Iggy's college football rankings for 10/17/04

[iggymcfly 0]

OK, I figured that this week, I'd write a little comment on all of the teams that I ranked, and see if that helped facilitate discussion a little bit. If there's still no one interested, I'll just stop posting my rankings, and instead just use them as a guide to win the Pick' Em contest, and try to see if I can pick up another $350 when the bowl pool comes around.

 

1. USC 6-0 (1)

 

The Trojans showed why they’re the best team in the country against Arizona State. They’ve got incredible talent on both sides of the ball, and they know how to win close games too. Given the tough schedule they’ve played, I’d say they’ve accomplished more than Oklahoma or even Auburn at this point of the season.

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2. Oklahoma 6-0 (2)

 

Well, they looked like shit against Kansas State, but they probably had a hard time taking the Wildcats seriously the way they’ve played this year. The Texas win is still big, and they keep the two spot based on the fact that they haven’t really been challenged all year.

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3. Auburn 7-0 (3)

 

Auburn’s got a lot of big wins this year, and you could easily make a case for them being in the top two. However, they did need a freak leaping call to beat LSU at home, and I’d consider Oklahoma a little steadier at this point. If they can do anything close to what they did against the Vols when they play Georgia, they should take the two spot.

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4. Miami 5-0 (4)

 

Somewhat like USC, Miami seems to know how to win, as they just turned it up an extra notch against a very good Louisville team when they needed to. The fact that they did the same thing against Florida State seems even more impressive in light of what the Noles did to Virginia this week.

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5. California 4-1 (5)

 

The Golden Bears did everything except win against USC, and they’ve been incredibly impressive week and week out the rest of the year. If they’d played the Trojans in Berkeley, they might be the top-ranked, undefeated, Orange Bowl frontrunner.

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6. Utah 6-0 (11)

 

Yeah, this seems kind of high for a mid-major, but at this point in the season they’ve played as many BCS teams as a lot of members of BCS conferences. When it comes down to it, I figure that their 20 point win over Texas A&M was more impressive than anything Wisconsin’s done.

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7. Wisconsin 7-0 (13)

 

Speaking of which, the Badgers are still undefeated. They’ve been playing a lot better with Anthony Davis, and right now it looks extremely likely that they’ll run the table in the Big Ten. Of course, if Kyle Orton could hold on to the ball it would probably be a different story, but the Purdue win’s still impressive.

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8. Georgia 5-1 (9)

 

Yeah, they lost to Tennessee and technically they should probably be ranked below them, but the way the SEC is right now, the upper teams can go either way, and I really think that the Dawgs just have a lot more dangerous team than Tennessee does.

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9. Florida State 5-1 (15)

 

The Virginia win was pretty damn impressive, and enough to move FSU into the top ten. However, it was their only really good win of the year, and I can’t really say that it impresses me any more than what Georgia did to LSU.

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10. Tennessee 5-1 (8)

 

The Georgia win was nice, but they should have lost to Florida, and they really haven’t looked very good the rest of the season. They have a lot of performances like the one today where they almost lost to an Ole Miss team with a losing record.

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11. Louisville 4-1 (10)

 

It’s hard to fault the Cardinals much for a last minute loss to the #4 team in the country. However, you did get the feeling that they’d have a hard time doing this week and in and week out, and their best wins are still North Carolina and Kentucky.

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12. Texas 5-1 (12)

 

This is a tough team to rank. Their best win was probably a two pointer over Arkansas, but they did have a moderately close showing against Oklahoma. We really won’t know how good they are until they play Texas A&M.

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13. Purdue 5-1 (6)

 

The collapse against Wisconsin really hurts the Boilermakers. They were in a position where they could have made a run for the Orange Bowl, and one game later, they’re not even in contention for the Rose Bowl.

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14. Michigan 5-1 (17)

 

Looking in-depth at Michigan’s schedule, it doesn’t seem like they’ve accomplished that much, as the Iowa and Minnesota teams that they beat both have been absolutely exposed by Arizona State and Michigan State respectively. However, Notre Dame’s not a bad loss, and the Wolverines certainly have the talent to win out from here.

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15. Boise State 6-0 (16)

 

They refuse to put mediocre teams away, and as soon as they actually pick up a loss they’re done, but they do have a couple decent wins in OSU and UTEP, and more importantly, a big zero in the loss column.

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16. LSU 4-2 (19)

 

The Tigers are still going to be punished for the blowout against Georgia, but they were a leaping call away from beating Auburn on the road, and winning in the Swamp is still fairly impressive.

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17. Virginia Tech 5-2 (20)

 

The Hokies also have two losses, but a close loss to USC can’t hurt you too much, and they do have a solid win in West Virginia.

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18. Texas A&M 5-1 (23)

 

With the big win over Oklahoma State, the Aggies established themselves as the top threat to Oklahoma’s dominance in the Big 12. However, they did lose big against Utah in the opener.

