My favorite non-athletic sporting event is upon us, Selection Sunday. Never have team names flipping over in a bracket been so thrilling. My love for Selection Sunday rivals my love for the NFL draft. With that in mind, I thought I’d toss out the four teams I think are looking at number 1 seeds going into Selection Sunday, barring complete collapses in their respective conference tournaments. I will also rank them from one to four.

1. North Carolina - Far and away the best team in college basketball. With Tyler Hansbrough, the hardest working man in college basketball, and Ty Lawson coming back from injury, Roy Williams has got to feel pretty good about his squad going into March.

2. Kansas - Don’t sleep on the Jayhawks. While I question whether or not Bill Self can get it done in the postseason as Kansas head coach (KU has lost in the first round two of the last three years), this is a pretty great, balanced team. Led by All Big-12 first teamers Brandon Rush and Darrell Arthur, Kansas comes into the tournament as an under-the-radar powerhouse. A run through the Big 12 tourney could be a sign of things to come for this team.

3. Memphis - Perhaps one of the most talented teams of the elite teams in the tournament but certainly the most untested. After running through all of the teams in Conference USA, March Madness will certainly serve as an interesting test for John Calipari’s Tigers. No shortage of talent and athleticism, Memphis doesn’t do the little things well that traditionally help teams win close games in the tournament

4. UCLA - The luckiest team in college basketball. If not for two ATROCIOUS calls, UCLA would be a three seed going into March but you can’t argue that UCLA is a pretty good, if not undisciplined, unfocused, team. UCLA is still kind of a mystery to most people. Will they be the team that came back from a double-digit deficit against Stanford or will they be the team that should have lost to NIT reject Cal at home? Time will tell.

Thank god for excessively long Destin City Council meeting.

Had it not been for a lengthy council meeting last night that had me working until just about 11:00 p.m., I never would have caught the lion’s share of last night’s UCLA/Stanford game at Pauley Pavillion.

What I saw reinforced my opinion about UCLA; they are a talented team but not especially deep and not especially focused. They deserved to lose last night’s game but didn’t. More surprising to me was how good Stanford is.

Led by the best front court duo in America in twins Brook and Robin Lopez, the Cardinals are a good free throw shooting team, play pretty solid defense (though not great in transition as last night showed) and they aren’t turnover prone. Those are the qualities that help a team make a run deep into the NCAA Tournament.

Stanford is a team that could easily be a number one seed, particularly if they beat UCLA in the Pac-10 Tournament. Though, to win games in March, The Cardinal will have to put opponents away. Their inability to keep UCLA at an arm’s length cost them the game last  night and a share of the Pac-10 regular season title.

Another BCS title loss to another SEC team for Ohio State.

I think the gameball from last night’s BCS title game  has to go to LSU offensive coordinator Gary Crowton. I’ve been very critical of the Tigers’ offense all season long, calling it bland and boring but great playcalling paired with near-perfect execution nullified the nation’s top defense. As a note to Ohio State coach, Jim Tressel may want to start recruiting cornerbacks that can tackle and defend the run — and the pass while they’re at it. Never in my life have I seen a team so unable to defend the option. Hats off to Ohio State defensive end Vernon Gholston who played the option perfectly everytime LSU ran it. His assignment is the quarterback and everytime out he forced the pitch but no one was home to take the pitchman and it resulted in at least a five yard gain every time out.

LSU’s won by doing the little things right. They didn’t commit bone-headed penalties, didn’t turn the ball over and converted, consistently, on third down and that’s how you win big games.

Offensively, Todd Boeckman looked confused and lost all night and the blitz packages Bo Pelini was calling weren’t all that complex. I feel for Jim Tressel, whom I believe to be one of the classiest coaches in all of college football, because I sensed that he wanted to go downfield but the lack of speed on the outside and Boeckman’s spotty accuracy prohibited him from doing so and testing Craig Steltz’s replacement at safety in coverage. One things for sure after last night, Brian Robieski, Brian Hartline and Todd Boeckman better think twice before declaring themselves eligible for the NFL Draft.

