TIMES’ RANKINGS

A restaurant opened in Boise this week: TGIS (Thank God It’s Saturday). The 29-point home win over Louisiana Tech on Oct. 26 got lost in the 9-to-5 work week and maybe caused the Broncos to fall from third to fourth behind Texas Christian in the Bowl Championship Series standings. Boise State is back to work on a football Saturday with a huge home game against resurgent Hawaii (7-2), unranked but mysteriously sitting at No. 26 in all three major polls. You tell me. Is this a conspiracy to keep Boise State from notching a win over a ranked opponent? That’s our working theory, but there are still five weeks to sort things out, or to start planning the only postseason No. 1 (in any poll) party to which Boise State might get invited.

Dropped out: USC (24).

Moved in: Hawaii.

*--* Rk. School (W-L) Comment (last week’s ranking) 1 BOISE STATE 7-0 Began title race on a Monday (Labor Day), may have bowed out on a Tuesday. (1) 2 OREGON8-0 Reunion for last undefeated team, 1916, canceled for lack of RSVP. (2) 3 TEXAS CHRISTIAN 9-0 Grandma says if you join the Big East don’t forget to bring a sweater. (3) 4 AUBURN9-0 This week’s opponent arrives at Platform A on the 6:43 from Chattanooga. (5) 5 UTAH 8-0 Best chance to make Rose Bowl might be year before it joins Pac-12. (4) 6 ALABAMA 7-1 Says it could beat Boise St./TCU (not Utah) with 1 Crimson hand Tide behind back. (6) 7 STANFORD 7-1 What’s your deal, BCS? Why No. 13 when only loss is at No. 1? (7) 8 ARIZONA 7-1 Wildcats said UCLA players tried really hard and acted like perfect gentlemen. (8) 9 WISCONSIN 7-1 Badgers needed open week in advance of ... wait, never mind, it’s Purdue. (11) 10 OHIO STATE 8-1 Lost schedule strength contests this week to 84 teams in Sagarin Ratings. (12) 11 NEBRASKA 7-1 CSI Omaha called in to do forensics on inexplicable home loss to Texas. (14) 12 MISSOURI 7-1 Missouri would have loved some company after first quarter at Nebraska. (10) 13 OKLAHOMA 7-1 Has been No. 1 in BCS a total of 20 weeks, but thankfully not this week. (13) 14 IOWA 6-2 Four wins gets you to Rose Bowl and four losses gets you to 6-6. (17) 15 LOUISIANA STATE 7-1 Coach Miles says he’s happy with the game mismanagement plan for Alabama. (15) 16 MICHIGAN STATE 8-1 That’s a hoot: Coach reinstates Rucker and team plays like blowfish. (9) 17 SOUTH CAROLINA 6-2 Playing host to Arkansas for homecoming is like ... (fill in own joke). (18) 18 ARKANSAS 6-2 Must focus on South Carolina and not look ahead to Texas El Paso. (19) 19 VIRGINIA TECH 6-2 Was all alone after James Madison; now all alone atop ACC Coastal. (20) 20 MISSISSIPPI STATE 7-2 Next week’s trip to Alabama could be for all the chips. (21) 21 OKLAHOMA STATE 7-1 Bracing for Baylor at home this week before the “gimme” at Texas. (22) 22 NEVADA 7-1 School has decided to stay in the WAC through the end of this weekend. (23) 23 BAYLOR 7-2 Became only the third team this season to beat Texas in Austin. (25) 24 FLORIDASTATE 6-2 Author Bowden wishes he could have rewritten end of N. Carolina St. game. (16) 25 HAWAII 7-2 Best bet is to catch late games from Honolulu next day on Hulu. (NR) *--*

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chris.dufresne@latimes.com