November 23, 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 Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. ET and can be reached at mhuguenin@rivals.com.

Our 1-120 rankings are about as boring as the BCS standings: For the third week in a row, the top seven teams remained the same in our rankings.

The top six teams are the remaining six unbeatens, while the bottom two are the remaining winless teams.

One team - New Mexico - removed itself from the winless column, beating Colorado State on a last-second field goal.

On to the rankings.

Mike Huguenin's 120 at 1:20

1. Texas (11-0)
BUZZ: There really was no mystery, but the Longhorns officially clinched the Big 12 South title Saturday. NEXT: Thursday, at Texas A&M.

2. Alabama (11-0)
BUZZ: The Tide had a breather against Chattanooga and now hit the road to play their archrival. NEXT: Friday, at Auburn.

3. Florida (11-0)
BUZZ: This season's "Senior Day" should be an emotional one. It will be Tim Tebow's last home game, and the hated Seminoles will be in town. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Florida State.

4. TCU (11-0)
BUZZ: All that stands between TCU and a BCS bid is a game against one-win New Mexico - at home, no less. NEXT: Saturday, vs. New Mexico.

5. Cincinnati (10-0)
BUZZ: The Bearcats are 10-0 for the first time in school history. NEXT: Friday, vs. Illinois.

6. Boise State (11-0)
BUZZ: The Broncos have won 54 consecutive regular-season home games. That stat bodes ill for Nevada. NEXT: Friday, vs. Nevada.

7. Georgia Tech (10-1)
BUZZ: Paul Johnson is going to the ACC championship game in his second season as coach. If he can beat the hated Bulldogs for the second season in a row on top of the title-game appearance ? NEXT: Saturday, vs. Georgia.

8. Oregon (9-2)
BUZZ: QB Jeremiah Masoli's heroics set up an epic "Civil War" - the winner goes to the Rose Bowl. NEXT: Dec. 3, vs. Oregon State.

9. Pittsburgh (9-1)
BUZZ: Nothing like ending the season with some tough games. First, it's archrival West Virginia in the "Backyard Brawl." Then, it's a battle with unbeaten Cincinnati. NEXT: Friday, at West Virginia.

10. Ohio State (10-2)
BUZZ: It's the same old story in Columbus: Another win over Michigan and another Big Ten title. NEXT: Jan. 1, Rose Bowl vs. TBA.

11. Iowa (10-2)
BUZZ: It was ugly, but the Hawkeyes' win over Minnesota keeps them in the hunt for a BCS at-large bid. NEXT: Bowl game, TBA.

12. Oregon State (8-3)
BUZZ: For the second season in a row, the Beavers head into the "Civil War" knowing that a win puts them in the Rose Bowl. NEXT: Dec. 3, at Oregon.

13. Clemson (8-3)
BUZZ: Kudos to Dabo Swinney, who turned 40 last Friday. He has the Tigers in the ACC championship game in his first full season as coach. NEXT: Saturday, at South Carolina.

14. Oklahoma State (9-2)
BUZZ: The Cowboys have a chance to stay in the hunt for a BCS at-large bid and put even more of a hurt on the Sooners. NEXT: Saturday, at Oklahoma.

15. LSU (8-3)
BUZZ: You think the Tigers will be working on clock management this week in practice? And we mean players and coaches. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Arkansas.

16. Utah (9-2)
BUZZ: Any bad feelings at all about this season - any - can be wiped away with a win in "The Holy War." NEXT: Saturday, at BYU.

17. Miami (8-3)
BUZZ: UM has been a bit uneven since starting 5-1. Still, this is a young team and growing pains are to be expected. NEXT: Saturday, at USF.

18. Stanford (7-4)
BUZZ: For the first time in a while, the Cardinal ran into a running back hotter than Toby Gerhart. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Notre Dame.

19. BYU (9-2)
BUZZ: As with Utah, any bad feelings at all about this season - any - can be wiped away with a win in "The Holy War." NEXT: Saturday, vs. Utah.

20. Virginia Tech (8-3)
BUZZ: Back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina removed a lot of luster from this season. NEXT: Saturday, at Virginia.

21. USC (7-3)
BUZZ: Explain this: USC crushes Cal and Stanford crushes USC - but Cal beats Stanford? NEXT: Saturday, vs. UCLA.

22. Penn State (10-2)
BUZZ: The Nittany Lions are hopeful for a BCS at-large selection. More likely, though, is a trip to Orlando, Fla., for the Capital One Bowl. NEXT: Bowl game, TBA.

