Wolverines Never Looked So Good

A win is a win is a win?

Not in college football it isn’t.

Proving it can be a pretty impressive team on Sundays too, Michigan vaulted from No. 4 to the nation’s top team in the Associated Press poll, overtaking two schools that were also victorious.

On the strength of their 34-8 victory at No. 2 Penn State, the Wolverines jumped over No. 1 Nebraska, a miraculous overtime winner against Missouri, and No. 3 Florida State, a 20-3 winner against No. 5 North Carolina.

Confusing matters, Florida State became the new No. 1 team in the ESPN/USA TODAY coaches’ poll, moving up from No. 2. Michigan is second.

What’s to be gathered from all this?

Style counts. College football is as much a beauty contest as it is a game.

It was the third time this season the No. 1 team lost its position after a victory. Penn State was the victim both times previously, surrendering No. 1 to Florida on Sept. 21 after a 36-point victory over Louisville and again, to Nebraska, on Oct. 19 after a 16-15 victory over Minnesota.

The weekend proved voters are not impressed with tainted victories. Nebraska fell two spots in both polls because it flat-out was lucky to beat Missouri, needing what is being called the 1990s’ “Imaculate Reception” at the end of regulation in Columbus to extend the game to overtime, where the Cornhuskers won.

“We got ourselves into this jam,” Nebraska defensive tackle Jason Peter said of his team’s poll predicament, “and hopefully we can get ourselves out of it.”

Sunday’s reshuffling of the poll deck sets up a wild November. If form holds, the Rose Bowl would own at least a piece of the national title game with No. 1 Michigan--against a likely top-10-ranked Pacific 10 opponent--while the Orange Bowl would tout the coaches’ top-ranked Florida State vs. No. 3 Nebraska for the national title.

What did you expect in the last year of a non-unified bowl alliance? Sanity?

Imagine the outrage should Florida State end up losing the national title to Michigan in the AP poll because the Wolverines’ 27-point victory over Penn State was deemed more worthy than the Seminoles’ 17-point victory at No. 5 North Carolina on Nov. 8?

Stay tuned.

Next season, when the Rose Bowl enters the alliance, the issue would be moot because No. 1 Michigan would be allowed to play No. 2 Florida State in the Fiesta Bowl, which hosts the first national title game in the alliance’s new four-bowl rotation.

For the rest of this month, however, the motiviation for the title contenders is not only to win--but to win big.

Given this year’s poll fluctuations, Michigan may not be able to afford a close win at Wisconsin next week while Florida State takes on poll-bait Wake Forest at home.

Is Nebraska out of it?

No way.

Michigan and Florida season close the regular season Nov. 22 with huge arch-rival tests against Ohio State and Florida, respectively.

Nebraska finishes with Iowa State, watered-down Colorado and some second-tier opponent in the Big 12 title game.

If Michigan and Florida stumble, Nebraska would be No. 1 again headed into its Nov. 28 game at Colorado. Meanwhile, in the race for the Rose Bowl. . . .

The Pac-10 remains a four-school fight.

Washington’s loss to Oregon deflates its national standing, but the Huskies still control their fate, needing wins against UCLA and Washington State to get to Pasadena.

Washington State goes to the Rose Bowl if it beats Stanford at home this weekend and Washington at Seattle in the Nov. 22 Apple Cup.

UCLA goes if it beats Washington and USC and Washington State loses once.

The school helped most by Washington’s defeat was Arizona State, which saw its longshot Rose Bowl odds improve, if only slightly. The Sun Devils still need to beat Oregon and Arizona and get one each loss from UCLA and Washington.

In the Big Ten, only Michigan controls its fate.

Michigan takes the title with season-ending victories over Wisconsin and Ohio State. Ohio State, Wisconsin, Penn State and Purdue all need help.

An interesting twist: If Purdue defeats Penn State next week, Ohio State plays at Michigan on Nov. 22 for the Big Ten title.

If Penn State wins, however, Michigan can lose to Ohio State and still go to the Rose Bowl if Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State finish in a three-way tie at 7-1. Michigan wins the tie-breaker because the other two schools have been to the Rose Bowl more recently.

Penn State plays its last game Nov. 29 at Michigan State, meaning the Big Ten title may not be determined until a week after Ohio State-Michigan.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.