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MWiatrak2077 Ballot for 2022 Week 7

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Oct. 11, 2022, 5:15 a.m.

Overall Rationale: vibes

Rank Team Reason
1 Ohio State Buckeyes Being honest, the Spartans actually performed better than I expected them to. This is not to accuse Michigan State of playing well. Faced with a gargantuan -27 spread v. a P5 opponent, OSU still covered. C.J. Stroud had another Heisman performance against this FBS-worst MSU Secondary, with 6 TDs, 21/26 passing, 361 yards, for an unimaginable 13.6 Y/A. Stroud, however, did throw a pick-6 to allow MSU to tie the game 7-7, - a play, so shocking, that it garnered the attention of local news (you can find entire articles about this singular play if you google 'CJ Stroud pick-6', I am not joking), - personally, I believe the play was just a poor miscommunication on a designed route. Stroud expected the left-side WR to run a screen, however he ran deep, which allowed MSU CB Charles Brantley to easily return the ball to house. An underrated aspect of Ryan Day's tenure, both as Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator, has been his ability to continue modernizing an already-modernized OSU offense. Meyer's spread-rush concept was highly potent, however, Day unlocked a new level of the OSU offense by redesigning it into a pass-heavy West Coast formation, allowing Stroud to truly hit his peak potential. Losing WR1 Smith-Nijgba in just his third game of the season, Stroud lost his primary target & safety net. Despite this, he has done nothing but continue excellence at the highest possible level, truly pushing forward an already-impressive Heisman campaign. Ohio State's offense now ranks #1 in just about every viable metric you could possibly think of, putting the Big Ten & entire nation on notice that OSU is here to contend.
2 Georgia Bulldogs In a direly needed rebound game, following a close affair vs. Kent State, and a narrowly-avoided upset vs. Missouri, Georgia routed Auburn 42-10, in a game where the score does and doesn't reflect the closeness of this game. Let me be clear: Georgia was never actually in worry of losing this contest, however, a 14-0 halftime lead vs. a team that almost appears to be actively tanking their chances of making a bowl game didn't feel great, but a cool 28-10 rout in the second half (which broke into a 35-3 lead before garbage time) made clear the Bulldogs are far from straying off the course as contenders. Stetson Bennett had little issue moving the ball down the field, with 272 total yards & a rushing TD, although he never found the endzone through the air, not that it really mattered, as breakout Junior RB Daijun Edwards rushed for 83 yards and 3 TDs. Defensively, Georgia forced a turnover, and held Auburn QB Robby Ashford to a meager 13/38 passing day. All told, the Georgia defense held Auburn to 10 points, 3 TFLs, and a dreadful 4.0 yards per play. Georgia has now beaten Auburn in 6 straight attempts, with only one of them being within a score. All told, the Bulldogs did what they needed to do, and are still one of the favorites to take home a title season.
3 Alabama Crimson Tide On this Saturday, Alabama was taken down to the wire by Texas A&M as -24.5 favorites, narrowly avoiding the upset vs. the Aggies. Alabama found themselves taking control of this dogfight after a 29 yard pass from QB Jalen Milroe found WR Ja'Corey Brooks to put Alabama up 24-14 midway through the third quarter. Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, A&M would nail two FGs to make it a 24-20 ballgame with under 3 minutes left to go. After forcing the Alabama punt with 1:50 left in the game, A&M would drive it 69 yards, all the way down to the Alabama 2-yard line, to set up a final play that would decide this contest. A&M QB Haynes King threw an ill-placed ball, which found itself outside of the endzone, near two defenders, at an uncomfortable distance from the WR. All told, a poorly executed play-design by A&M to end the game in an Alabama victory, 24-20. Unfortunately, this game had officiating controversy, as, on the final A&M drive, QB King would throw an INT into the endzone, which was ran out, and drained :03 seconds off the clock. However, it was ruled a DPI, and spotted the ball at the Alabama 2, but the clock never reverted to :06 seconds left, which likely could've given the Aggies a second shot to redeem themselves. Alas, Alabama improves to 6-0, with star QB Bryce Young hopefully returning back into the fold before next weeks top-6 matchup vs. the Volunteers in Knoxville. Despite a rough start (6-0), Alabama remains far from spiraling, as HC Nick Saban continues to lead his Tide to victory, no matter the circumstance.
