By Adam Abramson
It's 2:55am and I got to UConn when my Internet decided to stop working. So 16-25 are what they are.
That said, it gets better as you go along.
As far as the teams go, there are a few who are making their case for the title game. There's a fair amount of football to be played, but if the season ended today, there'd be a lot of times with gripes.
25. Virginia
Five wins by two points or less. Yep. This team needs some offense.
24. Kentucky
It's extremely important to finish what they started and try to make something special out of this season.
23. Penn State
Not exactly a statement win against Purdue, but it was enough and the defense alone gets them into the Top 25.
22. Arkansas
Having wide receiver Marcus Monk back in the lineup is a huge boost for an offense that needs it.
21. Clemson
When you have CJ Spiller and James Davis and your quarterback Cullen Harper runs for over 100 yards, you know you're having a long afternoon. Clemson absolutely ate Duke's lunch on Saturday. This team has way too much talent to be so up-and-down.
20. Alabama
I liked the fight they had in them against LSU. The Tide will be just fine under Saban, in fact they'll be really good before you know it.
19. Boise State
Is this the snowball rolling down the hill, heading straight for Hawaii? They're acting like it. But I can't rank a one-loss Boise State team ahead of an undefeated Hawaii squad.
18. Auburn
Doesn't it seem like one test after another for the Tigers? And now there's rumors that Texas A&M will be gunning for Tommy Tuberville after this season. Could get really tense in their corner of the state.
17. Hawaii
Still waiting on Boise State.
16. Connecticut
I was impressed with last weekend's win over Cincinnati, but the Huskies are far from being out of the woods.
15. Texas
Last year it was McCoy who carried the load and this year it's Jamaal Charles. Check out these numbers from the last two weeks: 49 carries, 490 yards, 6 TDs, 2 comeback wins. This team has been hanging on by the skin of its teeth all year long.
14. Florida
The Gators wrap up their SEC schedule this weekend at South Carolina (as do the Gamecocks). Then they have to sit around and hope Tennessee and Georgia implode, which is unlikely. If I had a magic 8-ball from Wal-Mart and asked "Will UF make a BCS game" it'd say back "They shouldn't have blown it."
13. Boston College
I wasn't surprised at the loss (oh, I predicted it). But Boston College isn't deep or well-rounded enough to be amongst the big boys. If Matt Ryan gets into trouble, the whole team is in trouble. There's no reason this team cannot win a weak ACC, though.
12. Virginia Tech
I know they're ahead of Boston College, but I think Tech is a better football team. The order is tall this weekend: Florida State. Doesn't sound too bad at first, but the Seminoles are Virginia Tech killers.
11. Michigan
So you get back your senior quarterback and running back and have to score two touchdowns in the final seven minutes to beat Michigan State? What is this team's deal? I guess a win's a win, but it really wasn't pretty.
10. Southern California
There's enough talent on the roster to warrant a Top 10 ranking. Win out and their season is much like Michigan's: A shocking, horrifying loss and another one to a very good Oregon team. However, let's get by Cal, Arizona State and UCLA first -- there's a lot to play for when you're talking about those three programs.
9. Georgia
This weekend against Auburn is huge if the Bulldogs want to play in the SEC Championship game. What a weird season, though. It looked like trouble after the South Carolina loss. Then it looked a lot better after the Alabama win two weeks later. Two weeks after that, it looked rough again getting roughed up at Tennessee. But the win two weeks after that over Florida was season-saving...wait, that was two weeks ago.
8. Kansas
The Jayhawks hung 76 on Nebraska and it must have felt good. Problem is, the wheels have completely fallen off in Lincoln. There's a few more hurdles before I am a full believer.
7. Arizona State
The Sun Devils can't beat themselves up. They're still in the hunt for a BCS bid.
6. Missouri
Stay focused the next two weeks just the way they did against Colorado and the Tigers will have a very intense showdown with Kansas at the end of the month.
5. West Virginia
It's go-time for the Mountaineers. The next three games: Louisville (Thursday), at Cincy and UConn will determine how long the Mountaineers stay in the top 5.
4. Oklahoma
After stomping Texas A&M's face in, the Sooners took their latest step in their bid for a shot at the title. They're playing some smooth football and make me look worse every week.
3. Oregon
Another impressive win led by the offense. I'll be watching intently next Thursday to see if this team belongs in the national title game. But I have a feeling the Ducks might.
2. LSU
Another close win for the Tigers, but the next two will be walks in the park. Their season is shaping up much like Florida's last year. I'll stop there.
1. Ohio State
I had to listen on the radio as the Buckeyes got their first scare of the season, but they responded rather well with the ground game. Chris Wells is emerging as one of the top backs in the country. And he's only a sophmore. Also, Brian Robiskie has been very a pleasant surprise for Ohio State. However, the vulnerability OSU showed makes me believe that a flawless performance from Michigan could be enough.