As far as whether or not this game solidifies, once again, the SEC’s dominance, I’m not nearly as sold on that as everyone else appears to be. I think that the top three teams in the SEC (see: Georgia, LSU, Tennessee.. sorry Florida) are  as good as any in America but their middle of the pack teams (see: Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, South Carolina) are certainly no better than the middle of the pack teams in the Pac 10 and Big 12.

I do think this game was a crippling blow to Big Ten football however. As a Big Ten alum, today hurts a little bit, losing to the SEC — again — but the conference isn’t where it should be and I attribute that primarily to poor non-conference scheduling by the elite teams in the conference. Michigan shouldn’t be scheduling Appalachian State (and probably won’t again after what happened this year), Ohio State shouldn’t be scheduling Youngstown State, Penn State shouldn’t be scheduling Florida International and Temple. To be considered the best, you have to play and beat the best and the Big Ten’s elite teams didn’t play the best until the end of the season. Conference commish Jim Delany would do well to get in the ear’s of the conference’s athletic directors and urge them to play tougher non-conference games for the betterment of the Big Ten as a whole. Getting stomped, repeatedly, on national television isn’t good for a conference with a new television network and it certainly isn’t going to help recruiting nationally.

For the LSU fans, enjoy your championship because this team is about to hemorrhage a Gator-esque number of players, particularly on defense. Check out the starting seniors this team is losing:
Ali Highsmith, Early Doucet, Matt Flynn, Craig Steltz, Jacob Hester, Jonathan Zenon, Chevis Jackson, Kirston Pittman, Glenn Dorsey.

Enjoy it while you can.

Tuesday, Jan. 1 - Konica Minolta Gator Bowl

Texas Tech vs. Virginia 

This game presents one of the truly great matchups of the entire bowl season. For UVA, you have a tough defense led by Chris Long and his 14 solo sacks, tops in the ACC going against Mike Leach, Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree and another explosive Texas Tech offense. With two such evenly matched units lining up against each other, it seems pertinent to look at the other side of the ball for each team. Offensively, UVA has struggled to score points offensively, finishing seventh in the ACC in scoring offense. Quarterback Jameel Sowell has been solid but unspectacular and hasn’t got much help from a UVA offensive unit without a player in the ACC’s Top 10 in rushing, reception and receiving yards. If the Cavaliers are to have success offensively, it will likely have to be on the ground with Sowell making plays and improvising on the run. Al Groh would do well to stay out of the skies against the Big 12’s top ranked pass defense and away from Texas Tech sophomore Jamar Wall who finished tied for second in the conference in interceptions. UVA’s defense has been good but not good enough to stop an offense that is AVERAGING 537 yards per game, the nation’s 2nd best. Look for Chris Long to get at least one sack, the great ones always find a way, but Long won’t be enough to slow down the nation’s leading quarterback and receiving combo. I’ll take Texas Tech in what could be Mike Leach’s last game in Lubbock.

Tuesday, Jan. 1 - Capital One Bowl

Florida vs. Michigan

Rather, the Storyline Bowl. In one corner, Michigan comes into the game off a disappointing season, losing its first two in catastrophic fashion and ending the season on a two-game losing streak, losing against to Ohio State. The Wolverines have a little extra motivation/distraction as the game will be head coach Lloyd Carr’s last game at Michigan. For Florida, Tim Tebow comes into the game after making Heisman history last week as the only sophomore ever to take home the trophy for the nation’s best player and has cemented a bull’s eye squarely on his back. Offensively for Michigan, Chad Henne has to have a big day and could very well going up against a Florida pass defense that finished dead last in the SEC. I like how Michigan stacks up against Florida’s corners with Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington. My concern is that the offensive strategy will be centered too much on Mike Hart and against a Florida defense that allowed just 99 yards a game on ground, the SEC’s best, rushing yards could be hard to come by. Michigan has to give Henne enough touches to let him get into a rhythm and pick apart this young, inexperienced Florida secondary and use Hart strategically. On defense, I think Florida’s offense poses some very troubling mismatches for this Michigan defense, particularly with the size and speed of Tebow, Percy Harvin and Bubba Caldwell. Michigan has been steady in shutting down the pass but their ability to defend the spread and keep Tebow in the pocket and not running around will be key in this game. Offensively, I just think Florida has too much speed for Michigan but if Henne plays well and the offense is centered around exploiting Florida’s secondary, Michigan could send Lloyd Carr out with a win. I’m still going with the Gators and more importantly with Tebow in this one.

