1) LSU Tigers (8-0, 5-0)
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0) - There are two reasons why I'm picking Alabama to beat LSU next weekend. The first is homefield advantage. The second is their offensive line. Alabama's O-Line is big enough and deep enough to control the line of scrimmage, and this will allow Trent Richardson to slowly wear down LSU's defenders. Final score: Alabama 24, LSU 20.
3) Oklahoma State Cowboys (8-0, 5-0) - This was the first time that the Cowboys actually made my eyes pop. Intercepting Robert Griffin III twice? Taking a 35-0 lead into halftime? Baylor's not a bad team. On the other hand, they did give up over 600 yards of offense. If they were to play next week, Alabama would destroy this team.
4) Stanford Cardinal (8-0, 6-0)
5) Boise State Broncos (7-0, 2-0) - At one point, it looked like Boise State would get to spend another bye week watching television, and watching more highly touted BCS conference teams pass them in the rankings. Instead, they got to see Clemson, Kansas State, and Wisconsin go down in flames, and Stanford barely escape. If you're a Boise State fan, then you want Oregon to beat Stanford and Oklahoma to beat Oklahoma State. Then the road should be clear for your long awaited national championship debut.
6) Houston Cougars (8-0, 4-0)- Case Keenum's state line in Houston's 73-34 win over Rice: 24 for 37, 534 yards, 9 TDs, 1 INT. Who throws for nine touchdowns in one game? That's more than Penn State has had all season. Keenum now holds the record for most career touchdown passes with 139.
7) Oklahoma Sooners (7-1, 4-1)
8) Oregon Ducks (7-1, 5-0) - Man, that first half against Washington State looked terrible. The Ducks went into half time ahead 15-10, and their special teams had scored one of those touchdowns, and Wazzu's only touchdown had come on a pick-six against Darron Thomas. The good news? The Duck's bend-don't-break defense allowed only 125 rushing yards against the Cougars. That's something to build on as the Ducks hit the road for games at Washington and at Stanford.
9) Arkansas Razorbacks (7-1, 3-1)- For the second week in a row, the Razorbacks needed a big comeback to beat an inferior SEC opponent, this time against Vanderbilt, 31-28. Their competition gets stiffer down the stretch, with home games against South Carolina and Mississippi State, followed by a season ending road trip to Baton Rouge to play LSU.
10) Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-1, 3-1) - Nebraska's win on Saturday sets up a 3-way tie on top of the "Legends" division with Michigan and Michigan State. The Cornhuskers travel to Ann Arbor on Nov. 19th in a game that could decide the division champion.
11) Clemson Tigers (8-1, 5-1) - Maybe I ought to drop Clemson further for their 31-17 loss to Georgia Tech. The Tigers defense gave up 443 yards, 383 of which were rushing, and the offense turned the ball over four times. Beat Wake Forest on Nov. 12, however, and Clemson will punch their ticket to the ACC Championship game. Win that and they're in the Orange Bowl.
12) Kansas State Wildcats (7-1, 4-1)
13) Penn State Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-0) - Ew. Gross. Penn State's 10-7 win over Illinois was maybe the worst football game that I have ever seen, snow or no snow. Congrats to JoePa on win #409, though, and the Nittany Lions now have a 2 1/2 game lead over Wisconsin in the "Leaders" Division. I'm not quite ready to sell on this team and their "incompetent quarterback play" (quote ABC) yet.
14) Virginia Tech (8-1, 4-1, +5)
15) South Carolina (7-1, 5-1, +1)
16) Southern Miss (7-1, 3-1, +2)
17) Michigan (7-1, 3-1, +1)
18) Cincinnati (6-1, 2-0, 0)
19) Michigan State (6-2, 3-1, +6)
20) Texas Longhorns (5-2, 2-2) - Who is the best team in the state of Texas? Honestly, I would have to go with the TCU Horned Frogs right now. I would actually spot them two touchdowns against the Texas A&M Aggies, because I hate Rick P(a)rry. But it's the good ol' Longhorns who have the inside track right now, with the hardest part of their schedule behind them. Losing to an SEC team by 20 in the Cotton Bowl should be their reward.
21) Wisconsin Badgers (6-2, 2-2) - Aristotle once said that, in order to be supremely happy, a man must also be lucky. The Badgers have the talent, but lady luck has not been on their side, as they lost another heartbreaker at Ohio State, 33-29. All is not lost, however; their remaining schedule is Purdue, at Minnesota, at Illinois, Penn State. There could be a lot on the line in that season finale against the Nittany Lions.
22) Washington (6-2, 4-1, +1)
23) Georgia (6-2, 5-1, -1)
24) Arizona State (6-2, 4-1, -1)
25) USC Trojans (6-2, 3-2) - How much should you punish a team for losing to a Top 5 team in quadruple overtime? USC was able to show an interesting weakness in the Cardinal: They rushed for only 146 yards, but averaged 6.6 yards per rush. I only watched the first half of this game, but why didn't Lane Kiffen stick with the run? Cue Barner. Cue Bennet. Cue Thomas. Cue Thomas. Cue James.
Dropped out: Texas Tech, Texas A&M
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
My Top 25
1) LSU (8-0, 5-0, +17)
2) Alabama (8-0, 5-0, +15)
3) Oklahoma State (8-0, 5-0, +14)
4) Stanford (8-0, 6-0, +12)
5) Boise State (7-0, 2-0, +9)
6) Houston (8-0, 4-0, +8)
7) Oklahoma (7-1, 4-1, +12)
8) Oregon (7-1, 5-0, +8)
9) Arkansas (7-1, 3-1, +7)
10) Nebraska (7-1, 3-1, +9)
11) Clemson (8-1, 5-1, +6)
12) Kansas State (7-1, 4-1, +7)
13) Penn State (8-1, 5-0, +7)
14) Virginia Tech (8-1, 4-1, +5)
15) South Carolina (7-1, 5-1, +1)
16) Southern Miss (7-1, 3-1, +2)
17) Michigan (7-1, 3-1, +1)
18) Cincinnati (6-1, 2-0, 0)
19) Michigan State (6-2, 3-1, +6)
20) Texas (5-2, 2-2, +4)
21) Wisconsin (6-2, 2-2, 0)
22) Washington (6-2, 4-1, +1)
23) Georgia (6-2, 5-1, -1)
24) Arizona State (6-2, 4-1, -1)
25) USC (6-2, 3-2, -1)
Georgia Tech (7-2, 4-2, -1)
West Virginia (6-2, 2-1, -1)
TCU (6-2, 4-0, -5)
Auburn (6-3, 4-2, -1)
Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2, -4)
Texas Tech (5 -3, 2-3, -5)
Illinois (6-3, 2-3, -7)
Notre Dame (5-3, 0-0, -8)
Florida State (5-3, 2-2, -8)
Syracuse (5-3, 1-2, -9)
Brigham Young (6-3, 0-0, -9)
Iowa (6-3, 2-2, -12)
2) Alabama (8-0, 5-0, +15)
3) Oklahoma State (8-0, 5-0, +14)
4) Stanford (8-0, 6-0, +12)
5) Boise State (7-0, 2-0, +9)
6) Houston (8-0, 4-0, +8)
7) Oklahoma (7-1, 4-1, +12)
8) Oregon (7-1, 5-0, +8)
9) Arkansas (7-1, 3-1, +7)
10) Nebraska (7-1, 3-1, +9)
11) Clemson (8-1, 5-1, +6)
12) Kansas State (7-1, 4-1, +7)
13) Penn State (8-1, 5-0, +7)
14) Virginia Tech (8-1, 4-1, +5)
15) South Carolina (7-1, 5-1, +1)
16) Southern Miss (7-1, 3-1, +2)
17) Michigan (7-1, 3-1, +1)
18) Cincinnati (6-1, 2-0, 0)
19) Michigan State (6-2, 3-1, +6)
20) Texas (5-2, 2-2, +4)
21) Wisconsin (6-2, 2-2, 0)
22) Washington (6-2, 4-1, +1)
23) Georgia (6-2, 5-1, -1)
24) Arizona State (6-2, 4-1, -1)
25) USC (6-2, 3-2, -1)
Georgia Tech (7-2, 4-2, -1)
West Virginia (6-2, 2-1, -1)
TCU (6-2, 4-0, -5)
Auburn (6-3, 4-2, -1)
Texas A&M (5-3, 3-2, -4)
Texas Tech (5 -3, 2-3, -5)
Illinois (6-3, 2-3, -7)
Notre Dame (5-3, 0-0, -8)
Florida State (5-3, 2-2, -8)
Syracuse (5-3, 1-2, -9)
Brigham Young (6-3, 0-0, -9)
Iowa (6-3, 2-2, -12)
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Power Rankings 10/23
1) LSU Tigers (8-0, 5-0) - Well, the day of Armageddon is set, with both LSU and Alabama undefeated and 1-2 going into their Nov. 5 showdown in Tuscaloosa. Neither side has shown much in the way of any weaknesses up to this point, so somebody's going to have to get creative. Here's a mild little prediction: Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson will both be on the field for more than one play during the game.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0) - The SEC is definitely the best conference in the nation, but is it the deepest? I only have four ranked SEC teams, compared to six for the Big 12, five for the Big Ten, and four for the Pac-12. The AP has five ranked SEC teams, five Big 12, five Big Ten, and four Pac-12. After Arkansas, there's really a steep drop in the level of competition. Another small prediction: Alabama will run the ball no less than 60% of the time, and will pass it no more than 40% of the time.
3) Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-0, 4-0) - And just like that, it's the Cowboys who control their destiny in the Big 12. A lot of folks have been wondering why OK-State is valued so highly by the BCS computers, and I think I have something of an answer: 1) The Big 12's excellent non-conference record gives them an advantage against top schools from other conferences, 2) The computers value their non-conference wins over Arizona and Tulsa more than the humans, and 3) They have already beaten Texas A&M and Texas, two schools that the computers (and humans) absolutely adore.
4) Stanford Cardinal (7-0, 5-0) - So if I'm Chip Kelly, and I'm watching tape of the Cardinal's 65-21 dismantling of Washington, here's what I see: Stanford's 446 rushing yards, averaging 10.1 yards per play, with three different players rushing for more than 90 yards. I also see this: 1 punt, 0 turnovers. Oregon's linebackers better be ready.
5) Boise State Broncos (7-0, 2-0) - I spent most of last evening getting ready to justify giving the Broncos a big drop in the rankings after they beat Air Force 37-26 on the Smurf Turf. They still get dinged, as the Falcons may have figured something out in their, "Don't let Kellen Moore touch the ball," strategy. However, the future for Boise State looks much rosier now with Oklahoma and Wisconsin out of the way, and with all four teams ahead of them still facing tough competition down the road. Also, congrats to Moore on tying Colt McCoy for the all-time wins record. Just for fun, his stat line: 23/29, 281 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT.
6) Clemson Tigers (8-0, 5-0) - Here's my problem with Clemson: With wins over Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech, they have had as hard of a road to 8-0 as anybody. (Except LSU, obviously.) But whenever I put them on that Platonic Neutral Field against Boise State, I can't see anyway in which they come out on top. The only kind of data I could back this belief up with is the ACC's mediocre 6-7 record against other BCS conferences, and conference losses to Temple and UCF. Still, that's not Clemson's fault, right?
7) Kansas State Wildcats (7-0, 4-0) - Kansas State could turn out to be either the biggest winner or the biggest loser from Texas Tech's upset of Oklahoma. The Wildcats host the Sooners next weekend, and I see two distinct possibilities coming out of that game: Either Oklahoma takes out their frustrations on an overwhelmed K-State, and come away with a 56-21 win, or they come stumbling into Manhattan, unable to focus, and fall to a focused and prepared Wildcats team, 42-28. The X-factor should be the Kansas State defense, which held Kansas to less than 4 yards per play and forced 2 turnovers in a 59-21 victory.
8) Houston Cougars (7-0, 3-0) - Is Houston the new Boise State? Even if they get locked out of the National Championship, an undefeated Boise State would still have enough street cred to get a spot in the Sugar Bowl (Tyrann Mathieu, meet Kellen Moore) or the Fiesta Bowl (Greatest Game Ever, part 2?) Unfortunately, a 13-0 Houston squad would probably get nothing better than the Liberty Bowl, where they'd get Vanderbilt, or Mississippi State, maybe Tennessee if they're lucky.
9) Oregon Ducks (6-1, 4-0) - Neither LaMichael James nor Darron Thomas played in Oregon's 45-2 win over Colorado. I'm so glad that Chip Kelly reads this blog. While he's here, he should read what I just wrote about #4 Stanford. (Also, 45 to two? What's up with that?)
10) Oklahoma Sooners (6-1, 3-1) - Yes! I am so glad that Oklahoma lost - I have been rooting against them since the season started, both because of my personal dislike for the Sooners and because I was always disgusted by voters putting them ahead of LSU/Alabama. However, I think that they should still be considered the favorites to win the Big 12, and, who knows? All it takes is a few more weeks of this type of insanity to get some of these one-loss teams back into the Championship discussion. But first they've got to get past K-State.
11) Michigan State Spartans (6-1, 3-0) - There are maybe a million things to love about the Michigan State-Wisconsin game. Here are some of mine: 1) The joy of watching a game as an uninterested spectator. If the Ducks had been in this game, I would have been an emotional wreck. Instead, I got to watch two teams I both feel vaguely friendly towards play an epic game. 2) The aesthetic of the Big Ten. Call it throw back or classic or whatever, but there is just something cool about watching the "Green Team" versus the "Red Team." Reminds me of this other game between "two teams clad in resplendent uniforms." 3) Kirk Cousins and Russel Wilson. Cousins got the better of the showdown this weekend, with a stat line of 22/31, 290 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs, but they both come off as good people, and it would be awesome to see a rematch in December.
12) Arkansas Razorbacks (6-1, 2-1) - Arkansas had to rally from down 17 to beat bottom dwelling Ole Miss, 29-24. I don't really care, though, so let me talk about New Mexico. The Lobos - the worst team in FBS football for a while now - lost to TCU 69-0 on Saturday. There's no doubt that UNM is bad, but they also have a strangely hard schedule. In addition to TCU, they've also lost to Arkansas 52-3, Nevada 49-7, and Texas Tech 59-13. Still on the docket: Air Force and Boise State. The one good thing about being a crappy football team? People will pay you money to lose to them.
13) Wisconsin Badgers (6-1, 2-1) - What should the difference in the ranking be when the difference on the field was less than six inches? Here's a funny bit of trivia: The Big Ten and the ACC are the only BCS conferences to have had only one team represent them in the BCS National Championship Game. (Ohio State for the Big Ten, Florida State for the ACC.) This doesn't look like it will change any time soon for the Big Ten, but never say never. The Badgers still have the clearest road to the Big Ten championship, where they could get a rematch with either Michigan State or Nebraska.
14) Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-0) - Congratulations to Joe Paterno for career victory #408, 34-24 over Northwestern. You want Penn State out of the rankings? You beat them, then. (Before I eat my words, combined record of Penn State's next four opponents: 22-7. Also, their logos, in order, spell I NOW. That's neat.)
15) Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-1, 2-1) - The Big Ten spotlight will be on Lincoln next week, as the Cornhuskers host the surging Spartans. More than any other, this game will probably decide who will represent the "Legends" division in the Big Ten championship. It will also be by far the toughest game left for the Spartans, so if Nebraska wants to get to a BCS game this year, now is their chance to show they deserve it.
16) Virginia Tech Hokies (7-1, 3-1) - Despite getting their butts kicked by Clemson 23-3 two weeks ago, Virginia Tech is still in good shape to return to the ACC Championship, and, possibly, revenge game. Key to their hopes will be a Thursday night game at suddenly struggling Georgia Tech, on Nov. 10th. Here's betting that the Hokies will be more than ready for the Yellow Jacket's triple option attack.
17) South Carolina Gamecocks (6-1, 4-1)
18) Michigan Wolverines (6-1, 2-1) - One of the big losers of the Michigan State-Wisconsin game are the Wolverines. The Spartans remain a game ahead of them in the conference standings, and own the tie-breaker. Even with their relatively weak schedule ahead, Michigan is going to need a lot of outside help to contend for a conference championship.
19) USC Trojans (6-1, 3-1) - The Trojans' 31-17 win over Notre Dame was their ninth win over the Irish in their last ten games, although USC still trails the overall rivalry - dating back to 1926 - 43-34-5. USC also ended Notre Dame's four game winning streak, although the Irish, at 4-3, are still in a nice spot for a good bowl game. The rest of their schedule: Navy, at Wake Forest, Maryland, Boston College, at Stanford. Any Irish fan who is not happy with an 8-4 season has totally lost touch with reality.
20) Cincinnati Bearcats (6-1, 2-0) - Remind me to never mention the Big East again. One week after I start hyping West Virginia vs. Rutgers for the conference title, both teams lose in inglorious fashion to inferior teams. Cincinnati is now in the driver's seat as the only team left without a conference loss. Remember how terrible last year's Oklahoma versus Connecticut Fiesta Bowl was? No? Oh, right, I forgot. Nobody watched it.
