is looking pretty stupid after the Buffaloes dropped their last contest to Iowa State and fell to 5-6. Four more points in that game and Oklahoma would be the top dog in the country right now. Not to worry. With freshmen like DeMarco Murray and Sam Bradford, the Sooners should be a regular fixture in the national title picture for the next several years ... it might even happen this year. Next up after TT is Oklahoma State.

NO. 4 KANSAS JAYHAWKS (10-0). The Jayhawks are just one of two undefeated teams remaining in the land and with three games remaining, they control their own destiny regarding a shot at the national title game. They destroyed the Cowboys of Oklahoma State last week, 45-28, and should get a bit of a breather of sorts this week with Iowa State visiting Lawrence. The Cyclones can't be taken as pushovers, though. Just ask Colorado. After Iowa State, the highly anticipated contest with #6 Missouri looms larger with every passing moment.

NO. 5 WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS (8-1). Despite their mid-season stumble against South Florida, the Mountaineers aren't out of the BCS championship game yet. Of the teams between them and No. 1, No. 2 Oregon has three games remaining and a Pac-10 bullseye on its back, No. 3 Kansas still has to play No. 6 Missouri and No. 4 Oklahoma travels to Texas Tech this Saturday, where anything can happen. Then there's the Arkansas-LSU game -- any team with Darren McFadden on it has to be considered dangerous. Meanwhile, West Virginia keeps mowing down the other contenders for a Big East title -- Rutgers two weeks ago and Louisville last Thursday, with Cincinnati this week, then Connecticut, then Pitt for dessert.

NO. 6 MISSOURI TIGERS (9-1). Another sterling performance by QB Chase Daniel and the Tigers last week over Texas A&M, and Mizzou is now one step closer to their showdown with Big 12 North Division leader Kansas on November 24. Daniel was 27 of 35, for 352 yards and 3 TDs in the 40-26 win over the Aggies. They'll try to tune up for the Kansas game this week by taking on the Jayhawks' instate rival, Kansas State.

NO. 7 OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (10-1). The Buckeyes lost to Illinois at home for the third time in their last four meetings. The Illini are the only team in the Big Ten or the nation that has OSU's number at the Horseshoe. Jim Tressel has his work cut out for him trying to get his boys' mindset back on track for the Rivalry Game this week in Ann Arbor. There won't be a group wishing for a Buckeye victory any more than the Rose Bowl Game folks, who cringe at the thought of getting stuck with current #23 Michigan, already a 3-time loser this year.

NO. 8 GEORGIA BULLDOGS (8-2). The Bulldogs' recent surge (over 40 points against Florida, Troy and Auburn), has been impressive, but the Bulldogs' hopes of winning the SEC East still depend on either Vanderbilt or Kentucky knocking off Tennessee. The Bulldogs and Volunteers have two losses apiece, and Tennessee beat Georgia earlier this season. The Bulldogs host Kentucky this Saturday, then become huge Kentucky fans the week after, when the Wildcats face UT.

NO. 9 ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS (9-1). The Sun Devils dodged a bullet in Pasadena last week and still have a realistic chance of returning there on New Years' Day, if they can win out. ASU held on to win 24-20 over an obviously confused and weakened UCLA squad, and now get a week off to prepare some new schemes that might help them trip up USC on Thanksgiving Day. Forget about the NFL games ... ASU's contest with USC will be the best football on TV on Turkey Day.

NO. 10 VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES (8-2). The Hokies slayed one of their dragons last Saturday, beating Florida State for the first time in the last 18 meetings. Victories over Miami and ancient-rival Virginia in the final two games would give Tech the ACC's Atlantic Coast title and a leg up on a sweet bowl. QB Tyrod Taylor played brilliantly in relief of Sean Glennon, bedeviling the Seminoles with both his legs and his arm.

NO. 11 USC TROJANS (8-2). The Boys of Troy passed another serious Pac-10 exam last week with a hard-fought win over California in the rain. Still, if you saw the game, it seemed like Cal lost the game more than the Trojans won it. The bright spot for Pete Carroll was the emergence of Chauncey Washington as his go-to guy in the backfield. Washington ripped loose for 220 yards and a score on 29 carries in Berkeley. USC now gets a week off to try and figure out how to escape Tempe with a similar outcome next Thursday.

NO. 12 TEXAS LONGHORNS (9-2). Quite frankly, the Longhorns are the most unimpressive team in the top 12 slots of this week's AP poll. Their 59-43 shootout victory over Texas Tech last week notwithstanding, UT struggled mightily with Nebraska three weeks ago, and then had to come from behind to knock off Oklahoma State. We think they might just get hosed and exposed next Friday in their road contest with arch-rival Texas A&M. They'll get this Saturday off to think about how sloppy they have looked the past few weeks.

