New territory for college football

— -- It is the second week in October, the traditional time for Texas and Oklahoma to play, and no one is paying attention. LSU is going to the Swamp and no one knows. Penn State plays at Michigan and no one cares.

Two days have passed since College Football Nation came to the realization the most important games this week are being played in Starkville, Mississippi, and Waco, Texas. No. 2 Auburn plays at No. 3 Mississippi State, and No. 9 TCU plays at No. 5 Baylor.

In a sport that derives so much of its passion from history and tradition, this is new territory. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger predicted as much the first week of the season.

"The concept of order that has underpinned the modern era is in crisis," Dr. Kissinger wrote in The Wall Street Journal.

Oh, wait, wrong former Secretary of State. Kissinger was discussing the world outside of Saturday's America. Condoleezza Rice, like the rest of the selection committee after last weekend, is curled in the fetal position.

In the era of the College Football Playoff, when the conferences with money constructed a playoff that is open pretty much to teams from the conferences with money, it seemed as if the traditional powers would assert themselves.

But six weeks into the season, the best teams have clustered together like teen girls at a One Direction concert. It might hearten Dr. Kissinger and Dr. Rice to see that democracy has sprouted roots in the FBS. But it's confusing for anyone interested in separating contenders from pretenders.

The traditional powers haven't gone away. The top 10 includes 

Let's relish that Auburn, which has won 10 consecutive Southeastern Conference games, will play Mississippi State, a team whose only flaw thus far is its inexperience at being on the right end of garbage time. The Bulldogs gave up 19 points to LSU in the last four minutes of a 34-29 win and 14 points to Texas A&M in the last 2½ minutes of a 48-31 rout.