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MWiatrak2077 Ballot for 2022 Week 3

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Sept. 12, 2022, 11:38 a.m.

Overall Rationale: vibes

Rank Team Reason
1 Georgia Bulldogs Despite not covering the spread, the defending national champions hosted a shutout against the Samford Bulldogs (dawg on dawg crime), in which they took a 30-0 halftime lead, and nearly quadrupled them in yardage (479-128, - 3.7:1 ratio). Since their hiccup in the SECCG last season, it's been nothing but pure domination for the talented Bulldogs, averaging a margin of victory of 37-8 since defeating Michigan in last years' Orange Bowl. I understand Alabama's historical dominance, but, Georgia is on a streak that's never been seen like this before. They should be ranked #1 until they lose, or look sloppy, - simple as that.
2 Ohio State Buckeyes As per my last ranking, OSU has usurped the #2 slot from Alabama, - mostly due to circumstances outside their influence. However, a 45-12 beatdown on Arkansas State is certainly a good way to impress most people. C.J. Stroud still appears to be shaking off rust, as he started sloppy and OSU only lead 17-9 with 5:22 left in the second quarter. However, Stroud followed it up with a resounding second half, finishing the game with 4 touchdown passes, 351 yards, on 16-24 passing. Aside some September rust, OSU looks like their same old dominant selves, and in two games, they have only allowed 3 second-half points, - a noted strength of Jim Knowles' defense in the other OSU was half-time adjustments, and it appears to be true in Columbus, too.
3 Alabama Crimson Tide There can be two truths: Texas looked fantastic, Alabama played like shit. They came into this media-hyped matchup as overwhelming 20pt favorites on the road, and came out limping. It could be early season rust, but Bryce Young looked particularly shaken, as did the entire offense. The Alabama defense did manage to hold Texas to a respectably low amount of scoring. Despite this, Quinn Ewers looked fantastic against their Secondary, prior to going down due to injury. During a scoring drought from Alabama, that lasted between 2:34 in the first quarter, to 8:29 in the fourth, the defense managed to stop Texas from converting redzone opportunities into touchdowns on several occasions, which, despite their offensive struggles, was very impressive. Shoddy officiating led to a Texas Safety that would've given Texas a 12-10 lead at halftime was reversed, and could've potentially changed the margin of this game. Alabama did an impressive drive across the field to retake a 21-19 lead with :00 left on the clock, however, I would argue that it never should have been that close at all. Overall, C- performance from an overwhelming favorite. However, on this Saturday, it could've been worse.
4 Michigan Wolverines My beloved (kinda) Wolverines, they faced off against the tragically terrible Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors in an expected blowout. The spread at gametime was -51.5, the highest in Michigan football history. Despite missing the spread by a mere TD margin (-46), the Wolverines had an extremely potent first half. They outgained the Warriors 410-32, (most yardage collected in a half under Harbaugh since 2016), were up 42-0, and held the Warriors to just two first-downs. Most importantly, 5* QB J.J. McCarthy looked extremely poised, collected, & impressive, even against an opponent such as Hawai'i. J.J. finished the game at the half, with a statline of 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 11/12 passing (one drop), 19.1 Y/A. As a Michigan fan, I haven't been this impressed in nearly a decade. Unfortunately, the second half proved to be a serious battle, as Michigan's deep reserves came out, and several tryouts got their opportunities. (Likely) former QB1, Cade McNamara, had the same struggles he suffered against Colorado State, - inaccurate, nervous in the pocket, and couldn't throw past 6 yards. On a drive in which the entire starting offensive line came out just to help him, he severely underthrew a pass, and got picked off. Cade finished the game with a statline of 0 TDs, 1 INT, 4/6, 4.3 Y/A. Jim Harbaugh has already stated that J.J. will be the starting QB going forward. This doesn't mean we don't appreciate what he has done for the program, slaying OSU and winning the Big Ten, however, it's clear he's become a #2. If he leaves the program, wherever he goes, we will always support him no matter what. As for the rest of the game, Michigan won 56-10 in a fairly uneventful second half which saw Hawai'i win the third quarter 3-0. To end the game, Michigan stopped a fourth down conversion in their own redzone to ice it. While fairly uneventful and expected, Michigan avoided any serious upset alerts, and looked like an NFL team against High-Schoolers in the first half. Hawai'i impressed deeply with their poise and pride in the second half, which leaves hopes of a rebuilt program under their former star QB, now Head Coach, Timmy Chang. Michigan has dominated their last two opponents, has gone on a 14-2 streak since the start of 2021, and has mostly solved their QB situation, however, I do not feel comfortable ranking them ahead of Alabama, or anyone, until their schedule improves and Big Ten play opens up.
