Safety first

More to come Monday night and Tuesday, but I quickly wanted to tackle the safety issues, which is still being debated on the message boards.

When it happened, I was torn. I knew it was a gutsy call, but I had a pit in my stomach about giving Florida State a chance to win outright. In fact when they went to review of the final play, I was sure we were going to lose the call and the game.

Now, under calmer circumstances, I will say it is one of the gutsiest calls of the TOB era and the right one. We’ve lost on fluke, low percentage plays in the past. We’ve also been lucky to escape two overtimes. Although they are all independent events, would you want to bet that we would win another OT game or lose again on a late, deep ball? Winning OTs and losing on flukes just can't keep happening. So as Coach TOB should reduce the chance of both.

TOB also said that his team was gassed.

So the safety:
1. Eats time via the non-kick and then the free kick from the 20
2. Takes the blocked punt out of play
3. Improves field position
4. Gives FSU two shots at the endzone instead of the four they might have had with the extra time

If this had backfired TOB would have been vilified. So he deserves credit for making the right call. If we win out, it will certainly be called a turning point in the season and maybe even in his career.

Back from Florida State

Sorry for the delay. Traveled Sunday. Worked Sunday night. Just getting back to blogging now.

Great trip. I know we don't have the greatest travel rep in football, but overall a good showing by the BC faithful. Met some readers and saw a few former classmates. The best part was wining the game. It hit me on the ride home: we just beat Florida State at Doak! I know they are down, but that still means something to me.

Here are my takeaways from the AOL Fanhouse.

I'll have Grades and pictures up later in the week.

AOL update and news links

Short game preview over at the Fanhouse.

Vega published a nice article on Challenger.

Both papers released features on Brady Smith and his battle with Lyme disease (this is the Herald's verion).

The Miami Herald included a really nice feature on Larry Anam. It is more confirmation on how popular BC is with recruits' parents.

Heading to Florida

I leave for Florida tonight. Not sure how much I will be able to post Friday or Saturday morning. You can check out my latest Fanhouse entry over on AOL.

If you are going to the game please stop by and say hello. I will be in section 318, Row 83. Look for a guy with BC hat and maroon pants. BC has a pretty good record in my road trips. Let's hope it keeps up this weekend.

BC-FSU Preview

TOB is playing a shell game with his starting QB, so this preview will certainly have some hedging. Both teams need the win to stay alive in the division. As I’ve been saying, Florida State may not be what they once were, but they still have some of the games best athletes and can still beat any team in the country when they are on.

Theme that won’t be discussed on Television. This is minor, but I doubt anyone will remember that TOB was a key part of Florida State's first ACC loss. He was the Offensive Coordinator on the UVA team that knocked off the ‘Noles on ESPN in 1995. That win was crucial for the long-term success of the conference as it showed that the basketball schools could raise their level of play and compete with the conference’s newest member. The game did not turn TOB into a hot commodity but it certainly looked good on his resume when BC came calling two years later.

Injuries will be discussed. Not only is Ryan dinged, but it seems like half of the Florida State defense is ailing.

Three Simple Keys
1. BC cannot go too conservative if Crane plays. During last year’s game Porter got injured and Ryan was called off the bench. For most of his snaps TOB and Bible went ultra conservative and BC failed to move the ball. It wasn’t until late in the game that they finally allowed Ryan to throw and he did pretty well. This year’s team is much better throwing than rushing. Getting away from that because of Crane would be foolish.
2. The Defense must get to Weatherford. Once FSU put him in the shotgun last year he began picking BC apart. This year we need to keep the pressure on. FSU will be ready for Akins. Perhaps it is time to rush one of the other LBs.
3. Kicking and punt coverage need to be perfect. BC got lucky last week. They allowed Virginia Tech great field position throughout the game and the Hokies never exploited it. We shouldn’t press our luck against FSU. They are still dangerous and allowing them easy points when their offense is struggling would be a real letdown.

Gambling Notes
-- BC is 2-0 as an underdog this season
-- TOB is 12-10 the first time he has visited a stadium
-- BC is 7-2 against the spread in their last nine games as an away dog.
The current line is BC+6.5

What would be a pleasant surprise? If Chris Crane starts, plays well and BC wins. I always try to be an optimist when it comes to winning games, but I really worry about Crane. Winning your first start is tough. Winning your first start on the road against Florida State would be a major accomplishment.

