The Buckeyes are ranked number one, Karen Holbrook is a lame duck, and Maurice Clarett is in jail. The World Cup is thankfully over (did anyone score a goal?), Tiger is winning golf tournaments, and Jessica Simpson is single.  All is right with the world……It must be football season.  This week I’m going to take a stab at analyzing the  race for the national championship.  Next week we’ll   focus on our Buckeyes and those Northern Illinois Huskies.

Reggie Bush and Vince Young are in the NFL, so the rest of us have a chance and chaos and anarchy will surely prevail. There are more pretenders and contenders this year than fat girls on the rink during the all-skate at the Rock “N Rollerama in Durant, Oklahoma on a Saturday night.  The absence of any super team this year makes the Buckeyes as deserving as anyone. The best part of being ranked # 1 is that if you lose a game you don’t fall out of contention.  Does anyone think a close loss in Austin will knock the Bucks out of the top 6?  There might well be a second OSU-Texas game in Glendale Arizona on January 8.   I don’t look for any team to run the table.  This year it is all about the schedules.  West Virginia and Louisville probably have the best chance, with good teams and pathetic schedules, but the good news is that they play each other.  I think OSU and either Texas or USC plays in the National Championship game in Glendale, AZ on January 8.  However, there are plenty of other viable scenarios. WVU, if they get by Louisville, may muddy the water and jump over a superior Auburn team and possibly a once-beaten OSU or Texas.

  Take a look below and tell me who will be 12 or 13 and 0? The winner of the OSU-Texas game has a shot, but it won’t be easy.  USC has a chance and the PAC 10, like the Big 10, has no conference title game.  Unlike the Big Ten, the PAC Ten doesn’t have very many quality teams. Still it is hard to imagine, given the amount of talent lost to the NFL, that the Trojans can go 12-0.

 

Ohio State Sept. 2 Northern Illinois Sept. 9 at Texas Sept. 16 Cincinnati Sept. 23 Penn State Sept. 30 at Iowa Oct. 7 Bowling Green Oct. 14 at Michigan State Oct. 21 Indiana Oct. 28 Minnesota Nov. 4 at Illinois Nov. 11 at Northwestern  Nov. 18 Michigan

Texas Sept. 2 North Texas Sept. 9 Ohio State Sept. 16 at Rice Sept. 23 Iowa State Sept. 30 Sam Houston State Oct. 7 vs. Oklahoma (in Dallas) Oct. 14 Baylor Oct. 21 at Nebraska Oct. 28 at Texas Tech Nov. 4 Oklahoma State Nov. 11 at Kansas State Nov. 18 OPEN Nov. 24 Texas A&M

USC Sept. 2 at Arkansas Sept. 9 OPEN Sept. 16 Nebraska Sept. 23 at Arizona Sept. 30 at Washington State Oct. 7 Washington Oct. 14 Arizona State  Oct. 21 OPEN Oct. 28 at Oregon State  Nov. 4 at Stanford Nov. 11 Oregon  Nov. 18 California Nov. 25 Notre Dame  Dec. 2 at UCLA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If Notre Dame gets through their early schedule with one loss or less they could be in good shape when they role through the Defense Department.  An early loss to the Weasels and a road tip to USC means Charley will have to wait at least one more  year until he proves he is as good as he thinks he is.

Notre Dame Sept. 2 at Georgia Tech Sept. 9 Penn State Sept. 16 Michigan Sept. 23 at Michigan State Sept. 30 Purdue Oct. 7 Stanford Oct. 14 OPEN Oct. 21 UCLA Oct. 28 at Navy (in Baltimore) Nov. 4 North Carolina Nov. 11 at Air Force Nov. 18 Army Nov. 25 at USC

 

 

 

 

 For Louisville, other than Miami and WVU, who could they possibly lose to?  I think BYE is their next toughest opponent. The WVU schedule is even worse.  They have one game, ONE GAME! And that is against Louisville. What a joke.

WVU Sept 2 Marshall Sept 9 Buffalo Sept 14 Maryland Sept 23 at East Carolina Sept 30 BYE Oct 7 at Miss State Oct 14 Syracuse Oct 20 at Connecticut Oct 28 BYE Nov 2 at Louisville Nov 11 Cincinnati Nov 16 at Pittsburgh Nov 25 South Florida Dec 2 Rutgers

Louisville Sept 2 Kentucky Sept 9 at Temple Sept 16 Miami Sept 23 at Kansas State Sept 30 BYE Oct 6 at MTSU Oct 14 Cincinnati Oct 21 at Syracuse Oct 28 BYE Nov 2 West Virginia Nov 9 at Rutgers Nov 18 South Florida Nov 25 at Pittsburgh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEC schedules and that of the Big Ten are brutal and should knock most contenders out.  The SEC Championship game does not help Auburn’s or LSU chances of playing on January 8.

