October 26, 2009

Mike Huguenin
Rivals.com College Football Editor

Mike Huguenin is the college sports editor for Rivals.com.
He can be heard on Rivals Radio every Saturday at 8 a.m. ET and can be reached at mhuguenin@rivals.com.

Here is our third 1-120 ranking of the season. How do we come up with the rankings? Above all else, it's who we think would win on a neutral field. But we also take into account who a team has beaten and where, and generally take a "what have you done for me lately" attitude, as well.

Enough of the introduction. On to the rankings.

Mike Huguenin's 120 at 1:20

1. Alabama (8-0)
BUZZ: Terrence Cody is the man of the hour for the Crimson Tide. Usually, a guy needs to be able to jump to block field goals. But not against Tennessee. NEXT: Nov. 7, vs. LSU.

2. Texas (7-0)
BUZZ: It appears as if the Longhorns' last real test of the regular season will be this week against Oklahoma State. Win this and they can proceed to Pasadena. NEXT: Saturday, at Oklahoma State.

3. Florida (7-0)
BUZZ: Florida's defense did its job -- Mississippi State's defense scored 13 points, Mississippi State's offense scored six. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Georgia in Jacksonville.

4. USC (6-1)
BUZZ: The defense has shown some vulnerability the past two weeks. Will Oregon be able to take advantage? NEXT: Saturday, at Oregon.

5. Iowa (8-0)
BUZZ: A last-play touchdown is needed for another win? No sweat, says Ricky Stanzi. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Indiana.

6. Cincinnati (7-0)
BUZZ: You like score comparisons? Cincy won by 10 at Oregon State. USC beat Oregon State by six in L.A. NEXT: Saturday, at Syracuse.

7. TCU (7-0)
BUZZ: The only real obstacle between the Horned Frogs and a 12-0 record is a Nov. 14 home game against Utah. NEXT: Saturday, vs. UNLV.

8. Boise State (7-0)
BUZZ: The Broncos' next two opponents have combined for two wins over FBS foes. That's not going to help them in the BCS computer rankings. NEXT: Saturday, vs. San Jose State.

9. Georgia Tech (7-1)
BUZZ: The beauty of the triple-option attack is that opponents know what is coming, but still have all sorts of trouble stopping it. NEXT: Saturday, at Vanderbilt.

10. Oregon (6-1)
BUZZ: There will be a lot of pressure on redshirt freshman TB LaMichael James this week. NEXT: Saturday, vs. USC.

11. LSU (6-1)
BUZZ: Jordan Jefferson looked good as a passer vs. Auburn. But, man, what is wrong with the Tigers' rushing attack? NEXT: Saturday, vs. Tulane.

12. Virginia Tech (5-2)
BUZZ: The teams that have beaten the Hokies (Alabama and Georgia Tech) are a combined 15-1. NEXT: Thursday, vs. North Carolina.

13. Penn State (7-1)
BUZZ: Getting defensive: The Nittany Lions have allowed a total of 13 points in their past three games. NEXT: Saturday, at Northwestern.

14. Houston (6-1)
BUZZ: QB Case Keenum's string of six consecutive 350-yard passing games ended last weekend in the victory over SMU. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Southern Miss.

15. Oklahoma State (6-1)
BUZZ: The Cowboys need to find a way to run effectively if they're to beat Texas this weekend. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Texas.

16. Miami (5-2)
BUZZ: Miami's defense still has some issues. The Hurricanes have allowed at least 30 points in three ACC games. NEXT: Saturday, at Wake Forest.

17. Utah (6-1)
BUZZ: This week's game is the second of a three-game homestand. After that, it's a trip to TCU. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Wyoming.

18. Pittsburgh (7-1)
BUZZ: Pitt's offense really is clicking, which makes you wonder: Is this really a Dave Wannstedt team? NEXT: Nov. 7, vs. Syracuse.

19. Arizona (5-2)
BUZZ: If not for a bizarre pick-six in the final two minutes against Washington, the Wildcats would be 6-1 -- and also unbeaten in Pac-10 play. NEXT: Nov. 7, vs. Washington State.

20. West Virginia (6-1)
BUZZ: WVU has committed at least two turnovers in five games. Three of the Mountaineers' final five games are on the road. NEXT: Friday, at USF.

21. Ohio State (6-2)
BUZZ: Terrelle Pryor played well on Saturday. I'd bet he plays well again this week. NEXT: Saturday, vs. New Mexico State.