What would be a letdown? If Ryan starts, plays pretty well and we lose. I think a Ryan-led team should beat the ‘Noles. If he plays and BC doesn’t pull it out, I will be very disappointed. Plus another conference loss at this point would put us closer to Boise than the ACC Championship game, so a letdown is a given.

What would be a shocker? A Crane-led blowout. Let me repeat – despite their ranking and recent struggles I still think FSU is a pretty good team. If Chris Crane walks into Doak and leads us to a big win it would be a big surprise.

Bottom Line
If Ryan were playing I’d have a lot more confidence. But I’ll go out on a limb and say we win regardless of who starts. I think BC’s defense has improved enough over the last month to keep us in the game and I think we can still score 28 against Florida State.
Final Score: BC 28, FSU 16

The U wants who?

He's gonna need some sunblock

South Florida papers are mentioning TOB as a possible successor to Larry Coker at Miami. I just don’t see it happening. While Miami will probably look for someone who has a sterling reputation and a track record for successful cleanups, I think TOB would have real problems fitting in down there.

The next coach of Miami has to walk a fine line. He needs to embrace the good things about the U culture (elite athletes, us against the world mentality) yet keep them inline and most importantly, win all the time. Part of winning is recruiting. The program sells itself to a certain type of kid. However, Coker and staff haven’t done a great job in evaluating and closing on those kids. While TOB is a pretty good recruiter, I don’t think his sales pitch would fly with the type of guys who want to play for the U. I also don’t see the Michael Irvins and Luther Campbells of the scene embracing our stoic Marine.

The other way to win is to out coach the other side week in and week out. This is where TOB becomes a real question mark for Miami. It is a given he could get a different type of athlete to play for him at the U. Those elite players mean you win most of your games going away. But as BC fans know, TOB’s style lends itself to close games where he squanders BC’s talent advantage (CMU is just one recent example). The first time TOB lost to Maryland or NC State because TOB played it too close to the vest, you would hear the ‘Cane faithful start pining for the days of Coker.

I don’t think TOB is set on retiring at BC. He’s floated his name out there too many times to think that he wouldn’t listen to offers. But the U is one place I think he would turn down. The guy is about safe and strategic moves. If he leaves BC it will be for a program where he can succeed and where the expectations will not be sky high.

Ryan rumor mill

"Um, he's sick. My best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious. "
-- Simone Adamley, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Everyone agrees Matt Ryan is injured. TOB acknowledges a foot injury separate from his previous ankle injury. But no one from BC has provided any detail about what the injury is, how extensive it is and what the prognosis is. The void created by this lack of information has been filled with speculation. Here are some of the things I’ve read or been sent:

1. Ryan has a broken foot. He needs surgery but is delaying it for a second opinion.
2. Ryan’s foot is broken, but he is going to try to play.
3. Ryan has been seen on crutches.
4. Ryan has been seen walking without crutches and without a limp
5. Ryan is not practicing.
6. Ryan will play Saturday and then have surgery.
7. Ryan will see how he feels on Saturday and will be a game time decision.
8. Ryan will be week to week and will have the surgery when he can no longer play through the pain.
9. Ryan is highly unlikely, but TOB does not want to disclose his status so FSU has to prepare for Ryan and Crane
10. Crane will start but Ryan will be his back up.

This is what I think: Ryan does have a broken foot, but he can play through it. I’ve heard from numerous people that he is walking without a limp. If he can walk, I think he can play.

I have faith in Chris Crane and think we can win with either QB, but I would prefer to see a gimpy Matty Ice. Stay tuned.

Guest Blogger: Tallahassee.com's Mike Boone

They will be in black uniforms and are coming off two loses, but Florida State is still Florida State. BC needs this win and I think most fans understand how tough it will be to go into Doak. In an effort to get a better understanding of what we can expect on the field, I've asked Mike Boone from Tallahassee.com to answer some questions regarding the matchup. Check out his blog for more on the 'Noles.

1. Jeff Bowden is the whipping boy and blame for all of FSU's woes, but from what I've seen I don't think it is all play calling. I just don't think some of the players are nearly as talented as the guys from the glory years. What's your take?

