Heartbreaking News

Confirming our worst suspicions, fascists have succeeded in taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives.  Therefore, we must again suspend our normal operations and weekly college football poll.  Entertainment and sports games will only serve as a distraction and appear like everything is normal when it isn't.  This is the most dangerous time in our nation's history, and all freedom-loving people must do everything in their power to defeat the ugly disease of fascism.

Georgia Holds On To #1 in Blue Through and Through Top 25

 Unlike the AP and Coaches' polls, we base our rankings on logic.  Undefeated teams are ranked by the highest impressive win and number of impressive wins.  Generally, a big win places a team over another with a loss to a ranked team, unless there are other big wins and losses to look at.  A bad loss will hurt a team much more than a big win will help it.  On the other hand, a loss to a Top 25 team will not hurt a team, other than its comparison to other teams' losses to Top 25 teams and in the number of total losses.

A team that beat another head-to-head will generally be ranked ahead of that team as long as they have the same or better record.  If there are conflicting head-to-head contests (Team A beat Team B and C but lost to D and Team D beat Team A but lost to B), the ties are broken by whether the loss was at home or on the road and quality of losses.  

The mistake that voters in most polls (both AP and Coaches) is that they are swept up in emotion and forget logic.  

2022 is proving to be a year in which there are not a lot of really good teams but a lot of parity.  The SEC, Big 12 and ACC in particular, are down.  It is difficult this week to find 25 teams that are truly worthy of that lofty recognition.  Three losses is now "good".

As we predicted last week, the coaches and media fell for "the latest thing", Notre Dame, by ranking them, overlooking that the Irish have bad losses to Stanford and Marshall.  Has any other Top 25 team lost to teams as bad as those?  No.

Washington, meanwhile, which was only ranked 25th in the "playoff committee rankings", proved that the Blue Through and Through rankings (which had UW #19) were more reliable by defeating previously-highly regarded Oregon.  The Huskies (8-2) would be ahead of Oregon by virtue of the head-to-head win, were it not for a bad loss to Arizona State.  The "polls" won't have Washington high enough because they blew it last week by not ranking them higher.

The Top 25:

1-1  Georgia (10-0) edged closer to an undefeated season with a 45-19 win over Mississippi State; Beat #4 Tennessee 27-13,  #12 Oregon 49-3, Mississippi State 45-19 and South Carolina 48-7

2-2  Michigan (10-0) whipped Nebraska 34-3; Beat #10 Penn State 41-17 and Maryland 34-27

3-3  TCU (10-0) prevailed over Texas 17-10; Beat #25 Kansas State 38-28, Texas 17-10 and Oklahoma State 43-40

4-4  Tennessee (9-1) ripped Missouri 66-24; Beat #8 LSU 40-13, #9 Alabama 52-49, Kentucky 44-6 and Pittsburgh 34-27 in overtime; Lost to #1 Georgia 27-13

5-5  Ohio State (10-0) ran up the score on hapless Indiana 56-14; Beat #10 Penn State 44-31

9-6 USC (9-1) thumped Colorado 55-17; Beat #17 Oregon State 17-14 and Washington State 30-14; Lost to #15 Utah 43-42

10-7  Clemson (9-1) beat back Louisville 31-16; Beat #21 Florida State 34-28, North Carolina State 30-20, Wake Forest 51-45 and Syracuse 27-21; Lost to Notre Dame 35-14

11-8 LSU (8-2) squeaked by Arkansas 13-10; Beat #9 Alabama 32-31, #11 Mississippi 45-20 and Mississippi State 31-14; Lost to #4 Tennessee 40-13 and #21 Florida State 24-23

12-9  Alabama (8-2) came from behind to beat #11 Mississippi 30-24; Beat #11 Mississippi, Mississippi State 30-6 and Texas 20-19; Lost to #4 Tennessee 52-49 and #8 LSU 32-31

13-10 Penn State (8-2) blanked Maryland 30-0; Beat Maryland 30-0 and Purdue 35-31; Lost to #2 Michigan 41-17 and #5 Ohio State 44-31

8-11 Mississippi (8-2) fell to #9 Alabama 30-24; beat #20 Troy 28-10 and Kentucky 22-19; Lost to #8 LSU 45-20 and #9 Alabama 30-24

6-12  Oregon (8-2) lost to #13 Washington 37-34 at home; Beat #14 UCLA 45-30 at home and Washington State 44-41; Lost to #1 Georgia 49-3 and #13 Washington 37-34 at home

