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bretticus33 Ballot for 2021 Week 8

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Oct. 18, 2021, 1:50 a.m.

Rank Team Reason
1 Georgia Bulldogs The gap between #1 and #2 right now looks a larger than the gap between #2 and #10.  Georgia right now is by far and away the best team in the country and they're coming off 3 comfortable wins over ranked opposition.  The defense could be historically great
2 Cincinnati Bearcats Is Cincinnati the 2nd best team in the country? Maybe, but they're doing what you would expect great P5 teams to do and they're rolling over their competition and not leaving any doubt.  Cincinnati is a helluva good team and it'll be interesting to see where the CFP does end up having them when the first rankings come out.
3 Oklahoma Sooners The Sooner offense looks so much better with Caleb Williams.  The defense looks better than in the past but that's a low hurdle to clear.  Oklahoma is still undefeated and the team to beat in the Big 12.
4 Ohio State Buckeyes They had a bye, but before that Ohio State had been playing like one of the best teams in the country.  The defensive issues look like they were fixed and the offense was rolling with Stroud.
5 Michigan Wolverines Bye week for the Wolverines but they've gone above all expectations with their start to the season.  This isn't a flawless team though and hopefully they used the bye to clean themselves up.
6 Penn State Nittany Lions Penn State also coming off a bye.  Before the Clifford injury, they were rolling against Iowa and probably would have won.  If Clifford is healthy and able to play, Penn State is damn good.  If he isn't available, then there's cause for concern.
7 Alabama Crimson Tide Alabama looked like Alabama with a 40 point decimation of Mississippi State.  I'm a bit lower on Alabama because there has to be some sort of consequence for a loss, but Alabama is a playoff team if they continue playing like they did last Saturday.
8 Michigan State Spartans Michigan State is a bit difficult to figure out.  They are obviously very talented and well coached, but they're also inconsistent.  Yet they're still undefeated.
9 Oklahoma State Cowboys Oklahoma State almost feels like an imposter.  Their defense is fantastic and they've got a really good RB on their hands.  However Spencer Sanders doesn't seem like someone who can step up more when he needs to.  They beat Texas in spite of him.
10 Iowa Hawkeyes The expected Iowa letdown happened.  Their defense wasn't able to play up to their normal elite level and the offense failed to pick up the slack where they were covered by the defense all season.  
11 Oregon Ducks Oregon has a QB problem.  Anthony Brown just isn't good enough to be their starter, but the Ducks also don't seem anywhere near ready to bench him.  Oregon should be wiping the Pac-12 with their team but they'll lose another game or two with Brown as the starter.
12 Kentucky Wildcats They fell to Georgia but so has everyone else the Bulldogs have played.  Their defense is still very good and Stoops is still a good enough coach to get Kentucky to 9 or 10 wins on the season.
13 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers CC had a bye but this Wednesday will be a big barometer for them.  Louisiana just blew the doors off App State and CC will be expected to do something similar.  They don't have the SOS to remain in their current spot without obliterating the stronger Sun Belt teams.
14 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Wake Forest had a bye but they still might be the ACC's best team.  They're currently undefeated but they're starting to live on the edge with their games.  Army is a team that is more than capable of an upset if Wake Forest isn't careful.
15 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Notre Dame had a bye but they're preparing to take on USC this weekend.  The Irish, for the most part, have been underwhelming on the season.  The talent is there but the execution is not.
16 Texas A&M Aggies A&M didn't have a letdown and took care of Missouri.  Defense looked good and they had a running game, which they'll need as their season continues.  Their biggest worry is Calzada and the QB position.
17 NC State Wolfpack NC State beat up on a one-loss Boston College and are staking a claim as the best ACC team.  The defense looked impenetrable and the offense was on the same page.
18 Baylor Bears Gerry Bohannon might be the most underrated QB in the country.  They easily beat BYU and they won't be an easy out in the Big 12.  I expect Aranda's squad to steal a couple big wins but I don't think they'll remain at 1 loss on the rest of the season.
19 Ole Miss Rebels Matt Corral is the biggest reason why Ole Miss is where they are.  He makes that offense run but their defense isn't good enough.  They did beat a tough Tennessee team on the road but I'm not sold enough on the Rebels.
20 SMU Mustangs SMU had a bye but they're definitely one of the best G5 teams in the country.  Their resurgence has made them the biggest threat to Cincinnati in the AAC.
21 Auburn Tigers Auburn is a good team with an infuriatingly inconsistent QB.  Bo Nix looked like a Heisman contender against Arkansas but has looked like someone who should be benched at other times.  If Nix can find consistency, Auburn will be a dangerous team.
22 San Diego State Aztecs SDSU escaped an upset against a San Jose State team that had been underwhelming after last season.  The offense was stagnant and anemic and they could have a QB problem brewing.
23 UTSA Roadrunners UTSA is maybe the best feel-good story of the season.  Traylor has done a remarkable job with the program and they're ranked in the national polls for the first time ever.  Sincere McCormick is one of the best RBs you've never heard of.
24 Pittsburgh Panthers Pitt has been rolling outside of an inexplicable loss to WMU earlier in the season.  Kenny Pickett is playing like a Heisman contender and has an incredible 21-1 TD:INT ratio.
25 Houston Cougars It was down to Houston and Purdue for #25 and while Purdue did just beat the #2 team in the country, they've also been much more inconsistent on the season.  Houston has quietly been dominating everyone in their path since their Week 1 loss to Texas Tech.

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