MB: I’m of two minds on this subject. It is clear to most Seminole observers and almost anyone else who has ever watched a football game, that the offense has declined since Mark Richt left to be the head coach at Georgia. Ironically at the time most FSU fans thought that Jeff Bowden was the right man for the job since he was the coach that Bobby wanted to replace Richt, who had been hugely popular among the Seminole faithful. So the criticism of Jeff is certainly warranted because he is ostensibly the offensive coordinator and is ultimately going to be held responsible for the offensive scheme and the play-calling. Some people have suggested that Bobby is meddling more than anyone realizes, and that in his old age he is becoming more conservative and more willing to trust the defense to win games. Some say that he’s lost his edge. Coaching aside, the talent level entering the program has not declined noticeably. Charlie Ward wasn’t the #1 player in Georgia when he signed with FSU, but he became the most decorated amateur athlete in the history of the US. Lorenzo Booker, Drew Weatherford, Myron Rolle, Xavier Lee, Antone Smith, Chris Davis and Marcus Sims are just a few of the names that have started their careers in Tallahassee as blue-chip recruits, desired by every team in the country. They were all highly-ranked high school players, but for some reason it seems that their skills haven’t translated to the collegiate level. Whatever the reason, Florida State has seen plenty of talented players in the last 5 years whose skills weren’t utilized or just never blossomed fully.

2. Last year, FSU exploited their height advantage at WR to take the lead. Do you see the same thing happening this year and can the O-line give Weatherford enough time for the routes to develop?

MB: FSU comes into this game with some serious, well-documented troubles running the football, same as they did last season. The difference is that this season Weatherford is a known quantity; BC shouldn’t leave him with the time to throw the ball that he had at times last year. He is a much smarter player this season than he was last year, despite his early inconsistency. Against Duke it seemed that Weatherford got on track and showed that he might be ready for another big game against a quality team. I would expect that Florida State will want to try to keep the Eagles from blitzing Weatherford to death and stuffing the run like they did in 2005. The offensive line for Florida State is improved over last season but is still nothing to write home about. Drew is going to have to get the ball out quickly and look for Greg Carr and DeCody Fagg to bail him out of bad plays. Booker has also developed into a quality pass-catching back, so he will see plenty of touches. To answer the question more directly, FSU is going to want to come out and try to establish something on the ground, but if that doesn’t happen early Jeff will pull the plug and turn the reins over to Weatherford and see if he can win another game against BC with his arm. Greg Carr is the X-factor to me. If he runs crisp routes and uses his body he will be awfully hard for anyone from Boston College to cover. The kid is simply a freak.

3. Surprisingly Andrews didn't attack BC much last year. He left the talented Linebacker corp to sit back and make plays (which they did). Do you see him mixing up the strategy this year?

MB: Florida State is in a tricky spot here, because injuries to defensive players have really taken their toll on the depth chart. The linebackers who will most likely be starting are not all as experienced as the amazing trio that took the field against the Eagles last season. While Buster Davis returns as the heart and soul of the team, and is one of the best linebackers in the country. He is a legitimate candidate for the Butkus Award. Timmons is a pure athlete who just happens to play linebacker, he has to be seen to be believed. The depth problems mean that FSU needs to get their defense off the field and not let BC grind out long scoring drives. FSU will have to shelve their popular 3-4 Buck package for this game, just because not enough of the new linebackers will be available to play. Timmons and Davis will be all over the field making plays, no matter what happens. There is no one position on the defense that is more vulnerable than another since they are all thin, so Mickey Andrews will stick with what has been his bread and butter as long as anyone can remember: play Cover 1 and hope that in the long run your athletes make more plays than the other team’s athletes. If Tony Carter is able to go at cornerback, it makes it much easier for the Noles to play man coverage, which is where they are most comfortable. Mickey may try to blitz more often if Matt Ryan is in fact hobbled by his foot problems, or if Crane enters the game at any point. Timmons would be a prime candidate to line up at end and come off the edge on third down. Otherwise, expect the unexpected, and expect to see a ton of younger players in places where they may not be as comfortable as they’d like to be.