22. South Carolina (6-2)
BUZZ: The Gamecocks go on the road for their next two before getting Florida at home on Nov. 14. NEXT: Saturday, at Tennessee.

23. BYU (6-2)
BUZZ: BYU lost by 25 to TCU last season. It was even worse -- by 31 -- this season. NEXT: Nov. 7, at Wyoming.

24. Oklahoma (4-3)
BUZZ: The Sooners have forced at least two turnovers in each game this season and have forced at least three four times. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Kansas State.

25. Notre Dame (5-2)
BUZZ: Saturday's victory over Boston College was the sixth game in a row for the Irish decided by seven or fewer points. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Washington State in San Antonio.

26. Oregon State (4-3)
BUZZ: The Beavers' offense put up a good fight against USC. The defense was overrun, though. NEXT: Saturday, vs. UCLA.

27. Wisconsin (5-2)
BUZZ: The Badgers had last weekend off to try to recover from back-to-back losses. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Purdue.

28. Ole Miss (5-2)
BUZZ: Well, what do you know -- the coaches get the ball to Dexter McCluster and good things happen for the Rebels' offense. NEXT: Saturday, at Auburn.

29. California (5-2)
BUZZ: As long as they're not playing Oregon or USC, the Golden Bears actually move the ball quite well. NEXT: Saturday, at Arizona State.

30. Central Michigan (7-1)
BUZZ: The Chippewas' only loss was a 13-point setback at Arizona in the opener. They beat Michigan State and get another shot at a Big Six school. NEXT: Saturday, at Boston College.

31. Clemson (4-3)
BUZZ: The Tigers' gutty OT win at Miami has them in good shape in the ACC Atlantic Division. Remember, they own the tiebreaker over Boston College. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Coastal Carolina.

32. Boston College (5-3)
BUZZ: The Eagles remain very much in the running for the ACC Atlantic Division title. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Central Michigan.

33. Texas Tech (5-3)
BUZZ: The Red Raiders have Kansas, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in their next three games. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Kansas.

34. Stanford (5-3)
BUZZ: The Cardinal need one more win for bowl eligibility. The last four games: Oregon, USC, Cal and Notre Dame. NEXT: Nov. 7, vs. Oregon.

35. Navy (6-2)
BUZZ: Who needs to pass to win? The Midshipmen didn't attempt one pass in dispatching Wake Forest on Saturday. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Temple.

36. Michigan State (4-4)
BUZZ: If games lasted 58:58, the Spartans would be 5-3. Alas, the final two seconds did them in against Iowa. NEXT: Saturday, at Minnesota.

37. Michigan (5-3)
BUZZ: Don't look now but the Wolverines are 1-3 in the Big Ten, with the only win by three over Indiana. NEXT: Saturday, at Illinois.

38. Connecticut (4-3)
BUZZ: Given their emotional state, the Huskies acquitted themselves nicely despite their loss at West Virginia. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Rutgers.

39. Kansas (5-2)
BUZZ: It's not inconceivable that the Jayhawks' 5-0 start turns into a 7-6 or 6-6 finish. NEXT: Saturday, at Texas Tech.

40. Nebraska (4-3)
BUZZ: There's no truth to rumor that A.D. Tom Osborne was asking the Sun Belt Conference to let the Huskers -- 3-0 vs. Sun Belt teams this season -- have the league's New Orleans Bowl berth. NEXT: Saturday, at Baylor.

41. Georgia (4-3)
BUZZ: The last time Georgia was idle the week before it played Florida? It was 2007. And the Bulldogs beat the Gators. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Florida in Jacksonville.

42. USF (5-2)
BUZZ: The Bulls have committed eight turnovers in their past three games and are way too inconsistent on offense. NEXT: Friday, vs. West Virginia.

43. Fresno State (4-3)
BUZZ: Two of the Bulldogs' losses are to unbeaten teams (Boise State and Cincinnati); the other is to two-loss Wisconsin. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Utah State.

44. Arkansas (3-4)
BUZZ: This week's game against the hapless Eagles is the first of four consecutive home games for the Hogs. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Eastern Michigan.

45. Auburn (5-3)
BUZZ: The suddenly punchless Tigers have lost three in a row, and Ole Miss' tough defense is next. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Ole Miss.

46. Missouri (4-3)
BUZZ: The Big 12 North is wide open. Too bad the Tigers already are 0-3 in conference play. NEXT: Saturday, at Colorado.

47. Kentucky (4-3)
BUZZ: The Wildcats would be looking good for a bowl bid if they can beat Mississippi State this weekend. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Mississippi State.