19-13 Washington (8-2) knocked off #12 Oregon 37-34 on the road; Beat #12 Oregon 37-34 on the road and #17 Oregon State 24-21 at home; Lost to #14 UCLA 40-32 on the road and Arizona State 45-30

7-14 UCLA (8-2) lost to Arizona 34-28; Beat #13 Washington 40-32 at home, #15 Utah 42-32 at home and #24 South Alabama 32-31; Lost to #12 Oregon 45-30 on the road and Arizona 34-28

14-15 Utah (8-2) bombed Stanford 42-7 (which beat Notre Dame this year); Beat #6 USC 43-42 at home, #17 Oregon State 42-16 at home and Washington State 21-7, lost to #14 UCLA 42-32 on the road and Florida 29-26

17-16 North Carolina (9-1) downed Wake Forest 36-34; Beat Wake Forest 36-34 and Pittsburgh 42-24; Lost to Notre Dame 45-32

23-17 Oregon State (7-3) beat up on California 38-10; Beat Washington State 24-10 and Boise State 34-17; Lost to #6 USC 17-14, #13 Washington 24-21 and #15 Utah 42-16 

16-18 Liberty (8-2)  toppled Arkansas 21-19; No significant wins; Lost to Wake Forest 37-36

21-19 Coastal Carolina (9-1) got by Southern Mississippi 26-23 at home; No significant wins; Lost to Old Dominion 49-21

22-20 Troy (8-2) turned back Army 10-9; Beat #24 South Alabama 10-6; Lost to #11 Mississippi 28-10 and Appalachian State 32-28

25-21 Florida State (7-3) blitzed Syracuse 38-3; Beat #8 LSU 24-23 and Syracuse 38-3; Lost to #7 Clemson 34-28, North Carolina State 19-17 and Wake Forest 31-21

---22 UCF (8-2) upset #23 Tulane 38-31; Beat Tulane 38-31 and Cincinnati 25-21; Lost to Louisville 20-14 and East Carolina 34-13

18-23 Tulane (8-2) lost at home to #22 UCF 38-31; Beat #25 Kansas State 17-10; Lost to #22 UCF 38-31 and Southern Mississippi 27-24

---24 South Alabama (7-2) rallied past Georgia Southern 38-31; No significant wins; Lost to #14 UCLA 32-31 and #20 Troy 10-6

---25 Kansas State (7-3) got back on track by beating Baylor 31-3; Beat Oklahoma State 48-0; Lost to #3 TCU 38-28, #23 Tulane 17-10 and Texas 34-27

Dropped Out:  Wake Forest, North Carolina State, Illinois

Also Considered:

Oklahoma State (7-3) survived Iowa State 20-14; Beat Texas 41-34; Lost to #3 TCU 43-40, #25 Kansas State 48-0 and Kansas 37-16

Washington State (6-4) No significant wins; Lost to #6 USC 30-14, #12 Oregon 44-41, #15 Utah 21-17 and #17 Oregon State 24-10

Cincinnati (8-2) edged East Carolina 27-25; No significant wins; Lost to #22 UCF 25-21 and Arkansas 31-24 

15---North Carolina State (7-3) lost to lowly Boston College 21-20; Beat #21 Florida State 19-17 and Wake Forest 30-21; Lost to #7 Clemson 30-20, Syracuse 24-9 and Boston College 21-20

Louisville (6-4) lost to #7 Clemson 31-16; Beat #22 UCF 20-14, Wake Forest 48-21 and Pittsburgh 24-10; Lost to #21 Florida State 35-31, Syracuse 31-7 and Boston College 34-31

Notre Dame (7-3) edged 3-7 Navy 35-32; Beat #7 Clemson 35-14, #16 North Carolina 45-32 and Syracuse 41-24; Lost to #5 Ohio State 21-10, Stanford 16-14 and Marshall 26-21

Texas (6-4) lost to #3 TCU 17-10; Beat #25 Kansas State 34-27 and Texas-San Antonio 41-20; Lost to #3 TCU 17-10, #9 Alabama 20-19, Oklahoma State 41-34 and Texas Tech 37-34

20---Illinois (7-3) lost to Purdue 31-24; No significant wins; Beat Minnesota 26-14; Lost to Purdue 31-24, Michigan State 23-15 and Indiana 23-20

Florida (6-4) ran over South Carolina 38-6; Beat #15 Utah 29-26 and South Carolina 38-6; Lost to #1 Georgia 42-20, #4 Tennessee 38-33, #8 LSU 45-35 and Kentucky at home 26-16