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19. Arizona State 5-1 (7)

 

It might seem hypocritical to punish ASU for a loss to the Trojans and not Va. Tech, but it was 42-7 at halftime. That gives the impression of a team that’s not even in the same stratosphere as their opponent. Of course, they were still a stratosphere ahead of Iowa, so they still should get some credit

 

20. Florida 4-2 (21)

 

On the one hand, they seem to be on about the same level as Georgia/LSU/Tennessee, but on the other hand, they need to win one of those close games if they want people to see them as a serious contender.

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21. West Virginia 5-1 (24)

 

It’s not that it’s bad to lose to Virginia Tech. It’s just bad that the third or fourth best team from the ACC is the toughest squad they’ll face all year.

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22. Virginia 5-1 (14)

 

After an early year of beating nobodies, the Cavaliers got exposed[/b] by Florida State as an utter fraud. They’ll stay in the rankings as one of the few BCS schools with one loss, but they’re certainly not the top ten team people were trying to make them out to be.

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23. Notre Dame 5-2 (NR)

 

The Irish have done a pretty good job of getting through their difficult schedule and picking up some big wins here and there. Two losses really isn’t bad when an undefeated Navy team is your only “breather” game of the year.

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24. Oklahoma State 5-1 (18)

 

Much like Virginia, Oklahoma State got exposed, but stays in the rankings until they pick up another loss.

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25. NC State 4-2 (NR)

 

Well, there’s no more one loss teams left, and the Wolfpack do at least have the good win over Virginia Tech.

[Damaramu 0]

I never like your rankings. Still don't.

[Guest GreatOne]

What, cause OU's not #1

 

And what the hell happened to Stanford, what that scintiallating victory over the no. 8 team in the Pac 10 last night wasn't enough to propel them back in?

[Damaramu 0]

What, cause OU's not #1

 

And what the hell happened to Stanford, what that scintiallating victory over the no. 8 team in the Pac 10 last night wasn't enough to propel them back in?

Hahaha.....yeah b/c I agree with the AP and Coaches rankings and OU isn't #1 in those.......so you're wrong.

[snuffbox 0]

Wisconsin has to be a top 5 team at this point...7 is an unfunny joke.

[Guest GreatOne]

Hahaha.....yeah b/c I agree with the AP and Coaches rankings and OU isn't #1 in those.......so you're wrong.

OK JR....................

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Decent, but still too much love for the mid-majors. Undefeated is excellent for sure, but I think the AP poll is right to leave Utah behind most of the elite 1-loss squads. Wisconsin, Georgia, Tennessee, and FSU deserve the higher spot. Utah's comfortable A&M win certainly looks really good now, but A&M's become a much, much better team over the weeks following.

 

As for the "exposed" thing for both Oklahoma State and Virginia: they each got their asses handed to them by very good teams playing near-perfect games. I'd wait another week before entirely dismissing them. We matched Minnesota collapse this week; when these teams do the same thing, then I'll call them exposed. For now they're on probation.

[iggymcfly 0]

Wisconsin has to be a top 5 team at this point...7 is an unfunny joke.

And do you have a reason why Wisconsin should be top five? They needed a missed field goal to beat Arizona, and a missed field goal and a fumble to beat Purdue.

 

Yes, they're undefeated, but they haven't been as impressive as Utah thus far, and they haven't been anywhere near as impressive as Cal, last-second loss on the road to USC or no.

 

And Damaramu, do you care to elaborate on what's wrong with my rankings? The only real difference between those and the AP/Coaches is that I focus more on how the teams have actually played than I do on their reputations.

[snuffbox 0]

Wisconsin has to be a top 5 team at this point...7 is an unfunny joke.

And do you have a reason why Wisconsin should be top five? They needed a missed field goal to beat Arizona, and a missed field goal and a fumble to beat Purdue.

 

Yes, they're undefeated, but they haven't been as impressive as Utah thus far, and they haven't been anywhere near as impressive as Cal, last-second loss on the road to USC or no.

 

And Damaramu, do you care to elaborate on what's wrong with my rankings? The only real difference between those and the AP/Coaches is that I focus more on how the teams have actually played than I do on their reputations.

Wisconsin won both of those games...thats what matters - winning. Since when did defense (such as fumble returns for tds) stop counting?

 

Purdue was ranked 5th...you say in this thread that they were on pace for a possible Orange Bowl run. Wisconsin beats them (Purdue only had the lead for like a quarter, it wasnt like it ended with some desperate effort by Wisconsin), yet they can rank no higher than 7?

 

How can Purdue have been in position for an Orange Bowl run, and Wisconsin still isnt top 5? They also beat then #12 OhioState quite handily last weekend.

 

Why is the close win over Arizona a deterrant? The weather that day was so bad it caused a three-hour delay, and Wisconsin's Anthony Davis was injured.

[Damaramu 0]

Hahaha.....yeah b/c I agree with the AP and Coaches rankings and OU isn't #1 in those.......so you're wrong.

