If I was asked to describe this entire messy situation at Penn State in one word, it’d be “gray.” The cover-up was gray, the after-effects are gray, and just about everything we thought we knew about Joe Paterno is too.

All I see is gray. But unfortunately, for many of you, that word might not be good enough.

That’s because in the society we live in today, there is no such thing is gray. Everything is black or white, right or wrong. You need an opinion, you need a strong opinion, and you need it now. There is no time to collect facts, no time to gain perspective.  There is no middle ground. There is no moral gray area.

Never has that been more apparent to me than the coverage this past week at Penn State. Hang out on Twitter, watch the television coverage of the event or read columns about the topic anywhere and it seems to me like everyone is one of two very distinct sides of the fence. You either:

1. Want to see everyone fired, want to see Joe Paterno run out of town, and want Penn State burned to the ground…

Or

2. You’re a Penn State homer, a Joe Paterno apologist and (please excuse me for being so blunt) an advocate for the sexual abuse of children.

Believe me, I hate typing that last sentence as much you hated reading it. But that is how I feel the reaction to this whole uncomfortable situation at Penn State has been.  And I also can’t help but feel like I’m caught somewhere in the middle. I can’t help but see gray when looking at this situation, and see even more of it when trying to find answers.

When it comes to this week’s OnsideKick.com Top 25, we might as well call it the “What do we do with ‘Bama edition?” Because really, isn’t that going to be the only question anyone wants to talk about going forward? Assuming they win out, what do you with a one-loss team, whose only defeat was to the No. 1 team in the country, by a field goal, in overtime? It's something we'll be talking about between now and bowl season (assuming Alabama doesn't lose) and has turned into such a fascinating, layered sub-plot, that at some point I fully expect the Supreme Court to get involved.

But for now, it's all conjecture. So instead, let’s get to this week’s Top 25. As always, I encourage you to chime in with your thoughts below, regardless of whether you agree or disagree with my picks. In addition, there is a “notes” segment at the bottom, which helps explain why I ranked certain teams where I did, including that crazy club from Tuscaloosa, which no one is sure what to do with.

(And one last note: Remember Amazon.com is an official sponsor of Aaron Torres Sports. If you’re using the site for any of your holiday shopping or any other needs, please click on the advertisement provided on the right-hand side, or click here to access the site as well. A small portion of your purchase will go back to this site, to help me keep things up and running. Your continued support really is appreciated.)

Now, let’s get to the Top 25!

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When I went to bed last night, the column that you’re about to read below was already written in my head.

In it, I would credit LSU. I would credit them for getting unexpected production from unexpected places. I would credit them for finding ways to win and doing it on the road, against the No. 2 team in the country. I’d credit them as the No. 1 team in the country.

That would be the sub-text of the story, but the real context would be mostly about how badly I felt for Alabama’s fans and players. How after thinking about last night’s game and replaying it in my head before I went to bed, I couldn’t help but think that despite what the scoreboard said, Alabama was the better team on the field Saturday; that they were the best team in the country. I was also going to write about how sick I felt as a college football fan, as someone who truly loves this sport, knowing that in all likelihood I wasn’t going to see the best team in the game(in my eyes) get a chance to play for a National Championship.

That’s what I was going to write.

But then a funny thing happened. I sat down this morning, looked over some stats, thought about this game some more, and completely changed my column. I thought about all the things that make the sport of college football the beautiful, wonderful, grandiose, game that we love. I thought about how one team stepped up while the other stepped back, about one team making plays when the other didn’t, thought about one coaching staff pulling the pants down on the other, and realized this: Alabama didn’t lose Saturday night’s game. Not so much as LSU just went out and won it.

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: One of the best parts about this job is having the opportunity to talk to people all over the country (and in some cases the world) about sports. This week has been no exception, and what I’ve found most interesting is that all the e-mails, DM’s, and Facebook messages have virtually read the same. In essence, every LSU and Alabama fan I’ve talked to has said something to the effect of:

I can’t, I can’t sleep, I can’t think. The pressure and hype of this game is getting to me. I neeeeeeed to get to Saturday already!!!!!!

