College football rankings with bowl-game twist

Rankman and SportsBusiness Journal have teamed up for a first-they-have-heard-about-it collaboration based on SBJ’s seventh annual analysis of bowl gifts provided to players. This year’s most popular gift is the Fossil watch, provided at 19 of the 35 bowls. USC is too lousy at 7-5 to crack Rankman’s top 25, but part of the Trojans’ Sun Bowl gift package will include a Helen of Troy hair dryer. Meineke Car Care participants from Minnesota and Texas Tech will receive a 32-inch flat screen, a belt buckle, T-shirt, lapel pin and backpack. This bowl bounty proves college players are already highly compensated and should never ask again to share in the profits of a multibillion dollar industry.

1; Notre Dame 12-0; Best BCS bowl gift: refs not seeing two players wearing No. 2 in overtime against Pittsburgh. (1)

2; Ohio State 12-0; In lieu of gift bag, AD receives copy of rules manual signed by NCAA boss Mark Emmert. (2)

3; Alabama 12-1; BCS gift bag includes Tourneau watch but not “Mike Price’s Tales From the Tuscaloosa Sidelines.” (3)

4; Oregon; 11-1; Fiesta gift includes Fossil watch but not a “Chip Kelly 2013 Daily Oregon Football planner.” (4)

5; Florida 11-1; Sugar Bowl gift bag includes Boxer & Stone hoodie but not SEC East champion key chains. (6)

6; Kansas State 11-1; Fiesta gift bag includes Ogio Mercur backpack but not “Bill Snyder’s Christmas Rap Album.” (7)

7; Georgia 11-2; Capital One gift includes $420 Best Buy shopping trip but not those five seconds back in Southeastern Conference title game. (5)

8; Louisiana State 10-2; Chick-fil-A gift bag includes Fossil Watch but not “Les Miles’ 10 Keys to Better Clock Management.” (8)

9; Stanford 11-2; Rose gift bag includes Oakley backpack but not, unfortunately, a ranked opponent on Jan. 1. (9)

10; Texas A&M; 10-2; Cotton gift: committee would not disclose gifts but Rankman suggests Johnny “Finger” Footballs. (10)

11; South Carolina 10-2; Outback gift includes $150 Best Buy gift card but not $150 card for KFG (Kentucky Fried Gamecock). (11)

12; Oklahoma 10-2; Cotton committee would not disclose gift but it doesn’t rank with what Northern Illinois is getting. (12)

13; Florida State 10-2; Orange gift includes “gift suite” but not the opponent Kirk Herbstreit wanted Seminoles to play. (13)

14; Clemson 10-2; Chick-fil-A gift includes Russell Athletic travel bag but not “Steve Spurrier’s 10 Best Jokes About Clemson.” (14)

15; Oregon State 9-3; Alamo gift bag includes Schutt mini helmet but not another free-win game against Nicholls State next year. (15)

16; UCLA 8-4; Holiday Bowl gift bag includes Maui Jim sunglasses but not Mora Jim rose-colored glasses. (16)

17; Northern Illinois 12-1; Orange gift bag includes Tourneau watch but not a Herbstreit-autographed Ohio State jersey (25)

18; Utah State 10-2; Famous Idaho Potato gift includes Tiger Woods Victory Nike beanie but not his 60-degree potato wedge. (20)

19; San Diego State 9-3; Poinsettia gift bag includes Best Buy gift card but not free round-trip air fare to bowl’s host city. (21)

20; Fresno State 9-3; Hawaii Bowl gift bag includes Tori Richard aloha shirts but not a pair of Fresno Fred sunglasses. (22)

21; San Jose State 10-2; Military Bowl gift bag includes Timely watch and beanie but not a sustainable D-I fan base. (23)

22; Northwestern 9-3; Gator gift bag includes Dome hat but not “Musburger’s Favorite Watering Holes in Boca Raton.” (24)

23; Kent State 11-2; GoDaddy.com gift includes Wilson football but not a Danica Patrick autographed fuel pump. (19)

24; Louisville 10-2; Sugar gift bag includes New Era cap but not a “Honk if You’re Sick of the Mannings” T-shirt. (NR)

25; Boise State (10-2); Las Vegas gift bag includes “gift suite” but not “Wayne Newton’s Top 10 Versions of ‘Danke Schoen.’” (NR)

Dropped out: Nebraska (17), Texas (18).

Moved in: Louisville, Boise State.