4 Clemson Tigers Well, let's review: Clemson entered Chestnut Hill as 21pt favorites over a meandering Boston College team, and they covered soundly. As well as holding the Eagles to just three points on the day. QB DJ Uiagalelei threw for 3 TDs, 220 yards, 7.1 Y/A, and just a lone INT in a fairly solid day. On paper, the win was fairly solid. The game itself? Interesting. Clemson appears to have found some serious momentum the last few weeks, with the resurgence of Uiagalelei after a terrible 2021 season, and an ever-solid defensive unit, the Tigers seemed ready to roll, and yet, they found themselves unable to score at will, taking a 10-3 lead at half time. Clemson would then go on an unanswered 21-0 second-half run, which thoroughly put the game away in their favor. Personally? I believe Clemson did a perfectly fine job. Was it an outstanding win? Definitely not, but it was a win nonetheless, and one where they held their opponent to just a mere FG. The game was close, but never felt actually in worry of a Clemson defeat. Up next, the Tigers must travel to Florida's 5th best city, and take on a revitalized Seminoles team coming off a heart-wrenching defeat to NCSU. Clemson hasn't done anything to deserve being pushed down the ranking chart, they just didn't excel, - these types of wins should never be taken for granted. It's better to win "meh" then lose pretty.
5 Michigan Wolverines This game was a tale of two halves. The #4 Wolverines marched into Bloomington to face a floundering IU team decrepit with injuries and issues galore. Michigan would take the opening drive all the way down for a TD, off the back of an extremely impressive 50 yard run by RB Blake Corum. Indiana and QB Connor Bazelak would look severely outmatched, as their first drive ended with a deep sack that sent the ball back Michigan's way. Then, the tides changed. Michigan would drive the ball, but was inevitably held to a punt. IU would then take the ball all the way to the house, to tie up the game, 7-7. Famous Michigan RB, and current RB Coach Mike Hart would then appear to have a seizure on the sideline, scaring the players and staff alike. Thankfully, he's reported to be fine, and could potentially return for next weeks game, but it was a harrowing sight nonetheless. Anyway, for the rest of the half, it was a struggle. Michigan would score a FG, Indiana would score a FG, Indiana would block a FG, Michigan would block a FG, all in all, the half finished 10-10, not the way Michigan had hoped. Then the second half came. There's no easier way to say this: Michigan, at least defensively, absolutely throttled Indiana's offense. They were held to just 1.07 yards per play in the second half, and never broke the ball past midfield. Michigan's offense finally found some momentum, as QB JJ McCarthy would have 3 TDs, 304 yards, 8.4 Y/A, on 28/36 passing. His lone mistake was an unnecessary forced pass into the endzone which hit the WR in double coverage, bobbled into the air, and was intercepted by Indiana. All told, Michigan rallied to a decent 31-10 victory, which included 7 sacks, 470 yards of offense, and 124 yards from fringe-Heisman-RB Blake Corum, - who now has garnered 735 yards, 11 TDs, on a 6.2 YPC through 6 games. Michigan appears to have all the pieces to contend, but the first-half playcalling appeared alarmingly uninspiring. Now routine Michigan commentator Joel Klatt pointed out unoriginality in the Wolverines' offense, with Michigan running the same play whenever they motioned a TE across the field, or had an RB aside JJ in pistol formation, - needless to say, it concerns many Michigan fans, who feel that the offense has underperformed this season. The Wolverines now must face Penn State in Ann Arbor for a top-10 matchup, which could have major Big Ten East title implications. If Michigan cannot overcome its offensive woes, it could be a long day for the Wolverines.