South Carolina (6-4) lost to Florida 38-6; Beat Kentucky 24-14 on the road; Lost to #1 Georgia 48-7, Florida 38-6 on the road, Missouri 23-10 and Arkansas 44-30

Kentucky (6-4) lost to Vanderbilt 24-21; Beat Mississippi State 27-17 at home; Lost to #4 Tennessee 44-6, #11 Mississippi 22-19, South Carolina 24-14 at home and Vanderbilt 24-21

Mississippi State (6-4) lost again to #1 Georgia 45-19; No significant wins; Lost to #1 Georgia 45-19, #8 LSU 31-14, #9 Alabama 30-6 and Kentucky 27-17 

Minnesota (6-3) beat Nebraska 20-13; No significant wins; Lost to #10 Penn State 45-17, Illinois 26-14 and Purdue 20-10

24--- Wake Forest (6-4) fell apart in losing to #16 North Carolina 36-34; Beat #18 Liberty 37-36 and #21 Florida State 31-20; Lost to #7 Clemson 51-45, #16 North Carolina 36-34, North Carolina State 30-21 and Louisville 48-21

Pittsburgh (6-4) upended Virginia 37-7; Beat Syracuse 19-9; Lost to #4 Tennessee 34-27 in overtime, #16 North Carolina 42-24,  Louisville 24-10 and Georgia Tech 26-21

Syracuse (6-4) lost again to #21 Florida State 38-3; Beat North Carolina State 24-9; Lost to #7 Clemson 27-21, #21 Florida State 38-3, Notre Dame 41-24 and Pittsburgh 19-9

Texas-San Antonio (8-2) blasted Louisiana Tech 51-7; No significant wins; Lost to Texas 41-20 and Houston 37-35

Boise State (7-3) rebounded to top Nevada 41-3; No significant wins; Lost to #17 Oregon State 34-17, UTEP 27-10 and BYU 31-28

Purdue (6-4) beat Illinois 31-24 on the road; Beat Illinois 31-24, Minnesota 20-10 and Maryland 31-29; Lost to #10 Penn State 35-31, Syracuse 32-29, Wisconsin 35-24 and Iowa 21-3

Maryland (6-4) was whitewashed by Penn State 30-0; No significant wins; Lost to #5 Michigan 34-27, #10 Penn State 30-0, Purdue 31-29 and Wisconsin 23-10

Baylor (6-4) lost to Kansas State 31-3; No significant wins; Lost to Kansas State 31-3, Oklahoma State 36-25, BYU 26-20 and West Virginia 43-40

Blue Through and Through Top 25

 Unlike the AP and Coaches' polls, we base our rankings on logic.  Undefeated teams are ranked by the highest impressive win and number of impressive wins.  Generally, a big win places a team over another with a loss to a ranked team, unless there are other big wins and losses to look at.  A bad loss will hurt a team much more than a big win will help it.  On the other hand, a loss to a Top 25 team will not hurt a team, other than its comparison to other teams' losses to Top 25 teams and in the number of total losses.

A team that beat another head-to-head will always be ranked ahead of that team as long as they have the same or better record.  The mistake that voters in most polls (both AP and Coaches) is that they are swept up in emotion and forget logic.  

2022 is proving to be a year in which there are not a lot of really good teams but a lot of parity.  The SEC, Big 12 and ACC in particular, are down.  It is difficult this week to find 25 teams that are truly worthy of that lofty recognition.  Three losses is now "good".

Michigan and TCU were in line for #1 with Tennessee's loss but their top wins are looking less and less impressive.

Washington was the top team outside of the Top 25 in last week's rankings and proved that position with a win over Oregon State.  Neither the Coaches' Poll nor the AP believed the Huskies were that close to being Top 25.  We did.

You will probably see Notre Dame ranked in the "polls" after its win over Clemson.  The press and coaches will be swept up in emotion, while forgetting that the Irish lost to both Stanford and Marshall.  Not one but two very bad losses.  The win over Clemson is more a sign that the ACC is weak than the Irish are strong.

The playoff committee is also not without flaw--they had 6-3 Texas ranked in the Top 25 last week.  There were three unranked teams better than Texas.  

They also rank UCF, which, despite a fine 7-2 record, lost to both Louisville and East Carolina.  Plus, the committee had Wake Forest ranked ahead of North Carolina State last week.  The two teams had the same record and the Wolfpack's two losses were to Top 25 teams while one of Wake Forest's losses was to Louisville.  It was illogical for the committee to rank the Demon Deacons ahead of NC State, as the Pack proved on the field Saturday with a 30-21 win over Wake Forest.