48. Tennessee (3-4)
BUZZ: The Vols came close vs. Alabama but fell short. Should Lane Kiffin have been a bit more offense-minded at the end? NEXT: Saturday, vs. South Carolina.

49. Florida State (3-4)
BUZZ: FSU QB Christian Ponder quietly is putting together a very nice season. It's too bad he can't throw against his own defense. NEXT: Saturday, vs. N.C. State.

50. North Carolina (4-3)
BUZZ: Well, I guess this won't be a breakout season for the Tar Heels after all. NEXT: Thursday, at Virginia Tech.

51. Arizona State (4-3)
BUZZ: The offense continues to be a problem for the Sun Devils, which really has to irk coach Dennis Erickson. NEXT: Saturday, vs. California.

52. Washington (3-5)
BUZZ: The Huskies have lost four of their past five, and getting to a bowl is going to be tough. NEXT: Nov. 7, at UCLA.

53. Wake Forest (4-4)
BUZZ: All of a sudden, Wake is in danger of not becoming bowl eligible. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Miami.

54. Minnesota (4-4)
BUZZ: The Golden Gophers play their next three at home, and any hope for a "good" bowl depends on beating the Spartans. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Michigan State.

55. Rutgers (5-2)
BUZZ: The Scarlet Knights have a nice record. But you know what? They've beaten no one, really. The best win is either Maryland or Army. NEXT: Saturday, at Connecticut.

56. Mississippi State (3-5)
BUZZ: This week's game will be the Bulldogs' ninth in a row; they finally get a week off on Nov. 7. NEXT: Saturday, at Kentucky.

57. Air Force (4-4)
BUZZ: All four Falcons losses have come by seven or fewer points, including two in overtime. NEXT: Saturday, at Colorado State.

58. Nevada (4-3)
BUZZ: The Wolf Pack have won four in a row. In those wins, they have rushed for 1,701 yards and 19 TDs. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Hawaii.

59. UCLA (3-4)
BUZZ: The Bruins have lost four in a row, and the streak seems likely to reach five this week. NEXT: Saturday, at Oregon State.

60. Northwestern (5-3)
BUZZ: It's not often you fall behind by 25 but still win. The Wildcats were just lucky they were playing Indiana. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Penn State.

61. East Carolina (4-3)
BUZZ: The Pirates look to be the best team in the East Division of Conference USA. That won't be the case if they lose to Memphis. NEXT: Tuesday, at Memphis.

62. Troy (5-2)
BUZZ: The Trojans can take a huge step toward nailing down at least a portion of their fourth consecutive Sun Belt title if they beat ULM this weekend. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Louisiana-Monroe.

63. Southern Miss (5-3)
BUZZ: All four remaining games are against teams with winning records. NEXT: Saturday, at Houston.

64. Kansas State (5-3)
BUZZ: Because they have two wins over FCS schools, the Wildcats have to get to seven victories to be bowl eligible; you can only count one FCS win per season toward bowl eligibility. NEXT: Saturday, at Oklahoma.

65. Texas A&M (4-3)
BUZZ: Follow the bouncing ball that is the Aggies' season -- a 3-0 start followed by three losses in a row (including a 48-point loss to Kansas State) followed by a rout of host Texas Tech. The Aggies look bowl-bound again. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Iowa State.

66. Iowa State (5-3)
BUZZ: The Cyclones only had 239 yards of offense, yet still beat Nebraska. Hey, who needs offense when you can force eight turnovers. NEXT: Saturday, at Texas A&M.

67. Idaho (6-2)
BUZZ: The Vandals scored a season-high 45 points in Saturday's game at Nevada. One problem -- they allowed 70. They had been 14th in the nation in rush defense. Now, they're 67th. Seriously. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Louisiana Tech.

68. Northern Illinois (4-3)
BUZZ: The Huskies' next three opponents have a combined two wins. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Akron.

69. Western Michigan (4-4)
BUZZ: If the Broncos can get to seven wins, they'll have a shot at a bowl bid. NEXT: Saturday, at Kent State.

70. Duke (4-3)
BUZZ: The Blue Devils have won three of their past four, and if they can make it four of five, a bowl becomes a legit possibility. NEXT: Saturday, at Virginia.

71. Virginia (3-4)
BUZZ: This past weekend, the Cavs' rushing defense was tested - and it failed against Georgia Tech. This weekend, it will be the secondary that must come through. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Duke.