OK JR....................

That's my name.

[Guest GreatOne]

Ok-la-ho-MER, Ok-la-HO-mer........................

[Damaramu 0]

Are you just trolling here?

Because I said nothing about OU needing to be #1. But now you're insisitng that I was saying that whenever I said that I don't agree with his rankings.

 

And btw my name is JR if you didn't know. So it's not really an insult.

[Damaramu 0]

Are you just trolling here?

Because I said nothing about OU needing to be #1. But now you're insisitng that I was saying that whenever I said that I don't agree with his rankings.

 

And btw my name is JR if you didn't know. So it's not really an insult.

[Guest GreatOne]

Hey I'm just getting you in your usual midseason form.................

[Damaramu 0]

So everyone complains when I go DamaSault yet you are trying to drag me into that mode?

No I don't feel like it.

[snuffbox 0]

Hey I'm just getting you in your usual midseason form.................

How do you know his 'midseason form' if you joined here this summer?

[Guest GreatOne]

I've been briefed on it

[Damaramu 0]

But that's actually not midseason form. It's end of season form.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Wisconsin has to be a top 5 team at this point...7 is an unfunny joke.

And do you have a reason why Wisconsin should be top five? They needed a missed field goal to beat Arizona, and a missed field goal and a fumble to beat Purdue.

 

Yes, they're undefeated, but they haven't been as impressive as Utah thus far, and they haven't been anywhere near as impressive as Cal, last-second loss on the road to USC or no.

 

And Damaramu, do you care to elaborate on what's wrong with my rankings? The only real difference between those and the AP/Coaches is that I focus more on how the teams have actually played than I do on their reputations.

Wisconsin won both of those games...thats what matters - winning. Since when did defense (such as fumble returns for tds) stop counting?

 

Purdue was ranked 5th...you say in this thread that they were on pace for a possible Orange Bowl run. Wisconsin beats them (Purdue only had the lead for like a quarter, it wasnt like it ended with some desperate effort by Wisconsin), yet they can rank no higher than 7?

 

How can Purdue have been in position for an Orange Bowl run, and Wisconsin still isnt top 5? They also beat then #12 OhioState quite handily last weekend.

 

Why is the close win over Arizona a deterrant? The weather that day was so bad it caused a three-hour delay, and Wisconsin's Anthony Davis was injured.

They should be ranked ahead of California at least. Who has California beaten this year? New Mexico St. and Oregon St. Come on Cal's been beating up on nobodies and that doesn't seem to bother you.

[Guest GreatOne]

Well they did beat a pretty decent UCLA club and ripped USAFA to shreds. Little high though, agreed.

 

They end with USM.

[iggymcfly 0]

First off, I didn't have Purdue ranked fifth. They were sixth, behind Cal. The reason that they could be primed for an Orange Bowl run was that they still had chances against Wisconsin and Michigan to prove themselves and move up a couple of spots.

 

The Wisconsin/Purdue game last week was sloppy, and the Badgers won not by making a play of their own, but because of a missed field goal by their opponents. Now this doesn't mean that Wisconsin's not a very good team that should be rewarded for their unbeaten season thus far.

 

What it does mean is that I don't think that they could go into the L.A. Coliseum, and come within one play of defeating USC, and it does mean that I don't think they're as good of a team all-around as Cal. Cal beat OSU by 42, UCLA by 17, and they really haven't looked bad once all year. Just because they don't have as good of a record as Wisconsin or Utah doesn't mean that I should ignore the fact that they've been a better team.

[snuffbox 0]

Did you even watch the Wisconsin-Purdue game? Purdue didnt have a lead until 2 minutes into the Fourth Quarter! Purdue led the game for about ten minutes, then Wisconsin forced a fumble and ran it back to reclaim the lead.

 

The Badgers won on their own, by leading nearly the entire game, and the fumble at the end. The missed field goal only prevented a tie, not necessarily a Purdue win.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Ohio State won a National Title by keeping it close and making plays on defense. Since when is barely beating a top 5 team a bad thing? Wisconsin is a defensive team and they don't score a lot of points. Doesn't mean that they aren't a good team.

[iggymcfly 0]

Ohio State won a National Title by keeping it close and making plays on defense.  Since when is barely beating a top 5 team a bad thing?  Wisconsin is a defensive team and they don't score a lot of points. Doesn't mean that they aren't a good team.

The Wisconsin/Purdue game last week was sloppy, and the Badgers won not by making a play of their own, but because of a missed field goal by their opponents. Now this doesn't mean that Wisconsin's not a very good team that should be rewarded for their unbeaten season thus far. What it does mean is that I don't think that they could go into the L.A. Coliseum, and come within one play of defeating USC, and it does mean that I don't think they're as good of a team all-around as Cal.

 

Geez, it's not that hard to read, is it?

[lomasmoney 0]

i still dont think Utah is the 6th best team in the nation. Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, Michigan, Florida State, and Purdue would all wipe the floor with Utah.