The D1scourse 30

Is anyone in major-college football really perfect anymore?

Well, yes. There’s Boise State, Utah and Ball State.

SEE RELATED:

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But what about Alabama and Texas Tech? They’re still unbeaten, unlike Penn State.

True, but both were extended to overtime at some point or another. Not long ago, both would have taken a tie and been on their way.

(Alabama’s would have been particularly harsh, given how the Crimson Tide nearly took care of matters in regulation yesterday at Louisiana State).

So how to discern between Alabama and Texas Tech? Alabama’s scare came on the road, while Tech’s was at home. But the Red Raiders own victories over Texas and Oklahoma State at home, both of which seem like better wins that toppling Georgia on the road.

This will remain a coinflip for a while, or until one of them loses. Since Texas Tech still has to go to Oklahoma and Alabama must contend with Florida on a neutral field, here’s guessing one of them stumbles in the next four weeks.

At this point, it feels like there are some clear dividing lines in the rankings; the top seven, then the next eight, and then another five teams after that. Once you get past 20, there are arguments to be made for plenty of programs.

As always, overtime games are treated as ties, win or lose. Here’s this week’s top 30:

No./Team	Adj. record	AP	Pvs.	Notable Wins/Head-to-Head
1. Texas Tech	9-0-1	2	2	* Texas and Okla. St. (H); OTW vs. Neb.
2. Alabama	9-0-1	1	1	* Georgia (A); OTW at LSU
3. Texas	9-1	4	4	* Okla. (N); Okla. State (H); lost at TT
4. Florida	8-1	3	7	* LSU (H) and Ga. (N); lost to Miss. (H)
5. Oklahoma	9-1	5	6	* TCU and Kansas (H); lost to Texas (N)
6. Penn State	8-1	7	3	* Ohio St.(A), Oregon St. (H); lost at Iowa
7. Southern Cal	9-1	6	5	* Ohio St. (H); lost at Oregon State
8. Boise State	9-0	9	9	* Oregon (A)
9. Utah	10-0	8	10	* Oregon State and TCU (H)
10. Oklahoma St.	8-2	11	10	* Missouri (A); lost at Texas and TT
11. Ohio State	8-2	10	12	* Michigan State (A)
12. Missouri	8-2	12	13	* Losses to Texas (A) and Okla. St. (H)
13. Georgia	7-2	13	14	* LSU (A); lost to Bama (H) and Fla. (N)
14. North Carolina	7-1-1	17	17	* Miami (A); lost to VT (H); OTL at UVa
15. Louisiana State	7-2-1	19	15	* L to Ga. (H) and Fla. (A); OTL vs. Bama
16. Ball State	9-0	14	16	* Navy (H); about as far as they go
17. Texas Christian	8-2	15	11	* BYU (H); lost at Oklahoma and Utah
18. Brigham Young	9-1	16	18	* Lost at TCU
19. Florida State	7-2	20	21	* VT (H) and Miami (A); lost at GT
20. Michigan State	9-2	18	21	* Screwed up less than everyone left
21. Cincinnati	6-2-1	22	26	* OTW at West Virginia; no home losses
22. Pittsburgh	6-2-1	21	25	* Lost to BGSU and Rutgers (H)
23. Oregon State	6-3	23	27	* USC (H); lost to Penn St. and Utah (A)
24. Virginia Tech	6-3	27	NR	* GT (H) and UNC (A)
25. Georgia Tech	7-3	29	23	* Florida State (H); lost at VT and UNC
26. West Virginia	6-1-2	T-33	22	* OTL vs. Cincinnati and at Colorado
27. California	7-3	26	24	* Michigan State and Oregon (H)
28. Oregon	6-3-1	T-31	NR	* OTW at Purdue
29. Miami	5-3-1	T-33	30	* OTW at UVa; lost to FSU, UNC, Fla.
30. South Carolina	7-3	24	NR	* 7-pt losses to Ga. and LSU (H)

—- Patrick Stevens