ESPN College Football

The regular season is officially over, but the most important game in the conference remains. Saturday’s ACC championship will determine which team is the best, but here in the power rankings, Georgia Tech remains at the top for the sixth straight week.

Voters in the Associated Press and USA Today coaches’ polls decided to jump Virginia Tech over the Jackets, but that didn’t make sense to me. The Hokies’ win over a 3-9 Virginia team didn’t warrant the move, especially when Virginia Tech lost to Georgia Tech and North Carolina. Here’s how the rest of the power rankings look after the final week of conference play:

1. Georgia Tech (10-2, 7-1 ACC; LW: No. 1) – The Yellow Jackets stumbled against rival Georgia and dropped to No. 10 in the BCS standings. Defensively, the Jackets looked unimpressive, and offensively didn’t execute as well as they had been. Still, this team is loaded with talent and will represent the conference well in the title game.

2. Virginia Tech (9-3, 6-2; LW: No. 3) – The Hokies ended the regular season on a four-game winning streak and are in position for one of the top tier bowls. Ryan Williams can’t be stopped, and he was a big reason they took home the Commonwealth Cup. Again.

3. Clemson (8-4, 6-2; LW: No. 2) – The Tigers’ offense disappeared against South Carolina, and while the Gamecocks’ defense was one of the best Clemson had seen all season, there is still room for improvement heading into the title game.

4. Miami (9-3, 5-3; LW: No. 4) – The Canes were one of the few ranked ACC teams to avoid an upset this weekend, and deserve credit for it. Quarterback Jacory Harris is ready to cap off an impressive first year as the Canes’ starter with a top-notch bowl, but will Miami be among the first teams selected?

5. North Carolina (8-4, 4-4; LW: No. 5) – The Tar Heels squandered their opportunity to move up the pecking order in the bowl selection process with their loss to NC State, and suffered another agonizing defeat to their in-state rival in the process. A bowl game is still a successful season, though, considering how it started for the Heels.

6. Boston College (8-4, 5-3; LW: No. 7) – It’s not always pretty, but the Eagles have found enough ways to win to be considered among the top half of the ACC this year. Not bad for a team predicted to finish last in its division.

7. Florida State (6-6, 4-4; LW: No. 6) – It got ugly early in the Swamp on Saturday, and the Noles were no match for the No. 1 team in the country. A shakeup in Tallahassee is expected soon, and it could be happening behind closed doors this morning. The only thing we know for sure is that Bobby Bowden wants to come back.

8. Wake Forest (5-7, 3-5; LW: No. 9) – The season finale against Duke was the only chance they had left to salvage their season, and with the help of quarterback Riley Skinner, who played with everything he had in a record-setting performance, the Deacs were able to go out on a winning note.

9. Duke (5-7, 3-5; LW: No. 8) – It was a disappointing end to a remarkable career for quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, who wanted so desperately to take his team to a bowl game this year, but considering where the program has been and where it ended with Lewis at quarterback, it was undoubtedly a successful career.

10. NC State (5-7, 2-6; LW: No. 11) – The Pack used the emotion of the news of offensive coordinator Dana Bible’s leukemia in an inspirational way and beat the Tar Heels for the third straight year under coach Tom O’Brien. If the players remember nothing else from a season they’d most likely prefer to forget, they’ll remember they beat UNC.

11. Virginia (3-9, 2-6; LW: No. 10) – It was the final game of coach Al Groh’s career, as he was fired on Sunday after losing to in-state rival Virginia Tech. A coaching search has begun, though odds are this was a long time coming and athletic director Craig Littlepage already has a few names in mind.

12. Maryland (2-10, 1-7; LW: No. 12) – Odds are Terps’ fans want their inconsistent reputation back, as this is the fourth straight week Maryland has landed at the bottom of the power rankings. It was an abysmal season under coach Ralph Friedgen, whose future will now be evaluated. Much like Bowden, though, Friedgen isn’t ready to call it quits yet.