NO. 13 HAWAII WARRIORS (9-0). Two things stick out in one's mind from last week's narrow 37-30 win over Fresno State. Dang, these guys are lucky to survive a Bulldog team that clearly dominated the second half, and dang, Colt Brennan is lucky to survive that YouTube replay worthy hit delivered by Fresno State linebacker Marcus Riley. The Warriors will make their final trip to the mainland this season (unless, of course, they win and go on to qualify for a BCS bowl game) when they visit Reno to take on the 5-4 Wolf Pack this Friday night.

NO. 14. FLORIDA GATORS (6-3). Florida can still win a national championship -- the Heisman Trophy, for sophomore QB Tim Tebow. Tebow ran for five touchdowns in a 51-21 demolition of South Carolina last week, and faces relatively weak opposition the final two games in Florida Atlantic and Florida State.

NO. 15 CLEMSON TIGERS (8-2). Saturday night's game with Boston College in Death Valley is huge for the Tigers, who could virtually clinch the ACC's Coastal Division with a victory. Except for a sloppy two-game stretch midway through the season that resulted in back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, the Tigers have looked ferocious.

NO. 16 VIRGINIA CAVALIERS (9-2). Al Groh's Cavaliers have a week to savor their 48-0 demolition of Miami -- in the Orange Bowl, no less -- and prepare for a Nov. 24 meeting with Virginia Tech, quite possibly the biggest game in the Commonwealth this century.

NO. 17 BOISE STATE BRONCOS (9-1). Like we said last week, the Utah State game would be a yawner. What? You don't think 52-0 is a yawner? Well, there's another snoozer coming up on the Broncs' schedule this week. Yessirree, it's the vaunted 1-9 Idaho Vandals.

NO. 18 BOSTON COLLEGE (8-2). Let's see -- the Eagles have slid down the rankings with consecutive losses to Florida State and Maryland, so they can't win a national championship, and QB Matt Ryan's Heisman hopes have also faded. So what's left? How about an ACC championship, which BC can still accomplish if the Eagles beat Clemson on the road Saturday?

NO. 19 TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS (7-3). The schizophrenic Volunteers can go undefeated at home by beating Vanderbilt on Saturday, then clinch an SEC East title with a victory over Kentucky. Maybe that would be enough to keep the wolves away from Philip Fulmer's door.

NO. 20 ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI (8-3). Remember the name Juice Williams. The sophomore QB will be appearing in plenty more highlight reels on ESPN for the next couple years. He's the real deal and the Illini are definitely making an unequivocal statement that they will be top contenders for the Big Ten title next year. Their convincing 28-21 win over Ohio State in Columbus is proof positive. Northwestern will visit Champaign-Urbana this week for the season closer. It's always a tough game because of the rivalry factor. A trip to Florida and the Capital One Bowl will be at stake for the Illini.

NO. 21 CINCINNATI BEARCATS (8-2). The Bearcats have been helping out West Virginia by knocking off the Mountaineers' chief rivals -- South Florida and Connecticut in the past two weeks. Now, they are hoping to detail West Virginia's bowl express in their home stadium. Could be interesting.

NO. 22 KENTUCKY WILDCATS (7-3). Kentucky could still make the SEC East race interesting, but it probably can't win. Even if Rich Brooks' team beats Georgia and Tennessee on consecutive weeks, Florida stands to win out and would use its earlier victory over UK to claim the title and a rematch with LSU.

NO. 23 MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (8-3). At the beginning of the season, most experts pointed to Michigan's November 10 contest at Wisconsin as the key game that would determine the Big Ten championship. Well, it didn't quite come off that way. The Badgers' 37-21 win came over an already tainted 2-loss Wolverine team that had to play without RB Mike Hart and QB Chad Henne. Michigan will host arch rival Ohio State this weekend in what could be Coach Lloyd Carr's last game at Michigan Stadium. Once again, the Big Ten title and a berth in the Rose Bowl Game will be at stake.

NO. 24 WISCONSIN BADGERS (8-3). The Badgers took care of business last week with Michigan and can wrap up a stellar season with a victory over conference doormat Minnesota this Saturday. A victory will put the Badgers in either the Outback Bowl or the Alamo Bowl.

NO. 25. CONNECTICUT HUSKIES (8-2). It was fun while it lasted, and it should last a week longer when the Huskies face hapless Syracuse. After that, West Virginia awaits. But there will still be a bowl.

ON THE BUBBLE: Penn State, Auburn, Brigham Young, South Florida, California, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Air Force, Alabama.

The AP Top 25 weekly review is written by RealFootball365 senior writers Todd Erickson and Darrell Laurant.

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