Ducking a Kansas Comet

So how many losses will the teams in the BCS title game in New Orleans have?

That's right, Wyoming coach Joe Glenn! One. Although when using a hand to communicate the number, people generally favor the pointer finger, Joe.

Just hours before Glenn hailed Utah with the one-finger salute for pulling off an onside kick with a 43-0 lead, Ohio State succumbed to Illinois. Yes, Illinois, which further proved that this college football season is straight out of the twilight zone and, left Oregon and LSU atop the BCS standings. Ohio State beating Michigan could potentially be the most normal thing to happen all season.

(Glenn, by the way, apologized for letting his bird out of its cage, but that gesture was far more understandable to most than guaranteeing a road victory over the Utes before laying a 50-0 egg, despite a 2-3 record in the Mountain West Conference coming in. And Utah coach Kyle Whittingham called the onside kick a "bad decision," in one of the biggest "no $%*#" moments of the season. But I digress.)

Back in the world of the relevant, the teams I've had in my top two for the last three weeks have finally found their perches in the BCS, with LSU set to basically host Oregon in the Superdome if both win out.

But there is, of course, a wrinkle to the one-loss standard (it's always something this year). A BCS conference team is undefeated. And yet no one is upset that they are the fourth-ranked team in the BCS. Even Jayhawk fans are remarkably quiet. Then again, Kansas fans are on the entry-level end of the experience spectrum with regard to being undefeated past, well, mid-September.

Kansas doesn't get respect because it is more unproven than Miss Cleo. It has not beaten a Big 12 team with a record better than 6-5. Non-conference? Don't ask. But no one really even believes that Kansas can dispatch both Missouri and Oklahoma anyways. So it's all good. Until they inevitably go undefeated and further scramble a BCS mess that looked to make sense for a minute. And then Oregon will duck back into 2001 mode, wondering what it has to do to get into a title game.

But for now, most people outside of Columbus are pleased with the newest BCS match-making results. Oregon's high power offense would be pitted against Les Miles' LSU Tigers, just months after Miles slandered the Pac-10, setting of inter-conferential warfare.

The matchup is almost perfect. Both lost just once, to a decent team in-conference that was better at the time than now (Kentucky and Cal). Both have beaten a pair of teams in the current BCS top 12 (Florida and Virginia Tech for LSU, Arizona State and USC for Oregon). And they both play in what, this season at least, are the top two conferences in the country.

The only downside to each is that their best road wins are less than stellar (Oregon beat Michigan, LSU's best came at Alabama). But right now, in this season of parity, there aren't any teams that have proven more than these two, and few are finding fault with the two squads. Did I mention I had them one-two in my top 10 three weeks ago? Hey, I have to get one right at some point, don't I?

Top 10

1. Oregon — Imagine a dual-threat quarterback with the lethality of Vince Young. Now imagine a tailback like Stephen Jackson standing behind him. Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart make the Ducks spread offense nearly unstoppable. Road games at Arizona and UCLA before returning home for the Civil War with Oregon State are all that stand between Oregon and a long ride to New Orleans. But they had better not fall asleep at the wheel, because the middle of the conference can be dangerous.

2. LSU — The Tigers, meanwhile, will face a ranked team before clinching a berth in a bowl game real close to home. But that won't happen until the SEC title game against one of three SEC East teams that just doesn't seem to want the division. Tennessee has the inside track at the moment via tiebreaker over Georgia. Kentucky will be the swing-vote; the Wildcats close the SEC slate for both the Vols and the Bulldogs.

3. Oklahoma — The two above are both one loss teams from good conferences. Oklahoma lost to Colorado. Conversely, Oklahoma's resume is currently superior to that of Kansas. The Sooners destroyed out of conference foes, and actually beat Big 12 teams with winning records in Texas and Missouri.

4. Arizona State — Recovered from the loss to a serious Oregon team by beating schizophrenic UCLA (the good version, I think) 24-20. The Sun Devils have been impressive in Pac-10 play, but have yet to beat a team currently ranked. They have their chance on Thanksgiving when USC comes calling.

5. Missouri — I'm just jumping the gun; Missouri is better than Kansas. Give it until Nov. 24, you'll see. Missouri has beaten Illinois (we just saw the damage that team is capable of) and Ole Miss before heading into the Big 12 to beat every team it faced by at least 14. Except, of course, Oklahoma. But if Kansas instead of Missouri had the Sooners on the docket, it would be the Tigers in the BCS title hunt and Kansas looking to knock them off of their Big 12 North throne.

6. Kansas — Yes, they creamed their weak out of conference foes. And yes, they didn't lose to any of the crappy Big 12 teams they have faced. But they haven't played any of the top three teams in the conference. There is not one win that strikes as impressive. And close wins against unimpressive Colorado, Texas A&M, and Kansas State don't exactly leave this team reeking of dominance. But hey, they did blow Baylor out of Lawrence, Kansas. And of course blew Bill Callahan out of Nebraska.

7. West Virginia — Quietly, the Mountaineers are churning along with control of their Big East destiny. Awaiting are the other two teams with conference records over .500. No, they beat Rutgers and Louisville already, and Rutgers also has three losses in the Big East. No, UConn and Cincinnati will test themselves to see if they are BCS-ready against West Virginia in what has surprisingly become the most balanced conference in the country, save Syracuse.

8. Ohio State — I'm not going to pile on. This is right about where I see the best team in the Big Ten; close to the bottom of the top 10. They will still make it to their annual beat-down of Michigan, paving the road to the Rose Bowl. It's just that no one wanted to see them lit up in another national championship game after the crutch that is the Big Ten collapsed from under them again.

9. USC — Awaiting the Buckeyes in Pasadena could very well be USC if the Trojans can fend off Arizona State and UCLA, assuming Oregon ends up in New Orleans. After injuries and Oregon seemingly sent USC on a detour toward the Holliday Bowl or worse. But after bouncing back with wins over Beavers and Bears, a fourth Rose Bowl in five years could be around the corner.

10. Georgia — The Bulldogs need to beat Kentucky this week to have a shot at LSU in Atlanta for the conference title. But they might not want to beat them up too badly, because they then need the Wildcats to take out Tennessee a weak later, assuming Vandy can't do it first.

By the way, if Kentucky wins both games, a four-way, 5-3 tie (including Florida, already done with SEC play) atop the division will result, and a two-man sack race will be held on consecutive Sundays until a champion can be crowned.

(Yes, that last line was lifted from Kenny Mayne in the movie "BASEketball." Sue me.)

Oh, and while I have you here as my hostag ... I mean guests, I may as well project your BCS bowls for you. Because the more things I guess, the more things I can be right about before casting the mistakes off into the land of the forgotten.

Title game — LSU vs. Oregon

Rose Bowl — Ohio State vs. USC (Trojans beat Sun Devils on Turkey Day)

Fiesta Bowl — Oklahoma vs. West Virginia

Orange Bowl — Missouri vs. Clemson (Although I don't like trusting my dark horse to Tommy Bowden)

Sugar Bowl — Georgia vs. Virginia Tech