THE TIMES’ TOP 25

CHRIS DUFRESNE’S RANKINGS AND COMMENTS:

Rk.; Team (Rec.) ; Comment

1. OHIO STATE

(10-0); Big win over Illinois finally convinces Rankman that Buckeyes are best.

2. LOUISVILLE

(8-0); Hot-knife-through-butter offense works to perfection against West Virginia.

3. MICHIGAN

(10-0); Lessons of Ball State dissected in Advanced Theory of Football courses.

4. TEXAS

(9-1); Bevo fitted for soft hooves as team prepares sneak attack on BCS standings.

5. AUBURN

(9-1); Best chance for making a BCS game is taking rest of season off.

6. FLORIDA

(8-1); Steve Spurrier is back in town! ... for the third time in two months.

7. USC

(7-1); Lost, transitional season could end with a much needed Holiday (Bowl).

8. CALIFORNIA

(8-1); Will retreat to desert for a little rest, relaxation and Arizona football.

9. NOTRE DAME

(8-1); Closing in on Bob Hope’s record for playing military bases.

10. WEST VIRGINIA

(7-1); Might have to settle now for a miserable 11-1 season.

11. BOISE STATE

(9-0); Players shocked when told they will play a game on a Saturday.

12. ARKANSAS

(8-1); Anyone know what happened to the Hogs after losing home opener to USC?

13. LOUISIANA

STATE (7-2); Playing Alabama this week, if that floats your SEC boat.

14. RUTGERS

(8-0); Last time it played a pigskin game this big, the ball was made of pigskin.

15. TENNESSEE

(7-2); Goal this week is to score more points than players arrested.

16. OKLAHOMA

(7-2); AP reports one AP (Allen Patrick) has filled in nicely for another AP (Adrian Peterson).

17. WISCONSIN

(9-1); Camp Randall to be remembered by Joe Paterno fans as “Battle of wounded left knee.”

18. WAKE FOREST

(8-1); If three Wake players fell in BCS forest, would anybody hear it?

19. VIRGINIA TECH

(7-2); Kicker Brandon Pace has made 16 consecutive field goals, all of them in a row.

20. GEORGIA TECH

(7-2); Throwing nine times a game to Calvin Johnson seems to make a lot of sense.

21. MARYLAND

(7-2); Big 13-12 win over Clemson heralded by Cloud-of-Dust Assn.

22. BOSTON

COLLEGE (7-2); Quarterback threw for 400 yards against Wake Forest and it still wasn’t enough.

23. OREGON

(7-2); Fundraising difference between Ducks and other schools is (Phil) Knight and day.

24. NEBRASKA

(7-3); Last coach to win the Big 12 North (Colorado’s Gary Barnett) got fired.

25. BRIGHAM

YOUNG (7-2); Won 25th poll spot in Rankman’s annual car wash and raffle.