Rutgers???

Rutgers: The very first heavyweight football champion in college football. The winner of college football's very first game. The one team among all those early football powerhouses to still be playing major college football.

That sounds like a lot to hang your hat on as a school.

Unfortunately until recently, it all ends there. One championship in 137 years. In Heavyweight Football Champs terms, Rutgers has had 22 chances since then to claim the title. 16 chances by 1894. They've lost every one. Unfortunately, Rutgers hasn't had much to brag about lately.

But that may be changing. I haven't looked back at the preseason magazines and all, but I don't think anyone was picking Rutgers as a potential participant in a BCS bowlgame, not to mention the BCS Championship game.

Not that they'll be there. And honestly, I'd have a tough time making a case for Rutgers over a one loss Michigan or Ohio State game. Although, given my view that the whole season is a playoff, I'd be a stronger proponent of the loser of that game going to the title game if it weren't a rematch of a game just played.

Even as early as my last post, I didn't expect Rutgers to have a shot at the title game. But losses by Auburn and Texas have definitely clouded the picture, and with those two out of the picture, it looks to me like it probably boils down to 5 teams having a shot at playing the winner of the Ohio State/Michigan game:

Florida: Because of their schedule, the strength of which will only improve with the SEC title game, Florida would probably get in ahead of Rutgers if they win out.

Michigan: The loser of the Ohio State / Michigan game will likely still get rated by the voters ahead of Rutgers. Michigan tends to be rated a little higher by the computers than Ohio State, and even with a loss would probably end up ahead of Rutgers in the formula for getting into the title game.

Ohio State: One of the highlights of the Buckeyes' season was a victory over Texas. It may be Texas' loss to Kansas State (one of those teams on Louisville's 'soft' schedule) that is the nudge to push Ohio State low enough that if they lose, Rutgers could squeeze by.

USC: USC hasn't fared as well in the computers, however, if they can finish out with wins over Notre Dame, California and UCLA, that will help their strength of schedule enough that they could move into the title game. They'll have a tough time getting past Florida. California's loss to Arizona doesn't help USC's case with the computers, but something like a Nebraska win over Texas in the Big 12 game could be enough of a boost to get them in.

I should probably put Notre Dame in the list. But I don't think their schedule is strong enough to give them the boost to get past the loser of the Michigan/Ohio State game, especially if Ohio State wins.

THIS is why i love college football.