This Week's Vegas Oddsmakers' Top 25

While the BCS wrestles with several doomsday scenarios (undefeated Louisville vs. one-loss Florida, or undefeated Rutgers, or one-loss everybody), my much-touted Vegas Top 25 has problems of its own. LSU keeps rising the ranks despite the two losses, and I might be left with an Ohio State-LSU proposed national championship game, which could leave my recommendation that Vegas be put in charge of the BCS in ruins.

Most importantly, Vegas still wants no part of the Big East, and especially not of Rutgers. Let's be honest, this is pretty rational. Louisville has beaten two teams of consequence, both at home, but we have no idea how good West Virginia is and we can be pretty sure that Miami isn't that hot. Why in the world should we then think that Louisville is the second-best team in the country?

Plus, Vegas appears to be less-than-impressed with 7-2 Maryland, which enters everybody's top 25 this week except this one. Vegas also leaves ACC mates Wake Forest and BC unranked, instead choosing non-BCS schools BYU and Hawaii, so don't accuse Vegas of a big-name bias. West Virginia's ranking in the ordinary people polls is now in-line with Vegas's thinking, and by the end of the year, Louisville and Rutgers most likely will be in the same boat. Most overrated by the ordinary humans this week: Auburn, Arkansas, Boise State and Rutgers. Most underrated by the ordinary humans: LSU, Oregon, Wisconsin, Clemson.

Since it has something to do with the national championship, I'll put the coaches' rankings in parentheses.

1. Ohio State (1)
2. Texas (3)
3. LSU (12)
4. Michigan (2)
5. California (9)
6. Southern Cal (7)
7. Florida (6)
8. Louisville (4)
9. Notre Dame (8)
10. Wisconsin (16t)
11. West Virginia (10)
12. Oklahoma (16t)
13. Oregon (20)
14. Clemson (NR)
15. Auburn (5)
16. Tennessee (15)
17t. BYU (NR)
17t. Arkansas (11)
19. Virginia Tech (21)
20. Nebraska (25)
21. Boise State (13)
22. Georgia Tech (18)
23. Rutgers (14)
24. Hawaii (NR)
25. Texas Tech (NR)

Not ranked by Vegas: Wake Forest (19th in coaches' poll), Boston College (22nd), Texas A&M (23rd), Maryland (24th),