Topsy Turvy

The PAC-10's mighty roar sounds more like a meow after Stanford stunned USC Saturday night and UCLA fell victim to an, until then, WINLESS Notre Dame. Victory could not have tasted much sweeter for Les Miles, whose risky calls allowed the Tigers to eek past Florida, but we all know his grin widened when the final of the USC game was announced. LSU is undeniably the number 1 team in the nation, for now. The bigger question is, who deserves the all-important number 2 spot?

It seems that the pollsters in their infinite wisdom have crowned fellow PAC-10 rival Cal #2 in the land. Is that because they beat a mid-pack SEC team? Is it because they beat a "tough" Oregon team? Must we have a PAC-10 team in the number 2 spot because their conference has been heralded as the second toughest in the land? I know I'll be cheering for another "upset" when Cal meets USC on the field. Let's mix things up even more, shall we?

What about Ohio State? Did their 2006 championship game loss to Florida also cause them to lose their status as media darling? South Florida, anyone? They toppled the then highly-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers and an Auburn team, that seems to have finally found its rhythm.

Is there a one loss team that is more deserving of the number two spot than Cal? South Carolina looked impressive against Kentucky. If the SEC is the best conference and South Carolina's loss came to a fellow SEC team then.....? Oklahoma played well against a Texas team that struggled against a Kansas State team that, until Saturday, had been playing good football.

How tough are the Big 12, Big East, Big 10 really? Another question that must be answered before choosing for the coveted number 2. Obviously pollsters still feel that the SEC and PAC-10 are the two toughest conferences, or do they? Why did USC fall all the way to number 10? Weren't they number 2? The second best team in the country? Now they rank below West Virginia, who I don't think deserves to be ranked that highly.

In a year where so many top-ranked teams have been upset, I think all of this question asking begs an even greater question: How do we know who should fill the number 2 spot? Obviously, polls are unreliable. Why is the number 2 team on the totem poll so important? They get to play for the national championship, a championship that truly doesn't amount to much. Why, you ask? Just look at how well those human voters, entering numbers for the computer rankings, have done at picking and choosing thus far. Does anyone remember the Michigan pre-season hype???!! I think if this season has taught us anything thus far, it is that college football desperately needs a playoff. Tangible answers to hypothetical questions played out on the field, not mythical championships leaving legitimate teams on the outside looking in. But more on this later....