Ballot Type: Hybrid
Submitted: Oct. 1, 2024, 1:45 a.m.
Overall Rationale: I closely compared my sense of each teams ability, with the SOR (strength of record) from ESPN. I also honor head to head results, and being undefeated. Yeeted out Ole Miss for being complete frauds.
Rank | Team | Reason |
---|---|---|
1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | Has the biggest win of the season -- and is clearly situated as the undisputed best team. And honestly, they shouldn't have let Georgia back in the game. Also is #1 in ESPN's SOR. 1 |
2 | Texas Longhorns | The great win over Michigan is aging poorly. None of their other wins are marque. 5th on ESPN's SOR, so dropping. |
3 | Georgia Bulldogs | Big drop for the bulldogs -- because they snuck by Kentucky, and then nearly got throttled by Alabama. Could be the 2nd best team in the country, but doesn't have the second best resume, IMO. #3 in ESPNs SOR, but that seems awfully generous to only nearly losing to Alabama (it could have been a 30 point blow out). |
4 | Oregon Ducks | Dominate UCLA, okay, whatever, quality B1G win? No. But the close win over Boise is aging better and better. #6on ESPN's SOR, which feels like it's overvaluing Boise / Oregon State. |
5 | BYU Cougars | Big jump. Why? They beat SMU, who has since beat everyone else. They beat Kansas State, who has beaten everyone but them. They beat Baylor, who has, well, that hurts. Point is, BYU has the #2 SOR in the country (and a good chance of running the table from here). |
6 | Tennessee Volunteers | BYE. #4 per ESPNs SOR, but it just doesn't feel like it. |
7 | Miami Hurricanes | Not a great win over Virginia Tech, possibly not a win depending on whether that ball was actually caught. Florida win is again poorly, and Duke might be the only serious team in faces?? Miami dropping. |
8 | Indiana Hoosiers | Why did I let WINDIANA jump Ohio State and Penn State? Solely because they're atop the B1G standings and this isn't scientific. Objectively, they have the same or more P5 wins (2 vs 2/1 and an extra not p5 win). |
9 | Penn State Nittany Lions | Beat a decent Illinois team in an ugly, gritty win. This team feels very K-State and Utah. Tough, but limited in potential. And passing offense. |
10 | Ohio State Buckeyes | Not going to know how to feel about them until they play Oregon. |
11 | Duke Blue Devils | They came back from 20 down, but hell. This is not a good team. It just isn't. Rewarding them for being 5-0, but come the freak on. It just is not a great team, even good team by any metric. They're going to lose to SMU, Miami, and Virginia Tech at least. |
12 | Iowa State Cyclones | Wins over Houston, Arkansas State, Iowa, and North Dakota. Not exactly a murderer's row. But they are undefeated. And they will be against Baylor next week. |
13 | Kansas State Wildcats | So, they lose to BYU (which has the 3rd best record in the country per ESPN), and then come out, get into a dog fight with OSU, and then run away with it. Avery Johnson is quietly a phenomenal player. Probably deserves more attention. #23 on ESPN's SOR, mostly because BYU stomped them. |
14 | Michigan Wolverines | I would like to punish Michigan for Baylor beating Minnesota, but again, that game probably shouldn't have been as close as the final score was. Also, it was exceptionally wet in Ann Arbor. |
15 | Pittsburgh Panthers | BYE. Also extremely underwhelming, but such a winnable schedule. |
16 | Missouri Tigers | BYE. One of the least impressive SEC schedules of the decade, I mean year. |
17 | Boise State Broncos | Big W over WSU (which I had ranked), and the only lose is a game they shouldn't have lost to Oregon. Jeanty for Heisman! |
18 | Clemson Tigers | Bye. But with #34 SOR per ESPN, this feels VERY generous. |
19 | Utah Utes | Crushing loss to Arizona. Desert magic is real. |
20 | Colorado Buffaloes | Soooo. They survived Baylor, then stomped UCF. The line play is better and the run game exists. Huh. |
21 | UNLV Rebels | They have 2 p5 wins, and a G5 win. Their starting QB left and Haij crushed it. Won all three phases of the game. |
22 | Texas A&M Aggies | A decent SOR (#17), but honestly? Fraudulent. Barely beat Florida and Arkansas. |
23 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | Don't understand this team. But wins over Purdue, and Louisville are fairly meaningful. Week schedule until Army. |
24 | Washington State Cougars | Why are they ranked? Because they have the #25 SOR per ESPN, and nobody on the schedule should beat them. |
25 | Army West Point | Winner of two world wars and four straight. Lots of gimme games until they face Notre Dame |
Teams Ranked:
Rank | Team | Unusualness |
---|---|---|
1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 0.00 |
2 | Texas Longhorns | 0.00 |
3 | Georgia Bulldogs | 0.29 |
4 | Oregon Ducks | 0.29 |
5 | BYU Cougars | 0.75 |
6 | Tennessee Volunteers | 0.00 |
7 | Miami Hurricanes | 0.00 |
8 | Indiana Hoosiers | 0.87 |
9 | Penn State Nittany Lions | -0.22 |
10 | Ohio State Buckeyes | -1.00 |
11 | Duke Blue Devils | 2.57 |
12 | Iowa State Cyclones | 0.00 |
13 | Kansas State Wildcats | 0.84 |
14 | Michigan Wolverines | 0.00 |
15 | Pittsburgh Panthers | 1.82 |
16 | Missouri Tigers | -1.14 |
17 | Boise State Broncos | 0.54 |
18 | Clemson Tigers | 0.00 |
19 | Utah Utes | 0.00 |
20 | Colorado Buffaloes | 4.87 |
21 | UNLV Rebels | 0.00 |
22 | Texas A&M Aggies | 1.12 |
23 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | -0.54 |
24 | Washington State Cougars | 0.34 |
25 | Army West Point | 0.00 |
Omissions:
Team | Unusualness |
---|---|
USC Trojans | 1.57 |
Ole Miss Rebels | 1.12 |
LSU Tigers | 0.98 |
Oklahoma Sooners | 0.62 |
Rutgers Scarlet Knights | 0.08 |
Louisville Cardinals | 0.16 |
Total Score: 21.75