Back to poll results >>

bretticus33 Ballot for 2023 Week 5

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Sept. 24, 2023, 2:51 a.m.

Rank Team Reason
1 Georgia Bulldogs This was probably Georgia’s best overall offensive showing so far, but arguably their worst defensive. However I trust the defense to rebound more than the offense to continue looking as good as they did against UAB.
2 Florida State Seminoles People will probably punish FSU for beating Clemson in OT, but I felt like Clemson was undervalued after their loss to Duke. No, that Clemson team isn’t a national title contender but they were still a top 25 team to me. FSU has some clear weaknesses in that secondary though that I think will cost FSU sooner or later. The ground game also needs to show me more.
3 Michigan Wolverines Michigan is reminding me of the older Nick Saban Alabama teams where they weren’t going to dominate games by scoring a bajillion points, but through just being impenetrable defensively and punishing on offense. If they can match up with other teams like Georgia in that way, then Michigan has a chance to win a title.
4 Texas Longhorns There was some concern Texas might be walking into a trap game in Waco after struggling against Wyoming the week prior, but Texas killed Baylor in the last game between the two for the foreseeable future. Texas has as much talent as anyone in the country, but consistency is the issue.
5 Ohio State Buckeyes It was an impressive physical win over Notre Dame. The Buckeyes defense played great and the offense got it done when needed. I still want to see more out of Ohio State’s offense, but as McCord gets more comfortable within the starting role the Buckeyes should be contending for the B1G
6 Washington Huskies Washington’s offense is easily the best in the country and I feel confident that Penix will be in NYC for the Heisman presentation. Washington still needs to be properly tested though and I’m not sure Arizona provides that.
7 Penn State Nittany Lions Penn State is for real. Despite Iowa’s offensive problems, that was their first shutout in decades and the offense scored 31 on a good defense. PSU is screwed in that they’re in the same division as Michigan and OSU, but they should compete with them.
8 USC Trojans USC’s defense made their inglorious return against Arizona State. The offense had to carry again because the defense couldn’t keep ASU at bay. USC has an interesting test against Colorado next weekend where they should score a lot, but might have their hands full defensively.
9 Oregon Ducks Oregon got fucking tired of CU and their media coverage, and Oregon not just stopped the CU hype train but full on derailed it. It was an impressive performance from the Ducks where they dominated in every aspect.
10 Alabama Crimson Tide Alabama still has concerns on offense. However, with how strong their defense is, it’s going to take a very good offense to beat the Tide. Alabama will still probably be in play for the SEC but unless Tommy Rees and Jalen Milroe both improve it’s hard to see Alabama really winning the conference on defense alone.
11 Utah Utes Utah’s defense is legit. UCLA’s exciting young QB had an extremely rough day and UCLA just couldn’t get much going offensively. The Utah offense is a concern though, and I want to believe that Cam Rising returning will be a major fix, if he does.
12 LSU Tigers LSU has a consistency problem. We saw it against FSU, then saw it again when they struggled to beat a not-that-good Arkansas. Jayden Daniels is a perfect example, where at his peak he’s a Heisman caliber player, but he just doesn’t hold onto that peak. LSU needs to improve before getting into the real meat of the schedule.
13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Notre Dame blew it against Ohio State, plain and simple. However the offensive execution was a bit unnerving to me. ND went out and got Sam Hartman to make a difference, but he could only lead ND to 14 points and that’s rarely enough, especially against the likes of Ohio State. ND has a chance at redemption against Duke next weekend.
14 Washington State Cougars WSU on the PAC-2 championship over Oregon State and Cam Ward looked great doing it. In a conference where QB play is vital because of how many great QBs there are, Cam Ward gives WSU a fighting chance.
15 Duke Blue Devils Duke hasn’t really had any decent competition since beating Clemson, but Duke has taken care of business like a ranked team should. Duke gets the spotlight next weekend though with Notre Dame and Gameday coming to town.
16 North Carolina Tar Heels UNC looks defensively improved from the last year or two and the offense looks like it’s starting to get back to where they were expected to be. We haven’t heard Drake Maye’s name much this season but we’ll see how he and the defense looks when UNC gets to conference play.
17 Oklahoma Sooners OU defensively has improved so much under Venebles that it’s hard to watch that defense and wonder how they were a major liability last season. Offensively though there’s still some questions. Dillon Gabriel is inconsistent and the pressure is on Lebby to get that unit operating at a high level, especially in the Briles crap.
18 Miami Hurricanes Miami is flying under the radar so far, and that’s probably how Miami likes it. Cristobal is saving his job with the start to this season but there’s a long ways to go.
19 Missouri Tigers Missouri is 4-0 and I don’t know how. Brady Cook could unironically be the best QB in the SEC and the Kirby Moore hiring is looking like one of the best hires of the offseason.
20 Oregon State Beavers There’s reason for concern with DJU. Oregon State leaned on the ground game, but in the PAC they’re going to need better QB play. The DJU Oregon State has been getting lately looks like the player that got benched at Clemson rather than the player that he has the talent to be.
21 Ole Miss Rebels After all that trolling from Lane Kiffin in the buildup, Ole Miss just came out and laid an egg. They were up at half, but only 10 points in that game and that’s what killed them. Ole Miss without offensive improvement is going to have a rough time in the SEC.
22 Florida Gators Florida beat Charlotte, but it should have been more than 15 points. The Napier era at Florida is still rocky thanks to inconsistent performances. This ranking is probably the peak for Florida in 2023.
23 Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee played arguably their strongest game over UTSA, who has also been very disappointing. The biggest concern for Tennessee has to be their QB though. Milton has all the arm talent in the world but without the consistency.
24 Fresno State Bulldogs Fresno is the best G5 team in the country. 2 road P5 wins and are cleaning clocks like an elite team should. Fresno State is VERY scary this season.
25 Louisville Cardinals Turns out this Jeff Brohm guy can coach, and Louisville is at 4-0 already after killing Boston College. It was a comprehensive beat down of BC and Louisville could be a surprise team if they keep this up.

Back to poll results >>