72. Ohio University (5-3)
BUZZ: The Bobcats' offense looked pitiful in losing to Kent State. They need to bounce back this week to stay in the MAC East chase. NEXT: Saturday, at Ball State.

73. Purdue (3-5)
BUZZ: Three of the Boilermakers' final four games are on the road. NEXT: Saturday, at Wisconsin.

74. N.C. State (3-4)
BUZZ: The one hope for the Wolfpack this weekend is that QB Russell Wilson will be going against an atrocious pass defense. NEXT: Saturday, at Florida State.

75. Tulsa (4-3)
BUZZ: The Golden Hurricane fell apart late in losing at UTEP. They need to beat SMU to have legit bowl hopes. NEXT: Saturday, vs. SMU.

76. Temple (5-2)
BUZZ: The Owls have won five in a row and are the front-runners in the MAC East race. NEXT: Saturday, at Navy.

77. Syracuse (3-4)
BUZZ: Saturday's game will be the seventh home game of the season, and three of the final four contests are on the road. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Cincinnati.

78. Marshall (5-3)
BUZZ: The Herd are in the mix for the C-USA East title and will remain in the hunt if they can beat UCF. NEXT: Sunday, at UCF.

79. Bowling Green (3-5)
BUZZ: WR Freddie Barnes already has 99 receptions and has had six games with double-digit receptions. NEXT: Nov. 3, at Buffalo.

80. Middle Tennessee State (4-3)
BUZZ: Last season, MTSU beat Florida Atlantic on a last-play "Hail Mary." Can the Blue Raiders make it two in a row over the Owls? NEXT: Saturday, at Florida Atlantic.

81. Colorado State (3-5)
BUZZ: The Rams' last three games are against UNLV, New Mexico and Wyoming, so bowl eligibility remains a possibility. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Air Force.

82. Toledo (4-4)
BUZZ: The Rockets still have a legit shot at a 7-5 record, which might be enough to get them a bowl bid. NEXT: Saturday, at Miami University.

83. Colorado (2-5)
BUZZ: Who knows what to make of the Buffs? Truth be told, I guess they're not very good. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Missouri.

84. Indiana (4-4)
BUZZ: One win is over a FCS school. Two are over MAC schools. The other is over Illinois, which is somewhere between the FCS school and the two MAC schools. NEXT: Saturday, at Iowa.

85. Maryland (2-6)
BUZZ: The Terps need to win out to become bowl eligible. Far more likely is that they don't win again. NEXT: Nov. 7, at N.C. State.

86. Louisiana-Lafayette (4-3)
BUZZ: ULL was in the hunt in the Sun Belt until FAU lowered the boom on Saturday. NEXT: Saturday, at Florida International.

87. Louisville (2-5)
BUZZ: It seems like only a matter of time before coach Steve Kragthorpe is relieved of his duties. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Arkansas State.

88. UTEP (3-4)
BUZZ: Despite the record, UTEP controls its destiny in the C-USA West race. That's what victories over Houston and Tulsa will do for you. NEXT: Saturday, vs. UAB.

89. Louisiana-Monroe (4-3)
BUZZ: ULM is a surprise contender in the Sun Belt. A win this weekend puts the Warhawks in the driver's seat in the league race. NEXT: Saturday, at Troy.

90. Arkansas State (2-4)
BUZZ: The Red Wolves beat a Big Six team last season (Texas A&M) and have scared one this year (Iowa). Can they do more than put a scare into Louisville this week? NEXT: Saturday, at Louisville.

91. Wyoming (4-3)
BUZZ: The Cowboys' next two games are against MWC heavyweights Utah and BYU; TCU also remains on the schedule. NEXT: Saturday, at Utah.

92. Buffalo (3-5)
BUZZ: The Bulls' hopes for defending their MAC East title basically disappeared with Saturday's OT loss to Western Michigan. NEXT: Nov. 3, vs. Bowling Green.

93. Baylor (3-4)
BUZZ: The Bears have rushed for 138 yards in three Big 12 games. That's 138 total. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Nebraska.

94. SMU (3-4)
BUZZ: If the Mustangs can win Saturday, they'd have a good shot at a bowl bid. NEXT: Saturday, at Tulsa.

95. UCF (4-3)
BUZZ: Like a lot of middling teams in Conference USA, the Knights actually have a good shot at a bowl bid if they can get to six victories. NEXT: Sunday, vs. Marshall.

96. San Diego State (3-4)
BUZZ: The Aztecs' win over Colorado State was big. The victory puts them in position to nab one of the Mountain West's bowl slots; they still have games left against New Mexico, Wyoming and UNLV. NEXT: Saturday, vs. New Mexico.