5 Oklahoma Sooners Despite their preseason AP ranking, Oklahoma was a team that many had assumed would be in the depths of a rebuilding year under newfound Head Coach, Brent Venables, - however, two games into the season, and they're as potent as ever. Despite Lincoln Riley ditching the program for USC, and stealing blue-chip talent with him, this Oklahoma team has all the discipline and confidence that we've seen (and haven't seen) in years prior. In today's matchup, despite a weirdly close first-half, Oklahoma handedly defeated a semi-decent Kent State team, 33-3. Dillon Gabriel looked excellent, with a statline of 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 21/28, 296 yards, 10.6 Y/A. Despite the weirdness of the first half, I feel very confident in saying that Brent Venables has improved Oklahoma's defense by a wide margin, holding their first two (albeit, not great) opponents to an average of 8 points per game. To any naysayers, this is the same program that nearly lost to Tulane last year in a 40-35 week one brawl, and allowed 25+ points in 7 of 13 games (including 48 against a 5-7 Texas). I think Oklahoma is still likely one to three years out of real playoff contention, however, I feel confident that Brent Venables is continuing to build upon an elite program. However, on the flip side of things, Oklahoma allowed 312 yards last week against UTEP, and nearly allowed 300+ again, with 295. Historically, bend-don't-break defenses rarely hold up against superior offenses, and they have now lost the ToP game by 74:52 - 44.68, which, again, doesn't bode well against good offenses with strong rushing attacks. But, at the end of the day, they're 2-0, 7th in offensive points per drive, and allowing a meager 8 points per game, and have shown an excelling passing attack, - all to likely their best start since 2017. I am confident that the Sooner will be in deep contention for the Big-12 title this season.
6 Clemson Tigers Yeah, I don't even know what to say. This does not at all resemble the Clemson of 2015-2020. This week they beat FCS Furman by a 35-12 margin, losing the spread by nearly 23 points. The numbers say D.J. Uiagalelei finally had a decent game, with a statline of 2 TDs, 1 INT, 21/27, 231 yards, 8.6 Y/A. A thoroughly decent 28-9 halftime score led to just 3 second-half points in a dismal performance from the Clemson first string. I'm not convinced that Clemson isn't a contender, or that they can't fix their issues, although, they certainly haven't done anything to inspire confidence. D.J. had a decent statistical game, but Furman aren't exactly worldbeaters, - being an FCS team, who finished 6-5 last year, and allowed more points than Clemson scored this week in 4 games last year. It feels like Clemson's ACC title chances are slowly dimming away, especially with the rise of Miami/NCSU/Pitt, - let alone their playoff chances. I can't comment too much on Clemson, because I am not an avid watcher, however, from an outsiders perspective, I see an incredibly talented defense wasted by a severely subpar offense, - mostly vitiated by a mediocre starting QB. As I see it now, a presumed title contender will slip into the teens as the season progresses, unless Dabo makes serious changes to his offense.
7 Oklahoma State Cowboys As it stands right now, Oklahoma State has gone 16-2 in their last 18 games, an exceedingly dominant performance from the revitalized Cowboys. This week they faced off against an Arizona State team, which, while many believe could miss a bowl game & have their worst record in several seasons. However, ASU performed very well in week in week 1 against an FCS NAU, - bringing intrigue to this matchup. Valiantly, ASU hung in with the best of them, entering the second half down 17-3, but generating some newfound offense and being down just 20-17 at the start of the fourth. Unfortunately, that's about where good fortunes would end the Sun Devils luck in Stillwater, as OkSt QB Spencer Sanders launched two TD passes late to cap it off in a solid 34-17 win for Oklahoma State. While I had some serious concerns last week about the Cowboys defense, namely allowing 44 points to Central Michigan, so far it appears to be nothing more than a hiccup, as they held ASU QB Emory Jones to just a 52% completion percentage, and stuffed their run game to a team 3.5 YPC. Their offense hummed as usual, with 465 yards total, 2 TDs from Spencer Sanders, and a colossal beatdown in 1st downs acquired, where they beat the Sun Devils 30-13. As it stands, this win was fairly run of the mill for the nationally-coveted Cowboys, they beat a (potentially) floundering ASU team to advance up 2-0 in a weekend of upsets, and did cover the spread. It remains to be seen if the loss of former DC, Jim Knowles, will have a lasting effect in Stillwater, but their defensive unit rebounded very nicely this week, to many peoples hopes that they can rerun their 2021 glory back this season, and finally capture the Big-12 title, and potentially make the playoff. So far, so good in Stillwater.
