Thoughts on the AP Poll, Week 9

1. Will Oregon be yet another victim of the College GameDay curse?

Herbie, Fowler, Holtz and company will try to make it four in a row this weekend when they cover the Ducks at USC. Four straight losses by top-ranked teams, that is. Previous-No. 1 Alabama falling at then-No. 19 South Carolina on October 9th sparked a chain reaction across the college football elite, sending successive No. 1's Ohio State and Oklahoma down in their first games as the nation's best. Lane Kiffin and the Trojans have made this year all about playing spoiler, and this is the best chance they'll get.

2. Chris Petersen must be steaming.

Sure, Boise State is still ranked at No. 2 in this week's AP poll, but the Broncos are still at No. 3 in the poll that matters—the BCS. This week they were leapfrogged by Auburn and Heisman favorite Cameron Newton.

Making matters worse, Boise State's Kellen Moore is having one of the great seasons ever by a college quarterback, posting a quarterback rating of 190.35, 1,567 yards, 16 touchdowns and only one intercetion. He has only 11 incompletions in the last three games combined.

Conspiracy theorists, get to work.

3. Is the Big 10 the best conference in the land?

Led by No. 5 Michigan State, No. 9 Wisconsin and No. 10 Ohio State, the oft-maligned conference now has the most teams in the top-10 (3). Sparty has the inside track to the national title game, with this week's game against No. 18 Iowa its only against top-25 competition down the stretch. Just another reason Boise State fans should stop getting their hopes up.