There’s a hole at the top of college football’s poll

It seems like only yesterday (it was) that Alabama was an odds-on favorite to win the national title and the Heisman Trophy was going to be handed to either quarterback Denard Robinson (Michigan) or tailback Mark Ingram (Alabama).

Now, it’s all hands on deck.

The Crimson king is dead — or at least wounded — and two of the top Heisman candidates came up on the final-score short end.

Medium-ranked (19) South Carolina upset top-ranked Alabama on Saturday, 35-21, the kind of blood-pumping moment you’ve come to expect from college football.

“I think this game was meant to be,” South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier said after the school’s first football victory against a No.1 team.

News of possible reign changes move fast in a sport where the implications are immediate and the end-game has no playoff.

Alabama had won 19 consecutive games until Saturday’s hiccup and offered few signs a South Carolina meltdown was in the offing.

“Coach Spurrier told us to give fate a chance,” Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia said. “So we did.”

What about the fate of others?

Ohio State, a runaway winner over Indiana, figures to move into the No. 1 spot with everyone else wondering for whom the polls toll.

Third-ranked Oregon jumped No. 4 Boise State last week but actually labored a bit Saturday at Washington State, inarguably one of the worst teams in major college football. The Ducks won by 20 but emerged with an injury list that included quarterback Darron Thomas and tailback Kenjon Barner.

Few would have predicted Oregon’s points-per-game scoring average of 56 would drop after playing Washington State.

Boise State, which predictably crushed Toledo, could move to No. 2 and take a step closer to an improbable national title chance.

It’s from here to eternity until the end of the year, and the first Bowl Championship Series standings don’t even come out until next weekend, but Boise State (5-0) is certainly well positioned.

The 57-14 win over Toledo was not a surprise, except for the fact the Rockets had defeated Purdue this season.

Boise State needed only 35 plays to score 36 first-half points.

The Broncos’ profile is improving. An opening win over Virginia Tech that was devalued by some after the Hokies lost to James Madison looks better now that Virginia Tech has won four straight.

Boise State’s Sept. 25 win over Oregon State also took on new significance when the Beavers upset No. 9 Arizona, 29-27, Saturday in Tucson.

Oregon State improved to 3-2 and owns the nation’s top schedule strength — with its other loss coming to No. 5 Texas Christian.

Ohio State and Oregon probably control their fates and, if they win out, the Rose Bowl could lose No. 1 vs. No. 2 to the BCS title game in Glendale, Ariz., which is not close to Pasadena.

Even if Ohio State and/or Oregon lose, Boise State is still susceptible to being caught from behind by the Big 12 or SEC champions.

Boise State, trying to become the first school from outside the “power six” conferences to make the BCS title game, does not control its fate.

It must keep winning and keep hoping other pillars collapse — Alabama losing was one part of the puzzle.

Houndstooth hats off to Alabama, the defending SEC and national champions.

Defending was always going to be tough, especially with so many new players on defense and the SEC schedule doing the Crimson Tide no favors.

South Carolina was the second of six conference schools that will have a bye week before playing Alabama.

Alabama, with one loss, could certainly get back in title contention if it wins out.

It doesn’t hurt to have a network watching your back, either.

The Crimson Tide hadn’t lost a game since the Sugar Bowl defeat to Utah after the 2008 season. CBS/SEC announcer Verne Lundquist, though, denied Utah credit three times before the Gamecocks crowed, thrice noting Alabama’s “lethargy” in that losing effort.

CBS sidekick Gary Danielson was also quick to note several undefeated teams would eventually jump Boise State.

One could be Louisiana State, which followed last week’s last-play victory against Tennessee with a last-seconds win over Florida.

South Carolina, which lost to Auburn, might also expect a double-digit bump for Saturday’s victory. This is Spurrier’s sixth season in Columbia and the Alabama win was his most important victory since his glory days at Florida.

Spurrier has yet to win the SEC for South Carolina, or even the SEC East, but this could be his best shot. The Gamecocks have endured decades of misery under the cloud of the “Chicken Curse.”

It appeared bad vibes would prevail again when Alabama cut the lead to 28-21 in the second half and then took possession after an interception.

The drive collapsed on a fake-field goal attempt that failed, allowing South Carolina to drive 82-yards in 15 plays, burning 7:55 off the clock, to score again with seven minutes left.

Alabama’s running tag-team of Ingram and Trent Richardson was held to 64 total yards.

Quarterback Greg McElroy, despite completing 27 of 34 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns, lost his first game as a starting quarterback since junior high.

He was sacked seven times.

“It was nice to beat the No.1 team,” Spurrier said. “There is no question about that.”

South Carolina, though, answered only one of the questions.

chris.dufresne@latimes.com