Clemson fell from 1-10 this week.  Remember that a bad loss affects the ratings (as it should) more than big wins, everything else being equal.  Clemson is the only Top 10 team that has lost to another outside of the Top 10.

Even Boise State, with a lackluster showing against a team with a four-game losing streak, stayed on the "Also considered" list, as there just aren't enough good teams to consider.

The Top 25:

3-1  Georgia (9-0) proved themselves with a 27-13 win over #4 Tennessee; Beat #4 Tennessee 27-13,  #6 Oregon 49-3 and South Carolina 48-7

5-2  Michigan (9-0) destroyed Rutgers 52-17 ; Beat #13 Penn State 41-17 and Maryland 34-27

4-3  TCU (9-0) came from behind to beat Texas Tech 34-24; Beat Kansas State 38-28 and Oklahoma State 43-40

2-4  Tennessee (8-1) was no match for #1 Georgia, losing 27-13; Beat #11 LSU 40-13, #12 Alabama 52-49 and Kentucky 44-6; Lost to #1 Georgia 27-13

7-5  Ohio State (9-0) got by Northwestern 21-7; Beat #13 Penn State 44-31

8-6  Oregon (8-1) blasted Colorado 49-19; Beat #7 UCLA 45-30; Lost to #1 Georgia 49-3

11-7 UCLA (8-1) ran away from Arizona State 50-36; Beat #14 Utah 42-32; Lost to #6 Oregon 45-30

12-8 Mississippi (8-1) nudged Texas A&M 31-28; beat #22 Troy 28-10 and Kentucky 22-19; Lost to #11 LSU 45-20

13-9 USC (8-1) survived California 41-35; Beat #24 Oregon State 17-14; Lost to #14 Utah 43-42

1-10  Clemson (8-1) ran into suddenly hot Notre Dame 35-14; Beat #17 North Carolina State 30-20, #23 Wake Forest 51-45, #25 Florida State 34-28 and Syracuse 27-21; Lost to Notre Dame 35-14

17-11 LSU (7-2) notched a 32-31 win over #12 Alabama in overtime; Beat #8 Mississippi 45-20, #12 Alabama 32-31, and Mississippi State 31-14; Lost to #4 Tennessee 40-13 and #25 Florida State 24-23

6-12  Alabama (7-2) lost a 32-31 heartbreaker to #11 LSU in overtime; Beat Mississippi State 30-6 and Texas 20-19; Lost to #4 Tennessee 52-49 and #11 LSU 32-31

15-13 Penn State (7-2) rebounded to pummel Indiana 45-14; No significant wins; Lost to #2 Michigan 41-17 and #5 Ohio State 44-31

16-14 Utah (7-2) whipped Arizona 45-20; Beat #9 USC 43-42 and #24 Oregon State 42-16, lost to #7 UCLA 42-32 and Florida 29-26

17-15 North Carolina State (7-2) scored a 30-21 victory over #24 Wake Forest; Beat #24 Wake Forest 30-21 and #25 Florida State 19-17; Lost to #10 Clemson 30-20 and Syracuse 24-9

22-16 Liberty (8-1)  toppled Arkansas 21-19; No significant wins; Lost to #24 Wake Forest 37-36

#24-17 North Carolina (8-1) survived a scare at Virginia, 31-28; No significant wins; Lost to Notre Dame 45-32

21-18 Tulane (8-1) upended Tulsa 27-13; Beat Kansas State 17-10; Lost to Southern Mississippi 27-24

----19 Washington (7-2) edged #24 Oregon State 24-21; Beat #24 Oregon State 24-21; Lost to #7 UCLA 40-32 and Arizona State 45-30

24-20 Illinois (7-1) did not play; No significant wins; Lost to Indiana 23-20

---21 Coastal Carolina (8-1) was able to defeat Appalachian State 35-28; No significant wins; Lost to Old Dominion 49-21

---22 Troy (7-2) defeated Louisiana 23-17; No significant wins; Lost to #8 Mississippi 28-10 and Appalachian State 32-28

15-23 Oregon State (6-3) lost to #19 Washington 24-21; Beat Boise State 34-17; Lost to #9 USC 17-14, #14 Utah 42-16 and #19 Washington 24-21

19-24 Wake Forest (6-3) lost again to #15 North Carolina State 30-21; Beat #16 Liberty 37-36 and #25 Florida State 31-20; Lost to #10 Clemson 51-45, #15 North Carolina State 30-21 and Louisville 48-21