You could almost flip a coin on who’s the best team in the SEC.

Alabama and Florida have been dead even all season. Fortunately, they’re going to play it off on the field this Saturday in the SEC championship game.

The impossible part is figuring out spots No. 4 through No. 10. Six teams in the league finished 7-5, and the only three teams to finish with a winning conference record were Alabama, Florida and LSU.

Here goes my best college try:

1. Alabama: Why Alabama at No. 1, especially with the scare against Auburn last week? The reality is that Alabama and Florida are so close that it doesn’t really matter. We’re going to find out who’s better on Saturday. But the Crimson Tide (12-0, 8-0) are a little more diverse on offense, a little better right up the middle on defense and have a return man every bit as dangerous as Florida, which is why Alabama gets the slight edge.

2. Florida: The Gators (12-0, 8-0) were the more impressive team last Saturday, and Tim Tebow looked like he was warming up for another memorable SEC championship game performance with three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. This is a veteran team that’s dealt with immense pressure all season. Everybody expected the Gators to be here, and here they are -- unscathed. They get a chance to make history this Saturday.

3. LSU: There were no clock management issues for the Tigers (9-3, 5-3) this past week. Rather, they rallied in the final minute of regulation to tie the game and then beat Arkansas in overtime, 33-30, on Josh Jasper’s 36-yard field goal. Two of the Tigers’ three losses were to Alabama and Florida, and both games were close. The one they’d like to have back is the Ole Miss loss. Nonetheless, a win in the bowl game can give Les Miles his fourth 10-win season in five years. Even in this league, that’s nothing to sneeze at.

4. Ole Miss: The Rebels (8-4, 4-4) get this spot really by default. It’s hard to say with conviction that they’re the fourth-best team in the league after the way they played last Saturday in the 41-27 loss to Mississippi State. But they also played well enough down the stretch with wins over Arkansas, LSU and Tennessee that they’re as good a choice as any at No. 4. Maybe the expectations for the Rebels this season were simply too high.

5. Tennessee: The next six spots are completely fluid depending on what happens in the bowl games. The Vols (7-5, 4-4) finished second in the East, which gives them the nod. They also had some quality losses (if there’s such a thing in this league) to Alabama and Florida. Winning on the road at Kentucky in overtime was an impressive way to end the regular season. They were also able to overcome some crippling injuries. All in all, a nice start for Lane Kiffin in the coaching department.

6. Georgia: The Bulldogs (7-5, 4-4) were left for dead after that home loss to Kentucky two weeks ago, but they rebounded to play their best game of the season in a 30-24 win over then No. 7 Georgia Tech on the road. That win tells you a little something about Mark Richt, and it tells you a little something about the pride in the Georgia program. Nobody’s ever going to be happy with 7-5 in Athens, but it’s also worth noting that the Bulldogs played a killer schedule, one that included four top-10 opponents.

7. Kentucky: The Wildcats (7-5, 3-5) were painfully close to finishing the regular season in the top four of the SEC and locking down a berth in the Outback Bowl. But they couldn’t finish the job against Tennessee, losing in overtime at home and falling to the Vols for the 25^th straight time. It’s still been a solid season for the Wildcats, who were missing several key players at different points in the season. They ended the regular season by winning five of their last seven games.

8. Arkansas: The Hogs (7-5, 3-5) get the nod here based on their head-to-head wins over Auburn and South Carolina. They were also close to finishing in the top half of the league, but couldn’t hold the lead at the end of regulation and lost 33-30 to LSU in overtime. It was a great season for the Hogs offensively, but it’s the other side of the ball that kept them from being a nine-win team and maybe even better.

9. South Carolina: This season looks a lot better now for the Gamecocks (7-5, 3-5) after their 34-17 spanking of arch-rival Clemson. For one, it stopped the bleeding after South Carolina had lost four of five coming into the contest, and it also means the Gamecocks don’t have to hear all offseason about how they collapsed for the third year in a row. This is a young team that’s going to get better, and the Head Ball Coach sounds sincere about sticking around for a while longer.

