Could the AAC be an acronym that stands for “Actually Admirable Competition?”
The artists formerly known as the Big East Conference, the AAC (American Athletic Conference) was the overwhelming loser of the conference realignment saga, so much so that the legitimacy of the league’s automatic bid to the BCS for this season has been put into question on more than a few occasions. But if you will indulge me for another paragraph (or four), let me take you on a journey to a world where the AAC would play as big a part of what happens in the final year of the BCS than any FBS conference in college football. (Eat your heart out, Doctor Who.)
Our first stop on the TARDIS is Orlando, where new conference member UCF (3-0), fresh off a win at Penn State, takes on nationally-ranked South Carolina this Saturday at noon. The Gamecocks are favored, but if the Knights go on and pull another upset, a national ranking (and national respect) would soon follow. A 10-win season (or better) would not be out of the question for George O’Leary’s Knights.
After going through the time vortex, the TARDIS rematerializes in Piscataway, New Jersey, but set to one week ago. Last week, in another SEC vs. AAC contest, Rutgers (3-1) came back from a 24-7 deficit to defeat a previously unbeaten Arkansas, 28-24, giving the league a win against the big, bad SEC. For the rest of the season, just like UCF, there is only team Rutgers would surely be projected to lose to: Louisville.
Off to the Derby City (after a harrowing experience dealing with the Weeping Angels), where the Cardinals, legitimate national championship contenders, would need both UCF and Rutgers to have those overachieving seasons to give their widely-ridiculed schedule some serious meat. As a matter-of-fact, here is Louisville’s perfect BCS Championship Game appearance scenario: UCF defeats South Carolina, Rutgers defeats UCF, both Rutgers and UCF win every other game on their schedules except for the Louisville game (assuming the Cards go undefeated). In that case, both UCF and Rutgers would have 10 wins (including wins against SEC opponents) and Louisville would have beaten both a 10-win Rutgers and a 10-win UCF. The cries of Louisville and being left out of the title game for a soft schedule would grow a little more silent.
But if you acknowledge The Silence (or look at them, to continue the Doctor Who theme), you would forget what the scenario outlined above would mean to Fresno State, and its chances at a BCS bid. Although beating perennial power Boise State last Friday, it is more than likely that if the Bulldogs finish undefeated, their best win all season would be the 52-51 win over Rutgers on Aug. 29. A 10-2 Rutgers team would not be bad at all to have on Fresno State’s curriculum vitae.
I am sure you got all of that (although I might have confused myself writing it), so now it’s on to this week’s rankings. No science fiction, our rankings deal with 100 percent college football reality. Your comments and responses are more than welcome (either on college football or on Doctor Who).
1. 
Oregon (144 points, 1 first-place vote)
We have our first change at the No. 1 spot this season (Hello, Ducks!). Playing Cal this week and at Colorado the next should be two more spankings, but then an interesting trip to Seattle and a refurbished (and even louder?) Husky Stadium awaits Oregon on Oct. 12. (Adesina Koiki)
2. 
Alabama (143, 3 first-place votes)
The Tide cruised to a 31-6 win over hapless Colorado State but the Rams gave the Tide a fight in the first quarter. Alabama looks good, but not as good as Stanford or Oregon. (Lisa Horne)
3. 
Clemson (132, 1 first-place vote)
The Tigers did not “Clemson” in Raleigh. This is a HUGE step forward for Dabo’s boys. (T.J. Basalla)
Am I the only person in the country that thinks their trip to the Carrier Dome next weekend against a Syracuse team that has settled on a quarterback is a much trickier affair than it appears on paper? I might be. (Adesina)
4. 
Stanford (128)
The Cardinal destroyed a very good Arizona State team that looked forkless in the first half. Stanford looks very strong. (Lisa)
5. 
LSU (122)
If the Bayou Bengals win in Athens this Saturday, I could very easily see this team playing for it all in Pasadena. (T.J.)
6. 
Ohio State (120, 1 first-place vote)
Imagine this scenario: Braxton Miller struggles early in his first game back and Wisconsin grabs an early 14-0 lead in the Horseshoe. (Don’t laugh. It is entirely possible.) If you are Urban Meyer, what do you do? (T.J.)
7. 
Florida State (111)
The Seminoles still have not let off the gas pedal. In three games they have scored no fewer than 41 points. (Lisa)
FSU, just let the Jameis Winston shirts portraying him as Jesus sell without cease and desist orders. (Matty J.)
8. 
Georgia (104)
See T.J.’s note at No. 5, just change “Bayou Bengals” to “Hairy Dawgs.” (Adesina)
9. 
Louisville (99)
I still have not forgiven the Cardinals for struggling against Kentucky. Yes, the Cardinals beat FIU 72-0 last Saturday, but FCS member Bethune-Cookman also beat FIU, 34-13, the previous week. (Lisa)
10. 