Tuesday, Jan. 1 - The Rose Bowl 

Illinois vs. USC

No bowl has a greater tradition than the Rose Bowl, the Granddaddy of Them All, but I think it’s safe to say that the Rosel Bowl may have gone overboard this year in trying to get a Big Ten/Pac-10 matchup after Ohio State was selected for the BCS Title Game in New Orleans. You really can’t say enough about the job Ron Zook has done at Illinois this year but I can’t say I think this team deserves to be in this game. Having watched the Illini play on two occasions this year, I can say that I love their swagger and the real sense of irreverence they play with. Watching them play against Wisconsin when the Badgers were a top 5 team and then again at Ohio State when they were number 1, I noticed that Illinois never seemed to have a sense about them that they weren’t supposed to beat those teams. They will need a similarly irreverent attitude when they face the red hot Trojans in Pasadena. From a team speed standpoint, USC has it in droves. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: No team in America has more depth and speed at the skill positions than USC and they will use that depth to exploit Illinois defense. Getting pressure on John David Booty will be huge for an Illinois defense that finished fourth in the Big Ten in sacks. Booty has shown poor mobility and decision-making when pressured this season and isn’t anywhere near as stoic or accurate as his predecessors, Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer. But if the Illinois defensive line can’t put pressure on the quarterback and give Booty time to find tight end Fred Davis, Patrick Turner, Vidal Hazleton and Joe McKnight out of the backfield, it could be a very long afternoon for Zook’s Illini. The key for USC on defense, a unit that finished first against the pass and second against the run, will be containing Illinois quarterback Juice Williams, who is most dangerous outside the pocket and tailback Rashard Mendenhall, who had a breakout year in ‘07 and stands to be a Heisman frontrunner in ‘08. I’ve liked Illinois all year but USC is playing great at the right time of year and will win the Rose Bowl for the 32nd time in school history.

Monday, Dec. 31 - Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl

California vs. Air Force 

If you would have told me after Cal’s week one blowout of Tennessee that the Golden Bears would be finish the year in the Armed Forces Bowl, I would have suggested a trip to the Betty Ford clinic should be somewhere in your future. Injuries paired with inconsistent efforts in Pac-10 conference play (not to mention a pair of three-game losing streaks) earned Cal a trip to Fort Worth to play Air Force on New Year’s Eve. On name recognition alone, but you overlook the 9-3 Falcons of the Air Force Academy at your own peril. For Cal, the key to winning this game could be whether or not sensational junior wide receiver DeSean Jackson plays (Jackson missed time this year with a thigh contusion, including Cal’s inexplicable loss to a three-win Stanford team in The Big Game). When healthy, Jackson is the most electrifying player in college football by far but the receiver has struggled to get open this season, pulling in just 60 receptions for less than 700 yards and 5 touchdowns on the year. Cal quarterback Nate Longshore and his ability to be accurate in the passing game could be the key for the Golden Bears. Longshore and a trio of talented receivers that include Jackson, seniors Lavell Hawkins and Robert Jordan might have a big day against this Air Force pass defense, which ranked dead last in the Mountain West. On defense, Cal will have to figure out a way to stop the run. Air Force’s offense, led by senior tailback Chad Hall, is averaging a jaw-dropping 293 yards a game on the ground, which doesn’t bode well for a Cal defense giving up 152 yards a game against the run. With Jackson in the lineup, I like Cal by air in this one.