10. Auburn: The Tigers (7-5, 3-5) get the short end of the stick among all of the seven-win teams because they ended up losing five of their last six SEC games. That said, what an effort by Gene Chizik’s club last Friday in the 26-21 loss to Alabama. The Tigers came out of their bye week and played one of their better games of the season. It says something about where the fans think this program is headed in that they gave Chizik and the players a standing ovation as they left the field last Friday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

11. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs (5-7, 3-5) might not be going to a bowl, but they charge into the offseason with a lot of momentum after their 41-27 whipping of Ole Miss last Saturday. It was a huge statement for Dan Mullen and his program. A ton of freshmen and sophomores played key roles for the Bulldogs and will be back. Five of their losses this season came to nationally ranked teams. The future appears bright.

12. Vanderbilt: The Commodores (2-10, 0-8) completed their season on Nov. 21 with a 31-16 loss at Tennessee. It was certainly a step backward for Bobby Johnson’s club after seven wins and a bowl victory in 2008. Injuries and youth plagued the Commodores, who didn’t win a game in the SEC for the first time since Johnson’s first season at Vanderbilt in 2002.

After giving it some thought, I decided to make a few tweaks to last week's rankings. These are supposed to reflect how teams are playing right now, and I lost sight of that a bit.

1. Ohio State (10-2, 7-1): The Buckeyes once again played their best football in November, knocking off two ranked teams as well as archrival Michigan for the sixth consecutive time. Now Jim Tressel needs to find the same magic on Jan. 1 at the Rose Bowl.

2. Iowa (10-2, 6-2): A lot of teams talk about a next-man-in philosophy, but Iowa displayed it for much of the season after losing several key performers to injury. The Hawkeyes need quarterback Ricky Stanzi (ankle) to heal before their bowl game, which could be in Glendale, Ariz.

3. Penn State (10-2, 6-2): Some Penn State fans will read my intro and declare the Nittany Lions were playing much better than Iowa down the stretch. In reality, Penn State had one excellent half against Michigan State and a solid second half against Indiana after stumbling out of the gate. But I still wouldn't bet against Joe Paterno in a bowl game.

4. Northwestern (8-4, 5-3): A 3-0 November highlighted by two wins against top 20 programs gives the Wildcats the nod over Wisconsin. Though the Wildcats certainly have some ugly losses, the quality of their wins trumps Wisconsin's.

5. Wisconsin (8-3, 5-3): The Badgers still have a chance to move up by thumping Hawaii this week in Oahu. Wisconsin lacks a true signature win but doesn't have any terrible losses, either. I'm excited about the future for Bret Bielema's team with so many young players.

6. Michigan State (6-6, 4-4): It hasn't been a great stretch for the Spartans, who crumbled against Penn State and then saw the dismissals of running back Glenn Winston and safety Roderick Jenrette. An alleged on-campus fight involving football players could also spell trouble for the program as it tries to finish on a good note in a bowl.

7. Purdue (5-7, 4-4): The Boilers lost to Minnesota back on Oct. 10, but they certainly played better football down the stretch than the Gophers. It's a shame Purdue can't represent the Big Ten in a bowl game because Danny Hope's squad held its own in all but one game this fall.

8. Minnesota (6-6, 3-5): It's imperative that the Gophers show some progress on offense in their bowl appearance, most likely against a Big 12 opponent. Minnesota loses many of its top defenders to graduation and will need to lean on the offense more in 2010. Adam Weber and the Gophers must shake off a second straight shutout against Iowa.

9. Illinois (3-8, 2-6): The Illini didn't get steamrolled against Cincinnati, but they also never really had the fifth-ranked Bearcats worried about an upset. Juice Williams and the offense put up points and moved the ball, but breakdowns on both defense and special teams led to another double-digit defeat. Illinois wraps up a rough season Saturday against Fresno State.

