College football rankings: Tailgater top 25, week 10

The nation’s elite stayed perfect on Saturday, though it wasn’t all smooth sailing for ‘Bama or Oregon (clockwise from top: AP/ Herbert, AP/ Wagner, Getty/ Laberge)

Tailgater Top 25 Rankings, Week 10

Alabama couldn’t make good on Vegas’ nine-point spread.  In fact, it took about 59 minutes for the Crimson Tide to secure its ninth win of the year.  But as well as LSU played, especially on the defensive side of the ball, ‘Bama still regins atop the polls and the BCS standings.  Here too in Tailgater, the majority is still rolling with the Tide.  But it’s clear that the top three is a bit more fungible than its been in recent weeks.  If (and that’s a mighty big if) all three of Alabama, Kansas State, and Oregon were to finish unbeaten, there’s going to be a quite a vigorous debate as to which should be left out of the title game.

The Ducks and Wildcats kept that debate alive by earning big wins of their own on Saturday.  Oregon found itself in a shootout with USC, and while it mgiht have fielded a lame duck defense, that offense is downright frightening.  Kansas State was only slightly less flashy in dispatching Oklahoma State, although the team now must concern itself with a Collin Klein injury.  Early reports suggest that it was a concussion, raising doubts about the Heisman candidate’s fitness in upcoming weeks.

Following on their big win at Norman, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame fell flat on their faces against lowly Pittsburgh.  The final outcome, a triple overtime three-point win, tells us their no justice in college football; the Panthers gave the game away several times over.  The most excruciating moment cam in overtime, when a high snap disrupting the timing on what should have been the short game-winning field goal for Pitt.  But in the end, Notre Dame survived another one.  With OT wins over Stanford and Pittsburgh, the irish are living on the edge.

All six remaining unbeatens stayed perfect.

Here are our updated college football rankings for week 10.

Bigalke:
1-10:My fellow Tailgaters might disagree with this, but I’m tired of following convention. I’m tired of keeping the top 5 static merely because that’s how I had it ranked last week, and the week before, and the week before that. The best team in the country, right now, has to be Kansas State. I basically have Oregon and Alabama as 2a and 2b behind the Wildcats, with the Ducks getting the edge for covering the spread in their showdown with USC. I moved Louisville ahead of Notre Dame after another ridiculously efficient day for Teddy Bridgewater. Georgia impressed, Florida did not, and thus one is still a top 10 team and the other isn’t. Idle FSU and big winner Clemson move one spot behind Georgia, while Oregon State returns to the top 10 after taking care of Arizona State at home.