8 Arkansas Razorbacks It's Hog season. Arkansas, for most of the time I've been watching CFB, has been nothing more than a joke. Under Chad Morris, you could circle them in for an automatic 2-10, 3-9 type season. Under Bielema you could expect a 7-5 season with blowout losses to any good team they happened to play. Since Petrino left town in 2011, the Arkansas Football program, once an SEC giant, always in the hunt for conference titles and championships, have fallen to a pathetic stature. That is, until Sam Pittman arrived. While his coaching showed real promise during a 3-7 campaign in 2020, he took off in 2021. Arkansas beat 3 ranked teams, took down LSU for the first time in 7 years, and won a bowl game, - all to finish 9-4 and ranked 21 in the final AP Poll. This season, that campaign has continued in full force. After a down-to-the-wire win against Cincinnati last week, a team who'd won 22 straight non-bowl games, and made the playoff last season, the Hogs looked onward to face the Gamecocks for a showdown in Arkansas. With new flashy, star QB Spencer Rattler now at SC, many people hoped (and are still hoping) that the Gamecocks can make noise this year. However, the Hogs took care of business. Despite some intensity in the third quarter, Arkansas sailed to a 44-30 win, in which RB Raheim Sanders trampled SC on the ground, to the tune of 156 yards on 6.5 YPC and 2 TDs. Star Arkansas QB, KJ Jefferson, continues to impress as ever, with a statline of 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 18/21, 229 combined yards, 7.7 Y/A, - what statistics can't comprehend is how much KJ makes defenses shit themselves. His scramble ability leaves defenders burnt and tired, his passing ability can make even the best CBs scared, he is the perfect QB for Arkansas, and has thrived under potential-COTY Sam Pittman. Arkansas runs an extremely difficult schedule this season, with v. Texas A&M, Alabama, @MissState, @BYU, @Auburn, @LSU, and Ole Miss, if they can run this gauntlet to finish 9-3 or better, there is no world I would like to live in less than the one where Sam Pittman isn't awarded a National Coach of the Year trophy. However, despite the glitz-and-glam of their very efficient offense, there's work to be done on the other side of the ball, as Arkansas is averaging 27 defensive ppg allowed through two games, as well as 400+ yards given up in each game. Cincy & SC aren't bottomfeeders, but these defensive issues could be exploited by higher ranked teams, like Alabama, Ole MIss, BYU, etc. Time will tell for the Hogs, but for now, they're 2-0, they're #8, and it's Hog season.
9 USC Trojans Before the season began, I wasn't exactly bullish on the Riley-Trojans. I remembered Riley's teams in Oklahoma getting worse as the years went by, looking sloppier, less defensively inclined, and outright bad against opponents who ranked several hundred points off in talent composites. However, through two games at USC, the 2022 Trojans look far from that. They dismantled Stanford while star QB Caleb Williams threw 4 TDs on 327 yards with no picks. RB Travis Dye was the star of the day, breaking off 105 yards on 7.5 YPC. Defensively, USC continues their turnover streak, forcing 4 turnovers from the Stanford offense, which brings the turnover total up to 8 in just two games. Before two garbage time TDs from Stanford in the fourth quarter, USC held an extremely respectable 41-14 lead. Through two games now, USC has gained 1,043 yards of offense (Iowa is salivating). USC looks very well integrated within Riley's offensive system, and their defense might be one that would best even his best Sooners teams'. It's too early to talk about playoffs or title contention, or anything of that like, but yesterday showed that USC is potent, and is looking to make a run at the PAC-12 title.
