Low Tide

November is supposed to be when championship-caliber teams make their move and ascend the BCS ladder. Someone forgot to broadcast this to the college football world.

After a weekend of few upsets and little surprises, the top 16 teams in the AP poll remained in EXACTLY THE SAME POSITIONS AS LAST WEEK. Not one moved up, not one moved down. However, there’s one that should be on its way down, at least from the pedestal of power it currently occupies. For the last three weeks, top-ranked Alabama has been overrated and receiving undeserved praise.

Alabama may be ranked #1, but the Tide is low in Tuscaloosa. I don’t understand (A) how Alabama soared to the top spot or (B) how they have managed to hold onto it. The Crimson Tide does have three wins over ranked opponents, but let’s take at look at those teams now: #9 Clemson (now 5-5 and unranked), #3 Georgia (now 9-2 and #13), and #20 LSU a week ago in a 27-21 overtime squeaker. When you have an opposing quarterback complete just 13 of 34 passes with 4 interceptions and you can’t win in regulation – as the Tide did on November 8th – there’s something wrong. Congratulations to Nick Saban for the win over his old team, but Alabama needs to regroup by December 6 if they want a shot at the national title game. That’s when they will take on #3 Florida in the SEC Championship.

Here are the top four teams in the country, heads and shoulders above the rest, any of which I would pick over Alabama.

Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson has been
inconsistent at best (photos: ESPN.com and USA Today).

#1Texas Tech (10-0). It’s safe to say that the Red Raiders’ fumble on their opening drive against #9 Oklahoma State was a fluke. The machine-like Texas Tech offense followed that blunder with touchdowns on SEVEN STRAIGHT POSSESSIONS in a 56-20 win. It marked their second straight victory over a top ten opponent. Simply put, no team is playing better than Texas Tech right now, and no quarterback is playing better than Graham Harrell.

#2 Florida (9-1). Since losing to Mississippi 31-30, the Gators have outscored their opponents 299 to 63 in the last six games. That’s like winning 50-11 every week. You can make the same argument as with Alabama about quality wins; Florida’s biggest opponents have also been Georgia and LSU. But the Gators won each of those games by at least 30 points, which is more than the Crimson Tide can say.

#3 Texas (10-1). Colt McCoy and Co. have only one L on their resume, a six-point loss to Texas Tech that came on a Michael Crabtree score with one second left. More attention should be payed to their otherwise unblemished record that includes a ten point victory over the mighty Oklahoma Sooners. To be 10-1 in the Big 12 – home of 3 of the top 5 teams – is impressive enough.

#4 Oklahoma (9-1). Those who thought that loss to Texas ended Oklahoma’s national title hopes aren’t looking at the big picture. While the Sooners have only two wins over ranked opponents, they are lighting up the scoreboard against everyone. Oklahoma has topped the 50-point mark in six of its ten games, and it surpassed 60 points in their last two. Sam Bradford’s numbers have been nothing short of phenomenal, especially for a sophomore.

I understand that Alabama has had a great season so far, and the Tide has yet to drop a game. Being an undefeated team in a BCS conference lends itself toward a top ranking. It almost seems as if Alabama is #1 because they have to be #1, following the conventional logic of a computerized system. Are they the best team in the country, as far as their record is concerned? Yes. But are they the best team in the country, as far as being able to beat every other team? No. The Tide will lose before this year is through. And if it somehow doesn’t happen in the SEC Championship, Alabama better prepare for a rude awakening in the BCS title game.