cidsports: Week 14: cidsports' Top 25 going into final weekend of regular season

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Week 14: cidsports' Top 25 going into final weekend of regular season

Here's cidsports' Top 25 after Week 14:

Florida Gators (11-1, 7-1 SEC) - Battle of #1 vs. #2 in the SEC title game and a birth in the 2009 BCS Championship Game
Alabama Crimson Tide (12-0, 8-0 SEC) - Crimson Tide only remaining undefeated BCS team, but still with something to prove after light conference schedule
Southern Cal Trojans (10-1, 7-1 Pac 10) - Close regular season with rival UCLA (4-7, 3-5 Pac 10) and a USC win will propel the Trojans for a ticket to the Rose Bowl
Texas Longhorns (11-1. 6-1 Big 12) - Big 12 tiebreaker shuts Longhorns out of Big 12 title game, despite 45-35 win over OU in the regular season
Oklahoma Sooners (10-1, 6-1 Big 12) - The Sooners win South tiebreaker and will face #20 Missouri (9-3, 5-3 Big 12) in the Big 12 title game
Penn State Nittany Lions (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten) - Joe Pa recovers from hip surgery, while his team prepares for a trip to Pasadena, after earning a ticket to the Rose Bowl in '08
Utah Utes (12-0, 8-0 MWC) - Clearly, the Utes enter the bowl season as the top non-BCS team in the country and will be rewarded with a BCS bowl birth
Ohio State Buckeyes (10-2, 7-1 Big Ten) - The Buckeyes will likely be the second Big Ten team in a BCS bowl this season
Texas Tech Red Raiders (11-1, 6-1 Big 12) - Red Raiders had outstanding season, despite weak non-conference slate, including two FCS opponents
Boise State Broncos (12-0, 8-0 WAC) - The Broncos vs. Utah in a battle of top non-BCS teams would make a great bowl, but the Utes would likely prefer the BCS bowl game vs. a BCS school... maybe the bowls can allow Boise State and Ball State face one another
Ball State Cardinals (12-0, 8-0 MAC) - The Cardinals are the final undefeated team remaining in FBS, but Buffalo (7-5, 5-3 MAC) in the MAC title game could spoil that feat
TCU Horned Frogs (10-2, 7-1 MWC) - The Horned Frogs two losses were to Oklahoma and Utah this season
Cincinnati Bearcats (10-2. 6-1 Big East) - The Bearcats are the champions of the Big East Conference title in '08
Oregon Ducks (9-3, 8-1 Pac 10) - The Ducks win over in-state rival Oregon State, likely knocked the Beavers out of the Rose Bowl picture, if USC wins this weekend
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (9-3, 5-3 ACC) - The Yellow Jackets beat Georgia to win bragging rights in the Peach State for '08
Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-3, 5-3 Big 12) - The Cowboys three losses were to the Texas, OU and Texas Tech in '08
Georgia Bulldogs (9-3, 6-2 SEC) - The Bulldogs have underachieved after some strong predictions by more than a few pre-season forecasters at the beginning of the year
Michigan State Spartans (9-3, 6-2 Big Ten) - The Spartans two Big Ten losses were against Penn State and Ohio State this season, after losing season opener at Cal
Boston College Eagles (9-3, 5-3 ACC) - The Golden Eagles will face Virginia Tech (8-4, 5-3 ACC) in the ACC title game.
Missouri Tigers (9-3, 5-3 Big 12) - The Tigers will face #5 Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game, coming off a tough loss at Arrowhead Stadium vs. Kansas (7-5, 4-4 Big 12)
Brigham Young Cougars (10-2, 6-2 MWC) - The Cougars two losses were to Utah and TCU this season
Pittsburgh Panthers (8-3, 4-2 Big East) - Some ups and downs at quarterback this season for the Panthers, with a final game at UConn (7-4, 3-3 Big East) in conference play
Mississippi Rebels (8-4, 5-3 SEC) - The Rebels upset win over Florida represents their highest quality win in '08
Northwestern Wildcats (9-3, 5-3 Big Ten) - Coach Pat Fitzgerald is worthy of all Big Ten coaching honors for the work he did with his Wildcats this past season
(tied) Iowa Hawkeyes (8-4, 5-3 Big Ten) and Oregon State Beavers (8-4, 7-2 Pac 10) - The Hawkeyes beat Penn State this year, while the Beavers fell to the #6 Nittany Lions in September