ESPN Power 16 List

You guys have probably read this already, but I enjoyed it and wanted to share.

ESPN Releases Latest NCAA Football Power 16 List

ESPN has come out with their latest Power 16 list, heading into a week of Conference Championships. One-loss West Virginia has vaulted to the top spot, while Missouri's victory over Kansas has moved the Tigers up to No.2. The Mountaineers received eight first-place votes, and the Tigers picked up seven. Ohio State, Georgia, and USC round out the top five. Say goodbye to Oregon (11), Texas (13), and Virginia (16) and say hello to Illinois, Tennessee, and Clemson. Time to organize your football memorabilia, for it seems a new era is being ushered in. The Big 12 North is becoming a more formidable foe for the South, the SEC is knocking itself down in a struggle for the top every other week, and the Big East, Pac-10 and Big Ten are nothing to scoff at. And over it all, an autographed football by Darren McFadden, Tim Tebow, Chase Daniel or Pat White might be worth a pretty penny here in the next month or two. Anyways, check out the recent top 16 and see if you agree with the standings. No doubt if you don't, they'll change in a week anyway.

1. West Virginia, previously ranked #4, 10-1 record
The stakes in the Backyard Brawl have never been higher. A victory over Pitt sends WVU to the BCS title game. Who saw that coming after the loss to South Florida two months ago?

2. Missouri, previously ranked #3, 11-1 record
It's the season for miracles. The Tigers weren't ranked until late September, but now they're one win away from New Orleans. Christmas arrives early if Mizzou beats Oklahoma.

3. Ohio State, previously ranked #5, 11-1 record
You won't find bigger Oklahoma or Pittsburgh fans than the folks in Columbus. The Buckeyes' holiday wish includes an upset... and the way this season has gone, don't be surprised if they get it.

4. Georgia, previously ranked #7, 10-2 record
Is any team playing better than Georgia? The Dawgs don't have an SEC East title to show for it, but they've won six straight games and keep their hopes alive for an at-large BCS bid.

5. USC, previously ranked #9, 9-2 record
There probably won't be a national title for Troy this season, but if USC beats UCLA, the Trojans will claim an unprecedented sixth straight Pac-10 title and a trip to the Rose Bowl.

6. LSU, previously ranked #1, 10-2 record
The Tigers have pulled out close games all season, but their triple-overtime loss will hurt for a while. LSU's national title hopes are likely done (thanks Darren McFadden), but it can claim the SEC crown versus Tennessee.

7. Oklahoma, previously ranked #10, 10-2 record
DeMarco Murray won't play in the Big 12 championship, but it won't matter if Allen Patrick runs like he did versus Oklahoma State. Patrick's line: a career-best 202 yards on 29 carries and two TDs.

8. Kansas, previously ranked #2, 11-1 record
The Jayhawks were second in the nation in scoring (46 ppg), but KU didn't score in the first half and was held to 28 against Missouri. Kansas' 42 yards on the ground didn't help. The Tigers finished with 151.

9. Virginia Tech, previously ranked #8, 10-2 record
Since the loss to BC, Va. Tech has won four straight, outscoring its opponents 144-59. The Hokies get a rematch when they face the Eagles for the ACC championship on Saturday.

10. Florida, previously ranked #12, 9-3 record
Even a broken hand can't stop Tim Tebow or his Heisman campaign. Tebow threw for three TDs and rushed for two more in the rout of Florida State. If you're counting, that's 29 TD passes and 22 rushing.

11. Arizona State, previously ranked #6, 9-2 record
The Sun Devils don't just lose to USC; they lose big. ASU has lost eight straight to the Trojans by an average of 19 points. The good news? They've won five of seven games after USC.

12. Hawaii, previously ranked #14, 11-0 record
Hawaii is the only unbeaten team in the Top 25. With its first outright WAC title in hand, the Warriors' next goal is to finish off an undefeated regular season. Will BCS berth follow suit?

13. Boston College, previously ranked #15, 10-2 record
Matt Ryan finished the regular season with 28 TDs, breaking Doug Flutie's mark, as the Eagles broke a 15-game losing streak vs. Miami. BC can make its first BCS bowl appearance with a win over the Hokies.

14. Illinois, previously unranked in Power 16, 9-3 record
The Illini haven't played since Nov. 17, but they continue to move up in the rankings. They'll be rooting hard for Ohio State to play in the BCS title game because that might mean a trip to Pasadena.

15. Tennessee, previously unranked in Power 16, 9-3 record
Is it time to step off the “Phillip Fulmer must go” bandwagon now? The Vols are the unlikely SEC East champions and will look to claim their first conference title since 1998 against LSU.

16. Clemson, previously unranked in Power 16, 9-3 record
After throwing only 22 passes in his first two seasons, Cullen Harper impressed as a full-time starter. Harper finished the regular season completing 67 percent of his passes with 27 TDs and only six picks.

Others receiving votes: Brigham Young, Auburn, Oregon, Wisconsin, and South Florida. Football collectibles have certainly been a popular item this year due to the weekly fluctuation in rankings among the teams. Be sure to post your items in your 2007 football collections and root your teams on through the Bowl season!

Tebow's broken hand....sniff,sniff. Geez, I had a broken right hand when I played my senior year and played the whole year, on defense (hitting every play). It was NO big deal. You can play with it with no problem. Living in Jax, it's all we are hearing NOW along with the shoulder cost UF the Georgia game. I'm about ready to puke!!

Must be something about the color orange. When DJ was out, I never offered one excuse. I hate excuses.

Doesn't matter. There's no asterisk next to the score for that game. Dawgs won. Tebow's shoulder had a boo-boo? Doesn't matter, Dawgs won. Urban Meyer ran out of fingers on one hand counting sacks on his QB? Doesn't matter, Dawgs won. Georgia refused to lie down after the UT game? Sorry, Dawgs still won. Urban Meyer was off his game after Uga refused to hump the leg of anything wearing orange? Doesn't matter. Dawgs won. I mean, lets be fair. Kleenex never considered ANY Georgia players for contracts quite the way they did consider Teabag after his performance in the post game news conference. But that doesn't matter. Dawgs won.

Bring the excuses. I've got the answer.

I LIKE IT!!

Ditto, wlayton! You are RIGHT ON, LimeyDawg!