4. Finally a prediction: what do you expect for Saturday?

MB: I expect to see Florida State try to score a lot of points, throwing the ball more than they have yet this season. Greg Carr is going to get plenty of work. I also expect that Florida State’s defense will have a hard time getting the Eagles off the field, unless Matt Ryan can’t play. This game is going to be decided in the fourth quarter when fatigue will be a huge factor. Bottom line, if Boston College hits Florida State in the mouth and inflicts their will, it’s going to be hard to keep them from doing the things they want to do with the football. Now, with all of that said it would be easier to pick Boston College to win, but this is the sort of game where a team will rally around one another. This is the sort of game where a team has to decide what kind of team they are, and that goes for both these squads. BC is coming off their best win of the season, and everything in me says that BC is going to win, but I can’t shake the feeling that FSU has heard for a while about how they aren’t as good as they used to be, and that they just don’t have the players to win games that they are supposed to win. It seems likely that BC wins this game, and maybe they will. But maybe the Noles circle the wagons in their new black uniforms and win this game on pure emotion, even though they probably have no business winning. And that, is what I think will happen.

Boston College 27 Florida State 31

Check out Mike's blog for more on Florida State football.

Good hoops info and other news

Be sure to check out TWoods' House that Skinner Built. He's got good updates on the informal fall practices. I'll start posting my hoops stuff soon.

We are not the only team dealing with injuries. FSU might be without their leading tackler.

AOL update

My take over at the Fanhouse on BC defining itself in the second half. Mostly focused on TOB.

Blogpoll Ballot

My No. 1 goes down again. Now I've broken down and made Ohio State my top team. We'll see how long they last.

Games I watched
VT-BC 100% (twice)
Wake Forest-NC State 75%
Vandy-UGA 25%
Ole Miss-Alabama 25%
Florida-Auburn 100%

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Ohio State	1
2	Michigan	1
3	Southern Cal	1
4	West Virginia	1
5	Louisville	1
6	Texas	1
7	Tennessee	1
8	Auburn	5
9	Notre Dame	--
10	Clemson	1
11	Georgia Tech	1
12	California	2
13	Florida	12
14	Arkansas	1
15	Rutgers	5
16	Boston College	3
17	Oregon	--
18	Oklahoma	8
19	Wisconsin	4
20	Texas A&M	6
21	Missouri	11
22	Wake Forest	4
23	Nebraska	2
24	Pittsburgh	2
25	LSU	3

Dropped Out: Georgia (#16), Virginia Tech (#18), Iowa (#24), Brigham Young (#25).

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Virginia Tech

As I said Thursday night this was the best game the team has played in a long time. Real good efforts from every unit.

Offense: B

Ryan’s numbers were ok. His receivers dropped three catches, but he was off on a few throws. He is still having trouble with some of the touch passes. His pocket passing remains a thing of beauty. The first TD pass was a ball that no other QB under TOB has, could or would make. It was a perfect dart and the timing was great. Even after watching the game a second time, I couldn’t find the play where he hurt himself. Aside from a limp his play didn’t seem effected. My only worry/complaint is that he does throw the ball in traffic and tight spots. He hasn’t been burned yet, but something is coming. But I’ll take the risk given how many plays he makes.

The running back had another uneven performance. LV’s first run was great, but he went into a real funk after the fumble. He didn’t get his head back in the game until the first drive of the second half. Then he looked great: making good reads, some good moves and good efforts. Callender didn’t do much in his limited time. He did have a real nice block on blitz pick up. I don’t think AC got very good blocking, but he also didn’t help himself by dropping catchable passes.

The wide receivers looked pretty good. Robinson’s dropped TD was brutal, but he recovered later. Challenger was great on his first catch. The second one was a gimme. A more quiet night from Gonzo, but he was solid (I wish he had been able to catch up with Ryan’s bomb to him). I really like Megwa’s efforts. He is quick and runs a good route. The Tight Ends had a solid night catching (but Thompson missed a few blocks).

The offensive line played its best game but was not perfect. The pass protection remained strong. They had some trouble run blocking. The Beekman switch continued and it was clear that the starters (with Sheridan at Center) functioned better than when Beekman moved to Center and Hall and Avenski were at the guard spots. One clear thing about this unit, is that they got stronger and more intense as the game wore on. They fed off the energy and really helped put the Hokies away. One last thing... Cherilus had a holding penalty but other than that played really well – dominating even.

