It's that time of year again. Time for the return of the BCS rankings, or as they are less affectionately known in some quarters, the Boneheaded Computer Standings.

To the surprise of no one save perhaps Alabama coach Nick Saban, defending national champion Florida did what undefeated defending champs are supposed to do and grabbed the first BCS top spot of this season.

This is not to say the Gators look overly impressive at the moment, especially after Saturday's last-minute 23-20 home victory over the unranked Arkansas team that Bama blasted 35-7 a few weeks ago.

In fact, Florida has looked so ordinary during sizeable chunks of this season that you half-expect UF quarterback Tim Tebow to call his less focused teammates together and scream, "Wa-a-a-ake up!!!!! Sleepwalking and sloppy are no way to repeat as champs."

And given the enormous advantage of owning that No. 1 spot, you might normally expect a Congressional investigation launched by the Alabama delegation, what with the Crimson Tide checking in at No. 2 in the BCS despite topping this week's Associated Press poll.

When sportswriters appear to know more than computers, the whole world is in trouble.

But as long as the Gators and Tide hold down the top two spots, it really doesn't matter which one's on top, since the two will meet in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 5.

There's even some talk that the two might have such a mathematical edge by then in the BCS formula that regardless of which team won, the two might play again in the national championship game in the Rose Bowl in January.

One suspects that even most SEC fans would pass on that rematch, though placing conference brothers in the BCS title game would certainly cushion the coffers of all 12 league members.

Then again, who looks better? Texas, which stands third in both the AP and BCS polls, but hardly looked like a championship squad in squeaking past injury-riddled Oklahoma in the Red River Shootout?

Boise State, currently fourth in the BCS poll and sixth in the AP? The Broncos struggled with Tulsa last week.

Cincinnati, which is fifth in both polls after an impressive win at previously undefeated South Florida on Thursday, but will suffer mathematically the rest of the season due to the relative weakness of the Big East?

Then there's Southern Cal, which lost at Washington early on, a defeat that leaves them fourth in the AP and seventh in the BCS. The Trojans certainly looked impressive at times against Notre Dame on Saturday, but the Irish haven't played any defense this decade.

Lastly, there's undefeated and largely unloved Iowa, which stands sixth in the BCS and seventh in the AP. The Hawkeyes earlier won a shocker at Penn State, but the Big Ten's recent history of being on the wrong side of BCS blowouts probably leaves them a longshot to reach the Rose Bowl for the title game.

One thing we do know: Don't expect Virginia Tech to lobby hard for the Peach Bowl should the Hokies fall that far down the postseason food chain. Frank Beamer's Gobblers are undefeated outside the Big Peach, but 0-2 within its city limits after losing at Georgia Tech on Saturday night. They had opened the season by losing to Alabama inside the Georgia Dome.

Now, thanks to The Associated Press, Tennessee will face two No. 1s in the same season when it travels to Tuscaloosa on Saturday.

The Vols collected a moral victory in their first such meeting at Florida. If they can collect a real one at Bama, UT coach Lane Kiffin could become the most beloved Tennessean in Texas since Davy Crockett tried to save the Alamo.