Only one word can describe the first seven weeks of NCAA football so far.
Ridiculous.
Every single one of the nation's preseason top 10 teams has lost a game already. Last to go were the previously top-ranked LSU Tigers, who were knocked off by the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats in triple overtime, 43-37.
So the polls were wrong - that's nothing new. But who would've expected that after Week 7 the only undefeated teams in the Top 25 would be the Ohio State Buckeyes, Boston College Eagles, South Florida Bulls, Arizona State Sun Devils, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and Kansas Jayhawks, when only Ohio State and Hawaii were even in the preseason Top 25?
Let's assume BC overcomes the challenge of its Oct. 25 game against the Virginia Tech Hokies, currently the highest-ranked team left on its schedule. From then on, both the Eagles' and Buckeyes' schedules should be problem-free, as the two teams have a combined three ranked teams on their schedules.
If BC and Ohio State go undefeated for the remainders of their seasons, and current No. 2 South Florida trips against a tough Big East schedule, they could be the No.1 and 2 ranked teams in the nation and would battle it out for the national title in January. A loss for either team would give them the same one-loss record as teams such as LSU and the USC Trojans, and would certainly knock them out of championship contention due to their easier schedules, assuming the other teams in contention don't lose a second game. With such a sensitive ranking system, the Eagles and Buckeyes are now walking a fine line between being mere Top 25 teams and being No. 1 or 2.
With senior quarterback Matt Ryan leading the potent BC offense, the Eagles look unstoppable at this juncture. Ryan has carried the offense with 2,148 passing yards this season, ranking him sixth in the nation. Running back Andre Callender has established himself as a huge threat to opposing defenses on both the ground and in the air, with 627 yards rushing and eight touchdowns this season. He has also proved to be an apt receiver, combining for 15 receptions and 175 yards the past two weeks and helping make BC one of college football's best screen teams.
The Eagles also may have some magic blood running through their veins. In their quest to repeat and even surpass the magic of Doug Flutie's Hail Mary pass in the 1984 Orange Bowl, the Eagles have young redshirt freshman Billy Flutie, Doug's nephew, working as a backup quarterback, kicker and punter.
After Ohio State's embarrassing 41-14 loss to the Florida Gators in last year's BCS National Championship Game, the Buckeyes have rebounded dramatically. The team started the season 7-0 with relative ease, with its closest win coming in a 23-7 win over the No. 23 Purdue Boilermakers. Unlike the Eagles, however, the Buckeyes have a major obstacle standing between them and a trip to the BCS title game.
On Nov. 17, the Buckeyes travel to the Big House to take on their blood rivals, the Michigan Wolverines, who have rebounded from a devastating 0-2 start to win five in a row. There is no doubt that Chad Henne, Jake Long and Michael Hart would love to salvage their senior season at Michigan by ruining Ohio State's national title aspirations.
Who would win a potential national title matchup between Ohio State and BC? It's a tough question. Ohio State has got the big name and reputation, but with this year's propensity for top teams going under, the name is near irrelevant.
BC is by no stretch of the imagination a no-name school in college football, but the Eagles wield a more powerful offense as well as a stronger defense. Although Ohio State is currently ranked one position higher in the national rankings, most signs point to Boston College's all-around solid play to give the Eagles the edge in a potential matchup of the two teams.
