It was another weekend of limited big time matchups but that did not stop some movement from occurring among the top 25. The biggest ripple comes from South Carolina getting a big SEC victory over Georgia who was coming off an impressive opening weekend win over Clemson. The other top 10 to stumble this past weekend was USC who may have had a bit of a hangover from a key win against Stanford on the road as Boston College ran over them to say the least. The top 5 remains intact and much of the top 25 who did win had blow out and statement making games as they make their case to play for a national title. Much like USC, Virginia Tech seemed to still have a big victory hangover impacting them as they fell to East Carolina in a close one. That loss knocks them out of the top 25 along with Louisville who got hit hard by a tough Virginia team. With Virginia Tech and Louisville falling out of the top 25, that allows BYU who looks very good and could run the table to move into the top 25 along with North Carolina who will need to take lessons from Virginia Tech as they get a very good East Carolina team.
With that, here are Week 4's power rankings:
1)(1) Florida State (vs Clemson)- They went to Death Valley and rolled over the Tigers last year and should expect Clemson's best effort in another primetime showdown.
2)(2) Oregon (at Washington State)- They continue to look nearly unstoppable offensively and it shouldn't change against a team they have had much success against.
3)(3) Alabama (vs Florida)- Their new quarterback is starting to come into his own in an offense geared to score points.
4)(4) Oklahoma (at West Virginia)- They took advantage of a spotlight game last week to show why they are positioning themselves as one of the best teams.
5)(5) Auburn (at Kansas State)- It is still hard to tell if this team can make it back to the national title game and this week will provide an opportunity to see where they might be.
6)(7) Texas A&M (at SMU)- It looks like they might be better offensively with a new quarterback and without a big receiver and can continue to position themselves to be a sleeper title contender.
7)(9) LSU (vs Mississippi State)- They are tough to beat under the lights at home but should still be leery of a hungry conference foe coming to town.
8)(10) Baylor (BYE)- Their quarterback looks to be healthy and that is not what opposing defenses want to hear.
9)(11) Notre Dame (BYE)- They can use a bye to further iron out a few wrinkles in what could slowly emerge as a team on par with a couple years ago.
10)(13) Michigan State (vs Eastern Michigan)- They have had a rough loss at Oregon lingering for two weeks and will likely look to quickly put that game behind them.
11)(12) UCLA (BYE)- They grind out close ones each week and that could help down the road but still need to develop a killer instinct.
12)(14) Stanford (BYE)- They should be able to build upon a lot of the good things they did after a loss as they are still a top team in their conference and the country.
13)(6) Georgia (vs Troy)- They had chances to pull out an important road win and build on their opening victory and let that slip away.
14)(21) South Carolina (at Vanderbilt)- They needed a win and got one and are back in the thick of things nationally and in the SEC.
15)(8) USC (BYE)- They were coming off a big win and got blown out and run over and could use a bye to regroup.
16)(16) Arizona State (BYE)- They have a week off to prepare for a huge conference game at home that could shift the conference's top tier.
17)(17) Mississippi (BYE)- They have slowly built up steam and could learn from last year's stumbles in big games.
18)(15) Wisconsin (vs Bowling Green)- They came out the gates strong but need an impressive showing to get themselves on track after not being able to put together a complete game.
19)(19) Ohio State (BYE)- They put their loss to Virginia Tech behind them quickly but still need to figure out how to grow from their struggles with a young quarterback.
20)(20) Nebraska (vs Miami (FL))- They have a chance to take advantage of some struggles of the top teams in the Big 10 if they play like they did last week.
21)(23) Clemson (at Florida State)- They did not play well in the second half against Georgia on the road and will need to figure out how to put together a complete game this time around against a slightly better team on the road.
22)(24) Missouri (vs Indiana)- They are molding nicely into form and might be better than some expected after losing some key players.
23)(25) Kansas State (vs Auburn)- They have a chance this week to show where they stand against a top 5 team at home.
24)(NR) BYU (vs Virginia)- They might have the most dynamic quarterback in the country who is tough to slow down and tackle.
25)(NR) North Carolina (at East Carolina)- Time will tell if they can make some noise this year as they continue to look balanced.
NEXT 5
1) Oklahoma State (BYE)- They get a week off to continue to build some good things seen so far.
2) Virginia Tech (vs Georgia Tech)- They have not done well in recent years after a big win and that trend continued last week.
3) Mississippi State (at LSU)- How good can this team be? This week will be a good test to show where they are.