Monday, Dec. 31 - Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl 

Georgia Tech vs. Fresno State

In this one, the Yellow Jackets, far and away, have more talent on both sides of the ball than Pat Hill’s Fresno Bulldogs but the coaching situation at Georgia Tech is anything but settled. Chan Gailey got shown the door after a seven-win season, Tech hired a great coach in Navy’s Paul Johnson but Johnson won’t coach the team in their bowl game and the team’s interim coach, Jon Tenuta, the team’s defensive coordinator, has been named in connection with both the Michigan head coaching job and the recently vacated LSU defensive coordinator position. Still, you gotta like Georgia Tech in this game. Senior tailback Tashard Choice has been consistently great all year, finishing the season with 1,400 yards on the ground and Tenuta’s defense features an explosive pass rush, which lead the ACC with 47 sacks. Fresno State must protect quarterback Tom Brandstater and give him time to find open receivers, which they have done thus far, allowing fewer than 20 sacks on the year. Still, with a rushing defense that was second to last in the WAC against the run matching up against such a prolific runner in Choice, the Bulldogs can’t be feeling good about their odds. Look for Tashard Choice to have a big day and the Ramblin’ Wreck to take it on the blue turf up in Boise.

Monday, Dec. 31 - Brut Sun Bowl 

South Florida vs. Oregon

Two teams that, at various points in the year, had their sights set on a trip to the national championship land west of New Orleans in El Paso, Texas. For Oregon, the key will be scoring points.. any points on offense. After the Ducks lost senior quarterback Dennis Dixon, they struggled mightily to generate any type of offense.  To win, Oregon must predict whichever freshmen (the battle between Cody Kempt and Justin Roper is being decided in practice) starts at quarterback from George Selvie, one of the nation’s elite pass rushers. For USF, the key will be letting quarterback Matt Grothe do what he does best — improvise and make plays with his feet. Grothe finished the season averaging 275 yards per game in total offense and actually finished sixth in the Big East in rushing. If Oregon can keep Grothe in the pocket and force turnovers, they have a very good chance of winning this one. With a freshman quarterback lining up under center and one of the nation’s best pass rushers coming off the edge, I just don’t like Oregon’s chances in this one. I’ll take USF in a close one.

Monday, Dec. 31 - Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl 

Kentucky vs. Florida State 

Rich Brooks returns to the scene of last year’s bowl win against Clemson that helped the Wildcats get to 8-4 and will look to do the same thing against Bobby Bowden’s Seminoles in Nashville this year. Let’s face it, for the most part Florida State has been a hideously bad football team all year wrong and somehow lucked into their win against Boston College, nine times out of 10 BC wins that game. Kentucky senior quarterback Andre Woodson may very well be playing for his NFL draft stock against the Seminole on New Year’s Eve. I fully believe Woodson will slice and dice the Florida State defense with the help of tailback Rafael Little, receiver Keenan Burton and tight end Jacob Tamme and exploit mismatches in the Florida State secondary. Though Kentucky is giving up an average of 390 yards a game in total offense, Florida State’s offense has been anemic at best, managing just 350 yards a game in total offense. I’ll take Woodson’s senior leadership and the ‘Cats in a big win.

Friday, Dec. 28 - Texas Bowl

TCU vs. Houston 

All things being equal, Houston didn’t have a bad year, finishing 8-4 with losses to East Carolina, Alabama, Oregon and Tulsa. Still, playing under interim coach Chris Thurmond, after head coach Art Briles left for Baylor, you have to wonder how smooth the transition will be for the Cougars. Offensively, this Houston team is pretty talented. They have tailback Anthony Aldrige, a Conference USA all-teamer who finished the year with 1,500 yards rushing and wide receiver Donnie Avery who led the conference in receptions and receiving yards. The offense’s ability and effectiveness against a TCU defense who finished fifth in the Mountain West in pass defense could hinge largely on the play of freshman quarterback Case Keenum averaging just 160 yards a game through the air. Houston’s bread and butter all year has been Aldridge and a consistent run game. The offensive strategy may have to change if TCU’s front five stuff the ran as they have all year, leading the way in the Mountain West allowing just 95 yards a game on the ground. I don’t think the All-MWC first team defensive end Chase Ortiz and this Horned Frog defense will give Aldridge a chance to get going. I’ll take TCU beating Houston at Reliant Stadium in Houston in a close one.

