What we learned this week

• The win over Illinois doesn't look nearly as good, after they got dominated by Purdue
• Wisconsin's pass defense is not great
• Dantonio is a better coach than Bielema
• Alabama and LSU appear to be far and away the 2 best teams in the country. They remind me of OSU and Michigan in 2006. My guess is the one difference is that both will show up in their bowl games
• Oklahoma was exposed for what they are...overrated. Their defense is average and Landry Jones is a product of the system more than he is a great quarterback
• The Big East is horrendous (though this is nothing new)
• Notre Dame beating Michigan State had to be an aberration. There is no way ND should have been able to compete with them.

Around the NCAA (Week 8)

National Top 10

1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Stanford
4. Clemson
5. Oklahoma St
6. Boise St
7. Kansas St
8. Michigan St
9. Oregon
10. Wisconsin

B1G Power Rankings

1. Michigan St
2. Wisconsin
3. Nebraska
4. Michigan
5. Penn St
6. Ohio St
7. Iowa
8. Purdue
9. Illinois
10. Northwestern
11. Minnesota
12. Indiana

SEC Power Rankings

1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Arkansas
4. S. Carolina
5. Georgia
6. Auburn
7. Florida
8. Tennessee
9. Mississippi St
10. Vanderbilt
11. Mississippi
12. Kentucky

Big 12 Power Rankings

1. Oklahoma St.
2. Kansas St
3. Oklahoma
4. Texas A&M
5. Baylor
6. Texas Tech
7. Texas 
8. Missouri
9. Iowa St
10. Kansas

ACC Power Rankings

1. Clemson
2. Virginia Tech
3. Wake Forest
4. Georgia Tech
5. Miam
6. Florida State
7. Virginia
8. North Carolina
9. NC State
10. Maryland
11. Duke
12. Boston College

Big East Power Rankings

1. Cincinnati
2. Syracuse
3. West Virginia
4. Rutgers
5. Pittsburgh
6. Connecticut
7. S. Florida
8. Louisville

Pac 12 Power Rankings

1. Stanford
2. Oregon
3. Arizona St
4. USC
5. Washington
6. California
7. Washington St
8. Utah
9. Arizona
10. Oregon St
11. UCLA
12. Colorado

Conference Rankings

1. SEC
2. Big 12
3. B1G
4. Pac 12
5. ACC
6. Big East

Around the NCAA (Week 7)

National Top 10

1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma
4. Boise St
5. Wisconsin
6. Oklahoma St
7. Stanford
8. Clemson
9. Oregon
10. Arkansas

B1G Power Rankings

1. Wisconsin
2. Michigan St
3. Nebraska
4. Michigan
5. Penn St
6. Ohio St
7. Illinois
8. Iowa
9. Northwestern
10. Purdue
11. Minnesota
12. Indiana

SEC Power Rankings

1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Arkansas
4. S. Carolina
5. Georgia
6. Auburn
7. Florida
8. Tennessee
9. Mississippi St
10. Vanderbilt
11. Mississippi
12. Kentucky

Big 12 Power Rankings

1. Oklahoma
2. Oklahoma St
3. Kansas St
4. Texas A&M
5. Baylor
6. Texas
7. Texas Tech
8. Missouri
9. Iowa St
10. Kansas

ACC Power Rankings

1. Clemson
2. Virginia Tech
3. Wake Forest
4. Virginia
5. Georgia Tech
6. Florida State
7. Miami
8. North Carolina
9. Maryland
10. NC State
11. Duke
12. Boston College

Big East Power Rankings

1. West Virginia
2. Rutgers
3. Cincinnati
4. Pittsburgh
5. Connecticut
6. Syracuse
7. S. Florida
8. Louisville

Pac 12 Power Rankings

1. Stanford
2. Oregon
3. Arizona St
4. USC
5. Washington
6. Washington St
7. UCLA
8. Cal
9. Utah
10. Oregon St
11. Arizona
12. Colorado

Conference Rankings

1. SEC
2. Big 12
3. B1G
4. Pac 12
5. ACC
6. Big East

Around the NCAA (Week 6)

National Top 10

1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma
4. Boise St
5. Wisconsin
6. Oklahoma St
7. Clemson
8. Stanford
9. Oregon
10. Arkansas

B1G Power Rankings

1. Wisconsin
2. Michigan St
3. Michigan
4. Illinois
5. Nebraska
6. Penn St
7. Ohio St
8. Northwestern
9. Iowa
10. Purdue
11. Minnesota
12. Indiana

SEC Power Rankings

1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Arkansas
4. S. Carolina
5. Georgia
6. Auburn
7. Florida
8. Tennessee
9. Mississippi St
10. Vanderbilt
11. Mississippi
12. Kentucky

Big 12 Power Rankings

1. Oklahoma
2. Oklahoma St
3. Kansas St
4. Texas A&M
5. Baylor
6. Texas
7. Texas Tech
8. Missouri
9. Iowa St
10. Kansas

ACC Power Rankings

1. Clemson
2. Georgia Tech
3. Virginia Tech
4. North Carolina
5. Wake Forest
6. Florida State
7. Miami
8. Maryland
9. Virginia
10. NC State
11. Duke
12. Boston College

Big East Power Rankings

1. West Virginia
2. Rutgers
3. Cincinnati
4. Pittsburgh
5. S. Florida
6. Syracuse
7. Louisville
8. Connecticut

Pac 12 Power Rankings

1. Stanford
2. Oregon
3. Arizona St
4. USC
5. Washington
6. Washington St
7. California
8. Utah
9. UCLA
10. Oregon St
11. Arizona
12. Colorado

Conference Rankings

1. SEC
2. Big 12
3. B1G
4. ACC
5. Pac 12
6. Big East

Update: Posey, Herron, and Hall are all out for Nebraska game

Gene Smith just announced that Posey, Herron, and Marcus Hall are out for the Nebraska game. He is applying for reinstatement for the players, but he doesn't know if or when they will be reinstated.

Smith said this will delay the NCAA decision on punishment and he doesn't believe a lack of institutional control and failure to monitor will result because everything so far has been individual and separate violations. My question is how many individual violations happen before it is considered institutional. I hope the answer is more than what Ohio State has been found guilty of. I am also wondering why Gene Smith has his job still. I think Smith and the entire football staff needs cleaned out at the end of the season.  I would also kick Posey and Herron off the team for rest of the year. I would give Hall another chance because this is the first violation I am aware of with him, but the other 2 are repeat offenders and should be kicked off the team.

Herron or Posey might not be cleared for Nebraska game

Yahoo sports is reporting one of the suspended players may not be cleared for Saturday night's game against Nebraska. The Columbus Dispatch says that Herron and Posey are under investigation for receiving improper benefits for work done over the summer, so it looks like it will be one or both of them. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith is scheduled to make an announcement on the situation at 3:30 this afternoon.