4) Duke (vs Tulane)- While still not on par with last year, they are still proving to be a dangerous team.
5) Penn State (vs Massachusetts)- After 3 games where they needed strong finishes to secure wins, they should have a little more breathing room this week.
The big top 25 games this week are Clemson heading to Florida State and Auburn facing Kansas State. Also Mississippi State has a chance to jump into the top 25 if they can knock off LSU on the road.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Monday, September 8, 2014
College Football Week 3 Power Rankings
While it was not a deep slate of big matchups in Week 2, there were some thrilling games and finishes. The biggest one involving Oregon and Michigan State which saw the Ducks go up before the Spartans went up and then the Ducks blew away the Spartans in the end. The Michigan State highlighted a rough day for the Big Ten that also involves Ohio State dropping a primetime game at home to Virginia Tech. The rest of the top 10 in action looked impressive against lowly foes. Stanford was the weekend's other big loser as they threw away multiple scoring opportunities at home against USC. Finally, Notre Dame gave Michigan its first shutout loss in 30 years and put a big exclamation mark on their storied rivalry. The lone casualty to the top 25 was Texas with another rough loss to BYU as Virginia Tech slides into the top 25 after their big road win.
With that, here are Week 3's power rankings:
1)(1) Florida State (BYE)- They get a week off to prepare for another top 25 matchup with Clemson.
2)(3) Oregon (vs Wyoming)- They exploded in the 2nd half last week and they might finish this week's game by halftime.
3)(2) Alabama (vs Southern Mississippi)- They are strong on paper but still molding that talent on the field.
4)(4) Oklahoma (vs Tennessee)- They get a primetime game against a SEC team to showcase where they stand this year.
5)(5) Auburn (BYE)- They have a week off to get ready for what could be a good challenge on the road against Kansas State.
6)(7) Georgia (at South Carolina)- After their opening win, there is some growing hype for this team and they will need to match that against another foe from the state of South Carolina with a seasoned coach.
7)(11) Texas A&M (vs Rice)- Should be another week of dominance by the Aggies.
8)(14) USC (at Boston College)- They should look more like the team everyone saw Week 1 against a lesser opponent.
9)(10) LSU (vs Louisiana-Monroe)- Another chance for a young team to get into proper form before conference play.
10)(13) Baylor (at Buffalo)- They have their quarterback returning and either way this week should be another Bears' rout and victory.
11)(15) Notre Dame (vs Purdue)- They might have had their biggest win against Michigan last week and will need to continue their top play ability to build steam for their season.
12)(12) UCLA (vs Texas)- They have not looked especially great the first two weeks and a team coming off a rough loss could provide them with their first loss if they don't play better.
13)(6) Michigan State (BYE)- They get a week to heal their wounds and regroup after a rough loss.
14)(9) Stanford (vs Army)- A good week and opponent to get back on track after a game they let slip away.
15)(16) Wisconsin (BYE)- They have been strong at times but also have lacked a killer instinct at times.
16)(17) Arizona State (at Colorado)- They get a chance to make a statement in their conference this week and showcase that they are just as good as top conference teams.
17)(18) Mississippi (vs Louisiana-Lafayette)- They played much more efficient in Week 2 and should be able to build on that again this week.
18)(NR) Virginia Tech (vs East Carolina)- They broke a lengthy trend of struggles against top 10 teams unranked and now position themselves to be noticed after going under the radar to start the year.
19)(8) Ohio State (vs Kent State)- Everyone knew they wouldn't be as good with an experienced quarterback at the helm and should be able to regroup as long as they are refocused this week.
20)(19) Nebraska (at Fresno State)- They needed a bit of a Hail Mary to survive against a lesser opponent and have to play better this week or could stumble hard.
21)(20) South Carolina (vs Georgia)- They have a chance to put their opening loss behind them if they can get a huge conference victory at home.
22)(25) Louisville (at Virginia)- They have slowly emerged as a team that is stronger than some expected with a good offense.
23)(23) Clemson (BYE)- They have a week off to prepare to for the top ranked team in the country.
24)(21) Missouri (vs UCF)- They have seemed to go through the motions a bit and will need to be on watch against a gritty team.
25)(22) Kansas State (BYE)- They survived a close one and will now have a week to prepare for a big game at home.
NEXT 5
1) BYU (vs Houston)- They have a team with an elusive quarterback that could slowly make noise this year if they can keep up their play.