10. Michigan (5-7, 1-7): Embattled head coach Rich Rodriguez needs his young players to grow up fast during the offseason. While Rodriguez's offense showed signs of life this fall, the defense needs major work after losing All-Big Ten end Brandon Graham and possibly All-Big Ten cornerback Donovan Warren.

11. Indiana (4-8, 1-7): Bill Lynch was very disappointed in his team's finish, and he should be. Indiana needs to translate progress into more victories in 2010. The offense should be potent, but an always susceptible defense loses starters in all three areas (line, linebacker, secondary).

1. TCU: The Horned Frogs completed their first undefeated season since 1938 and will be heading to their first BCS bowl. The destination, however, is unknown. It looks like the Fiesta Bowl or Orange Bowl is a likely choice at this point.

2. Boise State: The Broncos still have a game to play, but it looks like they will be heading to their first BCS bowl since 2006. They were helped by Oklahoma State’s loss to Oklahoma. The only concern is if Nebraska defeats Texas in the Big 12 championship.

3. BYU: The Cougars beat Utah in the annual Holy War game to notch their fourth consecutive season with at least 10 wins. While the year didn’t turn out the way many BYU folks thought it would, it’s still a solid season considering the schedule.

4. Central Michigan: The Chippewas absolutely dominated their conference schedule and are a win away from their third MAC title in four seasons. The intrigue now is who the Chippewas will play in a bowl game. Could be Notre Dame.

5. Houston: The Cougars thrashed rival Rice to earn their way into the Conference USA title game and are on pace to with their first C-USA title since 2006. That year, the Cougars defeated Southern Miss. However, it won’t be easy against the tough defense of East Carolina.

6. Utah: The Utes didn’t end the season the way they expected, but they might have found the quarterback of the future. Jordan Wynn played as well as he could with limited starts and against some tough competition. The Utes will likely play in the Las Vegas Bowl and could face Oregon State in a rematch of last year’s close game.

7. East Carolina: The Pirates defense was fantastic against Southern Miss and they’ll need to rely on it again in the conference title game against Houston. ECU is trying to become the first back-to-back conference champion since C-US went to a championship game.

8. Troy: The Trojans won their fourth consecutive conference title, second outright, and notched their first undefeated conference season since joining the FBS. Troy dominated its conference competition and it will be interesting to see who the Trojans face in the New Orleans Bowl.

9. Navy: The Midshipmen, who were coming off a bye week, suffered a stunning loss to Hawaii on Saturday. While it won’t affect their bowl status, it will affect the Midshipmen’s ability to finish the season in the Top 25. Navy still has a game against Army that will decide whether the Mids win the Commander-in-Chief Trophy.

10. Ohio: The Bobcats defeated Northern Illinois and Temple to work themselves into the MAC championship against Central Michigan. The Bobcats have never won the conference title and have only appeared in the championship game once -- a 31-10 loss to Central Michigan.

1. Cincinnati (11-0, 6-0 Big East): Pitt's loss to West Virginia means the Bearcats are assured of being at least co-champions in the Big East this year. Of course, that doesn't mean much without the BCS bid.

2. Pittsburgh (9-2, 5-1): A 10-win regular season now hangs on whether the Panthers can defeat Cincinnati at home. If not, a 9-3 mark will seem kind of disappointing.

3. West Virginia (8-3, 4-2): Speaking of 10-win campaigns, the Mountaineers have a chance to get there by beating Rutgers and then winning a bowl game. Funny how one big win can change the outlook of an entire season.

4. Connecticut (6-5, 2-4): If the Huskies beat South Florida at home, they'll finish with the exact same record they had last year in the regular season. Yet I think this UConn team is better than last year's, even though they lost four NFL draft picks off the 2008 squad.

5. Rutgers (8-3, 3-3): Can the Scarlet Knights break through and actually beat West Virginia at home? This seems like one of their best chances, and it would be the highlight of their season so far.

