THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

*--* Rk. School Comment 1 USC Staying on top sort of like that Ed Sullivan act with spinning plates. 2 OKLAHOMA NCAA rules Jason White cannot take Heisman Trophy into huddle. 3 LOUISIANA STATE For openers, we’d like to start out with the Oregon State appetizer. 4 GEORGIA What worries Rankman are six losses in a row to Florida and two to LSU. 5 MIAMI Lost six first-round draft picks but most have since been found. 6 FLORIDA STATE Annual heartbreak loss to Miami moved up to opener this year. 7 MICHIGAN Season will come down to late November trip to Woody Hayesville. 8 TEXAS Has lost last four sets to Oklahoma: 14-63, 3-14, 24-35, 13-65. 9 OHIO STATE Rankman predicts a boring, sluggish, monotonous 10-1 season. 10 FLORIDA Offense looking for ways to spring a Leak (quarterback Chris). 11 WEST VIRGINIA Suddenly, OK then, sadly, the best team the Big East has to offer. 12 CALIFORNIA School asks politely that you not refer to it as “Northern Cal.� 13 KANSAS STATE Snyder agrees to lick envelopes for Darren Sproles’ Heisman campaign. 14 TENNESSEE Fulmer says he’ll never go to Alabama with a banjo on his knee. 15 CLEMSON Bowden recounts nightmare he had in which Miami joins ACC. 16 IOWA Too solid to ignore, even in years that you really want to. 17 MISSOURI Big 12 North so up for grabs, Mizzou can actually grab it. 18 AUBURN Thrilled to be opening season against Louisiana Marilyn Monroe 19 VIRGINIA Opener at Temple could have more empty seats than the Olympics. 20 MARYLAND Rankman buying crab cakes if Friedgen wins 10 games again. 21 UTAH Still have the feeling school is just renting Coach Urban Meyer. 22 WISCONSIN Nice to have TB Anthony Davis for when winter arrives in September. 23 MINNESOTA Boasts two great runners in what’s-his-name and that other guy. 24 OREGON Kudos for picking this year to miss USC on the schedule. 25 FRESNO STATE At Washington, at Kansas State, then we’ll see where they rank.

*--*