---25 Florida State (6-3) routed Miami of Florida 45-3; Beat #12 LSU 24-23; Lost to #10 Clemson 34-28, #15 North Carolina State 19-17 and #24 Wake Forest 31-21

Dropped Out:  Kansas State, Syracuse, Maryland and Oklahoma State

Also Considered:

Texas (6-3) prevailed over Kansas State 34-27; Beat Kansas State 34-27 and Texas-San Antonio 41-20; Lost to #12 Alabama 20-19, Oklahoma State 41-34 and Texas Tech 37-34

22--- Kansas State (6-3) saw its hopes dashed by Texas 34-27; Beat Oklahoma State 48-0; Lost to #3 TCU 38-28, #18 Tulane 17-10 and Texas 34-27

South Carolina (6-3) defeated Vanderbilt 38-27; Beat Kentucky 24-14; Lost to #5 Georgia 48-7, Missouri 23-10 and Arkansas 44-30

Kentucky (6-3) squeaked by Missouri 21-17; Beat Mississippi State 27-17; Lost to #5 Tennessee 44-6, #9 Mississippi 22-19 and South Carolina 24-14

Mississippi State (6-3) nudged Auburn 39-33 in overtime; Beat Arkansas 40-17; Lost to #11 LSU 31-14, #12 Alabama 30-6,  and Kentucky 27-17 

16--- Syracuse (6-3) was outclassed by Pittsburgh 19-9; Beat #15 North Carolina State 24-9; Lost to #10 Clemson 27-21, Notre Dame 41-24 and Pittsburgh 19-9

23--- Oklahoma State (6-3) lost again to Kansas 37-16; Beat Texas 41-34; Lost to #4 TCU 43-40, #24 Kansas State 48-0 and Kansas 37-16

Notre Dame (6-3) ripped #5 Clemson 35-14; Beat #10 Clemson 35-14, #23 Syracuse 41-24 and #22 North Carolina 45-32; Lost to #5 Ohio State 21-10, Stanford 16-14 and Marshall 26-21

25---Maryland (6-3) lost to Wisconsin 23-10; No significant wins; Lost to #5 Michigan 34-27, Wisconsin 23-10 and Purdue 31-29

Louisville (6-3) ran over James Madison 34-10; Beat #24 Wake Forest 48-21 and UCF 20-14; Lost to #23 Syracuse 31-7, Florida State 35-31 and Boston College 34-31

UCF (7-2)  edged Memphis 35-28; Beat Cincinnati 25-21; Lost to Louisville 20-14 and East Carolina 34-13

Cincinnati (7-2) got by Navy 20-10; No significant wins; Lost to Arkansas 31-24 and UCF 25-21

South Alabama (7-2) rallied past Georgia Southern 38-31; No significant wins; Lost to #8 UCLA 32-31 and #23 Troy 10-6

Minnesota (6-3) beat Nebraska 20-13; No significant wins; Lost to #14 Penn State 45-17, #20 Illinois 26-14, Purdue 20-10

Texas-San Antonio (7-2) escaped with a 44-38 win over UAB in double overtime; No significant wins; Lost to Houston 37-35 and Texas 41-20

Baylor (6-3) beat Oklahoma 38-35; Lost to Oklahoma State 36-25, BYU 26-20 and West Virginia 43-40

Boise State (6-3) lost to BYU 31-28; No significant wins; Lost to #24 Oregon State 34-17, UTEP 27-10 and BYU 31-28

San Jose State (6-2) turned back Colorado State 28-16; No significant wins; Lost to Fresno State 17-10 and Auburn 24-16

Brand New Blue Through and Through Top 25

Unlike the AP and Coaches' polls, we base our rankings on logic.  Undefeated teams are ranked by the highest impressive win and number of impressive wins.  Generally, a big win places a team over another with a big loss, unless there are other big wins and losses to look at.  A bad loss will hurt a team much more than a big win will help it.  On the other hand, a loss to a Top 25 team will not hurt a team, other than its comparison to other teams' losses to Top 25 teams and in the number of total losses.

A team that beat another head-to-head will always be ranked ahead of that team as long as they have the same or better record.  The mistake that voters in most polls (both AP and Coaches) is that they are swept up in emotion and forget logic.  These voters will no doubt be highly impressed by Kansas State's 49-0 win over previously well-thought of Oklahoma State.  But K-State cannot be ranked ahead of Tulane, which has a better record and defeated them on the football field.