6 Tennessee Volunteers August 31st, 2019. 89°F, 3:20 PM. In every great historical upset, in every David v. Goliath, it's not a tale of upmost domination, but rather of grit, skill, hardwork, & overcoming adversity. App State defeats #5 Michigan off a blocked FG to win, 34-32. Stanford converts a 4th & 20 to upset the #1 USC, 24-23. That is not what happened on August 31st, 2019. Tennessee starts their season off as 25pt favorites vs. a Georgia State team that had gone 2-10 the year prior. There was no uphill battle, there was no overcoming adversity, there was only a battering, a humiliation, a beatdown of the Vols, as Georgia State found themselves up 38-23 with just :02 on the clock, before Tennessee hit a useless TD to nail in the final score, 38-30. Fast forward to October 8th, 2022: Tennessee, off to a blazing 4-0 start, which includes the 2nd ranked scoring offense, walks into Death Valley to face the #25 4-1 LSU Tigers. What happened next could only be described as a mauling, as the Volunteers of Tennessee routed LSU in a 40-13 victory, which included a 23-7 halftime score. QB Hendon Hooker had two TDs on the day, RB Jabari Small ran for 127 yards and two scores himself, as Tennessee nailed in 502 yards of offense. Here the mighty Volunteers stand: 5-0, - #8 in the Coaches, #6 in the AP, #6 in /u/MWiatrak2077's /r/CFB Poll, - as they prepare to face the Crimson Tide at home, in an undefeated, top-10 matchup. How far they have come, how far they will go. Tennessee isn't without their issues, allowing 8.4 penalties per game, and with a defense allowing 397 yards per game, - but, to see their rise from the ashes, it's good to see. It's hard to predict the future, but even with losses to Alabama/Georgia, ESPN's FPI gives Tennessee a 59% chance of winning all other games on their slate, - a solid 10-2 record that would surely leave the Vols NY6 bound. As someone who intensely hated the Pruitt firing, major credit to Josh Heupel (whose wikipedia photo really should be changed, - google it) for what he has built in just two years, - and credit to Offensive Coordinator Alex Golesh for modernizing the Tennessee offense with new spread concepts, allowing them to be one of the highest scoring teams in the nation, and highest in the SEC. With Alabama star QB Bryce Young potentially still out this upcoming Saturday, there has never been a better time for the men in orange to break a 14-year cloud of agony, right over Alabama's heads.
7 UCLA Bruins In week one, I ranked UCLA in my ballot. Two weeks later, they nearly lost to South Alabama. I felt like a fool, - well, not anymore. As spectacular as UCLA's victory over the hotshot Washington Huskies was last week, many people remained curious of UCLA's long-term prospects, and whether they could do it again. Well, not anymore. UCLA routed #11 Utah in the Rose Bowl, 42-32, as star QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson permeates his Heisman campaign, with 18/23 passing, 299 yards, 13.0 Y/A, 4 TDs, and 1 INT (pick-6 at the end of the game), and RB Zach Charbonnet looked star once again, with 198 yards and 2 TDs to cap the day. 502 yards of offense later, and the Bruins look like potentially one of the strongest contenders for the PAC-12 title. As for HC Chip Kelly, he should not be without his dues. When Kelly arrived in LA, he inherited a team that was only returning 10 starters from the season prior, including a loss of star QB Josh Rosen to the NFL draft. In his first season, the Bruins went an abysmal 3-9, averaging 24.6PPG for the nations 98th ranked scoring offense. Today? 6-0 record, back-to-back ranked wins, 41.5PPG for the nations 10th best scoring offense (8th in OFEI), #11 AP ranking. The Bruins have now achieved a 14-4 record since the start of the 2021 season. With Stanford, ASU, Arizona, & Cal still remaining on their schedule, a 10-2+ season looks ever more likely. Congratulations to the Bruins, Chip Kelly, & the players on what appears to be a highly successful rebuild. Next week, the Bruins will travel to Eugene to face Chip's old team, the Oregon Ducks, - in what will likely be a battle for a top-10 AP spot, and a drivers seat in the PAC-12 race.
