THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

*--* No School (Rec) Comment 1 OKLAHOMA (10-0) To make it fair, Sooners agree to play two best combined remaining teams for title. 2 USC (8-1) Trojans wonder how Ohio State nudged over into their BCS driver’s seat. 3 LOUISIANA STATE (8-1) Team needs to catch some Louisiana Lightning to make Sugar Bowl. 4 OHIO STATE (9-1) Now raise the question: Can Buckeyes win a national title with No. 96 offense? 5 MICHIGAN (8-2) Tailback Perry just about ready to walk again after 51-carry performance. 6 WASHINGTON STATE (8-2) USC wishing Cougars get a “quality win points” victory against Arizona State. 7 TEXAS CHRISTIAN (9-0) Living proof BCS is fair so long as all the really good teams stink. 8 TEXAS (8-2) Sit down, Bevo, there’s a scenario in which your herd gets Oklahoma rematch. 9 GEORGIA (7-2) Some players wanted game of “patty-cake” to resolve possible SEC divisional tie. 10 TENNESSEE (7-2) Players more shocked by trip to South Beach than upsetting Miami. 11 PURDUE (8-2) USC rooting so hard for Boilermakers to beat Ohio State it’s not even funny. 12 MISSISSIPPI (8-2) Bet you some editor out there still thinks “Eli’s Coming” is a clever headline. 13 PITTSBURGH (7-2) Fitzgerald trying to find way to split time between Panthers and Steelers. 14 VIRGINIA TECH (7-2) Miami win was sort of the Oreo cookie filler sandwiched between two dark defeats. 15 MIAMI (7-2) U.S. Army jokester pulls prank on Winslow by sending him a draft notice. 16 FLORIDA STATE (8-2) Hey, with two-game lead over Paterno, Bowden figured he had a loss to give. 17 FLORIDA (7-3) Recently demoted Redskin coach sends Gators a bunch of his old “ball plays.” 18 IOWA (7-3) Hawkeyes getting flooded with brochures from bowls that don’t mean squat. 19 MICHIGAN STATE (7-3) Because of recent loss, team regrets it will no longer be able to attend Rose Bowl. 20 NEBRASKA (8-2) Kansas State game determines which Big 12 North team gets throttled by Oklahoma. 21 MINNESOTA (9-2) Rankman tooted car horn at Gophers last week on his way to see Division IIl game. 22 N0. ILLINOIS (9-1) Dear Diary: One stinkin’ loss and now TCU becomes the media darlings? 23 MIAMI (OHIO) (9-1) What a punt, pass and kick it would be if team passed Miami (of Florida) in the polls. 24 BOISE STATE (8-1) Rankman believes team plays in newly formed WAC Belt-USA Conference. 25 BOWLING GREEN (7-2) Graciously agreed to fill last spot in rankings so Rankman could make deadline.

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