97. UNLV (3-5)
BUZZ: The Runnin' Rebels snapped a 20-game Mountain West Conference road losing streak by winning at New Mexico. NEXT: Saturday, at TCU.

98. Kent State (4-4)
BUZZ: The Golden Flashes' upset of Ohio U. puts them in the hunt for the MAC East title. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Western Michigan.

99. Army (3-5)
BUZZ: The Black Knights have completed 18 passes combined in their past four games. When they can't run, they have no shot at a win. NEXT: Nov. 7, at Air Force.

100. Vanderbilt (2-6)
BUZZ: Two teams that can't throw will get together this week. Actually, for Tech, it's a style of offense. For Vandy, it's just plain incompetence. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Georgia Tech.

101. Illinois (1-6)
BUZZ: Ron Zook's coming back? Wow. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Michigan.

102. Florida Atlantic (2-4)
BUZZ: The Owls have won two in a row. If they can make it three in a row, they become a contender in the Sun Belt. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Middle Tennessee.

103. Memphis (2-5)
BUZZ: The Tigers still have road games remaining against Tennessee, Houston and Tulsa. NEXT: Tuesday, vs. East Carolina.

104. Washington State (1-6)
BUZZ: The Cougars' pass defense isn't good. And that's bad when Jimmy Clausen is next on the schedule. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Notre Dame in San Antonio.

105. UAB (2-5)
BUZZ: About the only positive thing for the Blazers this season is that Joe Webb is the leading rusher among quarterbacks, averaging 117.1 yards per game. NEXT: Saturday, at UTEP.

106. Utah State (2-5)
BUZZ: The Aggies beat Louisiana Tech on Saturday to break a 12-game losing streak in the month of October. NEXT: Saturday, at Fresno State.

107. Louisiana Tech (3-4)
BUZZ: The Bulldogs have lost four in a row on the road and three of their next four are on the road; the lone home game in the stretch is against Boise State. NEXT: Saturday, at Idaho.

108. Hawaii (2-5)
BUZZ: The Warriors have lost five in a row. Their run defense is pitiful and Nevada, which leads the nation in rushing, is up next. NEXT: Saturday, at Nevada.

109. New Mexico State (3-5)
BUZZ: Saturday's loss to Fresno State dropped the Aggies to 0-16 all-time against the Bulldogs. NEXT: Saturday, at Ohio State.

110. Tulane (2-5)
BUZZ: In two games against top-25 opponents this season, Tulane has been outscored 98-19 by BYU and Houston. In other words, LSU should roll. NEXT: Saturday, at LSU.

111. Florida International (1-6)
BUZZ: The Golden Panthers have been a mild disappointment thus far. But they can make up some ground here late in the season. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Louisiana-Lafayette.

112. North Texas (1-6)
BUZZ: The Mean Green have lost six in a row since opening the season with a win at Ball State. They should be able to stop the losing streak this week. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Western Kentucky.

113. Ball State (1-7)
BUZZ: The Cardinals had lost nine in a row before they squeaked one out over the weekend at Eastern Michigan. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Ohio U.

114. Akron (1-6)
BUZZ: The Zips' lone win is over a FCS school. But they played relatively well in losing to Syracuse over the weekend. NEXT: Saturday, at Northern Illinois.

115. San Jose State (1-5)
BUZZ: The Spartans' only victory is over FCS member Cal Poly. NEXT: Saturday, at Boise State.

116. New Mexico (0-7)
BUZZ: The Lobos seem destined for a basement finish in the Mountain West. They still have games remaining against BYU, TCU and Utah. NEXT: Saturday, at San Diego State.

117. Rice (0-8)
BUZZ: The Owls won 10 games last season; they seem almost assured to lose 10 this season. NEXT: Nov. 7, at SMU.

118. Miami University (0-8)
BUZZ: Three of the RedHawks' final four games are at home. Still, it looks as if it will be a winless season. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Toledo.

119. Eastern Michigan (0-7)
BUZZ: Eastern leads the nation in pass defense. Alas, Eastern is last in the nation in run defense. In other words, it's so easy to run on them, who needs to pass? NEXT: Saturday, at Arkansas.

120. Western Kentucky (0-7)
BUZZ: On paper, this week's game appears to be the best shot at a victory this season for the Hilltoppers. NEXT: Saturday, at North Texas.

Mike Huguenin is the college sports editor for Rivals.com. He can be reached at mhuguenin@rivals.com.