8 Oklahoma State Cowboys In an unexpectedly tight matchup vs. the Texas Tech Raiders, the Cowboys found themselves pulling out a clean 10pt victory, 41-31, to find themselves improving to 5-0 on the season. QB Spencer Sanders now has 18 TDs to 2 INTs on the season, as the Cowboys find themselves as the narrow conference favorites, in a stiff competition with TCU, Kansas, Kansas State, & Texas. While this game wasn't pretty, and OSU did find themselves down 31-23 midway through the third quarter, an 18-0 run would leave the game little in doubt. Defensively, there are some concerns, as Oklahoma State did allow 527 yards of offense, got outgained in time of possession 32:28, and fell well behind in total first downs acquired, 30-25. A major matchup @TCU next week should answer many questions about the Cowboys, but so far, they're 5-0, they're favorites, and they're 17-2 since the start of last season, and look to keep it rolling.
9 USC Trojans I have to admit it: I have underrated USC for far too long. I really thought people were overrating USC purely based on Riley's recruits. After a radically high turnover margin, and a near-death experience in Corvallis, I thought I'd be proven right, - however, the Trojans keep proving me wrong in one critical aspect: they just keep winning. As USC found themselves down 14-10 to Washington State this last Saturday, I thought I'd finally be vindicated. Then USC won, - handedly, even. A 30-14 victory of the 3-1 Cougars in a key PAC-12 matchup proves that the USC of now is here to stay. Star RB Travis Dye shined the brightest among them, with 149 yards and a TD. Caleb Williams had another impressive outing with a 2 TD game, to now bring his total up to 17 TDs & 1 INT on the season. The Trojans defense forced no turnovers and held the Cougars in check, allowing just 14 points, and zero in the second half. It become ever more clear that these Trojans are on a war path, straight to the PAC-12 title game. Up next: A duel in the desert vs. #20 Utah, reeling off a loss to UCLA. If they can outlast the Utes at their place, USC should have nothing but smooth sailing all the way up to a week 11 matchup vs. UCLA.
10 Penn State Nittany Lions Penn State heroically defeated the BYE this week. The Nittany Lions must to travel to 6-0 Michigan in Ann Arbor next week, to either push forward their B1G title hopes, or take a back seat to UM/OSU.
11 Ole Miss Rebels Here's a funny stat for you: With Vanderbilt up 20-10 with under 1 minute remaining in the first half, ESPN's Win Probability Calculator never dropped Ole Miss below 56.2%, and following a score to bring Mississippi down 20-17, their odds improved to 74.0%. Ole Miss has had quite the dynamic season so far: escape with a win vs. Tulsa, beat top-10 Kentucky, down at half vs. Vanderbilt. Unfortunately for the Commodores, all good things must come to an end, as Mississippi put on the second-half explosion, with a 35-8 run to end the game in favor of Ole Miss, 52-28. Personally, I wouldn't stress too much. Vanderbilt is a team on the come-up, and to prove that, scaring a contender will happen here or there. 591 yards of offense, 448 yards for QB Jaxson Dart, and a mind boggling 291 yards on 9 receptions for WR Jonathan Mingo highlighted this offense-heavy game. Defensively, Ole Miss capitalized at a Commodore fumble at the Vanderbilt 6 yard line. Dart had two unnecessary picks on the day, which Vanderbilt managed to score a FG off of. All bodes well for Mississippi, as they face a depleted, defeated, & demoralized Auburn team at home next. Since October 31st, 2020, Ole Miss has gone 20-4. Not bad, right?
12 Oregon Ducks In a game, where, weirdly, Oregon was only favored by 13.5 against an ever-depleted Arizona team, the Ducks boat-raced past them, to cruise towards a 49-22 victory, improving their record to 5-1 on the season. Auburn-transfer QB Bo Nix went for 20/25 passing, 265 yards, 10.6 Y/A, for 3 rushing TDs, in a game that was heavily determined in the run game, as Oregon's RB committee rushed for 306 yards, 7 TDs, and 7.5 YPC (Think of them as exactly one Israel Abanikanda). Bo Nix, starting the season off with a heavily criticized performance against Georgia, now has 20 TDs to 3 INTs on the season. For someone who couldn't live up to expectations at Auburn, it's nice to see him have a career year with the Ducks. Oregon now has the 9th best scoring offense in the nation, at 42 PPG. Up next: an AP top-12 matchup vs. fellow PAC-12 contender, UCLA.