And I’ve got to ask, if fans feel that way what must be going through the player’s heads?

Now in defense of LSU and Alabama fans it’s hard to blame anyone for being excited about Saturday’s game. It’s a big one. Ok, I take that back, it’s a huge one. Bigger than any regular season game, conference championship or even bowl game since I started covering the sport three years ago. Even the Alabama-Florida SEC title game a few years ago didn’t have coverage like this.

In that season, Alabama fans were just trying to survive the week-to-week grind of it all, which in large part took away the joy of the run to Atlanta. They had to get past the “I don’t know if we’re good enough,” residual backlash from the Mike Shula era, get past a shaky offense, and survive LSU, Tennessee and Auburn before they could even think about the SEC Championship Game. And even when they got there, they had some guy named Tebow waiting for them. Talking with ‘Bama fans that whole fall, it felt like just getting to Atlanta was a huge sigh of relief, and that they really didn’t feel the enormity of that game until a day or two before kickoff.

But this year? Well, it’s pretty safe to say this is different. We’ve basically known since the first few weekends of the season that these were the two best teams in college football, and not much has changed since. Once LSU beat West Virginia and Alabama got by Arkansas, it was clear that these two were on a collision course, and over the course of the last month clearly nothing has changed.

Which brings us to Saturday. We all know what’s on the line, and incredibly, I’m not even totally talking about football. Yes, the game is a component, but there are just so many others as well. It’s Saban vs. his old school, and Les trying to once and for all distance himself from the past, and put the final stamp on the LSU program as “his.” It’s about each team clearing their own path to an SEC Championship and beyond.

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According to my highly unscientific calculations, we are now roughly five days, four hours and 35 minutes until kickoff of LSU-Alabama. Or as I like it, “the game which might make the world spin off its axis.” Needless to say, it’s gonna be a fun one. So grab a seat and enjoy Saturday with Verne Lundquist.

Of course as it relates to this week’s OnsideKick.com Top 25, well, I’m not totally sure anyone cares (its ok, you can admit it. I already know what you’re thinking). With Clemson’s loss on Saturday night, we are officially down to six undefeated teams (including the 73-point scoring Houston Cougars) and a hodgepodge of one and two loss teams behind them. Which of course, makes my job fun. After all, if Team A beats Team B, and Team B beats C, and Team C beats Team A, well how the hell do you rank these teams? My point exactly.

Luckily it doesn’t matter right now. We’ve got No. 1 vs. No. 2 Saturday night, and that’s all anyone cares about right now. After that, everything else will get sorted out eventually.

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Alright, so I’m guessing you’re disappointed. Alabama and LSU aren’t playing, so really, you’re not even sure if it’s worth getting out of bed on Saturday morning. Maybe it'd just be easier to roll over, lay under the sheets and mope until next Saturday, right?

Still, I’m going to say something that’s going to surprise you: I think we could very well be in for the most important weekend of college football this season. Call me crazy, it’s ok. I’ve been called worse. (Even occasionally by my own parents.)

Here’s why I think this weekend is so interesting: up until last Saturday, this college football season was playing out to be more predictable than the ending to an episode of Two and a Half Men. You how every episode of that show was the same? (or at least how it used to be anyway) Charlie Sheen meets a girl, makes a few jokes at his self-deprecating brother, we laugh, Charlie gets the girl, drinks some scotch on the rocks, make a few more jokes, and we close credits.

Well, that was basically this college football season. The winner of Alabama-LSU was going to play the winner of Oklahoma-Oklahoma State, and we were going to crown a National Champion. Close credits. To everyone else, to teams like Stanford, Clemson, Wisconsin, it was fun, thanks for playing, see you next year. Close credits. For lack of a better term, with those teams, there was no light at the end of the tunnel.

Guess what? With Wisconsin and Oklahoma losing last week, all of a sudden, there is that light, and everyone can see their paths a bit more clearly. For Oklahoma State, win out, and you’re almost assuredly playing for a title. If you’re Stanford, win your games, then get on your knees and pray that something happens to Oklahoma State between now and the end of the season. Clemson? You need more help, but the path has even cleared for you. Win your games, and hope for Oklahoma State and Stanford lose somewhere along the way. It isn’t as easy for everyone, but they all know that if they take care of business, they at least have a chance. That’s something they didn’t have at this time last week.