10 Michigan State Spartans Even under the best Dantonio teams, the Spartans never got flashy. Whether it was a 27-23 upset of #12 Michigan @Ann Arbor, or a 24-21 brawl against 2-10 Purdue (this happened in the same season), Michigan State just finds ways to win. They're gritty, they're disciplined, they may not have the flashy talent composites, but damn if they're not well-coached, organized, poignant, and clutch. So did the Spartans just find a way to win yesterday? No. They absolutely destroyed Akron. That was not just a "just get by" type win, that was a dominant, flashy, disciplined win. After a weirdly close matchup against Western Michigan last week, the Spartans took it upon themselves to rid any doubts by shutting out an FBS opponent 52-0. You can say, "yeah but this is Akron", and that's true, but MSU rarely makes statements like this. Their only hiccup was an exceptionally lousy performance from QB Payton Thorne, whom threw 0 TDs, 2 INTs, and 212 yards. In spite of this, they managed 500 yards of offense, 6 rushing TDs, and doubled Akron in first-downs (32-14). I won't comment on whether the Spartans are real or not, as their two upcoming games @Washington and v. Minnesota will do all the talking on where they stand this season, - but, aside for some QB September rust, I don't think you could've asked for a better start.
11 BYU Cougars Anything can happen under the glory of the moon. In a game that I stayed up until 2am watching, BYU knocked off #9 Baylor in a 2OT thriller that involved good offense, atrocious special teams, and some fired up mormons in the stands. BYU's victory over Baylor concluded the 3rd top 10 AP loss of the night, showing that preseason rankings are absolutely pointless, and nobody knows anything. I, embarrassingly, did not have BYU on my rankings last week. I truly felt that the Mormons of yonder were being overrated, and would get crushed by any good team they played. This opinion comes after their embarrassing loss to UAB in the Independence Bowl last season, after being touchdown favorites. I, obviously, was entirely wrong, as BYU proved they could hang with the best of them. Statistically, they committed zero turnovers and got 366 yards of offense. Despite an up-and-down first three quarters, Junior QB Jaren Hall looked calm and poised, as he lead BYU into multiple redzone opportunities between the 4th quarter and second OT. With Notre Dame's humiliating loss to Marshall at home, BYU looks like the best independent team in the nation.
12 Minnesota Golden Gophers You may potentially be asking yourself, "what the fuck? Minnesota 12th? who is this loser?", and while I don't think anybody is actually going to read any of this: let me explain. P.J. Fleck inherited a program, that while not in disarray, looked very far behind its competitors, and didn't seem they would ever compete for a B1G title. Fleck's inaugural season, Minnesota had a talent composite (per 247sports.com), of 535.44, which ranked 12th in the Big Ten. Starting his Minnesota career with a tumultuous 10-13 record, things looked worrying, Minnesota missed a bowl game for the first time in 6 years in 2017, and was on the verge of missing another one in the 2018 season, with a 5-6 record, here's what happened next. Minnesota had to face long time rival, Wisconsin, who had beaten Minnesota in 14 straight attempts, dating back to 2003. In 2017, Wisconsin had shutout Fleck's Gophers 31-0 in a route. To make a bowl game, Fleck would have to slay the Badgers for the first time in nearly 1.5 decades, - and he did it. A 37-15 victory in Camp Randall led to the Quick Lane Bowl, which Minnesota won 34-10 against Georgia Tech. Since that fateful day against Wisconsin, Minnesota has gone 27-10, or a 72.9% win percentage, their best since the 1960s. Anyway, back on topic, - Minnesota finally broke out in 2019, with an incredible 8-0 start (including a win over #4 Penn State), QB Tanner Morgan was posting incredible numbers with his newfound NFL receivers and offensive line, and soon-to-be-starter RB Mo Ibrahim was blossoming into one of the best RBs in the Big Ten - after a slightly disappointing loss to Wisconsin, Minnesota defeated Auburn in the Outback Bowl to finish 11-2. Minnesota had hoped to run it back in 2020, however, the COVID year truly fucked up everything, - lack of practice, organization, and training camp led to an abysmal 3-4 year, however Minnesota had retained a veteranized senior class for 2021. Minnesota started their 2021 campaign against Ohio State, where Mo Ibrahim and Morgan got off to hot starts, taking a 21-17 lead midway through the 3rd quarter. However, disaster struck when Mo Ibrahim who had rushed for 161 yards and 1 TD at this point, got severely injured in the mid 3rd quarter, and would remain out for the entire season. Minnesota lost to OSU 45-31. Things looked grim after a