College football top 25: Central Florida, Stanford on the move

Central Florida rose from unranked commuter school in Orlando to No. 15, Clemson got dropped like a hot Howard’s Rock and Stanford used a tremendous one-handed catch from Kodi Whitfield to get back in the national title chase. Professor Condi Rice was so excited she picked this season’s Stanford team to be in next season’s four-school playoff, prompting former Auburn coach Pat Dye to say something along the lines of “This is why girls should only be secretaries of State.” All eyes now turn to Tuscaloosa, where Alabama needs to lead 60-7 after three quarters to be more impressive against Tennessee than Oregon was last month.

1; Alabama 7-0; Billboard magazine says Crimson Tide could stay No. 1 longer than “Hey Jude.” (1)

2; Oregon 7-0; Aliotti asks that his $5,000 fine go into kitty for Pac-12 refs’ postseason party. (2)

3; Florida State 6-0; Bobby Bowden to be honored Saturday but still won’t be allowed to wear headset. (5)

4; Ohio State 7-0; Meyer is 19-0 in Columbus but had better shot at getting to BCS title game at Utah. (3)

5; Stanford 6-1; Rankman open-mike reading: “I think that I shall never see a mascot lovely as the Tree.” (10)

6; Miami 6-0; To paraphrase Tark, NCAA got so mad at Miami it’s going to put Slippery Rock on probation. (11)

7; Baylor 6-0; Scoring average of 64.7 is the average daily December temperature in San Diego. (12)

8; Missouri 7-0; Never won a Big 12 title but could claim the SEC in only its second season. (14)

9; Texas Tech 7-0; Went to Oklahoma undefeated in 2008 and came back with a 44-point loss. (16)

10; UCLA 5-1; Needs to avoid Washington’s plight of losing after the Huskies lost to Stanford and Oregon back to back. (9)

11; Clemson 6-1; Coach who said he’d beat FSU five times out of 10 came off as half-cocked. (4)

12; Fresno State 6-0; If BCS ended today, Bulldogs would be putting all their chips in a Fiesta Bowl. (15)

13; Louisiana State 6-2; Miles auctions “The Hat” after it went trickless in loss at Mississippi. (8)

14; Oklahoma State 5-1; Returns to Iowa State for first time since 2011 loss that ‘Bama so appreciated. (18)

15; Central Florida 5-1; This ranking has been approved by the Moose Lodge of Downtown Orlando. (NR)

16; Louisville 6-1; Well, at least the St. Louis Cardinals still have a chance to win a national championship. (6)

17; South Carolina 5-2; Team even more motivated this week after learning Missouri is in the SEC. (13)

18; Auburn 6-1; Free “Malzahn Miracle” milkshakes being served this week at Toomer’s Corner Cafe. (NR)

19; Texas A&M; 5-2; Johnny Gunslinger’s right arm was in sling but he’ll try to shoot it out vs. Vandy. (7)

20; Nebraska 5-1; Nebraska at Minnesota is a lot closer on a map than you might think. (21)

21; Oklahoma 6-1; Best way to cure Red River Rivalry hangover is to take two aspirin and call Kansas in the morning. (22)

22; Northern Illinois 7-0; Home to the two greatest running backs ever listed as quarterbacks in the media guide. (23)

23; Virginia Tech 6-1; Best effort this season remains that opening loss against No. 1 Alabama. (24)

24; Wisconsin 5-2; Right in the heart of its “I” portion of the Big Ten schedule: Illinois, Iowa and Indiana. (25)

25; Michigan 6-1; First team ever put back in top 25 after allowing 47 points to Indiana. (NR)

Dropped out: Washington (17), Florida (19), Georgia (20).

Moved in: Auburn, Central Florida, Michigan.