21) Southern Miss Golden Eagles (6-1, 2-1) - Say hello to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, who are now 6-1, with wins over Virginia, Navy, and SMU, and are in the running for a C-USA championship. Also say hello to cornerback Marquese Wheaton from Phoenix, Arizona, who had two INTs in their 27-3 win over SMU, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
22) Texas A&M Aggies (5-2, 3-1) - Welcome to the Lonestar section of my rankings. I have been hard on A&M, and the whole Big 12 as a conference, basically because I think they're all overrated. But the Aggies come in on top based on their head-to-head win over Tech and that their two losses so far are to #3 Oklahoma State and #12 Arkansas. They get Missouri at home before a Nov. 5 trip to Norman. Man, that's going to be a big day in college football!
23) Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-2, 2-2) - As absurd as it sounds in 41-38 game with over 1,000 yards of combined offense, the key to the Red Raiders' win was defense. Specifically that they held Oklahoma to "only" 124 yards rushing, meaning that the Sooners had no choice but to take to the air. Another key stat: Oklahoma was only 5 for 17 on third down conversions, which resulted in 7 punts and a 35:01-24:59 edge for Tech in time of possession.
24) Texas Longhorns (4-2, 1-2)
25) Washington Huskies (5-2, 3-1) - I had no idea who to put in this spot. I wanted Arizona State, but they can't come back into the top 25 until Illinois loses again. Georgia's coming up strong and fast, but they had a bye week, and their best win so far has been against 4-3 Vanderbilt. The other nominees were Syracuse, but I just couldn't bring myself to include another Big East team at #25, and BYU, who dominated in a 56-3 win over... Idaho State.... So the Huskies it is, who drop five spots after their loss to Stanford, and who get a chance at redemption next week against Arizona before back-to-back games against the Ducks and the Trojans.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0, 5-0) - The SEC is definitely the best conference in the nation, but is it the deepest? I only have four ranked SEC teams, compared to six for the Big 12, five for the Big Ten, and four for the Pac-12. The AP has five ranked SEC teams, five Big 12, five Big Ten, and four Pac-12. After Arkansas, there's really a steep drop in the level of competition. Another small prediction: Alabama will run the ball no less than 60% of the time, and will pass it no more than 40% of the time.
3) Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-0, 4-0) - And just like that, it's the Cowboys who control their destiny in the Big 12. A lot of folks have been wondering why OK-State is valued so highly by the BCS computers, and I think I have something of an answer: 1) The Big 12's excellent non-conference record gives them an advantage against top schools from other conferences, 2) The computers value their non-conference wins over Arizona and Tulsa more than the humans, and 3) They have already beaten Texas A&M and Texas, two schools that the computers (and humans) absolutely adore.
4) Stanford Cardinal (7-0, 5-0) - So if I'm Chip Kelly, and I'm watching tape of the Cardinal's 65-21 dismantling of Washington, here's what I see: Stanford's 446 rushing yards, averaging 10.1 yards per play, with three different players rushing for more than 90 yards. I also see this: 1 punt, 0 turnovers. Oregon's linebackers better be ready.
5) Boise State Broncos (7-0, 2-0) - I spent most of last evening getting ready to justify giving the Broncos a big drop in the rankings after they beat Air Force 37-26 on the Smurf Turf. They still get dinged, as the Falcons may have figured something out in their, "Don't let Kellen Moore touch the ball," strategy. However, the future for Boise State looks much rosier now with Oklahoma and Wisconsin out of the way, and with all four teams ahead of them still facing tough competition down the road. Also, congrats to Moore on tying Colt McCoy for the all-time wins record. Just for fun, his stat line: 23/29, 281 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT.
6) Clemson Tigers (8-0, 5-0) - Here's my problem with Clemson: With wins over Auburn, Florida State, and Virginia Tech, they have had as hard of a road to 8-0 as anybody. (Except LSU, obviously.) But whenever I put them on that Platonic Neutral Field against Boise State, I can't see anyway in which they come out on top. The only kind of data I could back this belief up with is the ACC's mediocre 6-7 record against other BCS conferences, and conference losses to Temple and UCF. Still, that's not Clemson's fault, right?
7) Kansas State Wildcats (7-0, 4-0) - Kansas State could turn out to be either the biggest winner or the biggest loser from Texas Tech's upset of Oklahoma. The Wildcats host the Sooners next weekend, and I see two distinct possibilities coming out of that game: Either Oklahoma takes out their frustrations on an overwhelmed K-State, and come away with a 56-21 win, or they come stumbling into Manhattan, unable to focus, and fall to a focused and prepared Wildcats team, 42-28. The X-factor should be the Kansas State defense, which held Kansas to less than 4 yards per play and forced 2 turnovers in a 59-21 victory.
8) Houston Cougars (7-0, 3-0) - Is Houston the new Boise State? Even if they get locked out of the National Championship, an undefeated Boise State would still have enough street cred to get a spot in the Sugar Bowl (Tyrann Mathieu, meet Kellen Moore) or the Fiesta Bowl (Greatest Game Ever, part 2?) Unfortunately, a 13-0 Houston squad would probably get nothing better than the Liberty Bowl, where they'd get Vanderbilt, or Mississippi State, maybe Tennessee if they're lucky.
9) Oregon Ducks (6-1, 4-0) - Neither LaMichael James nor Darron Thomas played in Oregon's 45-2 win over Colorado. I'm so glad that Chip Kelly reads this blog. While he's here, he should read what I just wrote about #4 Stanford. (Also, 45 to two? What's up with that?)
10) Oklahoma Sooners (6-1, 3-1) - Yes! I am so glad that Oklahoma lost - I have been rooting against them since the season started, both because of my personal dislike for the Sooners and because I was always disgusted by voters putting them ahead of LSU/Alabama. However, I think that they should still be considered the favorites to win the Big 12, and, who knows? All it takes is a few more weeks of this type of insanity to get some of these one-loss teams back into the Championship discussion. But first they've got to get past K-State.
11) Michigan State Spartans (6-1, 3-0) - There are maybe a million things to love about the Michigan State-Wisconsin game. Here are some of mine: 1) The joy of watching a game as an uninterested spectator. If the Ducks had been in this game, I would have been an emotional wreck. Instead, I got to watch two teams I both feel vaguely friendly towards play an epic game. 2) The aesthetic of the Big Ten. Call it throw back or classic or whatever, but there is just something cool about watching the "Green Team" versus the "Red Team." Reminds me of this other game between "two teams clad in resplendent uniforms." 3) Kirk Cousins and Russel Wilson. Cousins got the better of the showdown this weekend, with a stat line of 22/31, 290 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs, but they both come off as good people, and it would be awesome to see a rematch in December.
12) Arkansas Razorbacks (6-1, 2-1) - Arkansas had to rally from down 17 to beat bottom dwelling Ole Miss, 29-24. I don't really care, though, so let me talk about New Mexico. The Lobos - the worst team in FBS football for a while now - lost to TCU 69-0 on Saturday. There's no doubt that UNM is bad, but they also have a strangely hard schedule. In addition to TCU, they've also lost to Arkansas 52-3, Nevada 49-7, and Texas Tech 59-13. Still on the docket: Air Force and Boise State. The one good thing about being a crappy football team? People will pay you money to lose to them.
13) Wisconsin Badgers (6-1, 2-1) - What should the difference in the ranking be when the difference on the field was less than six inches? Here's a funny bit of trivia: The Big Ten and the ACC are the only BCS conferences to have had only one team represent them in the BCS National Championship Game. (Ohio State for the Big Ten, Florida State for the ACC.) This doesn't look like it will change any time soon for the Big Ten, but never say never. The Badgers still have the clearest road to the Big Ten championship, where they could get a rematch with either Michigan State or Nebraska.
14) Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-0) - Congratulations to Joe Paterno for career victory #408, 34-24 over Northwestern. You want Penn State out of the rankings? You beat them, then. (Before I eat my words, combined record of Penn State's next four opponents: 22-7. Also, their logos, in order, spell I NOW. That's neat.)
15) Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-1, 2-1) - The Big Ten spotlight will be on Lincoln next week, as the Cornhuskers host the surging Spartans. More than any other, this game will probably decide who will represent the "Legends" division in the Big Ten championship. It will also be by far the toughest game left for the Spartans, so if Nebraska wants to get to a BCS game this year, now is their chance to show they deserve it.
16) Virginia Tech Hokies (7-1, 3-1) - Despite getting their butts kicked by Clemson 23-3 two weeks ago, Virginia Tech is still in good shape to return to the ACC Championship, and, possibly, revenge game. Key to their hopes will be a Thursday night game at suddenly struggling Georgia Tech, on Nov. 10th. Here's betting that the Hokies will be more than ready for the Yellow Jacket's triple option attack.