23. California (8-3)
BUZZ: A big-time performance from Shane Vereen lifts the Golden Bears past Stanford in a truly big "Big Game." But you can't forget that the Golden Bears' three losses came by a combined 83 points. NEXT: Dec. 5, at Washington.

24. Ole Miss (8-3)
BUZZ: The Rebels finally are playing the way everybody expected. Too bad it's a little too late. Still, another New Year's Day bowl beckons. NEXT: Saturday, at Mississippi State.

25. Houston (9-2)
BUZZ: A victory over their in-town rival on Saturday means the Cougars win the Conference USA West division title. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Rice.

26. North Carolina (8-3)
BUZZ: The Heels have won five of their past six since an inexplicable loss to Virginia. NEXT: Saturday, at North Carolina State.

27. Nebraska (8-3)
BUZZ: The offense isn't very good, but a rough-and-tumble defense has led the Huskers to the Big 12 North title. NEXT: Friday, at Colorado.

28. Arizona (6-4)
BUZZ: The Wildcats can't let the loss to Oregon carry over into the meeting with their archrival. NEXT: Saturday, at Arizona State.

29. Texas Tech (7-4)
BUZZ: The Red Raiders pounded Oklahoma and have a chance to once again get to eight victories. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Baylor in Arlington, Texas.

30. Arkansas (7-4)
BUZZ: The Razorbacks have won four in a row, and if they can get to five in a row, they could be playing their bowl game on New Year's Day. NEXT: Saturday, at LSU.

31. Wisconsin (8-3)
BUZZ: One thing bowl organizers will consider: Does Wisconsin's regular-season trip to Hawaii mean some fans will bypass a bowl visit to head to the islands instead? NEXT: Dec. 5, at Hawaii.

32. Navy (8-3)
BUZZ: Navy was off this past weekend, plays at Hawaii this weekend, is off next weekend, then finishes the regular season Dec. 12 against Army. NEXT: Saturday, at Hawaii.

33. Boston College (7-4)
BUZZ: That BC is going to win eight games, given its offseason turmoil, is a testament to some gritty players and better-than-expected coaching staff. NEXT: Saturday, at Maryland.

34. Central Michigan (9-2)
BUZZ: The Chippewas - whose only losses are to Arizona and Boston College - already have clinched the MAC West title. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Northern Illinois.

35. Auburn (7-4)
BUZZ: The Tigers have stumbled a bit in the second half of the season, but a win Friday would mean no one would remember the stumbles. NEXT: Friday, vs. Alabama.

36. USF (7-3)
BUZZ: The Bulls bounced back from an embarrassing loss to Rutgers by downing Louisville. This week, they have a chance to make some real noise. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Miami.

37. West Virginia (7-3)
BUZZ: Each of the Mountaineers' past two losses has come in non-Saturday games. Bad luck for them is that this week's game isn't on Saturday, either. NEXT: Friday, vs. Pittsburgh.

38. Oklahoma (6-5)
BUZZ: A season to forget in Norman could get even worse in the "Bedlam Game." NEXT: Saturday, vs. Oklahoma State.

39. Northwestern (8-4)
BUZZ: Northwestern upset Wisconsin, giving the Wildcats back-to-back eight-win seasons for the first time since 1995-96. NEXT: Bowl game, TBA.

40. Missouri (7-4)
BUZZ: If the Tigers can beat their rivals, they can finish the regular season having won four of their final five. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Kansas in Kansas City, Mo.

41. Air Force (7-5)
BUZZ: Once again, the Falcons were swept by the Mountain West's "big three," and they also lost to Navy. NEXT: Bowl game, TBA.

42. Tennessee (6-5)
BUZZ: The Vols are bowl eligible, but a loss this weekend would take away some of the good vibes. NEXT: Saturday, at Kentucky.

43. South Carolina (6-5)
BUZZ: If the Gamecocks can beat their archrival, all the talk about another late-season collapse would fade into a whisper. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Clemson.

44. Florida State (6-5)
BUZZ: The Seminoles will be going to their 28th consecutive bowl, the nation's longest current streak. NEXT: Saturday, at Florida.

45. Connecticut (5-5)
BUZZ: The Huskies finally prevailed in a close one. A win this week and the Huskies become bowl eligible. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Syracuse.

46. Kentucky (7-4)
BUZZ: The Wildcats got their first victory in Athens, Ga., since 1977 this past weekend. Now, they'll try to beat the Vols for the first time since 1984. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Tennessee.

