The top three teams — Alabama, Florida and Texas — on my Associated Press Top 25 ballot keep chugging along. At this point, it’s almost meaningless which order you rank them since Alabama and Florida will play on Dec. 5 in the SEC title game and Texas, if it remains unbeaten, is guaranteed a spot in the BCS title game against an undefeated SEC champion.
However, what if Alabama lost to Auburn and then beat Florida? Or what if Florida lost to Florida State and then beat Alabama? Would that mean that a team outside the hallowed trio could slip into No. 2 in the final BCS ranking and earn a berth in the BCS title game?
For all you BCS haters out there, that’s what you need to root for — because if that happens, how would they pick between unbeatens TCU, Cincinnati or Boise State? Or better yet, would a one-loss team get chosen over an unbeaten TCU/Cincinnati/Boise State?
On this week’s ballot, I leap-frogged the Horned Frogs over Cincinnati into fourth place based on their domination of Utah. The Bearcats, though, can easily hop back over TCU if they close out with dominating victories against Illinois and at Pittsburgh for the Big East title.
Stanford, on the strength of its rout at USC, made the biggest move in my ballot this week. At this point, they may as well start printing bumper stickers out West: Honk, if you’re alive for the Rose Bowl. I wasn’t a math major in college, but I came up with at least four Pac-10 teams that can still get to the Rose Bowl — and shockingly none are named USC.
Last week, all of the AP’s top 10 teams made it through the weekend unscathed, but the rest of the Top 25 took its lumps. Seven of the 15 teams ranked between 11 and 25 in last week’s AP poll lost, creating chaos in the middle of the rankings. Three — USC, South Florida and Utah — were blown out by four TDs or more.
Besides Stanford, the only newcomer to my poll this week is North Carolina.
Also last week, USA Today revealed how much each head coach will make this season. So listed with each team is what the head coach will make in 2009. Some coaches’ salaries were not obtained by USA Today.
Here is my ballot this week with my ranking last week in parentheses.
- 1. Alabama (1)
Nick Saban $3.9 million. The Crimson Tide has the perfect warm-up for Nov. 27’s Iron Bowl at Auburn: a home game Saturday with FCS member Chattanooga. Last year the Mocs played two FCS teams — Oklahoma and Florida State — and lost by a combined margin of 103-9. - 2. Florida (2)
Urban Meyer $4 million. The Gators are 6-0 all-time against in-state opponents under Meyer and they should have no trouble improving to 7-0 Saturday when Florida International visits Gainesville. The following week, the Gators look to chomp another state foe when Florida State comes to Gainesville for Tim Tebow’s final home game. - 3. Texas (3)
Mack Brown $3.060 million. With the Longhorns’ 47-14 victory against Baylor, QB Colt McCoy tied former Georgia QB David Greene for the all-time …Read more from the original source
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