17) South Carolina Gamecocks (6-1, 4-1)
18) Michigan Wolverines (6-1, 2-1) - One of the big losers of the Michigan State-Wisconsin game are the Wolverines. The Spartans remain a game ahead of them in the conference standings, and own the tie-breaker. Even with their relatively weak schedule ahead, Michigan is going to need a lot of outside help to contend for a conference championship.
19) USC Trojans (6-1, 3-1) - The Trojans' 31-17 win over Notre Dame was their ninth win over the Irish in their last ten games, although USC still trails the overall rivalry - dating back to 1926 - 43-34-5. USC also ended Notre Dame's four game winning streak, although the Irish, at 4-3, are still in a nice spot for a good bowl game. The rest of their schedule: Navy, at Wake Forest, Maryland, Boston College, at Stanford. Any Irish fan who is not happy with an 8-4 season has totally lost touch with reality.
20) Cincinnati Bearcats (6-1, 2-0) - Remind me to never mention the Big East again. One week after I start hyping West Virginia vs. Rutgers for the conference title, both teams lose in inglorious fashion to inferior teams. Cincinnati is now in the driver's seat as the only team left without a conference loss. Remember how terrible last year's Oklahoma versus Connecticut Fiesta Bowl was? No? Oh, right, I forgot. Nobody watched it.
21) Southern Miss Golden Eagles (6-1, 2-1) - Say hello to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, who are now 6-1, with wins over Virginia, Navy, and SMU, and are in the running for a C-USA championship. Also say hello to cornerback Marquese Wheaton from Phoenix, Arizona, who had two INTs in their 27-3 win over SMU, one of which he returned for a touchdown.
22) Texas A&M Aggies (5-2, 3-1) - Welcome to the Lonestar section of my rankings. I have been hard on A&M, and the whole Big 12 as a conference, basically because I think they're all overrated. But the Aggies come in on top based on their head-to-head win over Tech and that their two losses so far are to #3 Oklahoma State and #12 Arkansas. They get Missouri at home before a Nov. 5 trip to Norman. Man, that's going to be a big day in college football!
23) Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-2, 2-2) - As absurd as it sounds in 41-38 game with over 1,000 yards of combined offense, the key to the Red Raiders' win was defense. Specifically that they held Oklahoma to "only" 124 yards rushing, meaning that the Sooners had no choice but to take to the air. Another key stat: Oklahoma was only 5 for 17 on third down conversions, which resulted in 7 punts and a 35:01-24:59 edge for Tech in time of possession.
24) Texas Longhorns (4-2, 1-2)
25) Washington Huskies (5-2, 3-1) - I had no idea who to put in this spot. I wanted Arizona State, but they can't come back into the top 25 until Illinois loses again. Georgia's coming up strong and fast, but they had a bye week, and their best win so far has been against 4-3 Vanderbilt. The other nominees were Syracuse, but I just couldn't bring myself to include another Big East team at #25, and BYU, who dominated in a 56-3 win over... Idaho State.... So the Huskies it is, who drop five spots after their loss to Stanford, and who get a chance at redemption next week against Arizona before back-to-back games against the Ducks and the Trojans.
Snap Judgments
"You talk about an instant classic..." says the voice of Brent Musberger after Michigan State comes away with a 37-31 win over #6 Wisconsin on a last second Hail Mary pass from QB Kirk Cousins to QB-turned-WR Keith Nichol. When was the last time you ever saw a football game actually won on a Hail Mary? In our sports mythology, I suppose that the Hail Mary exists somewhere alongside the walk-off home run in terms of magical moments, of miracles. Except that walk-offs actually tend to happen all the time, and that, even though you can hold out hope forever, a football game is always never won on a Hail Mary.
My Top 25
1) LSU (8-0, 5-0, +17)
2) Alabama (8-0, 5-0, +15)
3) Oklahoma State (7-0, 4-0, +13)
4) Stanford (7-0, 5-0, +9)
5) Boise State (7-0, 2-0, +9)
6) Clemson (8-0, 5-0, +12)
7) Kansas State (7-0, 4-0, +9)
8) Houston (7-0, 3-0, +7)
9) Oregon (6-1, 4-0, +7)
10) Oklahoma (6-1, 3-1, +7)
11) Michigan State (6-1, 3-0, +9)
12) Arkansas (6-1, 2-1, +6)
13) Wisconsin (6-1, 2-1, +6)
14) Penn State (7-1, 4-0, +6)
15) Nebraska (6-1, 2-1, +5)
16) Virginia Tech (7-1, 3-1, +4)
17) South Carolina (6-1, 4-1, 0)
18) Michigan (6-1, 2-1, 0)
19) USC (6-1, 3-1, 0)
20) Cincinnati (6-1, 2-0, 0)
21) Southern Miss (6-1, 2-1, +1)
22) Texas A&M (5-2, 3-1, +2)
23) Texas Tech (5-2, 2-2, +1)
24) Texas (4-2, 1-2, +3)
25) Washington (5-2, 3-1, 0)
Arizona State (5-2, 3-1, -2)
Georgia (5-2, 4-1, -2)
Syracuse (5-2, 1-1, -3)
Brigham Young (6-2, 0-0, -3)
Illinois (6-2, 2-2, -4)
West Virginia (5-2, 1-1, -2)
SMU (5-2, 3-1, -4)
Rutgers (5-2, 2-1, -5)
Baylor (4-2, 1-2, -5)
Georgia Tech (6-2, 3-2, -6)
Wake Forest (5-2, 3-1, -6)
TCU (5-2, 3-0, -6)
Iowa (6-2, 2-1, -6)
Auburn (5-3, 3-2, -2)
Florida (4-3, 2-3, -4)
Notre Dame (4-3, 0-0, -9)
2) Alabama (8-0, 5-0, +15)
3) Oklahoma State (7-0, 4-0, +13)
4) Stanford (7-0, 5-0, +9)
5) Boise State (7-0, 2-0, +9)
6) Clemson (8-0, 5-0, +12)
7) Kansas State (7-0, 4-0, +9)
8) Houston (7-0, 3-0, +7)
9) Oregon (6-1, 4-0, +7)
10) Oklahoma (6-1, 3-1, +7)
11) Michigan State (6-1, 3-0, +9)
12) Arkansas (6-1, 2-1, +6)
13) Wisconsin (6-1, 2-1, +6)
14) Penn State (7-1, 4-0, +6)
15) Nebraska (6-1, 2-1, +5)
16) Virginia Tech (7-1, 3-1, +4)
17) South Carolina (6-1, 4-1, 0)
18) Michigan (6-1, 2-1, 0)
19) USC (6-1, 3-1, 0)
20) Cincinnati (6-1, 2-0, 0)
21) Southern Miss (6-1, 2-1, +1)
22) Texas A&M (5-2, 3-1, +2)
23) Texas Tech (5-2, 2-2, +1)
24) Texas (4-2, 1-2, +3)
25) Washington (5-2, 3-1, 0)
Arizona State (5-2, 3-1, -2)
Georgia (5-2, 4-1, -2)
Syracuse (5-2, 1-1, -3)
Brigham Young (6-2, 0-0, -3)
Illinois (6-2, 2-2, -4)
West Virginia (5-2, 1-1, -2)
SMU (5-2, 3-1, -4)
Rutgers (5-2, 2-1, -5)
Baylor (4-2, 1-2, -5)
Georgia Tech (6-2, 3-2, -6)
Wake Forest (5-2, 3-1, -6)
TCU (5-2, 3-0, -6)
Iowa (6-2, 2-1, -6)
Auburn (5-3, 3-2, -2)
Florida (4-3, 2-3, -4)
Notre Dame (4-3, 0-0, -9)
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Power Rankings 10/16-10/22
1) LSU Tigers (7-0, 4-0) - After dismantling the Mississippi Rebels, Alabama coach Nick Saban said, "We're more like Joe Frazier than Ali. We have to pound it." Perfect - LSU can be Ali, winning by making the opponent make mistakes (Tennessee QB Matt Simms stat line in their 38-7 loss: 20 attempts, 6 completions, 2 interceptions), by controlling the tempo (Time of Possession: 38:19 - 21:41) and by outright explosiveness.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0) - A lot of ink/pixels have been spillt praising the Tide's dominant defense. On Saturday against Ole Miss, their offense was on display: 52 points, 615 yards, 9.2 yards per play, 1 punt, 0 turnover. Trent Richardson accounted for 213 yards on his own, and scored 4 TDs.
