NCAA 2012 Week 8 Top 25

Few upsets left the Top 25 fairly stable, with positions changing only due to changes in strength measures due to changes in strength of schedule (opponents improving or declining) or small margins of victory against weak opponents.

The news of the week, something I wasn't sure I'd be alive to state again:  Duke is bowl eligible!  More amazingly, they lead the ACC Coastal division, which is a great segue to remind my loyal readers that I will begin the conference and division title races portion of this column in two weeks.

Top 25 [Last week's position]
1.  Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0) [1] : Sports Illustrated recently wrote that they don't see any team beating Alabama.  I don't either, as they continue to dominate all opponents while the other Top 5 teams have played at least one close game.
2.  Oregon Ducks (7-0) [2] : Screw the BCS, the Ducks are clearly the second best team in the nation
3.  Kansas State Wildcats (7-0) [5] : The Wiklcats get better with each ranked opponent.  That's a dangerous signal to their upcoming opponents.
4.  Florida Gators (7-0) [6] : A destruction of South Carolina rises them to the 2nd best SEC team
5.  Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-0) [3] : A struggle against BYU didn't help, but the Irish remain dangerous
6.  Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0) [4] : Why the hell isn't Ohio State in the BCS rankings?  They say it's because they on probation, but that didn't stop them from ranking USC the past two years.  Once again, the reputation of the Big Ten conference, and the reach of its strong alumni bodies, makes everyone jealous.
7.  Florida State Seminoles (7-1) [8] : The best one-loss team continues to win big.  Clemson is really their only competition for the ACC title
8.  Oklahoma Sooners (7-0) [16] : This team started the season slowly, but they have been pouring it on lately
9.  LSU Tigers (7-1) [9] : Another close victory makes followers uncomfortable.  They will keep one team around that pours it on the fourth quarter and beats them.
10. USC Trojans (6-1) [12] : With Arizona State starting to fall, the Trojans are becoming the favorite for the Pac-12 South division title
11. Georgia Bulldogs (6-1) [11] : A narrow victory over Kentucky doesn't fully erase the huge loss to the Gamecocks (who haven't won a game since then)
12. Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-1) [10] : An overtime victory over TCU exposed the frailties of the Raiders defense
13. Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-0) [15] : If not for Alabama, the Bulldogs could win only their second division title
14. Clemson Tigers (6-1) [14]
15. South Carolina Gamecocks (6-2) [7] : Two consecutive losses put the Gamecocks on the skids
16. Oregon State Beavers (6-0) [20] : The Beavers won a tough game at home.  If they want to stand out in the Pac-12, they must get tougher.
17. Boise State Broncos (6-1) [NR} : The Broncos return to the Top 25 on a powerful performance, a rarity among many of the Top 25 this past week
18. Texas A&M Aggies (5-2) [17] : They fought hard against LSU
19. Arizona State Sun Devils (5-2) [13] : They were wiped out by Oregon, but hopefully they are past their toughest opponent
20. TCU Horned Frogs (5-2) [18] : They played Tech close
21. UCLA Bruins (5-2) [21]
22. Ohio Bobcats (7-0) [22]
23. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (7-0) [23] : One of only two unbeaten teams in the Big East now
24. Louisville Cardinals (7-0) [24]
25. Texas Longhorns (5-2) [25]

On the Edge:  Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (6-1), Northern Illinois Huskies (7-1), Michigan Wolverines (5-2), Tulsa Golden Hurricane (7-1), Penn State Nittany Lions (5-2), Toledo Rockets (7-1), Utah State Aggies (6-2), Wisconsin Badgers (5-2), Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (5-2), UCF Golden Knights (5-2), Nevada Wolf Pack (6-2), North Carolina Tar Heels (5-3), Stanford Cardinal (5-2), Fresno State Bulldogs (5-3), Baylor Bears (3-3)

Dropped: Cincinnati Bearcats [#19]

Big Ten Report
Actually, my personal power rankings mostly match the current standings (look anywhere for that; I use ESPN) except I would put Indiana ahead of Illinois, who trail the Leaders division.