Auburn Sept. 2 Washington State Sept. 9 at Mississippi State Sept. 16 LSU Sept. 23 Buffalo Sept. 28 at South Carolina Oct. 7 Arkansas Oct. 14 Florida Oct. 21 Tulane Oct. 28 at Ole Miss Nov. 4 Arkansas State Nov. 11 Georgia Nov. 18 at Alabama

LSU Sept. 2 UL Lafayette Sept. 9 Arizona Sept. 16 at Auburn Sept. 23 Tulane Sept. 30 Mississippi State Oct. 7 at Florida Oct. 14 Kentucky Oct. 21 Fresno State Nov. 4 at Tennessee Nov. 11 Alabama Nov. 18 Ole Miss Nov. 25 at Arkansas (Little Rock)

 

   Clemson is loaded but has nearly the same problem in the new ACC. Can they sweep BC, FSU, Va Tech, and South Carolina?  No!  Then throw in a possible ACC championship game.  Same for FSU. Even if they get by Miami, they face Clemson, BC, and Florida.  Not quite as bad but still plenty of reasons to think they lose at least once.

Clemson Sept. 2 Florida Atlantic Sept. 9 at Boston College Sept. 16 at Florida State Sept. 23 North Carolina Sept. 30 Louisiana Tech Oct. 7 at Wake Forest Oct. 14 at Temple Oct. 21 Georgia Tech Oct. 26 (Thurs.) at Virginia Tech Nov. 4 Maryland Nov. 11 NC State Nov. 18 open date Nov. 25 South Carolina

Florida State Sept. 4 (Mon.) at Miami Sept. 9 Troy  Sept. 16 Clemson Sept. 23 Rice Sept. 30 open date Oct. 5 (Thurs.) at NC State Oct. 14 at Duke Oct. 21 Boston College Oct. 28 at Maryland Nov. 4 Virginia Nov. 11 Wake Forest Nov. 18 Western Michigan Nov. 25 Florida

 

Miami and Florida  have the same problems.  Miami’s schedule is a killer.  Open with FSU, then face Louisville, Va Tech and BC before an ACC Championship game.  Florida is still a year away before the Urban renewal  project is complete.  The Gators face Tenn, Bama, Georgia, South Carolina (Coached by Steve Spurrier, remember him?),LSU, Auburn and FSU.  Climb that mountain and you get to play in the SEC Championship game.  Good luck!

Miami Sept. 4 (Mon.) Florida State Sept. 9 Florida A&M Sept. 16 at Louisville Sept. 23 open date Sept. 30 Houston Oct. 7 North Carolina Oct. 14 FIU Oct. 21 at Duke Oct. 28 at Georgia Tech Nov. 4 Virginia Tech Nov. 11 at Maryland Nov. 18 at Virginia Nov. 23 (Thurs.) Boston College

Florida Sept. 2 Southern Miss Sept. 9 UCF Sept. 16 at Tennessee Sept. 23 Kentucky Sept. 30 Alabama Oct. 7 LSU Oct. 14 at Auburn Oct. 28 vs. Georgia (Jacksonville) Nov. 4 at Vanderbilt Nov. 11 South Carolina Nov. 18 Western Carolina Nov. 25 at Florida State

 

Teams from the Big Ten and PAC Ten, along with Notre Dame have a huge advantage in not playing a conference championship game.  The same can pretty much be said for the Big XII, because after OU or Texas wins the South, there is no one who can challenge from the North in their championship game.  Remember Texas’ rout of Colorado by a score of 70-3  last year.   How much did Dr. Pepper pay to sponsor that fiasco?

 

This is the year the BCS earns its keep.  Getting the two best teams together this year will not be easy.  Will they reward WV and Louisville for playing in a weak league and scheduling non-conference opponents who barely field teams?   Can they get the truly best one-loss team or does Auburn win all ties because of what happened to them two years ago.  The mayhem begins on August 31.

 

Below is my top ten for the moment. 

1. Ohio State
2. Texas
3. USC
4. Auburn
5. LSU
6. West Virginia
7. Notre Dame
8. Florida State
9. Miami
10. Louisville