AROUND THE NATION
PARTY CRASHER Pretty amazing that Oklahoma State had to reach 8-0 and then smoke No. 8 Texas Christian, 49-29, before everyone stopped, took notice and realized, uhhh, hmmm, maybe the Cowboys are the best team in the Big 12. Gee, ya think … Not for nothing, but they even have better unis than their more ballyhooed conference brethren TCU and Baylor. If they run the table the rest of the way, which would include beating Baylor and Oklahoma, both games being in Stillwater, Okla., it is very likely the Pokes will find themselves in the college football playoff. | EYE TEST Two glaring “offs” for the eyes behind this piece are Clemson being the new No. 1 in the AP poll and Memphis dropping 10 spots to No. 25. Obviously, you get smoked in your house by an unranked opponent – as the Tigers did, 45-20 by Navy, which, ahem, is 7-1 and now ranked – and you should drop. But not 10 spots. Not when you’ve been one of the better stories this season and proven yourself against a strong SEC team in Ole Miss. Clemson? Sorry, seen ’em several times, and no way are those Tigers the nation’s top team. They’re just getting the job done however they can, style points be damned. | BEST CONFERENCE Surprisingly, it’s the Big Ten right now, not the SEC. Best team, yeah, it’s Alabama now. But conference, the B1G is best, with unbeatens Ohio State and Iowa legit top 10 squads. Michigan State dropped a ridiculous eight spots after losing by one point at Nebraska, but sits at No. 14, one spot ahead of Michigan. Wisconsin and Norhwestern, ranked 23rd and 24th, respectively, round out the conference’s six top 25 teams. Right now, the SEC has four top 25 teams, as does the Big 12 and the American. |