47. Georgia (6-5)
BUZZ: A home loss to Kentucky? Man, as bad as this season has been, that still was a surprise. NEXT: Saturday, at Georgia Tech.

48. Rutgers (7-3)
BUZZ: How in the world do you lose to Syracuse? NEXT: Friday, at Louisville.

49. Notre Dame (6-5)
BUZZ: OK, enough's enough. Just fire Charlie Weis already. NEXT: Saturday, at Stanford.

50. Michigan State (6-6)
BUZZ: Coach Mark Dantonio is a defense-minded guy, and he has to realize his defense needs some work. NEXT: Bowl game, TBA.

51. Nevada (8-3)
BUZZ: The Wolf Pack are the first major-college team in history to have three 1,000-yard rushers in the same season. NEXT: Friday, at Boise State.

52. Fresno State (7-4)
BUZZ: The Bulldogs lost by three at Wisconsin in early September. They get another shot at a Big Ten team in their regular-season finale. NEXT: Dec. 5, at Illinois.

53. East Carolina (7-4)
BUZZ: Saturday's game is for the East Division title in Conference USA. If ECU wins, it will play host to the league championship game. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Southern Miss.

54. UCLA (6-5)
BUZZ: For the most part, the Bruins' schedule eased in the second half of the season. They took advantage and are bowl eligible. NEXT: Saturday, at USC.

55. Temple (9-2)
BUZZ: All hail coach Al Golden: The Owls have won nine in a row and play for the MAC East title Saturday. NEXT: Friday, at Ohio University.

56. Southern Miss (7-4)
BUZZ: The Golden Eagles, who have won four of their past five, play for the C-USA East Division title on Saturday. NEXT: Saturday, at East Carolina.

57. Minnesota (6-6)
BUZZ: The Golden Gophers head into the postseason having lost four of their past six. NEXT: Bowl game, TBA.

58. Kansas State (6-6)
BUZZ: Bill Snyder needs to find a quarterback and some more playmakers on offense. NEXT: Season over.

59. Kansas (5-6)
BUZZ: The Jayhawks started 5-0, but not much has gone right since. Might this be Mark Mangino's final game? KU must win to become bowl eligible. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Missouri in Kansas City, Mo.

60. Mississippi State (4-7)
BUZZ: If Dan Mullen can win the "Egg Bowl" in his first season as coach, that would give the Bulldogs a huge boost going into the offseason. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Ole Miss.

61. Troy (8-3)
BUZZ: Troy clinched at least a portion of its fourth consecutive Sun Belt title. This week, they'll try to take the title all for themselves. NEXT: Saturday, at Louisiana-Lafayette.

62. UCF (7-4)
BUZZ: A win Saturday guarantees no worse than a second-place finish in C-USA East. And a victory could mean a tie for first. NEXT: Saturday, at UAB.

63. Middle Tennessee (8-3)
BUZZ: The Blue Raiders take a five-game winning streak into Saturday's game. They look to be in great shape to earn a bowl bid. NEXT: Saturday, at Louisiana-Monroe.

64. Wake Forest (4-7)
BUZZ: The Demon Deacons have lost five in a row. Three of those losses have come by three or fewer points. NEXT: Saturday, at Duke.

65. Ohio University (8-3)
BUZZ: The Bobcats quietly have put together a solid season for fifth-year coach Frank Solich. They play for the MAC East title Saturday. NEXT: Friday, vs. Temple.

66. Arizona State (4-7)
BUZZ: For the first time in his career as a college head coach, Dennis Erickson is going to have back-to-back losing seasons. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Arizona.

67. Northern Illinois (7-4)
BUZZ: NIU blew its chance to play for the MAC West title by losing last weekend. Still, a win this week would make them more attractive to bowl suitors. NEXT: Saturday, at Central Michigan.

68. Iowa State (6-6)
BUZZ: A win over Big 12 North champ Nebraska was the highlight of the season. Well, until the bowl announcement, that is. NEXT: Bowl game, TBD.

69. Texas A&M (6-5)
BUZZ: The Aggies became bowl eligible with a rout of Baylor. Now, they can turn their attention to shocking their hated rivals. NEXT: Thursday, vs. Texas.

70. Purdue (5-7)
BUZZ: The Boilermakers finished 4-4 in the Big Ten. If not for a 1-3 non-conference record, which includes a loss to Northern Illinois, they would be going bowling. NEXT: Season over.

71. SMU (6-5)
BUZZ: The Mustangs no longer control their destiny in the C-USA West race. Still, seven wins would be a big accomplishment for a team that was 1-11 last year. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Tulane.