6. South Florida (7-4, 3-3): Throw out the wins over two FCS teams and Western Kentucky, and the Bulls are 4-4 against opponents who could fog a mirror. And half of those victories came against Syracuse and Louisville.

7. Louisville (4-8, 1-6): Looking back, there were two games the Cardinals easily could have won -- at Kentucky and at West Virginia. But they also could have easily lost games against Southern Miss and Syracuse. In the end, 4-8 seems about right.

8. Syracuse (4-8, 1-6): A 4-8 record got Steve Kragthorpe fired but represents slight progress for Doug Marrone. The Orange seem better positioned going forward in the immediate future than the Cardinals, who will go through another coaching transition next year.

Here's how I rank them heading into the Big 12's championship game week.

1. Texas: The Longhorns are cruising to the BCS title game, although they showed some unexpected defensive struggles against Texas A&M. Fortunately for them, Colt McCoy was ready with the kind of performance that subdued their old rivalry and gave him some big Heisman Trophy traction. Their challenge beating Nebraska this week will be to stay away from mistakes and play with the confidence that befits their national title contender status.

2. Nebraska: It’s no surprise the Cornhuskers are playing for the Big 12 title. But they have overcome their share of adversity as they make their first championship game appearance since 2006. Bo Pelini's team has a puncher’s chance Saturday night against Texas mainly because of a determined defensive front and a special teams unit that has dictated field position all season long. Punter/kicker Alex Henery has been among the most valuable Cornhuskers all season and will need a big game against Texas on Saturday.

3. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys ran into a buzz saw Saturday at Oklahoma as they struggled offensively throughout the game against a determined and challenged Oklahoma defensive unit that whipped them in the trenches. With their BCS at-large hopes dead, Mike Gundy's team remains the likely choice for the Cotton Bowl and the opportunity to finish with 10 victories for the first time since 1988. But it wasn't a good sign for them that Donald Booker likely will miss a bowl game and Zac Robinson was hobbling with a sprained ankle.

4. Texas Tech: The Red Raiders dodged a bullet in a struggling offensive performance against Baylor before Taylor Potts piloted them to a second-half comeback against the plucky Bears. But the biggest story in that game and all season was a strong defensive effort down the stretch. Mike Leach has Tech pointed upward through what was expected to be a rebuilding year. Considering all of the quarterback injuries, the Red Raiders have accomplished more than what was expected in an 8-4 season.

5. Missouri: Battling out of an early hole, the Tigers showed some gumption in their comeback against Kansas. Danario Alexander again showed why he deserves to be a Biletnikoff Award finalist after producing his third 200-yard effort in the past four games. In Missouri football history, there had been three previous 200-yard receiving games before Alexander. Blaine Gabbert finished strongly, avoiding an interception over his last 161 attempts of the season. The defense struggled against Kansas, but provided a key stop at the end of the game, and Carl Gettis' two fumble recoveries helped spark the comeback.

6. Oklahoma: The Sooners came up with their defensive performance of the season, limiting Oklahoma State to 109 yards and denying them from converting on all 14 third-down plays. Ryan Broyles made a huge difference in the return game and the Sooners overcame a patchwork offensive line to play consistently. Bob Stoops punctuated his most disappointing regular season with an impressive triumph. Now, he'll attack those pesky bowl-game struggles that have dogged him the past few seasons.

7. Texas A&M: Jerrod Johnson started his 2010 Heisman candidacy early with a career game against Texas as he accounted for 439 total yards and four touchdown passes. The Aggies had the offense to stick with Texas, but critical errors on defense and special teams were too great in the end to overcome. The upcoming bowl practice will be invaluable for a young team aiming to improve and become a potential surprise in the South Division next season.

8. Kansas State: No bowl game for the Wildcats, but Bill Snyder can take a lot of pride in the job that he did to take them within a game of the Big 12 championship game. Mike Gundy’s loss at Oklahoma opens up discussion for Snyder as the Big 12’s coach of the year. Considering the way Snyder built his team’s offense around quarterback Grant Gregory and running back Daniel Thomas -- both of whom arrived on campus shortly before fall practice -- provides evidence that he merits serious consideration for the honor.