3) Oklahoma Sooners (6-0, 3-0) - I could no longer justify keeping Oklahoma beneath Boise State after their 55-17 shellacking of Texas. Then, they reward me with a shaky win over bottom dwelling Kansas. The bottom line is this: Oklahoma's two best wins so far are against 3-3 Florida State and 4-2 Texas. They have yet to convince me of their elite status.
4) Boise State Broncos (6-0, 1-0)
5) Wisconsin Badgers (6-0, 2-0) - I was a little disappointed in Wisconsin's 59-7 win over hapless Indiana; it's nothing close to last year's 83-20 final. Things will get a little tougher for the Badgers next week, when they take the best offense in the Big Ten into East Lansing to take on Michigan State and their top-ranked defense.
6) Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-0, 3-0) - So now that I have disparaged Oklahoma, let me turn around and praise them. Comparing common opponents is a dangerous game, but the Texas team that got dominated 55-17 by Oklahoma gave Oklahoma State everything they could handle in a 38-26 game. The Cowboys still have work to do if they want to pull off the upset at Bedlam.
7) Stanford Cardinal (6-0, 4-0) - More than any other team, the Cardinal have suffered from playing a weak schedule that doesn't lend itself to must-see-TV. Their smallest margin of victory so far is 26; however, their opponents combined record is 14-24. This may change, as USC, Oregon, and Notre Dame are still on the docket. However, only one of these teams is actually any good right now. Meanwhile, Andrew Luck's stat line: 23 for 36, 336 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT.
8) Clemson Tigers (7-0, 4-0) - In many ways, Saturday was a kind of "Separation Saturday," with three teams that we all kind of knew shouldn't have been undefeated - Michigan, Illinois, and Georgia Tech - all losing, while dominant teams like LSU, Alabama, and Wisconsin all rolled. For a while, it looked like Clemson would join the former group, the "Pretenders" division, as they went back and forth with Maryland. In the end, however, they prevailed, 56-45. Is it time now to move them into the "Contenders" division?
9) Kansas State Wildcats (6-0, 3-0)
10) Houston Cougars (6-0, 2-0)
11) Oregon Ducks (5-1, 3-0) - Yeah, I held my breath after Darron Thomas went down with an injury in the third quarter against Arizona State. But then freshman Bryan Bennet came in, and ran the blur offense the way it's supposed to, running for 64 yards and extending the Ducks' lead from 27-24 to 41-27. If I were Chip Kelly, I would seriously considering giving Bennet the start - and sitting and resting both Thomas and LaMichael James - in the Duck's next two games, against Colorado and Washington State.
12) Arkansas Razorbacks (5-1, 1-1) - I really feel bad for Arkansas. In any other conference, in any other division, they would be in the hunt for a conference championship and a likely BCS bid. But they're in the SEC West, buried beneath LSU and Alabama. This week was a bye for the Hogs, who handled Auburn 38-14 last week. They have road trips to Ole Miss and Tennessee before hosting South Carolina on Nov. 5. Call it the undercard to Muhammad "LSU" Ali vs. Joe "Alabama" Frazier.
13) Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1, 1-1)
14) West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1, 1-0)
15) Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1, 3-0) - Another week, another ugly win over an inferior opponent for the Nittany Lions, this time 23-18 over Purdue. Don't look now, but Penn State's on top of the "Leaders" division.
16) Virginia Tech Hokies (6-1, 2-1)
17) Michigan State Spartans (5-1, 2-0) - Michigan State has now beaten Michigan for four straight years, matching their longest win streak, from 1959-62. More importantly, the Spartans have reinserted themselves into the Big Ten title talk. They are the only team in the "Legends" division without a conference loss, but this record will be challenged next week when Wisconsin comes to town.
18) South Carolina Gamecocks (6-1, 4-1) - You know those games? Those games that a team has absolutely no right to win, and yet, by some miracle, they win anyway? Auburn had about five of those games last year. South Carolina had one of those on Saturday, beating Mississippi State 14-12 on a fourth quarter jump ball in the endzone. If they manage to get back to the SEC Championship game, look back at this game as a favorable sign.
19) Illinois Illini (6-1, 2-1) - That was an incredibly frustrating game. The Illini lost at home to Ohio State 17-7. And, in ending their first 6-0 start since 1952, they did everything that they could do to lose it: Poor clock management, anemic offense, untimely turnovers. Coach Ron Zook has been able to build up a lot of goodwill by this historic run - on Saturday, he spent quite a lot of it.
20) Washington Huskies (5-1, 3-0)
21) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-1, 3-1)
22) Michigan Wolverines (6-1, 2-1) - This sounds familiar. Everyone rides high on Shoelaces Robinson and the Michigan offense until they run into a defense tougher than San Diego State. Against Michigan State, the Wolverines were held to 250 yards of total offense, and, tellingly, went only 3 for 15 on third down. If this team is actually better than the Michigan teams of the past, they will have to find a way to prevent a second-half collapse. This should be possible: They get next week off before hosting Purdue. Nine wins are still within reach, but probably not a conference title.
23) SMU Mustangs (5-1, 3-0)
24) USC Trojans (5-1, 3-1) - The Trojans are still a team in search of an identity. Matt Barkley should be considered one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but their defense remains suspect, and they don't have a dependable running game. I really wish that they could play for the Pac-12 Championship. With them ineligible, the South Division is exceptionally weak. USC begins the toughest part of their schedule when they visit Notre Dame next week; finishing the season 2-4 is not out of the question.
25) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-1, 2-0) - Fear the Scarlet Knights! Their defense is tied for first in the nation in forced turnovers, and had two more interceptions on Saturday in their 21-20 comeback victory over Navy. Of course, their freshman QB, Gary Nova, is still on a learning curve: 23/31, 271 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs. All eyes will be on Piscataway on Oct. 29, when West Virginia comes to town, in a game that could determine the Big East champ.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0) - A lot of ink/pixels have been spillt praising the Tide's dominant defense. On Saturday against Ole Miss, their offense was on display: 52 points, 615 yards, 9.2 yards per play, 1 punt, 0 turnover. Trent Richardson accounted for 213 yards on his own, and scored 4 TDs.
3) Oklahoma Sooners (6-0, 3-0) - I could no longer justify keeping Oklahoma beneath Boise State after their 55-17 shellacking of Texas. Then, they reward me with a shaky win over bottom dwelling Kansas. The bottom line is this: Oklahoma's two best wins so far are against 3-3 Florida State and 4-2 Texas. They have yet to convince me of their elite status.
4) Boise State Broncos (6-0, 1-0)
5) Wisconsin Badgers (6-0, 2-0) - I was a little disappointed in Wisconsin's 59-7 win over hapless Indiana; it's nothing close to last year's 83-20 final. Things will get a little tougher for the Badgers next week, when they take the best offense in the Big Ten into East Lansing to take on Michigan State and their top-ranked defense.
6) Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-0, 3-0) - So now that I have disparaged Oklahoma, let me turn around and praise them. Comparing common opponents is a dangerous game, but the Texas team that got dominated 55-17 by Oklahoma gave Oklahoma State everything they could handle in a 38-26 game. The Cowboys still have work to do if they want to pull off the upset at Bedlam.
7) Stanford Cardinal (6-0, 4-0) - More than any other team, the Cardinal have suffered from playing a weak schedule that doesn't lend itself to must-see-TV. Their smallest margin of victory so far is 26; however, their opponents combined record is 14-24. This may change, as USC, Oregon, and Notre Dame are still on the docket. However, only one of these teams is actually any good right now. Meanwhile, Andrew Luck's stat line: 23 for 36, 336 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT.
8) Clemson Tigers (7-0, 4-0) - In many ways, Saturday was a kind of "Separation Saturday," with three teams that we all kind of knew shouldn't have been undefeated - Michigan, Illinois, and Georgia Tech - all losing, while dominant teams like LSU, Alabama, and Wisconsin all rolled. For a while, it looked like Clemson would join the former group, the "Pretenders" division, as they went back and forth with Maryland. In the end, however, they prevailed, 56-45. Is it time now to move them into the "Contenders" division?
9) Kansas State Wildcats (6-0, 3-0)
10) Houston Cougars (6-0, 2-0)
11) Oregon Ducks (5-1, 3-0) - Yeah, I held my breath after Darron Thomas went down with an injury in the third quarter against Arizona State. But then freshman Bryan Bennet came in, and ran the blur offense the way it's supposed to, running for 64 yards and extending the Ducks' lead from 27-24 to 41-27. If I were Chip Kelly, I would seriously considering giving Bennet the start - and sitting and resting both Thomas and LaMichael James - in the Duck's next two games, against Colorado and Washington State.