Friday, Dec. 28 - Emerald Bowl 

Oregon State vs. Maryland 

For Oregon State, the strategy to beating Maryland in the Emerald Bowl is pretty simple: GET YVENSON BERNARD ON THE FIELD. The second-leading rusher in Oregon State football history, everything the Beavers do offensively centers around Yvenson Bernard. Bernard’s health is certainly a question going into the bowl game. After injuring his right knee against Washington State in the middle of November, Bernard had his right knee scoped and missed the Beavers’ double overtime win against archrival Oregon in Eugene. With Bernard in the lineup, Oregon State becomes an exponentially better team. Going up against a Maryland rush defense that is giving up more than 136 yards a game on the ground, Bernard’s health will be huge for Oregon State. To be successful, Oregon State will have to put a helmet on Terrapin linebacker Erin Henderson. A First-Team All-ACC selection, Henderson is a game changer; leading the ACC in both tackles and fumble recoveries. Terps coach Ralph Friedgen will rely heavily on his defense to make plays, create turnovers and even put some points on the board since his offense has struggled to find their rhythm all year. I’ll take Oregon State in this one, betting that Yvenson Bernard will be healthy enough to go.

Saturday, Dec. 29 - Meineke Car Car Bowl

UConn vs. Wake Forest 

Better than anybody else in America, UConn has found ways to win all year round. Still, I would think this is a game of disappointment for both squads in this game. UConn was playing for a Big East title before being beaten at Cincinnati on Nov. 10 and then blown out by West Virginia on Nov. 24. Coming off a Cinderella season, an ACC Title and a trip to the Orange Bowl, Jim Grobe’s team has struggled offensively and battled injuries to key starters for most of the season. This game will ultimately comes down to which of these defenses can make plays. UConn’s defense, which finished second in the Big East in scoring this season, has found ways to create turnovers and score points all year long — largely out of necessity. UConn’s offense, led by Tyler Lorenzen, who finished third to last among Big East quarterbacks in yards passing a game and tailback Andre Dixon, who had more than 20 yards less rushing yards on the season than USF quarterback Matt Grothe. For Wake Forest, who found out today they will be keeping coach Jim Grobe, who had entertained the notion of becoming Arkansas’ next head coach, offensive consistency have been tough to come by this season. The Demon Deacons ranked in the lower half of ACC teams in total offense and have been unspectacular on defense; finishing ninth in the conference. If Wake Forest is to win this game, that offense will have to find some playmakers and quick. I’ll take UConn in this low-scoring affair.

Wednesday, Dec. 26 - Motor City Bowl

Purdue vs. Central Michigan

This game is a pretty easy one to pick given what happened Sept. 15 in West Lafayette when the Boilermakers hung 24 points on the defending MAC champion Chippewas in the first quarter on way en route to a 45-22 win. Still, looking at the stats from that game, Purdue still gave up 364 yards through the air to Dan LeFevour but limited the Central Michigan ground game to just 101 yards rushing. While on paper this is the same Purdue team, psychologically this could be a program in crisis. After losing the Old Oaken Bucket at the last second at Purdue, many Purdue fans have grown frustrated with starting QB Curtis Painter, play-calling and Joe Tiller’s subpar record in big games in recent years. Compound that with the late night arrest and dismissal of starting wide receiver Selwyn Lymon from the team after a second arrest this season and you have a team poised for an upset. If Central Michigan can run the ball more effectively and force turnovers (as they did in that early season loss, forcing four fumbles), Central Michigan could win this game. Given the margin of victory in their last match-up, I just can’t take the Chippewas in good conscious. I’ll take Purdue but by a much closer margin. As an IU grad, I won’t be at all disappointed if I’m wrong on this one.