9. Iowa State: Kansas’ loss assures the Cyclones a bowl berth and a chance to have some critical bowl practice for a young team that will grow immensely from the experience. Paul Rhoads will get his share of coach of the year votes for his four-game win/loss turnaround from last season. And how about a chance for the Cyclones to finish this season with bowl trip to Shreveport and a shot at Gene Chizik and Auburn? But ISU won't be picky about any bowl trip.

10. Kansas: For 57 minutes Saturday, Mark Mangino was providing a clinic on why he should return as the Jayhawks’ coach. But his clock management and play-calling decisions down the stretch left him open to huge questioning as Missouri charged back for the comeback victory. It still remains amazing that a team that started 5-0 and appeared ready to challenge for the Big 12 North title would fall apart like the Jayhawks did during a seven-game losing streak to finish the season. And their late performance Saturday against Missouri provides critics with ample ammunition why a coaching change is necessary.

11. Colorado: Dan Hawkins’ job was saved and he’ll enjoy the benefit of coaching a team that should be more experienced after this season’s struggles. This time around, don’t expect Hawkins to make any wild pronouncements or predictions for next season at the team’s season-ending banquet like last season. The Buffaloes showed hope for the future by gashing Nebraska for 403 yards -- the most allowed by the Cornhuskers this season. Hawkins' first task will be to work on the team’s fundamentals after the Buffaloes committed 107 penalties this season.

12. Baylor: Blake Szymanski’s return to the starting lineup looked like a masterstroke before Texas Tech charged back for the comeback victory. The Bears’ bowl hopes were in trouble as soon as Robert Griffin was out with a season-ending injury. But Art Briles' team still played tough and showed a lot of moxie as the season progressed without its standout quarterback. The Bears learned lessons from the struggles but will have to rebuild a defense that will be stripped of key playmakers like Jordan Lake and Joe Pawelek. Briles must find replacements if the Bears have any hopes of snapping their conference-worst bowl drought that dates to 1993.

Hey, state of Oregon. You guys got a game going on this week or what?

No changes from last week.

1. Oregon: The Ducks will host perhaps the biggest game in Autzen Stadium history on Thursday (ESPN, 9 p.m. EST). And it's the Civil War, making it even bigger. The Rose Bowl hangs in the balance when Oregon State comes to town. Buckle up.

2. Oregon State: It's simple Beavers: Beat the Ducks, and you go to your first Rose Bowl since 1965. Lose, and you might fall all the way to the Las Vegas Bowl.

3. California: Will the Bears maintain their late-season momentum at Washington on Saturday? A sixth win in seven games could mean a Holiday Bowl berth.

4. Stanford: The gutty win over Notre Dame may have won running back Toby Gerhart the Heisman Trophy. And, if things fall a certain way, it's possible the Cardinal could play in the Holiday or Sun bowls.

5. USC: If USC, 1. Beats Arizona; 2. Beats a solid Big 12 team in the Holiday Bowl, thereby finishing 10-3 and probably ranked near the top-10, is that really such a bad season under the circumstances?

6. Arizona: That win over rival Arizona State was big. It ensures a winning record for a second consecutive year. It also should help the Wildcats play loose at USC on Saturday, where they could substantially boost their bowl position.

7. UCLA: Bruins are two games better than 2008 and may earn a bowl berth. But they need to show improvement in 2010 -- particularly on offense -- or the natives might start getting restless.

8. Arizona State: A second consecutive losing season -- not to mention a second consecutive loss to Arizona -- has folks hot-and-bothered in Tempe.

9. Washington: The Huskies went 0-12 last year. Now they are 4-7 under first-year coach Steve Sarkisian. Can they finish with a big upset vs. California on Saturday? That certainly would provide momentum heading into the off-season.

10. Washington State: Good news Cougars! The season is over.