12) Arkansas Razorbacks (5-1, 1-1) - I really feel bad for Arkansas. In any other conference, in any other division, they would be in the hunt for a conference championship and a likely BCS bid. But they're in the SEC West, buried beneath LSU and Alabama. This week was a bye for the Hogs, who handled Auburn 38-14 last week. They have road trips to Ole Miss and Tennessee before hosting South Carolina on Nov. 5. Call it the undercard to Muhammad "LSU" Ali vs. Joe "Alabama" Frazier.
13) Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1, 1-1)
14) West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1, 1-0)
15) Penn State Nittany Lions (6-1, 3-0) - Another week, another ugly win over an inferior opponent for the Nittany Lions, this time 23-18 over Purdue. Don't look now, but Penn State's on top of the "Leaders" division.
16) Virginia Tech Hokies (6-1, 2-1)
17) Michigan State Spartans (5-1, 2-0) - Michigan State has now beaten Michigan for four straight years, matching their longest win streak, from 1959-62. More importantly, the Spartans have reinserted themselves into the Big Ten title talk. They are the only team in the "Legends" division without a conference loss, but this record will be challenged next week when Wisconsin comes to town.
18) South Carolina Gamecocks (6-1, 4-1) - You know those games? Those games that a team has absolutely no right to win, and yet, by some miracle, they win anyway? Auburn had about five of those games last year. South Carolina had one of those on Saturday, beating Mississippi State 14-12 on a fourth quarter jump ball in the endzone. If they manage to get back to the SEC Championship game, look back at this game as a favorable sign.
19) Illinois Illini (6-1, 2-1) - That was an incredibly frustrating game. The Illini lost at home to Ohio State 17-7. And, in ending their first 6-0 start since 1952, they did everything that they could do to lose it: Poor clock management, anemic offense, untimely turnovers. Coach Ron Zook has been able to build up a lot of goodwill by this historic run - on Saturday, he spent quite a lot of it.
20) Washington Huskies (5-1, 3-0)
21) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-1, 3-1)
22) Michigan Wolverines (6-1, 2-1) - This sounds familiar. Everyone rides high on Shoelaces Robinson and the Michigan offense until they run into a defense tougher than San Diego State. Against Michigan State, the Wolverines were held to 250 yards of total offense, and, tellingly, went only 3 for 15 on third down. If this team is actually better than the Michigan teams of the past, they will have to find a way to prevent a second-half collapse. This should be possible: They get next week off before hosting Purdue. Nine wins are still within reach, but probably not a conference title.
23) SMU Mustangs (5-1, 3-0)
24) USC Trojans (5-1, 3-1) - The Trojans are still a team in search of an identity. Matt Barkley should be considered one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but their defense remains suspect, and they don't have a dependable running game. I really wish that they could play for the Pac-12 Championship. With them ineligible, the South Division is exceptionally weak. USC begins the toughest part of their schedule when they visit Notre Dame next week; finishing the season 2-4 is not out of the question.
25) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-1, 2-0) - Fear the Scarlet Knights! Their defense is tied for first in the nation in forced turnovers, and had two more interceptions on Saturday in their 21-20 comeback victory over Navy. Of course, their freshman QB, Gary Nova, is still on a learning curve: 23/31, 271 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs. All eyes will be on Piscataway on Oct. 29, when West Virginia comes to town, in a game that could determine the Big East champ.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
My Top 25
1) LSU (7-0, 4-0, +16)
2) Alabama (7-0, 4-0, +14)
3) Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0, +13)
4) Boise State (6-0, 1-0, +8)
5) Wisconsin (6-0, 2-0, +10)
6) Oklahoma State (6-0, 3-0, +12)
7) Stanford (6-0, 4-0, +6)
8) Clemson (7-0, 4-0, +11)
9) Kansas State (6-0, 3-0, +8)
10) Houston (6-0, 2-0, +6)
11) Oregon (5-1, 3-0, +6)
12) Arkansas (5-1, 1-1, +5)
13) Nebraska (5-1, 1-1, +4)
14) West Virginia (5-1, 1-0, +4)
15) Penn State (6-1, 3-0, +5)
16) Virginia Tech (6-1, 2-1, +3)
17) Michigan State (5-1, 2-0, +3)
18) South Carolina (6-1, 4-1, 0)
19) Illinois (6-1, 2-1, +2)
20) Washington (5-1, 3-0, +2)
21) Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1, 0)
22) Michigan (6-1, 2-1, 0)
23) SMU (5-1, 3-0, +2)
24) USC (5-1, 3-1, -1)
25) Rutgers (5-1, 2-0, -1)
Cincinnati (5-1, 1-0, -1)
Texas (4-2, 1-2, +3)
Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1, +1)
Auburn (5-2, 3-1, -1)
Arizona State (5-2, 3-1, -2)
Georgia (5-2, 4-1, -2)
Brigham Young (5-2, 0-0, -4)
South Florida (4-2, 0-2, -7)
Wake Forest (4-2, 2-1, -7)
Baylor (4-2, 1-2, -5)
Notre Dame (4-2, 0-0, -4)
Florida (4-3, 2-3, -4)
2) Alabama (7-0, 4-0, +14)
3) Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0, +13)
4) Boise State (6-0, 1-0, +8)
5) Wisconsin (6-0, 2-0, +10)
6) Oklahoma State (6-0, 3-0, +12)
7) Stanford (6-0, 4-0, +6)
8) Clemson (7-0, 4-0, +11)
9) Kansas State (6-0, 3-0, +8)
10) Houston (6-0, 2-0, +6)
11) Oregon (5-1, 3-0, +6)
12) Arkansas (5-1, 1-1, +5)
13) Nebraska (5-1, 1-1, +4)
14) West Virginia (5-1, 1-0, +4)
15) Penn State (6-1, 3-0, +5)
16) Virginia Tech (6-1, 2-1, +3)
17) Michigan State (5-1, 2-0, +3)
18) South Carolina (6-1, 4-1, 0)
19) Illinois (6-1, 2-1, +2)
20) Washington (5-1, 3-0, +2)
21) Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1, 0)
22) Michigan (6-1, 2-1, 0)
23) SMU (5-1, 3-0, +2)
24) USC (5-1, 3-1, -1)
25) Rutgers (5-1, 2-0, -1)
Cincinnati (5-1, 1-0, -1)
Texas (4-2, 1-2, +3)
Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1, +1)
Auburn (5-2, 3-1, -1)
Arizona State (5-2, 3-1, -2)
Georgia (5-2, 4-1, -2)
Brigham Young (5-2, 0-0, -4)
South Florida (4-2, 0-2, -7)
Wake Forest (4-2, 2-1, -7)
Baylor (4-2, 1-2, -5)
Notre Dame (4-2, 0-0, -4)
Florida (4-3, 2-3, -4)
Monday, October 10, 2011
My Top 25
1) LSU (6-0, 3-0, +15)
2) Alabama (6-0, 3-0, +13)
3) Oklahoma (5-0, 2-0, +12)
4) Boise State (5-0, 0-0, +7)
5) Wisconsin (5-0, 1-0, +9)
6) Stanford (5-0, 3-0, +5)
7) Oklahoma State (5-0, 2-0, +9)
8) Clemson (6-0, 3-0, +10)
9) Illinois (6-0, 2-0, +8)
10) Michigan (6-0, 2-0, +6)
11) Kansas State (5-0, 2-0, +7)
12) Georgia Tech (6-0, 3-0, +6)
13) Houston (6-0, 2-0, +6)
14) Arkansas (5-1, 1-1, +5)
15) Oregon (4-1, 2-0, +3)
16) Nebraska (5-1, 1-1, +4)
17) Texas (4-1, 1-1, +5)
18) West Virginia (5-1, 1-0, +4)
19) Penn State (5-1, 2-0, +4)
20) Arizona State (5-1, 3-0, +1)
21) Virginia Tech (5-1, 1-1, +2)
22) South Carolina (5-1, 3-1, -1)
23) SMU (4-1, 2-0, +1)
24) Washington (4-1, 2-0, +1)
25) Baylor (4-1, 1-1, +1)
South Florida (4-1, 0-1, -1)
USC (4-1, 2-1, -2)
Michigan State (4-1, 1-0, -2)
Texas Tech (4-1, 1-1, -2)
Cincinnati (4-1, 0-0, -2)
Florida (4-2, 2-2, +2)
Auburn (4-2, 2-1, -2)
Georgia (4-2, 3-1, -3)
Tennessee (3-2, 0-2, -6)
Iowa State (3-2, 0-2, -7)
2) Alabama (6-0, 3-0, +13)
3) Oklahoma (5-0, 2-0, +12)
4) Boise State (5-0, 0-0, +7)
5) Wisconsin (5-0, 1-0, +9)
6) Stanford (5-0, 3-0, +5)
7) Oklahoma State (5-0, 2-0, +9)
8) Clemson (6-0, 3-0, +10)
9) Illinois (6-0, 2-0, +8)
10) Michigan (6-0, 2-0, +6)
11) Kansas State (5-0, 2-0, +7)
12) Georgia Tech (6-0, 3-0, +6)
13) Houston (6-0, 2-0, +6)
14) Arkansas (5-1, 1-1, +5)
15) Oregon (4-1, 2-0, +3)
16) Nebraska (5-1, 1-1, +4)
17) Texas (4-1, 1-1, +5)
18) West Virginia (5-1, 1-0, +4)
19) Penn State (5-1, 2-0, +4)
20) Arizona State (5-1, 3-0, +1)
21) Virginia Tech (5-1, 1-1, +2)
22) South Carolina (5-1, 3-1, -1)
23) SMU (4-1, 2-0, +1)
24) Washington (4-1, 2-0, +1)
25) Baylor (4-1, 1-1, +1)
South Florida (4-1, 0-1, -1)
USC (4-1, 2-1, -2)
Michigan State (4-1, 1-0, -2)
Texas Tech (4-1, 1-1, -2)
Cincinnati (4-1, 0-0, -2)
Florida (4-2, 2-2, +2)
Auburn (4-2, 2-1, -2)
Georgia (4-2, 3-1, -3)
Tennessee (3-2, 0-2, -6)
Iowa State (3-2, 0-2, -7)
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Power Rankings 10/02
Ha-ha! My "system" of ranking is coming out with some pretty interesting results now - most notably Illinois at No. 9 and Kansas State at No. 12. The AP Poll has them 19th and 20th, respectably. Fine. But the AP also has Florida State and Texas A&M in the poll, two two-loss teams. And I know that they've both lost to quality opponents (Oklahoma, Clemson, Oklahoma State, Arkansas) but need I remind you all: The only goal in football is to win games. No one should be rewarded for a loss, even a "quality loss."