Oklahoma State (88)
If you don’t count the Oct. 19 game vs. TCU, the Cowboys WILL NOT have any chance at a marquee win until, possibly, their Nov. 2 game vs. Texas Tech in Lubbock. We could have a repeat of 2011, where a 10-0 or 11-0 Oklahoma State team is on the outside looking in at a BCS national title game chance. (Adesina)
11. 
UCLA (87)
On the Bruins’ first play from scrimmage last Saturday vs. New Mexico State, UCLA only had 10 players on the field as a tribute to fallen team mate Nick Pasquale, who died as a result of being struck by a car two weeks ago. Jim Mora has his team focused but more than anything else, he has shown what a big heart he has. (Lisa)
12. 
Texas A&M (83)
If Arkansas had held on to defeat Rutgers last week and were 4-0, Fayetteville would be supercharged for Johnny Manziel’s visit this week. As such, two 3-1 teams looking to stay in the SEC West race is far from chop liver for a Saturday night in The Ozarks. (Adesina)
13. 
Miami, Fla. (77)
The Hurricanes beat the stuffing out of Savannah State 77-7. At some point, Savannah State is going to have to “just say no” to FBS schools paying them to be punching bags. (Lisa)
14. 
Baylor (74)
I’m still all in on Baylor. Does anyone want to play the high-flying Bears? Nope. Louisiana-Monroe lost to Baylor 70-7. Perspective: Oklahoma only scored 34 points on ULM and Wake Forest scored 19 in a loss to the Warhawks. (Lisa)
15. 
South Carolina (73)
I am sure that when South Carolina initially agreed to play UCF in Orlando in 2013, they were not expecting to face a team with legitimate BCS aspirations. Better cancel those plans to Walt Disney World and focus on a talented Knights team. (Adesina)
16. 
Washington (54)
The Huskies are still flying under the radar. Beating Boise State and Illinois is not enough to impress the pollsters, I suppose. (Lisa)
I suppose that comment is directed towards yours truly, Lisa. (I still have not ranked the Huskies in any of my polls this season.) Beat Arizona, and that all changes on my end. (Adesina)
17. 
Oklahoma (51*)
I haven’t been able to get a good read on where this Oklahoma team really is at this point. Saturday’s game in South Bend is a perfect measuring stick. (T.J.)
18. 
Michigan (51)
Probably the most confusing 4-0 team in America. The interior offensive line of this team will cost them at least 2-3 games before the season is out. (T.J.)
19. 
Northwestern (50)
The Wildcats have a bye this week while their next opponent (Ohio State) plays in what should prove to be a rough-and-tumble affair against Wisconsin. Of course, Northwestern hopes the Buckeyes beat the Badgers to set up an undefeated Big Ten showdown in Evanston. (Adesina)
20. 
Ole Miss (32)
They are underdogs in Tuscaloosa for a reason, but the potential for a program-changing win is there for Hugh Freeze. (T.J.)
21. 
Notre Dame (28)
I thought I knew everything about what constitutes a pass interference penalty. At least I did know before I watched some of the Michigan State-ND game last Saturday. The Irish did win, yes, but a couple of pass interference “penalties” called on the Spartans bordered on farcical. We move on, though, and it is Oklahoma next for the Irish. (Adesina)
22. 
Florida (24)
Although coming on the heels of Jeff Driskel breaking his leg, Florida may have found a quarterback in Tyler Murphy. I liked this kid when he was a two-star from Connecticut, but didn’t think he would be a stud. He had a ball hit him in the face mask but otherwise managed the offense to a win where Florida’s defense DOMINATED. (Matty J.)
We will see how much more the Gators’ D dominates after the news of Dominique Easley’s ACL tear this week in practice, ending his season. A very unfortunate thing to happen to a rising star. (Adesina)
23. 
Fresno State (22)
A thrilling win over Boise State and a thrilling victory over Rutgers (who beat Arkansas last Saturday) in week one ensures Fresno State a top 20 spot in my book . Derek Carr’s Heisman campaign has been officially launched. (Lisa)
24. 
Wisconsin (17)
I think almost all of us are sure that the Buckeyes are the better team (at least, have better talent) than the Badgers. But doubting the pedigree of a program that has gone to three straight Rose Bowls is not anything I would do leading up to Saturday’s primetime matchup in Columbus. (Adesina)
25. 
Texas Tech (13)
Kliff Kingsbury, looking like Ryan Gosling, has lead his team to a 4-0 start, and with Kansas, Iowa State and West Virginia next up, look for great things (and a 7-0 start) under Kingsbury and the Air Raid offense. (Matty J.)
Others receiving votes:
Washington State (8 points), Georgia Tech (6), Maryland (5), Arizona (2), Nebraska (2)
* – To break ties, we used a three-step criteria; 1) higher number of first-place votes, 2) higher number of ballots (out of six) the teams appeared in, 3) highest single ranking by an individual pollster (e.g. if Team A and Team B are tied cumulatively and appeared in all six polls, but Team A’s highest ranking by an individual pollster was No. 7 and Team B’s highest ranking by an individual pollster was No. 9, Team A wins tiebreaker)