I thought Bible’s game was uneven. First the bad. He continues to call plays that Ryan struggles with. The red zone offense was ultra conservative -- and too many plays were not even intended for the endzone. I also thought he got too conservative in short yardage situations. However, he did a have some nice drives. Obviously the second TD drive was very good. The crossing routes were confusing VT and thankfully Bible started to exploit it heavily in the second half. I think the design of the downfield passing game is what Bible does best, unfortunately we have used it sparingly during his tenure.

Defense: A-

The defensive line was outstanding. BJ Raji finally played to his potential. He was collapsing the line and obviously got to Glennon. Plus his ability to attract a double team opened up wide holes for a late releasing Akins. Brace played well and I was impressed with his hustle and his few downfield tackles. Brady Smith was a monster and has really come on strong. Giles didn’t get as much playing time as he had early in the season, yet he still made a big play. Willis also does a good job of staying with the play and slowing the run. The only guy who was somewhat MIA was Larkin. Bell seemed limited in his time back.

Two guys I want to single out were Albright and Herzlich. Both Freshman are playing like seniors. Both hustled. Both made some big plays (even on special teams). With the graduation and injuries on defense, we needed guys to step up and these two have.

The linebackers all played well. Another outstanding night for Pruitt. He seems to be the only guy on the defense who doesn’t miss tackles. Dunbar played well and had a nice run back on the INT. Francois played well. Toal was still limited, but made some big plays. His fourth down stop was critical and established momentum.

The defensive backs played well for the most part. The most frustrating part was watching Virginia Tech exploit the cushion our DBs give, but that is scheme not the players. Virginia Tech didn’t pass on us like other teams have so, there were fewer opportunities to judge our coverage. It seemed like Glasper played well. The only time he got beat was on the TD that was called back due to a holding call. Silva’s night was quiet. Davis didn’t do much but did leave his mark with a big hit.

Spaz's gameplan was much more aggressive than last year’s. Virginia Tech continued to exploit our cushion. That was my only complaint. We blitzed much more and from a few different positions. The delay blitz with Akins was very effective. The beauty of sending him, is that with his speed he can leave late and still get to the QB from nearly any position.

Special Teams: B+
I’ve gotten on Larry Anam many times, so I have to give him credit for his excellent play on special teams. He is playing really well as the gunner on the punt coverage unit and shows great hustle on the kick coverage.

Ayers’ game was solid but for one kick.

Aponavicius…not much to say that hasn’t been said. Great story. Looked good on the PATs and FGs. His kick offs leave a lot to be desired.

Overall: A-

You've got to like a 19-point victory over a ranked ACC team that has owned you. The defense finally played well. I am concerned about Ryan's injury, but I stil think we have a team that can beat FSU.

More Ryan stuff

NESN and The Herald are reporting that this is a different injury. TOB will announce his status on Sunday. I am concerned.

Matt Ryan rumor

So the BC message boards blew up this afternoon with rumors of Matt Ryan breaking his ankle and being done for the season. I have no insider access, but hey, I work for AOL Sports now, so I called up the Athletic Department and asked about Matt's injury. Full denial, "haven't heard anything about any injury." So either this is a total rumor or BC is keeping it under wraps. My uniformed guess -- he aggravated the injury and will be fine but gimpy for FSU.

Who doesn’t rock out to Neil Diamond?

Herbstreit and Fowler did a nice job last night. I enjoyed how candid they were especially since Virginia Tech was on the receiving end of most of the criticisms. By using a telestrator and going to footage, the clip below comes close to piling on, but it is still funny.

That's more like it

Great game. Probably the best BC has played since last season’s NC State game. There are still things to work on, but the team finally played to its potential. The defensive improvement was very encouraging.

My takeaways are up on the AOL Fanhouse.

I’ll have more links Friday and my grades this weekend.

Gameday links

A short preview on the AOL Fanhouse.

Matt Ryan gets some ink in Philly. Vega also wrote a nice feature on him in the Globe.

The Herald also had a short, but well written, piece on the offensive line. The line has been very inconsistent this year. It would be nice to see them turn it around tonight.

BC-Virginia Tech Preview

This is probably the most important game of the season. Virginia Tech represents a benchmark for BC: a team TOB has only beaten once and a program the apologists always excuse losing to. If we are going to have a special season beating a flawed Virginia Tech team at home is a must. I’ve already said that TOB will never coach a BCS game. How we play Thursday will be an indicator if he can ever be more than a San Fran Bowl coach. This is the type of game that might make a difference between the Peach Bowl and the Music City Bowl.

