The Times' college football rankings: The top 25

Monday night's NFL outrage with the officials reminds me of the time in 2010 that "replacement Rankman" put Boise State at No. 1 and kept the Broncos there until the Friday night after Thanksgiving. This week's standings offer their own controversial finish, with four Big Ten Conference schools bunched in the basement for what should be an exciting playoff two years in advance of college football's new format. The winner gets the Floyd of Rankman trophy, presented by John Deere, at imaginary Grain Silo Stadium. Bump-of-the-week goes to Kansas State, which rockets 10 spots to No. 6 after last week's triumph at Oklahoma. Coach Bill Snyder called from his Little Manhattan project to wonder why Rankman was not this excited about his 1998 team.

Chris Dufresne

September 27, 2012