Times’ college football rankings: Alabama is No. 1 after Stanford’s loss

Rankman’s pipe dream of Stanford and Northwestern meeting in the BCS title game at the Rose Bowl is over. Gone is the utopian idea two schools with integrity and academic standards might also compete on football’s grandest stage. We’re left now with a No. 1, 2 and 3 in various stages of NCAA inquiry. Alabama prays an ineligible player won’t force vacation of its last two titles, Oregon has been given a scholarship haircut thanks to Chip Kelly, while Ohio State is just now out of bowl jail after getting tattooed by the NCAA. Stanford tumbled nine spots from No. 1 after leaving a dream season on the goal line at Utah. Poor Northwestern was 10 minutes from upsetting Ohio State last week but the Wildcats have had to be put down. Harvard is leading the Ivy League and would have been an inspired new choice for No.1 …100 years ago. We’ll continue to scour for viable alternatives but until then “How about those Clemson Tigers!”

1; Alabama 6-0; Back on top with a schedule that still includes Arkansas and a train stop (Chattanooga). (2)

2; Oregon 6-0; Coach joked he cut Mariota “promptly” after he threw an interception in practice. (3)

3; Ohio State 6-0; Landlord says Buckeyes must vacate Apt. No. 3 by the end of the Clemson-Florida State game. (4)

4; Clemson 6-0; Facing the biggest game in ACC history until Duke plays at Wake Forest on Nov. 23. (5)

5; Florida State 5-0; Has not won at Death Valley since 2001 but has played surprisingly well in the Grand Tetons. (6)

6; Louisville 6-0; A team that will not quit gets saddled with schedule that gave up around Labor Day. (7)

7; Texas A&M; 5-1; Johnny Football’s fancy footwork at Ole Miss all but cinches this year’s Baryshnikov Award. (8)

8; LSU 6-1; Team from SEC you would least like to meet in a Baton Rouge bar fight at closing time. (10)

9; UCLA 5-0; Selection committee member Pat Haden requests all of school’s football files. (11)

10; Stanford 5-1; Recently voted “America’s best team the last two years between the five-yard lines.” (1)

11; Miami 5-0; NCAA Illustrated names Hurricanes to its midseason all-sanctioned squad. (14)

12; Baylor 5-0; QB Bryce Petty and the Heartbreakers say they’re just running down a dream. (15)

13 South Carolina 5-1; Glad Clowney did not strike Heisman pose on one tackle he made vs. Arkansas. (17)

14; Missouri 6-0; Roaring start but Franklin’s separated shoulder creates top-25 separation anxiety. (NR)

15; Fresno State 5-0; Top booster slips Rankman a Ben Franklin to get better seat near the front. (20)

16; Texas Tech 6-0; Will probably end up losing a game for each of the two freshman quarterbacks it is playing. (21)

17; Washington 4-2; Running back Sankey is a Bishop who goes north and south as well as diagonally. (16)

18; Oklahoma State 4-1; Cowboys were preseason pick to win Big 12 but are only moseying down that trail. (22)

19; Florida 4-2; Georgia game this year renamed “World’s Largest Outdoor Surgery & Rehab Facility.” (18)

20; Georgia 4-2; Rankman swears if Bulldogs lose five or six more times they may get dropped from standings. (9)

21; Nebraska 5-1; Huskers recently enjoyed one of big perks offered for joining Big Ten … playing Purdue. (23)

22; Oklahoma 5-1; Stoops screamed Monday when he looked in mirror and thought he saw Mack Brown. (12)

23; Northern Illinois 6-0; Vroom Vroom: Shangri-Las rework 1964 pop single into “Leader of the MAC.” (24)

24; Virginia Tech 6-1; Skip to ACC work knowing they skipped Clemson and Florida State on schedule. (25)

25; Wisconsin 4-2; One of the best two-loss teams out there along with Georgia and the San Francisco 49ers. (NR)

Dropped out: Northwestern (13), Michigan (19).

Moved in: Missouri, Wisconsin.