The principal of head-to-head matchups is well evident this week.  Liberty is ranked ahead of Wake Forest, Tulane is ahead of Kansas State, K State is ranked ahead of Oklahoma State because of wins on the field--as would any poll that can be taken seriously.  Kentucky is ranked above Mississippi State and Mississippi State is ahead of Arkansas, all by virtue of the same number of losses decided by head-to-head records. 

Tennessee gained the top spot not only with another impressive win but largely due to the collapse of ranked ACC teams that were the big feathers in Clemson's cap up to this week.  Clemson still has more impressive wins, but two of Tennessee's biggest wins are both more impressive than the top win by the Tigers as of now.  

There was an oddity when Penn State, which lost to Ohio State, moved up in the rankings, only because so many teams ahead of the Nittany Lions lost and there are only two teams behind them (LSU and Utah) with the resume to pass them.

The Top 25:

2-1  Tennessee (8-0) Beat Kentucky 44-6; Beat #7 Alabama 52-49, #12 LSU 40-13 and Kentucky 44-6

1-2  Clemson (8-0) had a bye week; Beat #16 Syracuse 27-21, #17 North Carolina State 30-20, #19 Wake Forest 51-45  and Florida State 34-28

5-3  Michigan (8-0) ripped rival Michigan State 29-7; Beat #14 Penn State 41-17 and #25 Maryland 34-27

4-4  TCU (8-0) downed West Virginia 41-31; Beat #22 Kansas State 38-28 and #23 Oklahoma State 43-40

3-5  Georgia (8-0) ran over Florida 42-20; Beat #8 Oregon 49-3 and South Carolina 48-7

7-6  Ohio State (8-0) rallied to top #14 Penn State 44-31; Beat #14 Penn State 44-31

6-7  Alabama (7-1) did not play; Beat Mississippi State 30-6 and Texas 20-19; Lost to #1 Tennessee 52-49

8-8  Oregon (7-1) toppled Cal 42-24; Beat #9 UCLA 45-30; Lost to #5 Georgia 49-3

11-9 UCLA (6-1) whipped Stanford 38-13; Beat #13 Utah 42-32; Lost to #8 Oregon 45-30

13-10 USC (7-1) beat Arizona 45-37; Beat #15 Oregon State 17-14; Lost to #13 Utah 43-42

12-11 Mississippi (7-1) nudged Texas A&M 31-28; beat Kentucky 22-19 and Troy 28-10; Lost to #12 LSU 45-20

17-12 LSU (6-2) did not play; Beat #11 Mississippi 45-20 and Mississippi State 31-14; Lost to #2 Tennessee 40-13 and Florida State 24-23

16-13 Utah (6-2) survived a scare from Washington State 21-17; Beat #10 USC 43-42 and #15 Oregon State 42-16, lost to #9 UCLA 42-32 and Florida 29-26

15-14 Penn State (6-2) lost a lead and the game to #6 Ohio State 44-31; No significant wins; Lost to #3 Michigan 41-17 and #6 Ohio State 44-31

21-15 Oregon State (6-2) was idle this week; Beat Boise State 34-17; Lost to #14 USC 17-14 and #16 Utah 42-16

9-16  Syracuse (6-2) lost to Notre Dame 41-24; Beat #17 North Carolina State 24-9 and Purdue 32-29; Lost to #2 Clemson 27-21 and Notre Dame 41-24

19-17 North Carolina State (6-2) edged Virginia Tech 22-21; Beat Florida State 19-17; Lost to #2 Clemson 30-20 and #16 Syracuse 24-9

22-18 Liberty (7-1)  did not play this week; No significant wins; Lost to #19 Wake Forest 37-36

13-19 Wake Forest (6-2) fell victim to Louisville 48-21; Beat #18 Liberty 37-36 and Florida State 31-20; Lost to #2 Clemson 51-45 and Louisville 48-21

#24-20 North Carolina (6-1) destroyed Pittsburgh 42-24; No significant wins; Lost to Notre Dame 45-32

25-21 Tulane (7-1) did not play; Beat #22 Kansas State 17-10; Lost to Southern Mississippi 27-24

----22 Kansas State (6-2) mashed Oklahoma State 48-0; Beat Oklahoma State 48-0 and Oklahoma 41-34; Lost to #4 TCU 38-28 and #21 Tulane 17-10

10-23 Oklahoma State (6-2) was whitewashed by #22 Kansas State 48-0; Beat Texas 41-34; Lost to #4 TCU 43-40 and #24 Kansas State 48-0

---24 Illinois (7-1) turned back Nebraska 26-9; No significant wins; Lost to Indiana 23-20