humiliating upset at the hands of Bowling Green, in a dismal 14-10 loss, - however, Minnesota continued to win, and came within seconds of beating Iowa for the first time since 2014, but without their star RB, it was futile. However, they ended the season on a positive note, upsetting Wisconsin (who would've faced Michigan in Indy with a win), and winning the Guaranteed Rate Bowl against West Virginia, finishing their season 9-4. Anyway, onto now: Mo Ibrahim has returned, as has super-senior Tanner Morgan, both of which have looked extremely sharp, former-OC Kirk Ciarrocca, who captained a 34.1 PPG offense in 2019, has returned after leaving for Penn State between 2020-2021. Despite being an easy opponent, Minnesota has looked extremely potent in their first two games, completely throttling Western Illinois 62-10 in their first 60pt game since 2006, - they outgained the Leathernecks 679-194, as Mo Ibrahim rushed for 130 yards, 2 TDs, on a 5.7 YPC. With Iowa and Wisconsin's recent losses to ISU and WSU, respectively, Minnesota looks primed to make a run for Indy, - Minnesota will travel to East Lansing in two weeks to open up their Big Ten play, and if they come out with a win, they should be regarded as the overwhelming favorites to win the Big Ten West. Their current talent composite is now 649.53, which looks to be the best in team history. P.J. Fleck has done a wonderful job with this blooming program, and, barring disaster, I believe will join the Iowa/Wisconsin tier of teams, and will contend for the foreseeable future.
13 Kentucky Wildcats It's official: Mark Stoops has now claimed the all-time wins spot in Kentucky history, after an impressive win over #12 Florida on the road. Kentucky dominated time of possession 34:26 in a slow and methodical lap to victory. After being regarded as the eternal-underdogs, Kentucky looks to open up its SEC play as a contender for an NY6 bowl, and potentially its division (if Georgia dies in a plane crash). They look to be one of the most fundamentally sound teams in the nation, with great discipline & execution. I currently have Kentucky going 10-2, with losses to Georgia, and likely Ole Miss on the road. This will hopefully serve as a good recruiting bonus for Stoops and the Kentucky program.
14 NC State Wolfpack After a depressingly close week 1 against ECU, a game in which they honestly should've lost, NCSU has made it clear that their rust has worn off, with a dominating victory over Charleston Southern, to the tune of a 55-3 score. They dominated every single aspect of this matchup, - yards (538-150), 1st downs (32-9), turnovers (1-3), and even time of possession (36:24). QB Devin Leary threw for four TD passes, as their RBBC dominated CS with 217 yards on the ground to a YPC of 5.2. I think good/great teams can have bad days, and seeing as it was week one, I think it's okay to forgive NCSU for their meager victory last week. They play Texas Tech and UConn as their next two opponents, then the face Clemson @ Raleigh in what will likely be a potentially top 10, 4-0 v. 4-0 matchup. For all the years of struggle, HC Dave Doeren has built an extremely respectable program, finishing 9-3 last season and beating in-state rivals North Carolina. After an awful 4-8 campaign in 2019, NCSU is 19-7 since then, and will definitely be competing with Clemson for a division title this season.
15 Miami Hurricanes I still don't trust Miami, I really don't. After being down 7-3 to Southern Miss (who were 3-9 in 2021), Miami answered with 23 unanswered points to clinch a 30-7 victory. Good, but not great. They failed to cover the spread, and QB Tyler Van Dyke didn't really impress, with a statline of 1 TD, 1 INT, 21/30, 263 yards, 8.8 Y/A. I feel like we collectively have overranked Miami due to Cristobal's arrival, and I just don't feel like they're quite at the top-20 level yet. However, I am not stupid, I realize they're 2-0, and I'm not going to let my biases shove them down without serious justification. I would just like to see how the season progresses, - I am more than happy to be proven wrong, but we shall see.
16 Utah Utes Utah with a nice rebound win this week, defeating Southern Utah 73-7, their most points in, well, a long time anyway (1973). I can't comment too much, but QB Cameron Rising looked elite with 3 TDs on 17/23 passing, as Utah managed 247 yards on the ground. I wasn't really too shaken by Utah's loss to Florida last week, as it's not easy to go on the road, across the country, to face an SEC team like Florida. I still think they can make the playoff if they win out, although for right now, it's best just to talk about the PAC-12 title. Thankfully for the Utes, they have plenty of time to wring out issues, as their next three opponents are SDSU, ASU, & Oregon State. They'll likely be 4-1 heading into a serious PAC-12 matchup against UCLA, @ the Rose Bowl.
