College Football Rankings: Oregon Tops Week 10 USA Today Poll, Auburn Second

The best part of the college football polls every week is the discussion they bring. With that in mind, a rundown of the winners and losers from this week’s rankings.

Auburn is a winner in the Week 10 polls, moving up to second in the USA Today poll and leaping Boise State. Auburn’s the SEC’s leading candidate to make the BCS Championship Game, of course, but the Tigers hopping past the Broncos just makes it clear that the human polls, like the computers, will turn to the Tigers over teams from non-BCS automatic qualifier conferences as this season wears on.

The biggest risers in the Week 10 USA Today poll are legion, because the biggest upward move was a mere three spots.

Iowa’s one of many teams to make that jump, moving from 19th to 16th after a dominante win over Michigan State. Nebraska only moves up two spots after defeating Missouri.

The ACC is a really, truly terrible association of football teams this season. And yet, it has just as many ranked teams as the Pac-10.

Three ACC teams earn rankings in the Week 10 USA Today coaches poll, and Virginia Tech reclaims its spot at the top of the ACC’s pecking order not because of any signature win, but merely because the Hokies were idle and could not lose. That seems to be a smart strategy for ACC schools this year.

The Big 12 lost its last unbeaten this week, but the conference still makes a strong showing in the Week 10 USA Today poll.

The USA Today coaches poll for Week 10 has five Big 12 teams, and heavyweights Oklahoma and Nebraska re-enter the top ten thanks in part to formerly undefeated Missouri’s first loss. Neither team is likely to make a run at the BCS Championship Game, but both appear to be in solid position for an at-large BCS berth.

The SEC may or may not be the top conference in college football this season. But it sure seems to be the conference the human polls like best.

Six SEC teams show up in the USA Today coaches poll for Week 10, and for the first time since Alabama’s loss to South Carolina, one is in the top two: Auburn, which leapfrogged Boise State this week, is ranked second.

Once again, the USA Today coaches poll has Oregon on top. The first of the college football polls to be released this week also gives Auburn a bit of a boost.

Oregon holds the number one ranking for the third consecutive week, receiving 51 of 59 first place votes. Auburn jumps Boise State to move into second, and TCU and Alabama round out the top five. All of the remaining unbeatens received at least one first place vote, except for Utah, which comes in at sixth. But if Auburn is taking Boise State’s slot in the human polls, it will be impossible for the Broncos to make it to the BCS Championship Game without a loss by one of the BCS conference powers.