Theme that won’t be discussed on television. TOB always uses his most conservative gameplan of the year for VT, but BC has had some moments of success opening up the passing game against VT. Think of the long TD passes to Blackmon and Adams in recent games. Unfortunately Porter rarely tried the deep ball in last season’s game. My hope is that Ryan challenges the Hokies downfield.

Special teams will be discussed to death in this game. “Beamerball” talk is a staple of any Hokie broadcast. Throw in our new kicker and you have a good 20 minutes of filler.

Three simple keys
1. Ryan Glasper needs to have a perfect game directing traffic in the secondary. I don’t expect him to be at full speed or strength, but BC does need his leadership and discipline in the coverage. Allowing the big play has killed BC this year. Hopefully Glasper will curb that Thursday.
2. Matt Ryan needs to return to form. BC pulled in the reigns for a variety of reasons against NC State and it cost us. At this point in the season, I think Ryan needs to throw often for us to win. And this Virginia Tech pass defense is not as stout as some of their past units. We don’t have a Calvin Johnson like wideout, but we do have some guys who can make plays and score.
3. Put Steve Aponavicius in position for success. The last thing we need to do is see if our new kicker can hit a 45-yarder in the first quarter. TOB should only bring him out for chip shots and extra points. I worry about this kid’s confidence to begin with…putting too much pressure on early is a mistake.

Gambling Notes
-- BC is 5-11 against the spread in their last 16 games after an off week.
-- Virginia Tech has won 11-straight Thursday night games
-- Beamer is 2-5-1 against the spread vs. TOB
The current line is BC+2.5

What would be a pleasant surprise? A BC win. I want BC to win. I think they will win, but Virginia Tech is still favored and some of TOB’s worst moments have been against Beamer on the national stage.

What would be a letdown? Getting soundly beat at home. I’ve already laid out how important this game is in determining TOB’s upside. Getting pushed around by Virginia Tech again on a Thursday night will have a real numbing effect on fan enthusiasm for the rest of the year.

What would be a shocker? A comfortable BC win. Nothing has been easy this year and although this Virginia Tech team is not as talented or experienced as their past few seasons, they are still favored. They are also looking to recover from a tough conference loss. I expect them to be well prepared and ready to take it out on BC.

Bottom Line
I had this officially penciled in as a loss before the season started. I don’t feel much better about it now. I really don’t know what to expect from either team. Is Virginia Tech in a down cycle like Miami and FSU or was the Georgia Tech game just an off day? Can BC ever break through their glass ceiling? Despite my misgivings, I’ll got with my heart and say that BC bounces back and pulls out the win.
Final Score: BC 31-Virginia Tech 24

Hockey night in Boston and more AOL stuff on kickers and writers

No. 1 BC hockey drops the puck Tuesday against Northeastern. I don't have much to say about Hockey prior to the Beanpot, but I will try to improve that this year with a few more guest bloggers (if Mook is willing to comeback). The Globe also had a nice article on Senior star forward Brian Boyle.

I also put up another piece on the kickers and the BC media on AOL. A little variety on the stories would go a long way.

Blogpoll Ballot

I got to see a lot of football this weekend so I feel this is a more informed ballot than last week's. Also, seeing some teams play really well (Florida) and others stink up the joint (Georgia) caused a lot of shifting here.

Games I saw
NC State-FSU 50%
LSU-Florida 100%
UT-UGA 75%
Clemson-Wake 75%
Arkansas-Auburn 25%
Michigan-MSU 25%

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Florida	3
2	Ohio State	--
3	Michigan	2
4	Southern Cal	1
5	West Virginia	1
6	Louisville	2
7	Texas	2
8	Tennessee	4
9	Notre Dame	4
10	Missouri	13
11	Clemson	3
12	Georgia Tech	6
13	Auburn	12
14	California	2
15	Arkansas	11
16	Georgia	6
17	Oregon	6
18	Virginia Tech	1
19	Boston College	3
20	Rutgers	1
21	Nebraska	3
22	LSU	15
23	Wisconsin	3
24	Iowa	2
25	Brigham Young	1

Dropped Out: Florida State (#15), Oklahoma (#17), Texas Tech (#20), Wake Forest (#25).