There were a few top teams with wide gaps in human opinion and computer opinion in the first BCS standings, including, prominently, Texas Tech: the Raiders were sixth and seventh, respectively, in the human polls (and eighth in the AP), ahead of Georgia, Ohio State, LSU and, depending on the poll, Florida and fellow Big 12 South unbeaten Oklahoma State, but only 11th according to the computers. What are the algorithms picking up that we aren't?

There was a story after the Raiders had finished thoroughly eviscerating SMU in which Mike Leach said something along the lines of, "it's going to be a long year," and it seemed like one of Leach's "hey, check out the crazy coach" moments. Who complains about dropped passes after winning 43-7?

The answer: a coach who's honest about how truly awful his opponent was, and who knows what lies ahead: at Kansas, back home against Texas and Oklahoma State and at Oklahoma. Four straight games against teams in the top 20; combined record: 25-3, where two of the three losses (Kansas' to Oklahoma and Oklahoma's to Texas) are to teams in the same group. All four have offenses that are passing and scoring nearly in step with Tech's pinball machine, against tougher schedules. The Raiders haven't played Kansas much -- certainly not the current, rankable edition of the Jayhawks -- but against the three South Division rivals under their current head coaches, Leach's teams are 4-15, and 0-10 on the road, with those trips to Lawrence and Norman looming.

No team has a schedule built for success like the Raiders, but no team in the top ten has proven less almost two-thirds of the way through the season. They're opening up as two-point underdogs at Kansas for a reason: the only numbers that are going to matter a month from now are the ones Tech puts up between now and then.