2) North Carolina (BYE)- They got lucky with a win and have a week to polish up some rough edges.
3) Oklahoma State (vs UTSA)- They can continue to show the country that they could creep into the Big 12 conversation this year.
4) Penn State (at Rutgers)- They have had movements of great play but still need to monitor turnovers and missed opportunities.
5) Duke (vs Kansas)- They could start to prove that last year was not a fluke.
Not really any major top 25 drama this week as only one matchup of ranked teams (Georgia going to South Carolina) taking place.
With that, here are Week 3's power rankings:
1)(1) Florida State (BYE)- They get a week off to prepare for another top 25 matchup with Clemson.
2)(3) Oregon (vs Wyoming)- They exploded in the 2nd half last week and they might finish this week's game by halftime.
3)(2) Alabama (vs Southern Mississippi)- They are strong on paper but still molding that talent on the field.
4)(4) Oklahoma (vs Tennessee)- They get a primetime game against a SEC team to showcase where they stand this year.
5)(5) Auburn (BYE)- They have a week off to get ready for what could be a good challenge on the road against Kansas State.
6)(7) Georgia (at South Carolina)- After their opening win, there is some growing hype for this team and they will need to match that against another foe from the state of South Carolina with a seasoned coach.
7)(11) Texas A&M (vs Rice)- Should be another week of dominance by the Aggies.
8)(14) USC (at Boston College)- They should look more like the team everyone saw Week 1 against a lesser opponent.
9)(10) LSU (vs Louisiana-Monroe)- Another chance for a young team to get into proper form before conference play.
10)(13) Baylor (at Buffalo)- They have their quarterback returning and either way this week should be another Bears' rout and victory.
11)(15) Notre Dame (vs Purdue)- They might have had their biggest win against Michigan last week and will need to continue their top play ability to build steam for their season.
12)(12) UCLA (vs Texas)- They have not looked especially great the first two weeks and a team coming off a rough loss could provide them with their first loss if they don't play better.
13)(6) Michigan State (BYE)- They get a week to heal their wounds and regroup after a rough loss.
14)(9) Stanford (vs Army)- A good week and opponent to get back on track after a game they let slip away.
15)(16) Wisconsin (BYE)- They have been strong at times but also have lacked a killer instinct at times.
16)(17) Arizona State (at Colorado)- They get a chance to make a statement in their conference this week and showcase that they are just as good as top conference teams.
17)(18) Mississippi (vs Louisiana-Lafayette)- They played much more efficient in Week 2 and should be able to build on that again this week.
18)(NR) Virginia Tech (vs East Carolina)- They broke a lengthy trend of struggles against top 10 teams unranked and now position themselves to be noticed after going under the radar to start the year.
19)(8) Ohio State (vs Kent State)- Everyone knew they wouldn't be as good with an experienced quarterback at the helm and should be able to regroup as long as they are refocused this week.
20)(19) Nebraska (at Fresno State)- They needed a bit of a Hail Mary to survive against a lesser opponent and have to play better this week or could stumble hard.
21)(20) South Carolina (vs Georgia)- They have a chance to put their opening loss behind them if they can get a huge conference victory at home.
22)(25) Louisville (at Virginia)- They have slowly emerged as a team that is stronger than some expected with a good offense.
23)(23) Clemson (BYE)- They have a week off to prepare to for the top ranked team in the country.
24)(21) Missouri (vs UCF)- They have seemed to go through the motions a bit and will need to be on watch against a gritty team.
25)(22) Kansas State (BYE)- They survived a close one and will now have a week to prepare for a big game at home.
NEXT 5
1) BYU (vs Houston)- They have a team with an elusive quarterback that could slowly make noise this year if they can keep up their play.
2) North Carolina (BYE)- They got lucky with a win and have a week to polish up some rough edges.
3) Oklahoma State (vs UTSA)- They can continue to show the country that they could creep into the Big 12 conversation this year.
4) Penn State (at Rutgers)- They have had movements of great play but still need to monitor turnovers and missed opportunities.
5) Duke (vs Kansas)- They could start to prove that last year was not a fluke.
Not really any major top 25 drama this week as only one matchup of ranked teams (Georgia going to South Carolina) taking place.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
College Football Week 2 Power Rankings
While they did not look as dominant as they were for most of 2013 en route to a national championship, Florida State and QB Jameis Winston were slow and steady and used a few key big plays to set up a solid opening victory. It did not take too long before a top 10 took a loss and a big one at that as South Carolina was humbled and embarrassed by Texas A&M. Alabama, Ohio State, and UCLA among the top 10 teams were tested but found ways to pull away and avoid an opening weekend stumble. Most of the top 25 were able to start the year with a win and a couple who had losses fall out to make room for new additions.
