College football wrap-up: week four

Prediction performance: 11-3
Season to date: 34-14

OK, let's give me props for correctly predicting that Oregon would topple California and that Georgia Tech would take out North Carolina. Yeah, I know--I missed South Florida's upset of Florida State and predicted that Penn State would beat up on Iowa at home but 11-3 for the week's not bad, right?

So, what did we learn after week four and the traditional end of the non-conference season?

- The state of Kansas' teams are pretty much where we thought they would be after four games--Kansas is a solid 4-0, has an explosive offense and a defense which is a work in progress while Kansas State is rebuilding, yet seeming to improve each week at 2-2. Missouri, on the other hand, is better than most expected with its 4-0 record. Yet, the Tigers have shown moments of inexperience, e.g., the Bowling Green game and the second quarter on Friday night versus Nevada, but in both cases found ways to make the needed plays to win. Blaine Gabbert is the real deal.

- The Heisman Trophy race was, from the beginning, set up as a shoot-out between Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy. Yet, after four games, Bradford is injured, McCoy has been anything but stellar (five picks thus far) and Tebow was knocked out of yesterday's game in a scary hit to the head and neck. Jahvid Best might have been in the mix but was held to 55 yards yesterday in Cal's loss to Oregon. So, even though I still believe that one of the big three will ultimately win, let's say that the Heisman contest is wide open right now.

- The Pac 10 was making noise about beng the best conference in the U.S. However, if you're good, then your best team (Cal) doesn't lose 42-3 to an unranked foe and Washington doesn't lay an egg against Stanford. Look for USC to once again win this conference.

- Alabama is distancing itself from the competition in the SEC West. Ole Miss couldn't live up to the hype and LSU struggled to beat Mississippi State.

- The Big Ten is...bad. Penn State (#5 last week) loses at home to Iowa, Michigan has to come back against Indiana and Ohio State once again will show up in the Rose Bowl...and lose again to USC.

- What's it all mean? Florida and Texas, as predicted, are the class of the BCS schools. Look for these two to play for the National Championship in Pasadena on Thursday, January 7.