Top 25

College Football

Forwarded from our good friend Boofus S. Bulldog is a copy of CBS Sports Tony Barnhart's Thanksgiving Day column, which is a must read for all fans of the color and pageantry of NCAA College Football. Read it HERE

Top 25

1. Auburn, 12-0, 2
2. Oregon, 11-0, 1
3. Texas Christian, 12-0, 4
4. Wisconsin, 11-1, 5
5. Stanford, 11-1, 6
6. Ohio State, 11-1, 8
7. Michigan State, 11-1, 11
8. Arkansas, 10-2, 12
9. Oklahoma, 10-2 14
10. Virginia Tech, 10-2, 13
11. Nebraska, 10-2, 15
12. LSU, 10-2, 7
13. Boise State, 10-1, 3
14. Oklahoma State, 10-2, 9
15. Alabama, 9-3, 10
16. Missouri, 10-2, 16
17. South Carolina, 9-3, 17
18. Texas A&M, 9-3, 18
19. Nevada, 10-1, 19
20. Florida State, 9-3, 22
21. Mississippi State, 8-4, 23
22. West Virginia, 8-3, NR
23. Maryland, 8-4, NR
24. North Carolina State, 8-4, 21
25. Arizona, 7-4, 20

OUT: Iowa (24) & Florida (25).

VOTES: Iowa, Florida, Hawaii, Central Florida, Penn State, Northern Illinois, Utah, Baylor & Georgia.

Alabama thought they had Auburn knocked out, but off the canvas Cam Newton and the Tigers came to deal the Tide a bitter defeat for the ages, complete with with a TKO of Tide signal caller Greg McElroy with time running out.... Texas, a year ago playing of the national title, is 5-7 and will not go bowling after losing on Thanksgiving to A&M. Longhorn faithful are really scratching their heads on this bizarre season....Baylor is going bowling....Missouri belted Kansas, and for the Jayhawks, thank goodness the hardwood game is underway....Boise State let loose a 24-7 halftime lead and then missed two chip shot field goals to fall at Nevada in overtime, ending any potential BCS championship dreams for the Broncos....Maryland won a big one at home against NC State, sending Florida State to the ACC title game against Virginia Tech....Arkansas and LSU had another wild one, with the Hogs winning....Mississippi State won The Egg Bowl capping off a very soild season....Iowa lost to lowly Minnesota, getting punted on the stat sheet in addition to the scoreboard, concluding a very disappointing campaign for the Hawkeyes, who were in most pre-season top tens. Iowa joins Florida, Texas and Miami for the biggest diappointment of 2010. Victim says it is Texas.

Randy Shannon has been fired at Miami in a decision that had to be made after the Hurricanes, before a sparse crowd even by their low standards, dropped to South Florida in overtime. As a 'Nole, I had hoped Shannon would keep his job, but this was an ugly afternoon all around for the "U", so everyone saw this coming. I think the Hurricanes made a big mistake moving to SunLife Stadium from the now flattened Orange Bowl. The home field advantage at SunLife, 40 minutes north of the campus, is non existent. Miami needs to find the real state to build an on campus 50K seat stadium like what UCF built in Orlando. This program, in only small part due to Shannon, is nothing like what it used to be. Tomahawk Nation had a great article on the 'Canes program and the reality that it may be unwilling to compete at the level needed to regain the past glory.

Vanderbilt's highly thought of Coach Robbie Caldwell surprisingly resigned, and this looks like a great spot for Shannon to land....Speaking of coaches with a burning chair, RichRod is again atop the list ( Stanford coach and former Wolverine QB Jim Harbaugh comes home?) which should include Dabo Swinney at Clemson, where 6-6 is not going to get it....This was supposed to be a strong year for Pittsburgh with several starters returning, but it has been a disaster. One has to wonder if AD Steve Peterson is leading Pitt into decline like he did at Nebraska (he is) and if Wannstedt may join Bill Callahan back in the NFL.

In the final game between the departing teams of the Big XII, Nebraska used a strong performance by running back Rex Burkhead to smash the visiting Colorado Buffaloes. Replacing the Buffs for a rivalry game will be Iowa as the 'Huskers move to the Big Ten. Now, it is on to the Big XII Championship game in Dallas to take on the Oklahoma Sooners, who won Bedlam at Okie State. Nebraska-Oklahoma will play the final Big XII game, and that is exactly how it should be. GBR!

Florida State is 2010 state champs, smothering Florida 31-7 in Tallahassee. How Bout Them 'Noles?

PHOTO: (Gary W. Green, Orlando Sentinel / November 26, 2010)