With that, here are Week 2's power rankings:
1)(1) Florida State (vs Citadel)- It should be much easier this week as the champions return home and looking to show more flashes of their greatness.
2)(2) Alabama (vs Florida Atlantic)- The questions at quarterback are slowly being answered but Nick Saban will still expect a much overall performance this week.
3)(3) Oregon (vs Michigan State)- They are right on track offensively and will need to scheme accordingly to keep the Spartans' defense on their toes.
4)(4) Oklahoma (at Tulsa)- Should be another easy for the Sooners as they look to shape into form before conference play.
5)(5) Auburn (vs San Jose State)- They should have any quarterback issues behind them and ready to push ahead as a title contender.
6)(7) Michigan State (at Oregon)- If their defense doesn't bring their A game, their offense will need to be as good as last week if not better.
7)(12) Georgia (BYE)- Talk about a way to start the year as Georgia and their star running back have launched themselves into the national conversation.
8)(6) Ohio State (vs Virginia Tech)- They struggled a bit last week and will need to take lessons from their gritty win into this week.
9)(8) Stanford (vs USC)- They got shocked on the road last year against the Trojans and will be out for revenge as they host this year's contest with one of the best records at home.
10)(13) LSU (vs Sam Houston State)- The Tigers were asleep for 3 quarters before waking up with a mighty roar and should play dominant the whole game this week.
11)(19) Texas A&M (vs Lamar)- Talk about a debut for the new quarterback who can easily repeat that performance this week.
12)(10) UCLA (vs Memphis)- Their defense bailed out their struggling offense who showed some signs of the year ahead late in the second half.
13)(11) Baylor (vs Northwestern State)- The health of their quarterback won't hurt them this week but could against stronger opponents if he is not 100%.
14)(18) USC (at Stanford)- The Trojans offense looks very lethal if clicking and will need to do so against a tough mind Cardinal team.
15)(15) Notre Dame (vs Michigan)- They looked much more like the 2012 team than the 2013 team to start the year and hope to be as efficient in the last battle with the Wolverines for the foreseeable future.
16)(14) Wisconsin (vs Western Illinois)- They pounded the Tigers for much of the game last week and let a big win slip away and will likely take out their frustrations this week.
17)(17) Arizona State (at New Mexico)- They look to have a balanced team that could allow them to be competitive with the high power offenses and stifling defenses in the Pac-12.
18)(20) Mississippi (at Vanderbilt)- They lacked the killer instinct last week and will look to notch their first SEC win of the year in ironing things out.
19)(21) Nebraska (vs McNeese State)- They look like an improved team who can put up some points.
20)(9) South Carolina (vs East Carolina)- They got hit hard at home and will need to be prepared for a team in the Pirates who they cannot sleep on.
21)(22) Missouri (at Toledo)- They will continue to build upon their opening win as they prepare for a tougher challenge this year in the SEC.
22)(24) Kansas State (at Iowa State)- They displayed a lot of good things to start the year and get a team that fell to the same team they did last year to start the year.
23)(16) Clemson (vs South Carolina State)- They seemed poised to not have missed much of a step in the first half before the bottom fell in the second half and their offense will need to solve some issues.
24)(NR) Texas (vs BYU)- They were balanced and improved overall but now lose their starting quarterback for at least this week against a gritty team that blew them out last year.
25)(NR) Louisville (vs Murray State)- They replace a first round quarterback who is in the NFL but showed a steady approach that can lead to some big wins potentially this year.
NEXT 5
1) North Carolina (vs San Diego State)- Another chance to build up some steam for them before ACC play.
2) Oklahoma State (vs Missouri State)- They hung tough with the defending national champions and look to be better than some expected.
3) Penn State (vs Akron)- What a way to start the year and the James Franklin era and this week will be a great chance to build on that win.
4) Michigan (at Notre Dame)- They avoided a repeat loss to a team that beat them 7 years earlier and now prepare for a repeat of last year's meeting with the Fighting Irish as they close for now the storied rivalry between these two historic programs.
5) Virginia Tech (at Ohio State)- They will hope to shock many against a slightly less lethal foe than originally expected on the road.