Thursday, Dec. 27 - Pacific Life Holiday Bowl

Texas vs. Arizona State

For the past three or so years, the Holiday Bowl has been one of my favorites and it’s because it has had match-ups like the one it has this year. Dennis Erickson, Rudy Carpenter and the upstart Arizona State Sun Devils face off against the somewhat underachieving Texas Longhorns in this year’s Holiday Bowl. Texas came into this year poised to be one of the Big 12’s best and a contender for a National Championship, with Colt McCoy coming back for his second year in Austin. What followed was a series of missteps and near follies against Central Florida and TCU and the season was downhill from there, including losses to rivals Texas A&M and Oklahoma. Looking at Erickson’s Sun Devils, I am really unmoved by their schedule, particularly their inability to beat Oregon, with a healthy Dennis Dixon and USC, who blew out the Sun Devils at home on Thanksgiving. To win the game, Texas must control the line of scrimmage and get the ball in the hands of tailback Jamaal Charles, which will be easier said than done given that ASU is giving up a paltry 100 yards a game on the ground. For ASU, Rudy Carpenter will look to exploit a Texas secondary that has struggled against the pass all year, finishing second to last in the Big 12 in pass defense. I look for them to do just that, I’m taking Arizona State.

Friday, Dec. 28 - Champs Sports Bowl

Michigan State vs. Boston College

The Big Ten’s top scoring offense against the ACC’s top scoring offense. It should be no surprise to anyone that Boston College has one of the most explosive and efficient offenses in America, led by first round lock Matt Ryan at quarterback but Mark Dantoni’s Spartans have been flying under the radar and can put points on the board as well. This game is sure to be fought and won in the trenches for Michigan State. If they can control the line of scrimmage and get the ball to Javon Ringer early and often, they have a chance against the Eagles who, just last week were competing for the ACC title and a trip to a BCS bowl. Still, BC would be wise not to overlook the Spartan passing attack, junior quarterback Brian Hoyer has been finding wideout Devin Thomas in the end zone all year long (Thomas led the Big Ten in receiving yards and finished second in receptions). BC is going to score points on offense as they’ve done all year but the ability of the Michigan State offense to match them score-for-score will be huge if they intend to stay in this game. Dantoni’s Spartans are a much better team than their 7-5 record would indicate but I’ll take Boston College.

Saturday, Dec. 22 - New Mexico Bowl

Nevada vs. New Mexico

A pretty unspectacular match-up between two set of Wolfpacks that most of America has never seen. I’ll take the Nevada in this one. To stop Nevada, New Mexico will have to find a way to stop 1st-team All-WAC tailback Luke Lippincott, who helped lead the way in the conference’s top-ranked rush offense. New Mexico’s defense will have to do better than their 147-yard average on the ground if they intend to stop Lippincott and this prolific Nevada ground game. I don’t think they can do it so I’ll take Nevada.

Saturday, Dec. 22 - Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl

BYU vs. UCLA

This is the Cougars’ third consecutive trip to the Las Vegas and the Mountain West champions come into the game riding high. The same cannot be sad for UCLA who, after dropping their last regular season game to USC, have seen their head coach Karl Dorrell shown the door. Dorrell has not announced whether or not he intends to coach in the Bruins’ bowl game. Frankly, I don’t think it will matter. BYU is a far superior team and with zero off-the-field tumult or coaching changes, the Cougars will come into the game confident and well-prepared. Look for BYU freshman tailback Harvey Unga and sophomore quarterback Max Hall to have big games against a UCLA defense that finished in the middle of the pack in the Pac-10 in both rushing and pass defenses. Hall will have to keep a look out for UCLA defensive back Trey Brown, who finished tied for second in the Pac-10 with 5 picks. Whoever is coaching the Bruins would do well to keep sophomore Jan Jorgensen away from the quarterback at all times. Jorgensen lead the Mountain West in sacks and tackles for loss. I’ll take the Cougars big in this one, regardless of who’s on the other sideline.