24-25 Maryland (6-2) was idle; No significant wins; Lost to #5 Michigan 34-27 and Purdue 31-29

Dropped Out:  Kentucky

Also Considered:

Washington (6-2) did not play; No significant wins; Lost to #9 UCLA 40-32 and Arizona State 45-30

Coastal Carolina (7-1) beat Marshall 24-13; No significant wins; Lost to Old Dominion 49-21

Troy (6-2) did not play; No significant wins; Lost to #12 Mississippi 28-10 and App State 32-28

Boise State (6-2) motored to a 49-10 win over Colorado State; No significant wins; Lost to #15 Oregon State 34-17 and UTEP 27-10

Florida State (5-3) routed Georgia Tech 41-16; Beat #12 LSU 24-23; Lost to #2 Clemson 34-28, #17 North Carolina State 19-17 and #19 Wake Forest 31-21

20--- Kentucky (5-3) lost to #1 Tennessee 44-6; Beat Mississippi State 27-17; Lost to #1 Tennessee 44-6, #11 Mississippi 22-19 and South Carolina 24-14

Mississippi State (5-3) was idle this week; Beat Arkansas 40-17; Lost to #7 Alabama 30-6, #12 LSU 31-14 and Kentucky 27-17 

Purdue (5-3) had the week off; Beat #25 Maryland 31-29; Lost to #14 Penn State 35-31, #16 Syracuse 32-29 and Wisconsin 35-24

Texas (5-3) was idle this week; Beat Texas-San Antonio 41-20; Lost to #7 Alabama 20-19, #25 Oklahoma State 41-34 and Texas Tech 37-34

Oklahoma (6-3) got by Iowa State 27-13; Lost to #4 TCU 55-24, #22 Kansas State 41-34 and Texas 49-0

Notre Dame (5-3) beat #16 Syracuse 41-24; Beat #16 Syracuse 41-24 and #22 North Carolina 45-32; Lost to #6 Ohio State 21-10, Stanford 16-14 and Marshall 26-21

Louisville (5-3) beat #19 Wake Forest 48-21; Beat #19 Wake Forest 48-21 and UCF 20-14; Lost to #15 Syracuse 31-7, Florida State 35-31 and Boston College 34-31

UCF (7-2)  beat Cincinnati 25-21; Lost to Louisville 20-14 and East Carolina 34-13

Cincinnati (6-2) fell to UCF 25-21; No significant wins; Lost to Arkansas 31-24 and UCF 25-21

Arkansas (5-3) upended Auburn 41-27; Beat South Carolina 44-30 and Cincinnati 31-24; Lost to #7 Alabama 49-26, Mississippi State 40-17 and Texas A&M 23-21

18--- South Carolina (5-3) fell to Missouri 23-10; Beat Kentucky 24-14; Lost to #5 Georgia 48-7, Missouri 23-10 and Arkansas 44-30

Texas-San Antonio (6-2) did not play; No significant wins; Lost to Houston 37-35 and Texas 41-20

Blue Football Through and Through Top 25

We will debut our popular Top 25 teams this week while watching the precarious position of the United States.  If fascists win either the House of Representatives or the Senate, we will obviously have to discontinue the ranking.

Unlike the AP and Coaches' polls, we base our rankings on logic.  Undefeated teams are ranked by the highest impressive win and number of impressive wins.  Generally, a big win places a team over another with a big loss, unless there are other big wins and losses to look at.  A bad loss will hurt a team much more than a big win will help it.  A team that beat another head-to-head will always be ranked ahead of that team as long as they have the same record.

Clemson earns the top spot on the basis of four significant wins, including three over Top 25 teams.  They have proven the most this season, and it is inarguable that until they lose (or another team matches its impressive wins), they are the #1 team.

Tennessee is the easy choice for #2, with a win over #6 Alabama and two other impressive wins, including a W over #21 LSU.  Georgia also has two wins over Top 25 teams, one short of Tennessee.  Plus, the Volunteers have three significant wins to two for Georgia.  TCU and Michigan are very close--TCU gets the nod because of a win over #10 Oklahoma State while Michigan's biggest win is over #15 Penn State.

