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jthomas694 Ballot for 2024 Week 5

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Sept. 23, 2024, 7:29 p.m.

Overall Rationale: Rankings should primarily reflect what has happened on the field this season, with sort of a power ranking for teams that have similar resumes. Teams who win don't deserve to be rewarded, teams who lose don't deserve to punished - but what happened this past week is an additional data point in viewing team resumes.

Rank Team Reason
1 Georgia Bulldogs Currently the number one team in the country in SOR per FPI, I don't discredit them that much for the close game against Kentucky. Kentucky has a good defensive front and Georgia won a night game on the road. Georgia also completely dismantled Clemson, who's been rolling since. Most talented team in the country, best coach in the country, they get the benefit of the doubt to sit at number one in my poll
2 Ohio State Buckeyes SP+ has this as the best defense in the country, I think it's an incredibly balanced team. I don't know that the OL is going to be enough to win the whole thing, but this is a very good football team. They have yet to play anyone with a pulse, but it's still September
3 Texas Longhorns Texas absolutely handled Michigan on the road, which is not a particularly easy thing to do. Very good all around team, not just an offense.
4 Tennessee Volunteers Number 2 in FPI SOR, number 1 in their efficiencies - this is an elite defense with an extremely talented QB. Going to be tough to beat.
5 Ole Miss Rebels They have absolutely handled everyone they've played. They have played the 125th ranked SoS to this point.
6 Alabama Crimson Tide Alabama's OL was alarmingly bad against USF. I worry about how they'll look trying to throw the football against a team like Georgia, and that's why I have them down at 6.
7 Miami Hurricanes Miami (FL) has been the surprise of the year so far to me. They have absolutely handled business and Cam Ward looks legit. They don't play a tough schedule here on out, but they have looked the part of a top ten team.
8 Penn State Nittany Lions I still don't trust Penn State's offense against top defenses, but if they can play complementary football, they'll be a playoff team with that defense.
9 Utah Utes Utah is a top ten team with Cam Rising and a top 20 team without him. I think they can tread enough water until he's finally able to play.
10 Missouri Tigers Missouri has not had the top end explosive plays I think they should have with the skill players they have. Very solid team, but I don't think they are an improved version of last years team, so I dropped them a few spots here. Not far tho
11 Oregon Ducks FPI efficiencies have Oregon as the 24th best team in the country. I don't like how they've looked to this point. They seem like they should be better, but just have not been better.
12 Clemson Tigers Clemson has looked dangerous since a week one loss to Georgia.
13 Iowa State Cyclones Solid win over Iowa. Did what they were supposed to do to a team they're better than. Very good ISU teams haven't done that
14 Michigan Wolverines Strong win against Southern Cal. Lucky they got that game at home, but they were able to make that game a street fight and won it.
15 USC Trojans Defensively a lot better, but not good enough to stop a one dimensional Michigan team. They looked good against LSU and overall a very good team.
16 LSU Tigers Offensively very good. Defensively questionable. Nussmeier is very good and they'll win a few games. They were the better team against South Carolina, but could have lost the game if one of several bounces went differently. That's the difference between being 16th and unranked.
17 Indiana Hoosiers If they had a stronger brand, they'd be higher ranked. The teams they've played aren't very good, but they've been dominant.
18 Louisville Cardinals They're metrically a strong team, but I just don't trust it. We'll learn a lot Saturday when they play Notre Dame
19 Illinois Fighting Illini I think this is probably their peak, but they've earned this spot for now. Are Nebraska/Kansas as good as people thought at the time they played? Not sure, but they've won a couple of good games.
20 BYU Cougars I did not see that coming on Saturday. Kansas State got dominated. Number 3 SOR per FPI. I don't trust it yet, but they've gotten better week over week.
21 UCF Knights I did not see that coming on Saturday. Kansas State got dominated. Number 3 SOR per FPI. I don't trust it yet, but they've gotten better week over week.
22 Washington State Cougars Solid win over Washington. Shootout with SJSU. Still don't feel strongly here
23 Rutgers Scarlet Knights I did not see that coming on Saturday. Kansas State got dominated. Number 3 SOR per FPI. I don't trust it yet, but they've gotten better week over week.
24 Texas A&M Aggies This is the one loss SEC team I picked between A&M, Oklahoma and South Carolina. Don't feel super strongly at this point, but I really don't like what I've seen from Oklahoma yet and I'll trust South Carolina when they break through and win one of those tough games coming up.
25 Kansas State Wildcats This is the one loss SEC team I picked between A&M, Oklahoma and South Carolina. Don't feel super strongly at this point, but I really don't like what I've seen from Oklahoma yet and I'll trust South Carolina when they break through and win one of those tough games coming up.

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