17 Baylor Bears Baylor was shook to their core in a devastating loss to BYU that... Doesn't really matter. In a week of upsets, I truly think this one mattered the least. It wasn't Big-12 play, it was on the road against a ranked opponent, and they lost in 2OT. Does it suck to lose so early on? Of course, - Baylor was looking to make a statement, but BYU's intensity and skill clearly bested them this weekend. Will it have long term effects? Most likely not. I still think their Big-12 title chances remain the best, or second best in the conference, and they will soon open up conference play in Ames. As for statistical comments, I really don't have anything, everyone looked some different form of average/mediocre, although RB Qualan Jones did get 2 TD's and 67 yards on a 4.2 YPC, which is fairly decent. Excited to see how Baylor's season progresses, as I believe they will be fighting for the conference title very late into the season.
18 Ole Miss Rebels After a fairly pedestrian week one win against Troy, Ole Miss absolutely obliterated Central Arkansas 59-3. Ole Miss actually lost the time of possession battle pretty badly, funnily enough, - losing it 24:36. I am very interested to see how Ole Miss does without star QB Matt Corral, someone who I thought had a real shot at going #1 overall to the NFL last season. Ole Miss has a very favorable home schedule this season, with most serious SEC contenders coming to visit them in Oxford. I do think that Ole Miss has a very real chance at hosting Alabama as a top 10, 7-1 or 8-0 team later in the season, which could end up being one of the most hyped matchups of the year. Back to the game itself, Ole Miss doubled their yardage (510-233), caused four turnovers, and held a late 52-0 score until Central Arkansas avoided a shutout with a lone FG. Ole Miss moves to 17-8 in the Lane Kiffin era, or 12-3 since the start of 2021, and looks to be a strong program for quite a while.
19 Tennessee Volunteers I'll be honest, I've been sleeping on the Volunteers. Seeing them in preseason rankings felt baffling, I couldn't understand it. How could this team and program, who have underperformed for so long, start the season ranked? It's not even like they were good last season! With a meh 7-6 finish and OT loss to Purdue in the Music City Bowl. However, they showed a resilience and grit that I don't think we have seen from Tennessee in a long time. And let me be clear: this isn't just some bias because they won, I understand that Pitt was winning until their QBs got injured, and that they narrowly avoided losing in OT, but even prior to it, Tennessee looked like a worthy contender on Pitt's turf. QB Hendon Hooker looked fantastic, with 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 27/42 passing, and 325 yards. Tennessee is now blessed with two straight home games, including one against Florida, and then an eventful trip to the Bayou against LSU. Everything looks very solid for early season Tennessee, and I respect what Heupel appears to be doing with this program. Call me over optimistic, but I truly believe Tennessee could go 10-2 (w/ losses to Alabama, Georgia) and maybe make a run for an NY6 bowl. Their schedule is favorable, their team is resilient, their coach is actually coaching, everything looks good on Rocky Top.
20 Wake Forest Demon Deacons I'd be lying if I told you that I've watched even a second of Wake football this season. This is meant as absolutely no disrespect to Wake, they're a great team, I just generally end up watching less ACC games than most other conferences. So, as far as any commentary I have to go off of, it's not much. They won a solid victory against a 2-0 Vanderbilt, 45-25, while star QB Sam Hartman notched 4 TD passes and 300 yards on the dot. Vanderbilt took an early 3-0 lead, however it never seemed in any actual danger, as Wake was never favored by less than 55% by ESPN at any point in this game, and quickly took a 21-10 lead at the half. Speaking as an outsider, the main few criteria I'm keeping an eye out for is: Can they run it back, or was 2021's success mainly because of super-seniors?; Sam Hartman had 44 TDs last season, can he match that total?; Wake faces Clemson, NCSU, NC, & 2-0 Syracuse this season, can they hang with the big guys, or is their team too thin to compete with the best of them? As of right now, per SP+, Wake currently has the 9th ranked offense, and Clemson has the 3rd ranked defense, a test of high flying offense v. lockdown defense will make September 24th a day to circle on your calendars.