1) LSU Tigers (5-0, 2-0) - I wish that I could rank LSU and Alabama 1a and 1b. LSU looked like they were sleepwalking there a little bit in their 35-7 win over Kentucky, forcing only one turnover the entire game. But I guess you're allowed to do that when you only give up 155 total yards and don't allow a score until the fourth quarter.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0 , 2-0) - Time for my first "Totally Premature BCS Nightmare Scenario": #9 South Carolina (10-2) upsets #1 Alabama (12-0) 24-21 in the SEC Championship. #2 Oklahoma wins the Big 12 at 11-1, #3 Boise State is the only undefeated team at 12-0, and #4 LSU finishes 11-1. No other team has fewer than 2 losses. Who do you put in the BCS Championship?
3) Boise State Broncos (4-0, 0-0) - Boise State got some sort of catharsis in dominating rival Nevada 30-10. But the sad truth is that the Broncos have a much tougher road to the BCS this year than they did last year. By my count, they are going to have to run the table, and have no more than one other team go undefeated, and have at most one SEC team finish with one loss or fewer.
4) Wisconsin (5-0, 1-0)
5) Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0)
6) Stanford (4-0, 2-0)
7) Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0)
8) Clemson Tigers (5-0, 2-0) - The Clemson Tigers have now won back-to-back-to-back games against ranked opponents, (Auburn, Florida State, Virginia Tech) and have the inside track to reach the ACC title game. CB Xavier Brewer had his third interception of the season against VT.
9) Illinois Illini (5-0, 1-0) - Yeah, I may be a homer, considering that the Illini have won their last three games by a total of nine points, and needed two miracles to come back from 18 points down to beat Northwestern, 38-35. But they're also off to their best start since 1951, when they finished the season 8-0-1 and claimed a National Title by beating Stanford in the Rose Bowl, 40-7.
10) Michigan Wolverines (5-0, 1-0) - It may have been against lowly Minnesota, but Michigan sure looked like a complete team in a 58-0 rout. The football gods have blessed the Wolverines by not putting Wisconsin on their schedule, but they're still going to have to win at Michigan State if they want to reach the Big Ten championship.
11) Texas Longhorns (4-0, 1-0)- Boo. Texas continues to be on the revenge path, this time winning at Iowa State 37-14. The worst part about it is that now ESPN will be losing their sh*t all week long about undefeated Texas versus undefeated Oklahoma. But remember, not counting Iowa State, Texas' previous opponents (Rice, BYU, UCLA) have a combined record of 6-8. Final score: Texas 17, Oklahoma 42.
12) Kansas State Wildcats (4-0, 1-0) - Heisman Trophy Watch: QB Robert Griffin III: 23/31, 346 yards, 5TDs 1 INT.... oh, wait... wrong team. K-State has now won back-to-back thrillers against Miami and Baylor. Let's see if they can do it again next week against Missouri.
13) Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0)
14) Houston Cougars (5-0, 1-0) - Heisman Trophy Watch: QB Case Keenum: 30/46, 471 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs. He also leads the country in passing yards per game, and has 14 TDs to 2 INTs for the season.
15) Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0)
16) Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1, 0-1) - I definitely expected Arkansas to beat Texas A&M. I didn't expect them to have to rally from down 17 to do it, though. They gave up 230 yards rushing to RB Christine Michael. Auburn and RB Michael Dyer are coming to town next week. Arkansas' defense has some work to do.
17) Oregon Ducks (3-1, 1-0) - For almost 30 minutes, the Ducks looked like an elite team in building a 35-3 lead over the Arizona Wildcats. Then they let their foot off the gas and allowed Arizona to score 21 consecutive points, before waking back up and cruising to a final 56-31 win. 3-1 Cal comes to Eugene on Thursday night. I bet the fans at Autzen will remember all those "injuries" the Bears suffered in last year's 15-13 thriller in Berkeley.
18) Florida Gators (4-1, 2-1) - There was about, maybe, 30 seconds in the first quarter of the Alabama-Florida game when I thought to myself, "Hey, Florida just might pull this off." Nope, wrong. The Gators now have to play at LSU, possibly without QB John Brantley. My question is, "Who now should be favored to win the SEC East?" Georgia Bulldog fans should be pricking up their ears.
19) Nebraska (4-1, 0-1)
20) West Virginia Mountaineers (4-1, 0-0)- With South Florida getting embarrassed at Pitt 44-17, West Virginia remains the only ranked Big East team. (They're #16 in the AP.) Sometimes I'm glad that the Big East is self-destructing. Then maybe we don't have to keep letting a 9-3 team go to the Orange Bowl.
21) Auburn Tigers (4-1, 2-0) - I like Auburn. They won ugly again, this time 16-13 over South Carolina in a game that had a total of 8 turnovers. Things get tougher for the Tigers, as their next three games are at Arkansas, vs. Florida, and at LSU. Winning just one of those games might be considered a positive outcome.
22) Penn State Nittany Lions (4-1, 1-0)- I've ranked Penn State because I don't feel like I can punish them for a) losing to #2 Alabama or b) winning ugly 16-10 at a bad Indiana team. They'll have a chance to prove themselves again against Iowa next week. Also, it gives me six top 25 teams with big cats as their mascots. (Tigers, Tigers, Wildcats, Cougars, Tigers, Nittany Lions)
23) Arizona State Sun Devils (4-1, 2-0) - There's a whole platoon of one-loss Pac-12 teams that could be bunched up here at the bottom of the rankings. ASU gets the edge over the Huskies for now, because they have two quality wins over Missouri and USC, and Nebraska just got clobbered by Wisconsin while Illinois remains undefeated. The Sun Devils have a big showdown next week at Utah, a game which should decide the Pac-12 South.
24) Virginia Tech (4-1, 0-1)
25) SMU (4-1, 2-0)
1) LSU Tigers (5-0, 2-0) - I wish that I could rank LSU and Alabama 1a and 1b. LSU looked like they were sleepwalking there a little bit in their 35-7 win over Kentucky, forcing only one turnover the entire game. But I guess you're allowed to do that when you only give up 155 total yards and don't allow a score until the fourth quarter.
2) Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0 , 2-0) - Time for my first "Totally Premature BCS Nightmare Scenario": #9 South Carolina (10-2) upsets #1 Alabama (12-0) 24-21 in the SEC Championship. #2 Oklahoma wins the Big 12 at 11-1, #3 Boise State is the only undefeated team at 12-0, and #4 LSU finishes 11-1. No other team has fewer than 2 losses. Who do you put in the BCS Championship?
