THE TIMES’ TOP 25

*--* Rk. Team (Rec.) Comment (last week’s rank) 1 FLORIDA (10-1) Win at Florida State would be another Seminole moment for Meyer’s Gators. (1) 2 TEXAS (10-1) Brown won’t campaign for team but if you have a baby that needs kissing . . . (3) 3 OKLAHOMA (10-1) BCS standings used to break three-way tie during post-practice wind sprints. (5) 4 ALABAMA (11-0) Six straight losses to Auburn may all soon be water under the Tuscaloosa Bridge. (4) 5 UTAH (12-0) Has shot to play in Rankman Championship Series (RCS) title game on Feb. 31. (6) 6 USC (9-1) Notre Dame looking to “shake down the storm clouds” with upset win over Trojans. (7). 7 PENN ST. (11-1) Rankman feels Joe Pa’s pain, having recently undergone “quip-replacement” surgery. (8) 8 BOISE ST. (11-0) In wake of big bowl snub, BCS sends school DVD of Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma. (9) 9 TEXAS TECH (10-1) Leach tells players “what happened in Norman stays in Norman.” (2) 10 OHIO ST. (10-2) Dam Beavers could block Buckeyes path to a BCS at-large bid. (10) 11 MISSOURI (9-2) Seems like only last year the Border War game with Kansas was a big deal. (11) 12 GEORGIA (9-2) Looking to make it an even “Uga” eight straight wins against Georgia Tech. (12) 13 BALL ST. (12-0) Tuesday night bowling leagues shut off hand blowers to acknowledge perfect season. (13) 14 OKLAHOMA ST. (9-2) Lubbock hosts a “Virgil Vigil” in hopes it will help Cowboys beat Oklahoma. (15) 15 TCU (10-2) Great year for team coached by Gary Patterson, or is it Larry Fedderson? (17) 16 OREGON ST. (8-3) Can win Pac-10 title and year’s supply of Spam with victory against Oregon. (20) 17 BRIGHAM YOUNG (10-2) Cougars are team in photo backdrop of both of Utah’s BCS-clinching celebrations. (14) 18 OREGON (8-3) Bellotti expects both teams will “bring the lumber” in Civil War game at Corvallis. (21) 19 BOSTON COLLEGE (8-3) Win over Maryland earns Bean Town the ACC Atlantic Division can of beans. (NR) 20 FLORIDA ST. (8-3) Myron Rolle’s scholarship probably the biggest Rhode win in program history. (20) 21 CINCINNATI 9-2 Put Kelly on Notre Dame short list if Weis has a long night against USC. (25) 22 MICHIGAN ST. (9-3) Spartans were in the Penn State game right up until the coin flip. 16) 23 MISSISSIPPI (7-4) What happened to lousy team that shocked Florida in Gainesville way back when? (NR) 24 GEORGIA TECH (8-3) Dean of Students says schools “triple-option” homework plan impossible to defend. (NR) 25 WEST VIRGINIA (7-3) Every now and then, like whack-a-mole, program pops head up in rankings. (NR) *--*