13 Wake Forest Demon Deacons For too long, I have underrated the Demon Deacons. Perennially ranked in the late-teens, low-20s of all my polls, I never took them seriously. No longer shall I make that mistake. The Deacons flew right past Army in a dominating 45-10 victory, with a borderline record-breaking eight players going for 10+ rushing yards. Army, as per usual, dominated time of possession, with a 36:24 ratio, and even managed to acquire 407 yards of offense, albeit on a "meh" 5.5 yards per play average, however, nothing else would work for them, as they entered the fourth quarter down 38-0. Wake HC Dave Clawson now improves to a 16-4 record since last season, as Wake will all but certainly continue their currently ongoing 7-year bowl streak. An easy matchup vs. BC next week should leave Wake entering Louisville with a 6-1 record, following that, a likely ranked matchup @NCSU.
14 TCU Horned Frogs Talk about an early contender for game of the year. The 4-0 Horned Frogs visited Lawrence, Kansas on College Gameday to face the 5-0 Jayhawks. After roaring to a 10-0 lead, Kansas would pull back to take the lead, 17-10, at the start of the third quarter. However, three TDs before the end of the quarter would put the Horned Frogs back on top, up 31-24 entering the fourth. Inspiring performances from QB Max Duggan, & WR Quentin Johnston, whom finished with 206 yards on 14 receptions, would keep the Frogs in this shootout in Lawrence. After a Kansas TD with 4:20 left in the game, it was 31-31 all. After an electrifying return from Shadrach Banks, the Frogs would take the ball up to the TCU 40 yard line. 6 plays, 68 yards, 2:36 minutes later, and Duggan would find Quentin Johnston for a 24 yard reception in the endzone to take the lead, 38-31. An ensuing fourth down stop would leave the Horned Frogs victorious. The energy that HC Sonny Dykes has inserted into this program has unquestionably turned around the aura of this once declining program. The Frogs find themselves with a 5-0 record for the first time since 2017. Up next: a showdown vs. Oklahoma State for drivers seat in the Big-12 title race.
15 Mississippi State Bulldogs Rarely has Mike Leach built a team meant to contend for rankings, NY6 slots, and division titles in under 6-8 years, and yet, here we are. The Miss State offense was high-flying as they found themselves gained 568 yards and 40 points on a respectable Hogs' defense. The Bulldogs dominated time of possession, with a 36:24 ratio, never allowing Arkansas to gain any real momentum. Three years ago, the Egg Bowl was mostly a joke game for national audiences, with no real implications, and a man pretending to pee like a dog on the field. This year? The Egg Bowl could have major ramifications in the SEC West & ranking slots, as both Mississippi State and Mississippi find themselves ranked highly, and playing their best ball. QB Will Rogers is now 2nd in the nation in passing TDs, with 22, as the defense finds themselves allowing just 21ppg, - the best mark for a Leach team since the 2005 Red Raiders (who went 9-2 & faced Alabama in the Cotton Bowl). I think many, including myself, found themselves in the camp of either, the Air Raid offense is a gimmick and won't work in the SEC, or, Leach's Air Raid offense will slice up SEC defenses like sushi. So far, it appears to be somewhere in the middle. As Leach has put together a very talented team, their offense appears to be borderline-dominant, but entirely beatable. A showdown @Kentucky next week seems to bode well for State, as Kentucky is now reeling off two consecutive losses, and ESPN's FPI gives State a 60% chance of victory. Time will tell.
16 Syracuse Orange So, fun fact, I actually wrote 25 columns last week, unfortunately however, I reloaded the page while working on #25, - all gone. Anyway, this is only relevant because I wanted to mention the beatdown that Syracuse gave upon the Wagner Seahawks, whom were down so badly at half time, the coaches agreed to shorten the third and fourth quarters to just 12 minutes apiece. Anyway, after a victorious BYE week, the Orange of Syracuse must face #15 NCSU in a showdown at home. I think too many people are underrating Syracuse. I have heard a lot of "they could start 5-0 and finish 6-6" clamor, which, yes, could happen, but I think the 'Cuse are better than that. QB Garrett Shrader has 15 TDs to just 1 INT on the season, putting up a career year; RB Sean Tucker, coming off a 1,500 yard performance last season has looked even better this season, to mark himself as one of the nations best RBs; the defense has gelled into a strong unit, only allowing 14PPG so far this season. With a schedule of NCSU, @Clemson, ND, @Pitt, FSU, @Wake, @BC, - I think 9-3 or better is easily on the table for Syracuse this season.
