(Beth Schonberger)
Last Saturday’s SEC Championship game helped shuffle the top five in the final CU Independent Top 10 college football poll of the 2009 season.
Alabama unanimously takes the No. 1 spot after handing former No. 1 Florida its first loss of the season. The Gators fell four spots to No. 5.
Florida’s loss was the Longhorns’ gain as Texas moved from No. 3 to No. 2 in the poll. Cincinnati jumped over TCU to take the No. 3 ranking, beating the Horned Frogs out by one point.
Here is the rest of our Week 8 CU:I Top 10 college football poll as well as our ideal BCS bowl games:
No. 1 Alabama, 13-0, 70 points (7), last week No. 2: They are by lakes and rivers — and oceans — the best team in the nation. – Brent New, staff writer
No. 2 Texas, 13-0, 62 points, last week No. 3: Championship teams find ways to win and even though they shot themselves in the foot on multiple occasions in the Big 12 Conference Championship Game, they came up with a last-second 1-point win. – Michael Krumholtz, staff writer
No. 3 Cincinnati, 12-0, 51 points, last week No. 5: I was tempted to put either these guys or TCU in the title game against Alabama, but in the end, I couldn’t truthfully say that I think either are better teams than Texas. But I will leapfrog the Bearcats over the Horned Frogs because of the grit and heart they showed in coming back from 21 down in snowy Pittsburgh to stay undefeated. – David Starcer, CU:I men’s basketball beat writer
No. 4 TCU, 12-0, 50 points, last week No. 4: I’m guessing there was a loud, collective groan in Fort Worth, Texas when Hunter Lawrence hit the game-winning 46-yard field goal as time expired to lift Texas past Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship Game. – Cheng Sio, CU:I co-sports editor
No. 5 Florida, 12-1, 43 points, last week No. 1: The Gators’ run of 22 consecutive wins and their dreams of a national championship are no more. – Krumholtz
No. 6 Boise State, 13-0, 35 points, last week No. 6: The Broncos have been impressive, but they need a tougher schedule to start playing for national championships. – Ryan Callahan, staff writer
No. 7 Oregon, 10-2, 30 points, last week No. 7: Quack, quack, quack! What a game on Thursday night as both Oregon and Oregon State gave it their all in maybe the best rivalry game of the year. Their Civil War victory punched their ticket to the Rose Bowl, where Ohio State awaits. I hope they play just as hard in Pasadena, Calif. as they did in Eugene, Ore. – Starcer
No. 8 Ohio State, 10-2, 19 points, last week No. 8: Sure, you can slide into a BCS spot. Just keep your boring, pathetic offense and sweater vests to yourself. – New
No. 9 Georgia Tech, 11-2, 16 points, last week No. 9: The Yellow Jackets had a quiet season (at least from the national media perspective), but they did enough to punch their ticket to the Orange Bowl after being crowned ACC Champions. – Ron Knabenbauer, CU:I co-sports editor
No. 10 Iowa, 10-2, 6 points, last week No. 10: I’m too happy about the rest of the standings to really care about Iowa ending up in the Top 10, so good job Hawkeyes. – Kayla Cornett, staff writer
BCS bowl games we would love to see:
Ron Knabenbaur, CU:I co-sports editor
BCS National Championship: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 TCU
Rose Bowl: No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State
Orange Bowl: No. 6 Boise State vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech
Sugar Bowl: No. 5 Florida vs. No. 10 Iowa
Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Texas vs. No. 3 Cincinnati
Cheng Sio, CU:I co-sports editor
BCS National Championship: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Texas
Rose Bowl: No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State
Orange Bowl: No. 4 TCU vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech
Sugar Bowl: No. 5 Florida vs. No. 10 Iowa
Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 Cincinnati vs. No. 6 Boise State
Ryan Callahan, staff writer
BCS National Championship: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Texas
Rose Bowl: No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State
Orange Bowl: No. 9 Georgia Tech vs. No. 10 Iowa
Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Cincinnati vs. No. 5 Florida
Fiesta Bowl: No. 4 TCU vs. No. 6 Boise State
Kayla Cornett, staff writer
BCS National Championship: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 3 Cincinnati
Rose Bowl: No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State
Orange Bowl: No. 9 Georgia Tech vs. No. 10 Iowa
Sugar Bowl: No. 5 Florida vs. No. 6 Boise State
Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Texas vs. No. 4 TCU
Michael Krumholtz, staff writer
BCS National Championship: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Texas
Rose Bowl: No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State
Orange Bowl: No. 3 Cincinnati vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech
Sugar Bowl: No. 4 TCU vs. No. 5 Florida
Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Boise State vs. 10. Iowa
Brent New, staff writer
BCS National Championship: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Texas
Rose Bowl: No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State
Orange Bowl: No. 3 Cincinnati vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech
Sugar Bowl: No. 4 TCU vs. No. 5 Florida
Fiesta Bowl: No. 6 Boise State vs. Penn State
David Starcer, CU:I men’s basketball beat writer
BCS National Championship: No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 2 Texas
Rose Bowl: No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 8 Ohio State
Orange Bowl: No. 9 Georgia Tech vs. No. 10 Iowa
Sugar Bowl: No. 3 Cincinnati vs. No. 5 Florida
Fiesta Bowl: No. 4 TCU vs. No. 6 Boise State
Information compiled by CU Independent Sports Editor Ron Knabenbauer. Contact Ron Knabenbauer at Ronald.knabenbauer@colorado.edu.