21 UCLA Bruins Hear me once, hear me again: UCLA is good this year. I'll carry the mantle of the Bruins' 2022 hype, even if UCLA fans themselves don't want to. This week, the Bruins faced the mighty Hornets of Alabama State, whom they romped in a 45-7 win. They gained 485 yards of offense, forced three turnovers, and reduced their own TO margin to just one. Now, you might say, "UCLA didn't cover, and it was just Alabama State", and that's statistically true. However, superstar RB Zach Charbonnet didn't even play this week, and star QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson played less than a half, to which he enumerated 1 TD, 0 INT, 9/11 passing, 101 yards, 9.2 Y/A. I'm waiting for PAC-12 play to open, but I feel like Chip Kelly has finally found his men to running his blazing-fast offensive scheme. The OLine play looks much improved, allowing zero sacks, and the defense appears to be finding themselves gelling as a cohesive unit. On September 30th, they face Washington in the Rose Bowl, in a game that could have serious PAC-12 title implications, and I heavily believe that UCLA's fast, fun offense will overpower the Huskies new found defense on national TV.
22 Penn State Nittany Lions QB controversy brewing? Not really, at least, not right now. PSU is doing exactly what they need to do before they go on to face the Big Ten East: win. No funny business with the Ohio Bobcats this week, just a clean, old fashioned, ass-whooping. Penn State amounted 572 yards of offense, doubling up Ohio'. Most importantly, freshman RB Nicholas Singleton absolutely shined today, with a whopping 179 yards, 2 TDs, on 17.9(!!!) YPC. It may be too early to tell, but this young, high-recruited RB seems to be the real deal, and could put the Nittany Lions back on the map. Sean Clifford posted a perfectly respectable 1 TD, 0 INT, 19/27, 213 yards, 7.9 Y/A while he was in the game, which brings him up to 5 TDs and 1 INT on the year. While most would be content with this, freshman backup QB2 Drew Allar subbed in, and put on a show in his limited playing time, totaling 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 6/8, 88 yards, 11.0 Y/A. So, QB controversy? No, not yet anyway. It's conceivable that Clifford could get subbed out later in the season, à la Cade McNamara -> J.J. McCarthy at rival school Michigan, - but for right now, his status as the QB1 is safe, especially after a (mostly) good performance against Purdue on the road last week. Penn State looks like a perfectly strong and formidable team, however, it might only notch a meager 8-4 record purely due to circumstance. This season, Penn State must play @Auburn, @Michigan, v. OSU, v. MSU, which isn't an easy schedule for any team. Personally, I believe Penn State will finish 10-2 with a strong season from Clifford and the freshman Singleton, - which should prime Penn State to a potential NY6 bowl and a high ranking for 2023.
23 Florida Gators Florida's ranking so far this season has been a rollercoaster. Upsetting Utah, only to lose to Kentucky... At home. Of course, Kentucky is no slouch, and neither is Florida, it's just a bit erratic, and hopefully we can see it stabilize a bit. To give Florida some credit, if it wasn't for a horrid pick-6 in the late 3rd quarter while the game was neck-and-neck at 16-16, they potentially could've won, - however, if's and but's are pointless, they got outplayed by Kentucky on their home turf. Still, I think Florida has done enough with their week 1 win to remain ranked, but the real test comes in two weeks when they travel to face the Volunteers.