17 Kansas State Wildcats KSU prevailed this Saturday in the Iowa/Kansas-renowned Farmageddon v. Iowa State, in what has quickly become an early contender for Worst Game of the Year. A defensive slugfest, KSU took a 10-9 lead with a FG in the mid-4th quarter, and never relented. KSU actually started with an 81 yard TD pass from Martinez to WR Phillip Brooks, with Martinez escaping a sack to complete the play. KSU very nearly scored a second TD in the second quarter, as WR Malik Knowles ran virtually uncontested into the endzone before being miraculously stripped at the 1-yard line, - as God came upon the earth, and declared that only one TD was allowed this game. Aside the slugfest, Kansas State moves to 5-1 on the season, dually needed in a very tight Big-12 title race. KSU receives their BYE week just in time before playing TCU, in yet another important Big-12 game. I'm not sure what it is in particular that KSU seems to do so well, - one game it's the offense, next it's the defense, so on, so forth. Ranking neither top-15 in scoring offense or defense, their ability to play situational football remains one of the Wildcats best abilities, which shows good coaching from Chris Klieman, who now boasts a 25-17 record at KSU, - proving that the era prior to Bill Snyder is long, long gone.
18 NC State Wolfpack In 2017, the 2-0 Detroit Lions faced the 2-0 Atlanta Falcons in a match that would become critical to the NFC Wild Card race. With just a few seconds left on the clock, Lions QB Matthew Stafford threw a bullet to WR Golden Tate to take the lead, 32-30. Lions win!!!! Oh wait, no. Turns out his knee was down prior to the endzone, and because the refs reviewed it, there was a ten-second runoff, game over. Afterwards, you can see Falcons QB Matt Ryan mouthing to himself "holy fuck" as they escaped Detroit with a win. This is about the most accurate description I could write up of how NCSU football felt this past weekend. FSU down 17-19, managed to drive all the way to the NCSU 22 with less than 40 seconds left on the clock. 22 yards to the endzone? A chip shot FG at best. Victory felt nearly assured for the revitalized-Seminoles. Then, for no explicable reason, FSU QB Jordan Travis threw a goal-line fade, which fell perfectly in the hands of NCSU DB Devan Boykin, icing the victory for NCSU. "Holy fuck", one could say. The Wolfpack came back from a 17-3 halftime deficit to rally a 19-17 win over a now 4-2 FSU, to push themselves up to a lofty 5-1 record. Nobody in specific shined through today, it was just a great team effort, both from the offense and the defense. Similar to my thoughts on KSU, there's not a particular "thing" that this team excels at, - I mean yes, the defense is good, but it's not elite, nor is the offense, nor are the special teams. The QB, RBs, DBs, LBs, - everyone, nobody in particular stands out. It's just a group of men who pit all their talent together to win on Saturdays, which is all you need. Since a disastrous 4-8 campaign in 2019, HC Dave Doeren & the Wolfpack have gone 22-8, and in a division saddled with Clemson, Wake Forest, Syracuse, & FSU, that's not an easy feat. A ranked showdown in Syracuse, NY should give us a good approximation of the Wolfpack this season, but for right now, a team with relative highs-and-lows, isn't flashy but gets it done, and has won many games, deserves a ranking somewhere in the mid teens.