3) Boise State Broncos (4-0, 0-0) - Boise State got some sort of catharsis in dominating rival Nevada 30-10. But the sad truth is that the Broncos have a much tougher road to the BCS this year than they did last year. By my count, they are going to have to run the table, and have no more than one other team go undefeated, and have at most one SEC team finish with one loss or fewer.
4) Wisconsin (5-0, 1-0)
5) Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0)
6) Stanford (4-0, 2-0)
7) Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0)
8) Clemson Tigers (5-0, 2-0) - The Clemson Tigers have now won back-to-back-to-back games against ranked opponents, (Auburn, Florida State, Virginia Tech) and have the inside track to reach the ACC title game. CB Xavier Brewer had his third interception of the season against VT.
9) Illinois Illini (5-0, 1-0) - Yeah, I may be a homer, considering that the Illini have won their last three games by a total of nine points, and needed two miracles to come back from 18 points down to beat Northwestern, 38-35. But they're also off to their best start since 1951, when they finished the season 8-0-1 and claimed a National Title by beating Stanford in the Rose Bowl, 40-7.
10) Michigan Wolverines (5-0, 1-0) - It may have been against lowly Minnesota, but Michigan sure looked like a complete team in a 58-0 rout. The football gods have blessed the Wolverines by not putting Wisconsin on their schedule, but they're still going to have to win at Michigan State if they want to reach the Big Ten championship.
11) Texas Longhorns (4-0, 1-0)- Boo. Texas continues to be on the revenge path, this time winning at Iowa State 37-14. The worst part about it is that now ESPN will be losing their sh*t all week long about undefeated Texas versus undefeated Oklahoma. But remember, not counting Iowa State, Texas' previous opponents (Rice, BYU, UCLA) have a combined record of 6-8. Final score: Texas 17, Oklahoma 42.
12) Kansas State Wildcats (4-0, 1-0) - Heisman Trophy Watch: QB Robert Griffin III: 23/31, 346 yards, 5TDs 1 INT.... oh, wait... wrong team. K-State has now won back-to-back thrillers against Miami and Baylor. Let's see if they can do it again next week against Missouri.
13) Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0)
14) Houston Cougars (5-0, 1-0) - Heisman Trophy Watch: QB Case Keenum: 30/46, 471 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs. He also leads the country in passing yards per game, and has 14 TDs to 2 INTs for the season.
15) Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0)
16) Arkansas Razorbacks (4-1, 0-1) - I definitely expected Arkansas to beat Texas A&M. I didn't expect them to have to rally from down 17 to do it, though. They gave up 230 yards rushing to RB Christine Michael. Auburn and RB Michael Dyer are coming to town next week. Arkansas' defense has some work to do.
17) Oregon Ducks (3-1, 1-0) - For almost 30 minutes, the Ducks looked like an elite team in building a 35-3 lead over the Arizona Wildcats. Then they let their foot off the gas and allowed Arizona to score 21 consecutive points, before waking back up and cruising to a final 56-31 win. 3-1 Cal comes to Eugene on Thursday night. I bet the fans at Autzen will remember all those "injuries" the Bears suffered in last year's 15-13 thriller in Berkeley.
18) Florida Gators (4-1, 2-1) - There was about, maybe, 30 seconds in the first quarter of the Alabama-Florida game when I thought to myself, "Hey, Florida just might pull this off." Nope, wrong. The Gators now have to play at LSU, possibly without QB John Brantley. My question is, "Who now should be favored to win the SEC East?" Georgia Bulldog fans should be pricking up their ears.
19) Nebraska (4-1, 0-1)
20) West Virginia Mountaineers (4-1, 0-0)- With South Florida getting embarrassed at Pitt 44-17, West Virginia remains the only ranked Big East team. (They're #16 in the AP.) Sometimes I'm glad that the Big East is self-destructing. Then maybe we don't have to keep letting a 9-3 team go to the Orange Bowl.
21) Auburn Tigers (4-1, 2-0) - I like Auburn. They won ugly again, this time 16-13 over South Carolina in a game that had a total of 8 turnovers. Things get tougher for the Tigers, as their next three games are at Arkansas, vs. Florida, and at LSU. Winning just one of those games might be considered a positive outcome.
22) Penn State Nittany Lions (4-1, 1-0)- I've ranked Penn State because I don't feel like I can punish them for a) losing to #2 Alabama or b) winning ugly 16-10 at a bad Indiana team. They'll have a chance to prove themselves again against Iowa next week. Also, it gives me six top 25 teams with big cats as their mascots. (Tigers, Tigers, Wildcats, Cougars, Tigers, Nittany Lions)
23) Arizona State Sun Devils (4-1, 2-0) - There's a whole platoon of one-loss Pac-12 teams that could be bunched up here at the bottom of the rankings. ASU gets the edge over the Huskies for now, because they have two quality wins over Missouri and USC, and Nebraska just got clobbered by Wisconsin while Illinois remains undefeated. The Sun Devils have a big showdown next week at Utah, a game which should decide the Pac-12 South.
24) Virginia Tech (4-1, 0-1)
25) SMU (4-1, 2-0)
My Top 25: Oct. 02
1) LSU (5-0, 2-0, +12)
2) Alabama (5-0 , 2-0, +12)
3) Boise State (4-0, 0-0, +6)
4) Wisconsin (5-0, 1-0, +9)
5) Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0, +8)
6) Stanford (4-0, 2-0, +4)
7) Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0, +8)
8) Clemson (5-0, 2-0, +9)
9) Illinois (5-0, 1-0, +7)
10) Michigan (5-0, 1-0, +5)
11) Texas (4-0, 1-0, +6)
12) Kansas State (4-0, 1-0, +6)
13) Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0, +5)
14) Houston (5-0, 1-0, +5)
15) Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0, +4)
16) Arkansas (4-1, 0-1, +3)
17) Oregon (3-1, 1-0, +2)
18) Florida (4-1, 2-1, +3)
19) Nebraska (4-1, 0-1, +3)
20) West Virginia (4-1, 0-0, +3)
21) Auburn (4-1, 2-0, +2)
22) Penn State (4-1, 1-0, +3)
23) Arizona State (4-1, 2-0, 0)
24) Virginia Tech (4-1, 0-1, +1)
25) SMU (4-1, 2-0, +1)
Washington (4-1, 2-0, +1)
Baylor (3-1, 0-1, 0)
Tennessee (3-1, 0-1, 0)
South Florida (4-1, 0-1, -1)
Iowa State (3-1, 0-1, -1)
Cincinnati (4-1, 0-0, -2)
South Carolina (4-1, 2-1, -2)
USC (4-1, 2-1, -2)
Michigan State (4-1, 1-0, -2)
2) Alabama (5-0 , 2-0, +12)
3) Boise State (4-0, 0-0, +6)
4) Wisconsin (5-0, 1-0, +9)
5) Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0, +8)
6) Stanford (4-0, 2-0, +4)
7) Oklahoma State (4-0, 1-0, +8)
8) Clemson (5-0, 2-0, +9)
9) Illinois (5-0, 1-0, +7)
10) Michigan (5-0, 1-0, +5)
11) Texas (4-0, 1-0, +6)
12) Kansas State (4-0, 1-0, +6)
13) Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0, +5)
14) Houston (5-0, 1-0, +5)
15) Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0, +4)
16) Arkansas (4-1, 0-1, +3)
17) Oregon (3-1, 1-0, +2)
18) Florida (4-1, 2-1, +3)
19) Nebraska (4-1, 0-1, +3)
20) West Virginia (4-1, 0-0, +3)
21) Auburn (4-1, 2-0, +2)
22) Penn State (4-1, 1-0, +3)
23) Arizona State (4-1, 2-0, 0)
24) Virginia Tech (4-1, 0-1, +1)
25) SMU (4-1, 2-0, +1)
Washington (4-1, 2-0, +1)
Baylor (3-1, 0-1, 0)
Tennessee (3-1, 0-1, 0)
South Florida (4-1, 0-1, -1)
Iowa State (3-1, 0-1, -1)
Cincinnati (4-1, 0-0, -2)
South Carolina (4-1, 2-1, -2)
USC (4-1, 2-1, -2)
Michigan State (4-1, 1-0, -2)
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Wearing My Lucky Underwear, Too
This is why sports fans start becoming superstitious: When I got home from work this morning and turned on the TV, Northwestern was leading Illinois 28-10. Since then, the Illini have scored 21 points in a row to take a 31-28 lead. From my perspective, what happened? Something about my turning the TV on changed the game, a kind theory-of-relativity, Schrodinger's cat, I change the game by the mere act of watching it!!
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