USC in Pullman after a short week is so obviously a USC loss that I almost wonder if it's TOO OBVIOUS and they are gonna win by 80.

I always assume BYU is at least sorta good, but they got wrecked pretty hard against LSU and Wisconsin, don't know what happened to them.

Nebraska @ Illinois has max lol factor

Don't know what to think about Miami who is basically 1-0 in week 5. 9.5 yards per play against Toledo is pretty damn impressive though... rockets are pretty decent. Saw Duke dominate NWestern and they looked pretty good. Only team with 3 BCS wins?

Texas / ISU should be good too, anyone know if Buchele is back?

Northwestern, Baylor, and UNC. Three wins over very bad teams.

Which teams you thinking?

If i were making these based on eyes / intuition I'd probably bump UW above miami/penn state / vtech, but nothing feels super off to me.

Clemson and USC also have.

Sagarin has two of those teams in the top 50 (the other is Baylor) and overall rates Duke's schedule strength 59th. Now, compare that to the rest of his top 30 sorted by schedule strength with rank listed ("rating" not predictor just because it's easier to grab):

1 Florida State (12)
5 Florida (28)
7 Southern California (13)
9 Stanford (18)
11 Mississippi State (17)
12 Louisville (23)
14 Georgia (9 )
15 Notre Dame (11)
26 Alabama (1 )
27 Ohio State (4 )
29 Michigan (10)
32 TCU (15)
35 Oklahoma State (8 )
37 Clemson (3 )
49 Georgia Tech (26)
52 Texas (29)
53 NC State (30)
54 LSU (19)
59 Duke (25)
64 Oklahoma (2 )
66 Oregon (22)
80 Wisconsin (6 )
84 Penn State (7 )
88 Washington (5 )
104 Utah (27)
106 Auburn (14)
117 Virginia Tech (16)
123 Washington State (21)
143 Kansas State (24)
164 Miami-Florida (20)

Duke comes in 22nd among this group, and would have the 18th toughest schedule to date if we narrowed it to just the top 25. They've faced *slightly* below average competition compared to the rest of this group and have won them all unlike half the group. Seems perfectly respectable to me.

I do think this sort really illustrates the difference I see between USC and Washington though.

I dunno, nothing terrible I guess looking at it. I can't see Clemson anywhere but #2, and I don't understand how Miami is less than 12 to 14. In particular though, Kansas State seems.....I don't understand that one at all.

But I get it's based on numbers and not the gut, and really...what do I know.

It would be nice if Iowa State would dismiss Texas from the goofball top 25 with extreme prejudice.

Iowa State is on my fantasy roster so I'm on board with that plan!

I'll be rooting for ISU. Only because work will be miserable Friday if they lose

I welcome John O'Korn to the party

LA Tech = South Carolina > NCST > FSU ~= Bama

Iowa St. +5.5 looks like the most obvious home dog play in history

I was with you til that last part.

I basically made this for Baylor.

yes, he's back but Herman said they'd be splitting snaps, which I hate.

Hmmm...I feel like you're being a little hard on Charlotte and UTEP here. Would think they're both still favorites to win one. Is my math wrong or you figure they're about 14-1 dogs in each of 8 Conference USA games?

Yeah that can't be right