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CriterionCrypt Ballot for 2023 Week 12

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Nov. 13, 2023, 8:21 p.m.

Overall Rationale: I believe that it is important for every conference to be represented in the Top 25 poll. If I can justify putting the top team from each of the G5 conferences into my ranking, I will. There is one "reach" with my Week 12 ballot with Fresno State and the MWC. But I feel like they have done enough to earn a Top 25 spot. I try to use overall resume in regards to placement in the top 25, but each individual ranking is based on what I think the head to head outcome would be on a neutral field at the time of ranking. Overall record, or even past head to head matchups mean less to me than where the team is right now based on the eye test. I don't feel comfortable dropping Michigan out of the Top 25 entirely, because I do feel like they are a legitimate top 10 team. But I also don't feel comfortable putting them in the top four because I don't know the extent of the cheating scandal or how much it helped them.

Rank Team Reason
1 Georgia Bulldogs Contrary to my overall rationale, Georgia deserves the top spot until they lose. They are on a 27 game win streak, and they just beat an excellent Ole Miss team by five touchdowns. I am so looking forward to the Bama Georgia SEC title game.
2 Oregon Ducks Based on the eye test, Oregon looks like the clear #2 in my book. I see them winning their rematch against Washington.
3 Ohio State Buckeyes
4 Alabama Crimson Tide
5 Florida State Seminoles
6 Washington Huskies Washington does get a lot of love for being undefeated, but they have looked really beatable as of late.
7 Michigan Wolverines I can't accurately apply the eye test to a team whose head coach is under suspension for cheating. I think they are a good team, but how much of that is real? We will see I guess.
8 Texas Longhorns
9 LSU Tigers LSU doesn't have the record of the #9 team. But I think that they beat every single team below them if they played on a neutral field today.
10 Ole Miss Rebels
11 Missouri Tigers Missouri is one of the hottest teams in the NCAA right now. Their trajectory is only looking up.
12 Louisville Cardinals I know Louisville is 9-1. But they haven't really proven to me that they can compete with elite teams. Notre Dame is their best win, and Notre Dame is in a similar situation. They lost every game they played to elite teams. With that being said, if Louisville can beat Miami and Kentucky, I would say that they probably do deserve a top ten spot.
13 Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma rebounded very well against a competent West Virginia squad. If they can continue playing like that, they might end up being an 11 win team. But if they allow undisciplined play to creep back in, they will have a rough time.
14 Oregon State Beavers
15 Tennessee Volunteers
16 Kansas State Wildcats
17 Utah Utes Utah has punched way above their weight class given Cam Rising's potential medical redshirt this year. I would say this year has gone about as well as it could have for Utah, all things considered.
18 Penn State Nittany Lions Penn State is the least predictable program in the country. They will beat every team they are supposed to beat and they will lose to every team that is supposed to beat them. Their inability to win games against ranked opponents tells me that they aren't quite ready for the big time.
19 Tulane Green Wave
20 North Carolina Tar Heels
21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
22 James Madison Dukes
23 Liberty Flames
24 Toledo Rockets
25 Fresno State Bulldogs This is the most suspect pick in my opinion. The Mountain West has three decent teams at the top of their standings, but they don't have any world beaters. I think Fresno State beats UNLV and Air Force on a neutral field, so they get the nod.

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