Top 10 Non-AQ (October 30, 2011)

1. Boise State (7-0, 2-0)—With a bye week and a chance to take a rest before the final 5 games of the season, the Broncos are far and away the best non-AQ team in the country. The Broncos, led by senior quarterback Kellen Moore are steady at #5 in the country and have a chance to move up even more with a win this Saturday. Previous: Defeated Air Force 37-26, Next: At UNLV.
2. Houston (8-0, 4-0)—With another spectacular performance by Keenum (24-37, 534 yards and 9 touchdowns), the Cougars have made it into the top 15 in the country currently sitting at #14. The Cougars have a free falling SMU squad left before a season finale versus Tulsa. That game will make or break the season for the Cougars. Previous: Defeated Rice 73-34, Next: At UAB.
3. Toledo (5-3, 4-0)—Another team with a bye last week, the Rockets are undefeated in conference play and host fellow conference power Northern Illinois at home in the Glass Bowl this week. The Rockets are in complete control of where they end up and if they win out, they will play in the conference title game in Detroit. Previous: Defeated Miami (OH) 49-28, Next: NIU.    
4. Southern Miss (7-1, 3-1)—Another dominant performance by the Golden Eagles has almost completely taken the bitterness out of the early season loss to Marshall. The Golden Eagles have moved into the top 25 in the coaches’ poll and enter at #24. This week is a tough trip to East Carolina for a game that will likely decide the division. Previous: Defeated UTEP 31-13, Next: At ECU.
5. TCU (6-2, 3-0)—The Horned Frogs have recovered from the disaster of a game versus SMU on October 1^st and take on a surprising Wyoming squad who is coming in at 5-2. The Horned Frogs have more talent and should take care of business but with a matchup versus Boise next week, this could be a huge trap game. Previous: Defeated BYU 38-28, Next: At Wyoming.
6. Tulsa (5-3, 4-0)—After losing games to three top 10 teams in the first month of the season, the Golden Hurricanes have responded well with a 4 game winning streak. That streak was capped with their first win over a team with a winning record with a 38-7 win over SMU. Everyone in Conference USA is awaiting a regular season finale matching the Golden Hurricanes versus #14 Houston. Previous: Defeated SMU 38-7, Next: At UCF.
7. Temple (5-3, 3-2)—With a week to regroup from a bad loss to Bowling Green, the Owls look to return to their winning ways with a trip to Ohio for a Wednesday night game on ESPN. All of the final four games for the Owls are very winnable and the Owls should not get overlooked with a 9-3 record at the end of this season. The Owls also have a chance in the next 2 weeks to win their division and set up a trip to Detriot. Previous: Lost to BGSU 13-10, Next: At Ohio.
8. Arkansas State (6-2, 4-0)—The Red Wolves have taken care of things in going 4-0 in conference play after a 2-2 start to the season. The last two games have been victories by 18 or more points after a close 2 games to start conference play. The Sun Belt favorites have tough matchup with ULL and Troy left on the schedule as well as ULL and WKU nipping on their heels with just weeks to go in the season. Previous: Defeated North Texas 37-14, Next: At FAU.
9. Northern Illinois (5-3, 3-1)—Yet another team with a bye week last week, the Huskies get a couple extra days to prepare for a clash with Toledo on November 1^st. Led by senior quarterback Chandler Harnish, the Huskies must win this week in order to get back to the MAC championship game. Previous: Defeated Buffalo 31-30, Next: At Toledo.
10. BYU (6-3)—A very ambitious schedule has bitten the Cougars with losses to Texas, Utah, and TCU. The schedule gets considerably easier in the final 3 weeks with matchups versus Idaho, New Mexico State, and Hawaii. A 9-3 record is very possible and it will be interesting to see how the Cougars look in a bowl game versus a mid level opponent in December. That will tell a lot about how the Cougars will be able to compete on a regular basis as an independent. Previous: Lost to TCU 38-28, Next: Idaho.

Also Getting Votes: Louisiana Lafayette, Eastern Michigan, Ohio, Southern Methodist, Wyoming.