The Top 25:

#1  Clemson (8-0) Beat #9 Syracuse 27-21, #13 Wake Forest 51-45, #19 North Carolina State 30-20  and Florida State 34-28

#2  Tennessee (7-0) Beat #6 Alabama 52-49 #21 LSU 40-13 and Florida 39-33

#3  Georgia (7-0) Beat #8 Oregon 49-3 and #18 South Carolina 48-7

#4  TCU (7-0) Beat #10 Oklahoma State 43-40 and Kansas State 38-28

#5  Michigan (7-0) Beat #15 Penn State 41-17 and #24 Maryland 34-27

#6  Alabama (7-1) Beat Mississippi State 30-6 and Texas 20-19; Lost to #2 Tennessee 52-49

#7  Ohio State (7-0)—No significant wins

#8  Oregon (6-1) Beat #11 UCLA 45-30; Lost to #3 Georgia 49-3

#9  Syracuse (6-1) Beat #19 North Carolina State 24-9 and Purdue 32-29; Lost to #1 Clemson 27-21

#10 Oklahoma State (6-1) Beat Texas 41-34; Lost to #4 TCU 43-40

#11 UCLA (6-1) Beat #17 Utah 42-32; Lost to #8 Oregon 45-30

#12 Mississippi (7-1) beat #20 Kentucky 22-19 and Troy 28-10; Lost to #17 LSU 45-20

#13 Wake Forest (6-1) Beat #22 Liberty 37-36 and Florida State 31-20; Lost to #1 Clemson 51-45

#14 USC (6-1) Beat #21 Oregon State 17-14; Lost to #16 Utah 43-42

#15 Penn State (6-1) Lost to #5 Michigan 41-17

#16 Utah (5-2) beat #14 USC 43-42 and #21 Oregon State 42-16, lost to #11 UCLA 42-32 and Florida 29-26

#17 LSU (6-2) beat #12 Mississippi 45-20, Mississippi State 31-14 and Florida 43-35; Lost to #2 Tennessee 40-13 and Florida State 24-23

#18 South Carolina (5-2) Beat #20 Kentucky 24-14; Lost to #4 Georgia 48-7 and Arkansas 44-30

#19 North Carolina State (5-2) Beat Florida State 19-17; Lost to #1 Clemson 30-20 and #9 Syracuse 24-9

#20 Kentucky (5-2) Beat Mississippi State 27-17 and Florida 26-16; Lost to #12 Mississippi 22-19 and #18 South Carolina 24-14

#21 Oregon State (6-2) Beat Boise State 34-17; Lost to #14 USC 17-14 and #16 Utah 42-16

#22 Liberty (7-1)  No significant wins; Lost to #13 Wake Forest 37-36

#23 North Carolina (6-1) Beat App State 63-61; Lost to Notre Dame 45-32

#24 Maryland (6-2) Beat Illinois 38-33; Lost to #5 Michigan 34-27 and Purdue 31-29

#25 Tulane (7-1) Beat Kansas State 17-10; Lost to Southern Mississippi 27-24

Also Considered:

Kansas State (5-2) Beat Oklahoma 41-34; Lost to #4 TCU 38-28 and #25 Tulane 17-10

Cincinnati (6-1) No significant wins; Lost to Arkansas 31-24

Illinois (6-1) No significant wins; Lost to Indiana 23-20

Washington (6-2) No significant wins; Lost to #12 UCLA 40-32 and Arizona State 45-30

Florida State (4-3) Beat #21 LSU 24-23; Lost to #1 Clemson 34-28, #13 Wake Forest 31-21 and #19 North Carolina State 19-17

Coastal Carolina (6-1) No significant wins; Lost to Old Dominion 49-21

Florida (4-3) Beat Utah #16 29-26; Lost to #2 Tennessee 38-33, #20 Kentucky 26-16 and #17 LSU 45-35

Mississippi State (5-3) Beat Arkansas 40-17; Lost to #6 Alabama 30-6, #20 Kentucky 27-17 and #17 LSU 31-14

Troy (6-2) No significant wins; Lost to #12 Mississippi 28-10 and App State 32-28

Arkansas Beat #18 South Carolina 44-30, Cincinnati 31-24 and BYU 52-35; Lost to #7 Alabama 49-26, #24 Mississippi State 40-17 and Texas A&M 23-21

Purdue (5-3) Beat #24 Maryland 31-29; Lost to #9 Syracuse 32-29, #16 Penn State 35-31 and Wisconsin 35-24

Boise State (5-2) No significant wins; Lost to #21 Oregon State 34-17 and UTEP 27-10

Texas (5-3) Beat Texas-San Antonio 41-20; Lost to #6 Alabama 20-19, #10 Oklahoma State 41-34 and Texas Tech 37-34

Texas-San Antonio (6-2) No significant wins; Lost to Houston 37-35 and Texas 41-20