Now the fun part. Which of those teams is going to run toward the light, embrace the challenge, and create their own fate? And who cowers under the covers? For Oklahoma State, Clemson and Stanford, it’s time to go into survival mode.

With that as a background, let’s get to this week’s picks. Ten games, against the spread, with the home team in CAPS.

Enjoy!

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As I mentioned in my Sunday recap column, this past weekend was officially “Separation Saturday” in college football. Wisconsin and Oklahoma are clear pretenders, Clemson and Stanford are definitely contenders, and USC and Michigan State proved to be somewhere in the middle. (And then of course there are Alabama and LSU, which didn’t wait until this Saturday to separate themselves, but instead did that the day they showed up for fall camp)

Beyond just separation Saturday, it was also “Shakeup Saturday” in my OnsideKick.com Top 25. There are four new teams in the poll, including three making their first appearances. I’ve also completely rearranged my Top 10, with only Boise at No. 5 holding the same spot they did a week ago, and two new teams entering the top five. I’ve even got some movement at No. 1.

So what does the new poll look like? Let’s take a peak. Also remember that there is a “notes” section at the bottom, which takes you deep into the depths of my twisted brain, and explains why teams are ranked where they are.

And as always encouraged to tell me what I did right and wrong by commenting below, or e-mailing in at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

On Saturday morning, my buddy Lou, a huge college football fan, texted me, “I think today is when one a few of these top ranked teams end up losing. Call it “Separation Saturday.”

Well, not only can we call October 22 “Separation Saturday” but I also have to call Lou a freakin’ oracle. Because while most of us thought some of these games would be close, no one could’ve ever expected things to play out like they did (except for Lou maybe). Oklahoma and Wisconsin now have a check in the loss column. Oklahoma State just keeps rolling. Alabama and LSU are on a collision course in two weeks. And oh by the way, Kansas State controls their own destiny to a BCS Championship Game, and the paths of Stanford and Clemson became a lot clearer.

Yesterday was no doubt ‘Separation Saturday,’ and below are a few notes I jotted down while watching the games. Starting with…

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Let's quickly get to the Week 8 picks:

Oklahoma State (-7) over MISSOURI: Saturday, 12:00 p.m. FX

Let’s get one thing out of the way: Missouri is a good team. I’ve been saying it since the Arizona State game, and I’m standing by it. Put them in the ACC or Big East, they’d be in the conference title race. Put them in the Pac-12, and they’d be right there as the third or fourth best team in the league. The problem is of course that they’re in the Big XII. And it’s the wrong year to be average in the Big XII.

And honestly, who better exemplifies that than Oklahoma State? A team that is normally “pretty good,” is exceptionally good this year. And like most all exceptionally good teams, to their credit, Oklahoma State is taking care of the teams they’re supposed. They’re winning on the road and overcoming deficits. For lack of a better term, they’re doing what they need to do. And I just don't see a reason they won't do the same here.

Again, I like Missouri. I think they’re a good team. This year Oklahoma State just happens to be better.

Hello, and welcome to the 3,257th column, article or blog post on “college football’s mid-season awards.” Please take a seat and grab a fresh beverage. We will get started momentarily…

Kidding of course, although I do find it ironic that every writer on the ‘net is doing some sort of mid-season awards column this week. How unoriginal. Who do these guys (and gals) think they are anyway?

Except of course, I’m doing one too. But instead of handing out the traditional, generic awards I’m going a little bit off-base, and in a bit of a different direction. You won’t see my “mid-season Heisman winner here,” or my National Championship pick; again, everybody is doing that. And I’m not everyone. Instead look for awards like “worst joke” (undoubtedly said by me), and “goofiest storyline.” Those are much more fun, aren’t they?

So sit back, relax and enjoy.

And remember, the college football season isn’t “half over.” It’s just halfway begun.

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