Look at this list, especially the Top Ten. This is not a list of great football teams. This was not a great year for college football. 2007 was a great year for complete chaos, yes, but a very bad year for college football.
Not only was every team very flawed, but you had teams like Ohio State and Kansas finish in the top five without playing more than one game of consequence, and this after the regular season had expanded to 12 games. Instead of getting more good college football, the product got worse as we were forced to endure the shams that were the Georgia-Hawaii Sugar bowl and the USC-Illinois Rose Bowl.
Forget the talk about the BCS and a playoff for a moment. The problem is that good BCS teams aren't playing anyone of consequence. Everyone wants those home games so they can make as much money as possible. The result - a crappy product. It won't get any better in the next few years, there is a crisis coming in our sport, unless you're willing to keep shelling out more money to see Nebraska play Sun Belt teams on a regular basis.
On to the rankings!
1. LSU
The first national champ with two losses in the regular season . They won the national title game, but I don't think of them as national champs. The next four or five teams on this list could have beaten Ohio State and won the title.
2. Kansas
One loss on the year. Kansas had a great year, but had they have played someone good in their non-conference schedule, they may have made the national title game. Central Michigan, SE Louisiana, Toledo and Florida International, come on guys.
3. Georgia
Georgia's beat down of Hawaii looked more like a non-conference opponent than a BCS bowl game. It was a typical year for Georgia with losses to Tennessee and South Carolina, like every other year Georgia just can't put it all together.
4. Missouri
Missouri is this high because they belong this high. They dominated Arkansas and otherwise had a pretty fine season even though they lost twice to Oklahoma. Given Mizzou's history that's pretty darned good.
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5. Southern Cal
I'd rank Southern Cal lower if I could get away with it. Not that impressive a team. A great group of athletes, but not a great team. Great teams don't lose to 40 point underdogs at home, yet here is USC, ranked fifth.
6. West Virginia
They went out and destroyed Oklahoma. Made the Sooners look foolish on defense. I didn't think that was possible, especially after their loss to hapless Pitt to finish the regular season.
7. Texas
The Longhorns - another underachieving team with a ton of great athletes. They showed what they're capable of against Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl. Unfortunately, they showed the same against Texas A&M, ending their regular season with a loss.
8. Virginia Tech
Started the season with a horrible loss to LSU, finished the season with a close loss against Kansas. I like Virginia Tech mostly because I respect Beamer Ball, but they got out-Beamered in the bowl.
9. Boston College
First year coach has them finishing in the Top Ten. Showed their inconsistency with losses to Maryland and Florida State.
10. Ohio State
Two years in a row getting their asses kicked in a national title game. At least they got there.
11. Tennessee
Does barely beating inconsistent Wisconsin in a bowl do good things for Phil Fulmer?
12. Oklahoma
Bob Stoops, BCS loser guy. It isn't hard to rank Oklahoma way below Mizzou given the way they finished the season. Screw the "body of work" concept - you don't blow the biggest game of the year the way they did without consequences.
13. Brigham Young
Won the Mountain West Conference and avenged an earlier loss to UCLA by winning the Las Vegas Bowl. That bowl symbolized UCLA's futility under Karl Dorrell more than a great win by BYU, but they're happy with it anyway.
14. Michigan
Nice win by Michigan sending Lloyd Carr out on a winning note. I didn't think they had it in them, but it was nice to see.
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15. Auburn
One of the few teams with a great defense this year, then they lose defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to Texas. Not really a great ending to the year for them.
16. Florida
Heisman winner Tim Tebow loses his bowl game. Big shock there.
17. Cincinnati
Another decent team that inexplicably lost to Pitt.
18. Texas Tech
The past two bowls should have proven that you should never give up on Texas Tech until the game is over.
19. Arizona State
Explosive, then tanked the season and got dismantled by Texas. I'm not a Dennis Erickson fan. The guy is a hired gun. I hope they fail miserably, but they'll probably be darned good next season.
20. Oregon
Ducks fans will forever wonder what might have happened had not Dennis Dixon been injured.
21. Hawaii
I really would like to not rank Hawaii. They were absolutely horrible in their final game to the point I didn't bother finish watching.
22. Virginia
Dead to me. All year they were a decent team without any buzz.
23. Penn State
I expected Texas A&M to beat them in the Alamo Bowl, but the Aggies couldn't keep their crap together long enough to pull off a win.
24. Clemson
An overtime loss to Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. I really don't have anyone else to put here. Maybe Wisconsin.
25. Illinois
Illinois showed their true colors in the Rose Bowl. They're a program in process of building that didn't belong at that high a level.