The Times’ Top 25

*--* Rk. Team (Rec.) Comment (last week’s rank) 1 TEXAS (6-0) Problem with scaling heights of Mt. Rankman is, eventually, you have to climb down. (4) 2 PENN STATE (7-0) Paterno wants to replace Harris Interactive Poll with AARP (not-so-active) index. (11) 3 ALABAMA (6-0) Can’t wait to get off of six only because that’s the current losing streak against Auburn. (5) 4 FLORIDA (5-1) Saw a 50-point game against Hawaii coming but not a 50-point game against LSU. (12) 5 OKLAHOMA (5-1) Tough conference dept: tied for fourth place, with Baylor, in Big 12 South. (1) 6 USC (4-1) Rankman thought Sanchez looked sharp as a marshmallow against Arizona State. (6) 7 OKLAHOMA STATE (6-0) T. Boone Pickens’ new energy plan has put a charge into team’s offense. (17) 8 BRIGHAM YOUNG (6-0) BYU at TCU is a good game but bad letters for Scrabble. (7) 9 GEORGIA (5-1) Dream matchup against USC would pit No. 1 vs. No. 5 in most penalized NCAA teams. (8) 10 MISSOURI (5-1) Price tag for enticing Pinkel back to Washington...the San Juan Islands? (3) 11 OHIO STATE (6-1) Passing game so bad Tressel may have to call Army for pointers. (10) 12 UTAH (7-0) Utes are “poll drafting” off Brigham Young until the schools meet on Nov. 22. (14) 13 TEXAS TECH (6-0) Has won six of last seven games against Texas A&M in series that dates to 19&27. (9) 14 LOUISIANA STATE (4-1) Doesn’t half-a-hundred allowed to Florida ding the SEC’s “great defense” defense? (2) 15 BOISE STATE (5-0) Hogging the WAC headlines while San Jose State (2-0) actually tops the standings. (16) 16 KANSAS (5-1) Loses rock/paper/scissors contest and has to play Oklahoma after first loss. (15) 17 MICHIGAN STATE (6-1) Ringer wanted to go to Ohio State but at least he gets a Rush Week against Buckeyes. (19) 18 VIRGINIA TECH (5-1) Beamer turns 62 Saturday but don’t expect Boston College fans to throw a tea party. (20) 19 S. FLORIDA (5-1) Ready at the lever to drop school through the top-25 trap door. (21) 20 N. CAROLINA (5-1) That sure was a big win last week over University of Notre whatyoumacallit... (NR) 21 VANDERBILT (5-1) “Coach Johnson, Clemson wants to know if it can put you on its ‘Fave Five’ list.” (13) 22 BALL STATE (7-0) It’s no joke. ESPN confirms story that school has won first seven games. (24) 23 WAKE FOREST (4-1) Team hires psychic to help figure out which Maryland team will show up. (NR) 24 OREGON (5-2) Welcome back to the top-25 steam room, here’s a towel and your locker key. (NR) 25 CALIFORNIA (4-1) Rankman thought having two Pac-10 teams at bottom a nice counterbalance to USC. (NR) *--*