72. Michigan (5-7)
BUZZ: The Wolverines finished last in the Big Ten and won't be bowling for the second year in a row. That means Rich Rodriguez will be feeling a ton of heat when next year begins. NEXT: Season over.

73. Duke (5-6)
BUZZ: QB Thaddeus Lewis has a great shot at finishing second in ACC history in passing yards. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Wake Forest.

74. Idaho (7-4)
BUZZ: The Vandals have lost three of their past four, but this still has been a great season: They're going bowling. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Utah State.

75. Marshall (6-5)
BUZZ: The Thundering Herd became bowl eligible this past weekend. Now, they're trying to guarantee an above-.500 finish. NEXT: Saturday, at UTEP.

76. Washington (3-7)
BUZZ: The Huskies have lost six of their past seven, but this season isn't close to being as bad as last season. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Washington State.

77. Bowling Green (6-5)
BUZZ: A victory Friday clinches no worse than a third-place finish in the MAC East and could mean a tie for second. NEXT: Friday, vs. Toledo.

78. N.C. State (4-7)
BUZZ: The Wolfpack have lost six of their past seven. Two of their wins this season have come over FCS teams. NEXT: Saturday, vs. North Carolina.

79. Syracuse (4-7)
BUZZ: Give the Orange credit for not giving up on the season. The win over Rutgers is one of two to be proud of this season; the Orange also beat Northwestern. NEXT: Saturday, at Connecticut.

80. Virginia (3-8)
BUZZ: The Cavaliers take a five-game losing streak into their season finale. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Virginia Tech.

81. Indiana (4-8)
BUZZ: The Hoosiers lost five in a row and eight of nine to close out the season. NEXT: Season over.

82. Illinois (3-7)
BUZZ: The Fighting Illini aren't going anywhere for the postseason, but they sure can put a crimp in Cincinnati's bowl hopes with an upset. NEXT: Friday, at Cincinnati.

83. Tulsa (4-7)
BUZZ: The Golden Hurricane have lost six in a row, and the defense has been the culprit. NEXT: Friday, vs. Memphis.

84. Louisiana-Lafayette (6-5)
BUZZ: If the Ragin' Cajuns can find a way to upset Troy, they likely would play their way into a bowl bid. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Troy.

85. Louisville (4-7)
BUZZ: Man, these "Mike Leach to Louisville" rumors won't go away. NEXT: Friday, vs. Rutgers.

86. Western Michigan (5-6)
BUZZ: QB Tim Hiller needs three more TD passes to become the MAC's career leader. Former Marshall star Chad Pennington (1997-99) has the record of 100. NEXT: Tuesday, vs. Ball State.

87. Toledo (5-6)
BUZZ: The Rockets have a shot at finishing .500 overall and in MAC play in coach Tim Beckman's first season. NEXT: Friday, at Bowling Green.

88. Baylor (4-7)
BUZZ: Once QB Robert Griffin went down, the season basically was over. NEXT: vs. Texas Tech, in Arlington, Texas.

89. Colorado (3-8)
BUZZ: The Buffs' two Big 12 wins have come by a total of five points. But they'll take a one-point win over Nebraska. NEXT: Friday, vs. Nebraska.

90. UAB (5-6)
BUZZ: The Blazers must win Saturday to become bowl eligible. But even if they're eligible, there's no guarantee they'll go bowling. NEXT: Saturday, vs. UCF.

91. Kent State (5-6)
BUZZ: The Golden Flashes have done a solid job defensively this season. The offense needs some help, though. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Buffalo.

92. Wyoming (5-6)
BUZZ: The Cowboys' four Mountain West losses have come by a combined 109 points - yet they're still in great shape to get a bowl bid. NEXT: Saturday, at Colorado State.

93. Buffalo (4-7)
BUZZ: The Bulls snapped a three-game losing streak last week; those three losses had come by a total of seven points. NEXT: Saturday, at Kent State.

94. Louisiana-Monroe (6-5)
BUZZ: The Warhawks have a shot at a bowl bid if they can beat the red-hot Blue Raiders this weekend. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Middle Tennessee.

95. UNLV (4-7)
BUZZ: Saturday's game will be the swan song for coach Mike Sanford, who didn't have a winning record in any of his five seasons. NEXT: Saturday, vs. San Diego State.

96. Maryland (2-9)
BUZZ: One of the biggest head-scratchers of this season will be the Terps' 24-21 win over Clemson on Oct. 3. They haven't won since. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Boston College.