24 Marshall Thundering Herd Wow. I'm still in shock. I know everyone's talking about the Texas A&M - Appalachian State game, but this is truly *the* upset of the week, if not entire year, for me. Not for a moment did Marshall looked scared, confused, or shellacked, - I've never seen such brass confidence in such a tough environment. To beat Notre Dame, the great blue blood, in their own stadium, - it would take a herculean climb of effort and determination. I used to follow Marshall fairly closely, up until the hire of Charles Huff, and the firing of former Head Coach Doc Holiday. Doc Holliday is a man, who, I thought did a perfectly respectable job at Marshall. He accrued an 85-54 record, he won his division three times, and won C-USA in 2014. Doc "parted ways" with Marshall after 2020, during which he led a respectable 7-3 record, and a trip to the C-USACG. However, that's only half the truth about Doc. 2020 Marshall started 7-0, but lost three consecutive games to end the season, including a 0-20 shutout from Rice. Marshall, a once perennial 12-2/13-1 program in the 90s and early 00's, was reduced to a mediocre 8-5/9-4 season every year, where anytime they faced a team with a pulse, they would lose by large margins. Charles Huff, current HC, came in and went 7-6 during his first year, a perfectly fine record for any new coach, but one that I considered underwhelming, - of course, 4 out of 6 losses were by less than a score, and with 4 of them being to 9+ win teams, - but still, I didn't think much of it. Just another run-of-the-mill fuck up hire for some G5 team, where they ousted a good and respectable coach whom they could not appreciate, - I was very, very wrong. Marshall blasted Norfolk State 55-3 in week one to set up this game against Notre Dame, a juggernaut who was expected to make a run for an NY6 bowl/playoffs this year. Very quickly it became clear that the Marshall players, coaches, and namely Coach Huff, were not fucking around. A 0-0 first quarter proved that Marshall was not to be taken lightly, and at the start of the second quarter, after a 79 yard drive, Marshall RB Khalan Laborn ran the football into the endzone to take the first score of the day, Marshall up 6-0. Notre Dame would respond with a TD of their own 10 minutes later, but Marshall remained calm, smart, and quick, as they answered with a FG before the end of the half to take a 9-7 lead at halftime. At this point, Notre Dame fans and the CFB world alike was dumbfounded, - Marshall? The small school from West Virginia, beating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish? Unthinkable. Another dogfight in the third quarter led to a mostly scoreless affair, however near the end, Marshall secured another FG, ending it a 3-0 quarter, and a continued Marshall lead, up 12-7. Finally, the air broke in the early fourth quarter, - Notre Dame QB Tyler Buchner led the Fighting Irish 66 yards to run the ball in at the 1, and retook a 15-12 lead. "Okay, this is where Notre Dame takes control and our dreams are dashed", I thought. However, from the yelling and coordinating on the Marshall sideline, it was clear that was not the plan for them today. Marshall came to Notre Dame, not to just have an experience, not to grab a million from TV money, but to win. They came to win. In the face of this, Marshall QB Henry Colombi and still-star RB Khalan Laborn calmly and methodically drove the ball down the field, including several whiffed tackles and juked legs from the Notre Dame defense, to toss the ball into the endzone and take a 19-15 lead at the 5:16 mark. "Oh shit, this is really happening", - me. At this point, the stadium quiet, except from the rousing of the Marshall fans who travelled all the way to Indiana just to attend this game, Tyler Buchner looks scared and frazzled, HC Marcus Freeman looks stressed beyond belief, and, through methodical and paced work, Marshall had sucked all the life out of Notre Dame. Tyler Buchner started the next drive with a few dink-and-dunks, but never looked poised to storm the field and retake the victory from the jaws of defeat. Instead, with 4:40 left on the clock, Buchner shotguns the ball to his man on the left side, but Marshall CB Steven Gilmore comes flying in, seals the pick, and returns it for a score. 26-15. Marshall. It was over. Yes, Notre Dame did score again before the game ended, but it was over. The Marshall Thundering Herd of Huntington, West Virginia defeated the almighty Notre Dame Fighting Irish 26-21, much to the rouse of the College Football world, and to the dismay of Notre Dame fans. The great Irish were favored by nearly 22 points, had an 89% chance of victory per ESPN's FPI, and joined only 2007 Michigan and 2016 Florida State as the only preseason top-5 AP teams to fall to 0-2, - Marcus Freeman is the first coach in Notre Dame history to fall to 0-3 through their first three games. On September 10th, 2022, Marshall showed the world that it's not a program to be pushed over. That Head Coach Charles Huff is here to build a new program, one that can win the big games, take the conference titles, and show up prepared on every Saturday.
25 Pittsburgh Panthers Poor Pitt. An initially strong showing against the Vols fell flat as QB1 Kedon Slovis got injured halfway through the game. Pitt led an incredible effort to turn the tide and win the game in OT, but it was in vain as Tennessee walked off, surviving a 34-27 thriller in Pittsburgh. Because of their ill luck and fortune, I don't feel right unranking Pitt, so at 25 they should stay. Hopefully Slovis returns in time for ACC play, as Pitt had high hopes of rerunning their 2021 success and winning another conference title. Of course, their OLine needs some serious work, and their defense had a lousy day, allowing 416 yards of offense from Tennessee. Defensive-minded HC Pat Narduzzi can hopefully get the defense back in working order, and hopefully in time to make a serious run for the ACC.

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