19 Kansas Jayhawks What an inspiring performance from the Jayhawks. As starting QB, borderline Heisman contender, Jalon Daniels went down in the late first half, down 10-0, Kansas had to sub in relatively unknown QB2, Jason Bean. Bean would lead all players with 4 TDs on the day, to rally the Jayhawks back into the game. Unfortunately, Cinderella stories all have an ending, as Bean couldn't convert a 4th & 9 in TCU territory, down 38-31, which iced the victory for the Frogs. Kansas would win this game in the statistics department, at least, by out-gaining TCU 540-452, winning the first down battle 22-21, and winning time of possession 34:26. Alas, the only stat that matters is points, and the Jayhawks fell into defeat, 31-38, to fall to 5-1 on the season. Regardless, it was a tight game against a conference title favorite, - it happens. Despite an insanely tough schedule up ahead, I have complete confidence that Kansas can at least sniff out one more victory to go bowling for the first time since the Bush Administration. There's been rumors of Lance Leipold potentially taking a vacant Wisconsin position following the season, however, I highly doubt Kansas, who's now had several sell-out crowds for the first time in nearly 13 years, wouldn't be willing to sign the man to a lengthy extension. Regardless, up next, the Jayhawks travel to an apocalyptic Norman, to face a Sooners team who just lost 49-0 v. Texas. Needless to say, I feel fairly confident about the Jayhawks picking up their first win vs. Oklahoma since 1997.
20 Cincinnati Bearcats In a turbulent game over the 1-4 South Florida Bulls, Cincinnati squeaked out a 28-24 victory, at home. South Florida took an early, shocking 10-0 lead, but not before long the Bearcats had regained control, leading 21-17 entering the fourth quarter. However, early in the fourth, South Florida scored a TD to retake the lead, 24-21. Star of the day, RB Charles McClelland, would put the Bearcats on top 28-24, with a 35 yard TD run, his longest of the day. QB Ben Bryant had a rough time finding consistency, throwing an early interception, and only acquiring 178 yards. Charles McClelland shined through for the Bearcats when needed, as he finished with 179 yards, 2 TDs, on a 8.5 YPC. In all, Cincinnati entered the game as 27pt favorites, and left with a 4pt victory. Regardless, good teams have weird games, - for instance, when #2 Cincinnati beat 4-8 Navy 27-20 last year. The new-look Bearcats, whom lost 9 elite players to the NFL draft last season, will need to gell into a more cohesive unit as the season progresses, if they want a chance at winning the conference & making an NY6 bowl. Regardless, to lose such a heavy concentrate of talent, start 0-1, and rattle off 5 straight wins, that's nothing short of impressive. Not to overlook SMU, whom they play next, but in three weeks, Cincinnati must travel to Orlando, Florida, to face UCF in a game that may decide the one of the slots in the AAC Championship Game. Good one to mark on your calendars.
21 Illinois Fighting Illini Illinois, who walked into this matchup with the #1 scoring defense in CFB, faced Iowa, who has the #3 scoring defense in CFB. In a game where offensive ineptitude wasn't just expected, it was required, Vegas set the O/U at a historically low 36.5. These teams still hit the under, and it wasn't even close. A 9-6 slugfest, Illinois & stud RB Chase Brown prevailed over Iowa in this key Big Ten West matchup, to go up 5-1 on the season. Unfortunately, starting QB Tommy DeVito was injured early in the game, and without a quick return, Illinois Big Ten West title hopes may be severely diminished. Regardless, this defensive unit, who ranked 97th in the nation two years ago, just might will the mighty Illini to a title all on their own. If Illinois can defeat a slightly favored Minnesota at home next week, they find themselves favorites in every game until a trip to Ann Arbor, one week before the annual Michigan - OSU game. That's a trap game if I've ever seen one. Head Coach Bret 'Bert' Bielema has appeared to have turned around Illinois long-time woes, stirring them right in the mix of the Big Ten West title, along with Minnesota, Purdue, Nebraska, and well, just about everyone (Except Indiana).