Sunday, Dec. 23 - Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl

Boise State vs. East Carolina

From the beginning of the season, I was impressed with Skip Holtz’s Pirates. They went into an impossibly emotionally atmosphere in Blacksburg and narrowly lost to Virginia Tech, who would go on to win the ACC Championship and a trip to the Orange Bowl. That being said, they are still playing a darn good Boise State team. My only question with Boise State will be the level to which rumors that coach Chris Petersen is headed to UCLA will distract this team. That being said, I’d expect this Boise team, that has a lot of senior leadership, won’t be distracted by anything. Boise State is a pretty well-rounded team with a scoring offense that finished second in the WAC only to Hawaii and has the top-ranked scoring defense. Holtz and ECU must figure out a way to put up points on a Bronco defense that finished first against the run and the pass in the WAC. Look for Boise tailback Ian Johnson to have at least 100 yards on the ground and it could be a very big day for Bronco signal-caller Taylor Tharp who goes against an ECU defense that is giving up nearly 300 yards a game through the air.

When Dennis Dixon walked off the field in Tuscon last night, it appeared his helmet wasn’t the only thing he took with him. When the former Heisman Trophy frontrunner went out of the game against Arizona last night, with him went the confidence and dreams of all of his teammates. I  have never seen a team so dejected and frankly wiped out by the loss of one player. If there was ever any doubt, as to how important Dennis Dixon was to this football team, that debate was certainly settled last night. With Dixon, Oregon had nothing. Backup QB Brady Leaf who, believe it or not, actually battled Dixon for playing time last year looked confused and more like his older brother Ryan during his brief stint in the NFL. To the credit of the Oregon defense, they hung in there but the offense quit on head coach Mike Bellotti as soon as Dixon left the field in the first quarter. They never had a chance after that.

1. Oregon - The SEC, for the past five years, has been the best conference in America and certainly the most competitive but this year the Pac-10 is better and no one has more impressive wins, in conference and out, than Oregon.

2. LSU - Any national championship matchup that doesn’t include Les Miles and the Bayou Bengals would be something of a disappointing. Their defense is swarming and stifling but their offense is a little stagnant and boring and it really shouldn’t be given their personnel. This team is far from the unbeatable juggernauts many thought them to be early in the year.

3. Oklahoma -  Malcolm Kelly, DeMarco Murray and an up-and-coming quarterback in Sam Bradford is enough of a reason to feel good about Bob Stoops’ Sooners. But you really have to wonder how Oklahoma would compete against an explosive, quickstrike offense like Oregon’s given that they gave up 450 yards of total offense last week… to Baylor. I fully expect the Sooners to completely obliterate the Jayhawks should Kansas make it to the Big 12 Championship game and have a tougher go of things if Chase Daniels and Mizzou makes it to Kansas City in December.

4. Kansas -  No quality wins, none, zero. It is really hard for me to include Mark Mangino’s undefeated Jayhawks in the top 5 but given that they are the nation’s only remaining undefeated team, I feel obligated. I don’t believe in this team, not yet. One could argue that the only thing that closely resembles a quality win was their win on the road last week against an unranked Oklahoma State team. I don’t see the Jayhawks getting past Missouri this week in the Border War and should they luck their way into the Big 12 Championship, they have to play Oklahoma, still very much a contender for the national championship. Forget about it, KU fans.

5. Georgia - Some people might think I’m crazy for catapulting the two-loss Bulldogs ahead of so many other one-loss teams but I think Georgia’s for real. A team that was somewhat struggling to find its identity at the beginning of the year, dropping two bad losses to South Carolina and Tennessee, has come together in a big way. Matthew Stafford has developed into a fine quarterback, a little interception prone but fine and Knowshon Moreno is one of college football’s best running backs. If I were LSU, I would much prefer to see Tennessee cruising into Atlanta than Mark Richt and the resurgent Bulldogs defending the Georgia Dome.