Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Sept. 7, 2021, 7:40 p.m.

• Ballot
• Analysis

Rank	Team	Reason
1	Alabama Crimson Tide	After Week 1, Alabama looks to be on a level far above everyone else.
2	Ohio State Buckeyes	Ohio State's defense and QB play need to improve to compete for a national title, but they should still be favorites to win the B1G.
3	Georgia Bulldogs	Georgia's defense was phenomenal. Their schedule sets up for them to be 12-0 heading into the SECCG, nearly guaranteeing a playoff spot no matter the result of that game.
4	Texas A&M Aggies	The top 3 teams seemed clear, but it got more difficult at this point. A&M struggled a bit, but eventually won the game comfortably. I think they have the talent to compete with most teams not named Alabama.
5	Iowa Hawkeyes	Iowa had the best showing of any team over the weekend. Their passing game needs to improve, but their defense showed that they can change the game.
6	Cincinnati Bearcats	Cincinnati dominated in a rivalry game to open the season. They need to continue to win like this if they want to have any chance at the playoffs.
7	Clemson Tigers	Clemson's defense was outstanding. Unfortunately, their offensive line and QB play were underwhelming. In a bad ACC, they can't afford another loss.
8	Penn State Nittany Lions	Penn State's talent really shined in this game. The defense was incredible and came up with clutch plays numerous times. The offense needs work, but picked up the pace in the second half.
9	Texas Longhorns	Texas comfortably won against another ranked opponent, making them the most impressive looking team from the Big 12.
10	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	Notre Dame was lucky to pull out a win here. But FSU looks to be a much improved team, especially on defense. Coan looked very good at times
11	Florida Gators	Florida took care of business against FAU. We won't really know much about them until they play Bama. They benefitted from teams ahead of them struggling.
12	Oklahoma Sooners	Oklahoma's defense is awful again. Rattler looks mediocre. But they still have the players around him on offense that can win them games. It also helps to have a kicker who can nail 60 yarders.
13	Iowa State Cyclones	The Cyclones had their annual early in the year struggle game. They are going to have to improve immensely if they want to have a chance against the Hawkeyes this weekend.
14	Oregon Ducks	Oregon struggled against what looks to be a decent Fresno State team. They pulled off the win, but they'll have a much bigger test coming up in Columbus this weekend.
15	UCLA Bruins	Perhaps the best team in the Pac-12 so far, which isn't saying much. It'll be much easier to compare them to Oregon after this weekend, in which they will play Fresno State.
16	Wisconsin Badgers	Let the game slip away from them against PSU. Their defense and run game are both elite, but Mertz has to improve if they want to win the B1G West.
17	USC Trojans	USC pulled away in the 4th quarter, but haven't proved that they deserve a spot in the Top 15.
18	Arizona State Sun Devils	We may not learn much about ASU for a while, but they have a legitimate shot at the Pac-12 South.
19	Virginia Tech Hokies	The Hokies got a big win in the ACC Coastal. They are now the frontrunners to face Clemson in the ACCCG.
20	UCF Knights	UCF had the most impressive win of any G5 team over the weekend. They control their own destiny as far as getting a spot in a NY6 bowl. It should come down to their game against Cincinnati.
21	Appalachian State Mountaineers	Got a big win over a much improved East Carolina team.
22	TCU Horned Frogs	Another team that we haven't learned anything from in Week 1, but they should be a good team.
23	Coastal Carolina Chanticleers	McCall continued with his 2020 form. But it'll take some luck to make a NY6 game on this weak schedule.
24	NC State Wolfpack	Dominated USF. May be the biggest challenger to Clemson in the ACC this year.
25	Michigan Wolverines	Michigan's offense clicked against Western Michigan. If they can keep this going against Washington, they could challenge OSU and PSU in the B1G East.

Teams Ranked:

Rank	Team	Unusualness
1	Alabama Crimson Tide	0.00
2	Ohio State Buckeyes	0.22
3	Georgia Bulldogs	0.00
4	Texas A&M Aggies	0.02
5	Iowa Hawkeyes	0.55
6	Cincinnati Bearcats	0.00
7	Clemson Tigers	0.00
8	Penn State Nittany Lions	0.04
9	Texas Longhorns	0.58
10	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	0.00
11	Florida Gators	0.00
12	Oklahoma Sooners	-0.54
13	Iowa State Cyclones	0.00
14	Oregon Ducks	0.00
15	UCLA Bruins	0.00
16	Wisconsin Badgers	0.59
17	USC Trojans	0.00
18	Arizona State Sun Devils	1.11
19	Virginia Tech Hokies	0.00
20	UCF Knights	0.32
21	Appalachian State Mountaineers	3.91
22	TCU Horned Frogs	1.47
23	Coastal Carolina Chanticleers	0.00
24	NC State Wolfpack	0.00
25	Michigan Wolverines	0.00

Omissions:

Team	Unusualness
Ole Miss Rebels	0.67
Utah Utes	0.52
Auburn Tigers	0.03
Miami Hurricanes	0.05

Total Score: 10.63