22 Texas Longhorns I love numbers, I'm a numbers guy, so here's some fun numbers: Prior to this game, Oklahoma was 11-3 vs. Texas since 2010, with an average margin of victory of 8. Following this game, that MOV is now 4.1, and 11-4. Texas tripled OU in yardage, 585-195, tripled them in first downs, 34-11, as they won the Red River Shootout 49-0, in the largest MOV ever seen in the series. The return of QB Quinn Ewers has sparked new life back into Texas, who've now thrusted themselves right in the depths of Big-12 title contention. It's not necessarily likely, but it's not impossible for Texas to finish 10-2 & make an NY6 bowl game. Most advanced metrics, whether it's SP+, FEI, SRS, have Texas a top 5 team. Personally, with their W/L column, I'm hesitant to move them up any higher, however, this does, at least statistically, appear to be the best Texas team since 2009. HC Steve Sarkisian's job safety is reaching bi-polar levels of calamity, - narrowly losing to #1 Alabama, then losing to TTU, then shutting out OU 49-0, it's been a whirlwind. But for right now, Sarkisian looks more than safe, and appears to be leading Texas to a bright future.
23 Utah Utes The 2022 season certainly hasn't started off well for the Utes. A week one loss to Florida could be explained as an aberration from the mean, but to lose a critical PAC-12 matchup in the Rose Bowl? It certainly doesn't bode well for Utah's PAC-12 title hopes. I wouldn't even necessarily say that Utah played bad, they just didn't play as well as UCLA, a team whose pace is so fast and methodical that any blown coverage or miscommunications will be taken advantage of. Down 42-25 with 40 seconds left, it's hard to explain such a drubbing for the Utes, who haven't lost a game by more than a score since November 21st, 2020. Up next is a home matchup vs. USC, a major roadblock in any title aspirations. If Utah can rebound with a victory here, they can find themselves right back in the thick of the hunt. But, a loss? With a schedule that includes @WSU and @Oregon still, well, it's might be time to start dreaming of the Alamo Bowl. In spite of this, QB Cameron Rising has managed to play well, with 16 TDs to 3 INTs on the season, and 7th nationally in passer rating.
24 Purdue Boilermakers Purdue has ran an absolute gauntlet of a schedule to start their season, with games that include: 5-0 PSU, 5-0 Syracuse, 4-1 Minnesota, and 4-2 Maryland. Despite this, the Boilermakers are 4-2, with a nice beatdown of Minnesota at their place, and now, a win @ (priorly) 4-1 Maryland. Purdue now finds themselves 13-6 in their last 19 games, which, after the Hazell era, has been a much needed turnaround. With home games of Nebraska, Iowa, Northwestern, and games @IU, and @Wisconsin, - an 8+ win season is more than on the table, as Purdue also finds themselves in the 14-way B1G West soup bowl. So far this season, Purdue has, in my opinion, fallen into the "NCSU, KSU" category of teams, where nothing in particular stands out, but the team as a unit works cohesively, and now have won several games playing balanced football. QB Aidan O'Connell hasn't had a perfect start to the season, but 10 TDs and 1,600 yards in 6 games is nothing to scoff at, especially in a division with almost no depth at the QB position. On November 12th, Purdue will travel to Champaign, IL, in a game vs. Illinois that may have serious Big Ten West implications, if you enjoy weird Big Ten football, I'd recommend marking your calendars.
25 North Carolina Tar Heels I'm going to be 100% honest: I just put NC here because I'm not sure who else to put in this slot. They have the wins of a ranked team, they have not had the performance of a ranked team. Facing a Miami team who was fresh off a two-score loss to MTSU, the Tar Heels allowed them to garner 538 yards of offense, and narrowly defeated them, 27-24. The Tar Heels themselves put up a respectable 470 yards of offense, QB Drake Maye had a decent outing, with 2 TDs on a 11.0 YPA, although two unnecessary picks, both at the end of the first half, and start of the second half, nearly costed the Tar Heels some points. Up next for NC: @Duke, who are reeling off an embarrassing loss to Georgia Tech. NC has commanded the betting odds (-7) and computer analysis (ESPN FPI 64% chance of victory), and yet, I can't but feel extremely hesitant about their chances next week. North Carolina may just become a team that wins games purely out of spite, or they might falter down the stretch, I'm not sure which. Either way, a 5-1 record is a 5-1 record, and with their only loss being a revitalized Notre Dame team, who can blame anyone for believing in the Tar Heels?

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