97. San Diego State (4-7)
BUZZ: The Aztecs need to find a way to improve their rushing offense and their rushing defense. NEXT: Saturday, at UNLV.

98. Army (5-6)
BUZZ: If the Black Knights can upset Navy on Dec. 12, they will be headed to the EagleBank Bowl. NEXT: Dec. 12, vs. Navy in Philadelphia.

99. Hawaii (5-6)
BUZZ: The Warriors still have a shot to become bowl eligible. All they have to do is beat Navy and Wisconsin. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Navy.

100. Vanderbilt (2-10)
BUZZ: Vandy followed up a bowl season by going 0-8 in SEC play. Needless to say, that wasn't what was expected. This team must find a way to generate some offense. NEXT: Season over.

101. Louisiana Tech (3-8)
BUZZ: The Bulldogs have lost five in a row - including setbacks to Boise State and LSU - and those losses have come by a combined 23 points. NEXT: Dec. 5, vs. San Jose State.

102. Colorado State (3-8)
BUZZ: The Rams have lost eight in a row. The latest setback: A last-second loss to a New Mexico team that had been winless. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Wyoming.

103. Rice (2-9)
BUZZ: The Owls have won two in a row. But that streak likely ends Saturday. NEXT: Saturday, at Houston.

104. UTEP (3-8)
BUZZ: This has been a disappointing season for the Miners. But coach Mike Price will return next season. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Marshall.

105. Utah State (3-8)
BUZZ: The Aggies finished 3-2 at home this season, their first winning record at home since 2003. NEXT: Saturday, at Idaho.

106. Florida International (3-8)
BUZZ: FIU has been a mild disappointment this season. But a rough season is to be expected when you play 17 true freshmen. NEXT: Dec. 5, vs. Florida Atlantic.

107. Florida Atlantic (3-7)
BUZZ: The Owls need to do some work on their defense in the offseason. NEXT: Saturday, vs. Western Kentucky.

108. Tulane (3-8)
BUZZ: Unless the Green Wave win Saturday, they will finish last in the C-USA West. NEXT: Saturday, at SMU.

109. Memphis (2-9)
BUZZ: The Tigers appear destined to end the season on a six-game losing streak, which is not a good way for coach Tommy West to go out. NEXT: Friday, at Tulsa.

110. Washington State (1-10)
BUZZ: The Cougars have scored more than 13 points in one of their eight Pac-10 games - and in that one, they still lost by 32. NEXT: Saturday, at Washington.

111. Akron (2-9)
BUZZ: The Zips have one win over a FBS program this season. This week's game gives them a great shot at their second. NEXT: Friday, vs. Eastern Michigan.

112. Arkansas State (2-8)
BUZZ: The Red Wolves have been the biggest disappointment in the Sun Belt. Thing is, they close the season with North Texas and Western Kentucky, so a 3-5 conference mark is entirely possible. NEXT: Saturday, vs. North Texas.

113. New Mexico State (3-8)
BUZZ: The Aggies scored 20 points this past weekend - four more than they had scored in their previous four games. Still, they lost by 43. NEXT: Saturday, at San Jose State.

114. New Mexico (1-10)
BUZZ: The Lobos are bad, no question. But give them credit for not throwing in the towel on the season and coming up with their first victory. NEXT: Saturday, at TCU.

115. North Texas (2-9)
BUZZ: The record might not show it, but the Mean Green are improved from last season. The biggest problem: The run defense remains pitiful. NEXT: Saturday, at Arkansas State.

116. Miami University (1-11)
BUZZ: First-year coach Michael Haywood has a lot of work to do to get the RedHawks back where they expect to be. NEXT: Season over.

117. Ball State (1-10)
BUZZ: Talk about a precipitous fall: Last season at this time, Ball State was unbeaten and ranked 15th in the BCS. NEXT: Tuesday, at Western Michigan.

118. San Jose State (1-9)
BUZZ: Coach Dick Tomey, 71, is retiring after this season. If his team doesn't win Saturday, it's unlikely he'll win again. NEXT: Saturday, vs. New Mexico State.

119. Eastern Michigan (0-11)
BUZZ: The Eagles have one more shot at a victory this season. Luckily for them, that shot comes against an eminently beatable team. NEXT: Saturday, at Akron.

120. Western Kentucky (0-10)
BUZZ: It has not been a good season for the Hilltoppers. Only two of the 10 losses have been by fewer than 16 points. NEXT: Saturday, at Florida Atlantic.

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