Like last week, there will be a couple Top 25 contests led by USC visiting Stanford and Michigan State heading to Oregon. Who might move around after this week?
With that, here are Week 2's power rankings:
1)(1) Florida State (vs Citadel)- It should be much easier this week as the champions return home and looking to show more flashes of their greatness.
2)(2) Alabama (vs Florida Atlantic)- The questions at quarterback are slowly being answered but Nick Saban will still expect a much overall performance this week.
3)(3) Oregon (vs Michigan State)- They are right on track offensively and will need to scheme accordingly to keep the Spartans' defense on their toes.
4)(4) Oklahoma (at Tulsa)- Should be another easy for the Sooners as they look to shape into form before conference play.
5)(5) Auburn (vs San Jose State)- They should have any quarterback issues behind them and ready to push ahead as a title contender.
6)(7) Michigan State (at Oregon)- If their defense doesn't bring their A game, their offense will need to be as good as last week if not better.
7)(12) Georgia (BYE)- Talk about a way to start the year as Georgia and their star running back have launched themselves into the national conversation.
8)(6) Ohio State (vs Virginia Tech)- They struggled a bit last week and will need to take lessons from their gritty win into this week.
9)(8) Stanford (vs USC)- They got shocked on the road last year against the Trojans and will be out for revenge as they host this year's contest with one of the best records at home.
10)(13) LSU (vs Sam Houston State)- The Tigers were asleep for 3 quarters before waking up with a mighty roar and should play dominant the whole game this week.
11)(19) Texas A&M (vs Lamar)- Talk about a debut for the new quarterback who can easily repeat that performance this week.
12)(10) UCLA (vs Memphis)- Their defense bailed out their struggling offense who showed some signs of the year ahead late in the second half.
13)(11) Baylor (vs Northwestern State)- The health of their quarterback won't hurt them this week but could against stronger opponents if he is not 100%.
14)(18) USC (at Stanford)- The Trojans offense looks very lethal if clicking and will need to do so against a tough mind Cardinal team.
15)(15) Notre Dame (vs Michigan)- They looked much more like the 2012 team than the 2013 team to start the year and hope to be as efficient in the last battle with the Wolverines for the foreseeable future.
16)(14) Wisconsin (vs Western Illinois)- They pounded the Tigers for much of the game last week and let a big win slip away and will likely take out their frustrations this week.
17)(17) Arizona State (at New Mexico)- They look to have a balanced team that could allow them to be competitive with the high power offenses and stifling defenses in the Pac-12.
18)(20) Mississippi (at Vanderbilt)- They lacked the killer instinct last week and will look to notch their first SEC win of the year in ironing things out.
19)(21) Nebraska (vs McNeese State)- They look like an improved team who can put up some points.
20)(9) South Carolina (vs East Carolina)- They got hit hard at home and will need to be prepared for a team in the Pirates who they cannot sleep on.
21)(22) Missouri (at Toledo)- They will continue to build upon their opening win as they prepare for a tougher challenge this year in the SEC.
22)(24) Kansas State (at Iowa State)- They displayed a lot of good things to start the year and get a team that fell to the same team they did last year to start the year.
23)(16) Clemson (vs South Carolina State)- They seemed poised to not have missed much of a step in the first half before the bottom fell in the second half and their offense will need to solve some issues.
24)(NR) Texas (vs BYU)- They were balanced and improved overall but now lose their starting quarterback for at least this week against a gritty team that blew them out last year.
25)(NR) Louisville (vs Murray State)- They replace a first round quarterback who is in the NFL but showed a steady approach that can lead to some big wins potentially this year.
NEXT 5
1) North Carolina (vs San Diego State)- Another chance to build up some steam for them before ACC play.
2) Oklahoma State (vs Missouri State)- They hung tough with the defending national champions and look to be better than some expected.
3) Penn State (vs Akron)- What a way to start the year and the James Franklin era and this week will be a great chance to build on that win.
4) Michigan (at Notre Dame)- They avoided a repeat loss to a team that beat them 7 years earlier and now prepare for a repeat of last year's meeting with the Fighting Irish as they close for now the storied rivalry between these two historic programs.
5) Virginia Tech (at Ohio State)- They will hope to shock many against a slightly less lethal foe than originally expected on the road.
Like last week, there will be a couple Top 25 contests led by USC visiting Stanford and Michigan State heading to Oregon. Who might move around after this week?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
