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big_thunder_man Ballot for 2024 Week 8

Ballot Type: Hybrid

Submitted: Oct. 14, 2024, 12:19 a.m.

Overall Rationale: Mix of ESPN's SOR, added with ability / eye test on that record, combined with h2h results, plus perceived ability.

Rank Team Reason
1 Oregon Ducks 6-0. (#1 on ESPN's SOR) Managed to hold on against Ohio State, but more importantly, has a win over Boise State that is aging better and better.
2 Texas Longhorns 6-0. (#6 in SOR). I didn't rank Oklahoma because I didn't care about the Red River Rivalry Ratings. They blew them up. Team looks like the class of the SEC.
3 BYU Cougars 6-0. (#3 in SOR). Arizona seems better than their record -- and BYU just steadily pulled away. This just seems like a tough, steady team, that makes it into and far in the playoffs, then gets the doors blown off.
4 Miami Hurricanes 6-0. (#4 in SOR). BYE. Got lucky vs Cal. Still think this team has incredible moxie.
5 Penn State Nittany Lions 6-0. (#2 in SOR). Jumped Windiana because of how big the SOR difference is, but honestly, USC is not that great. And they barely snuck by.
6 Indiana Hoosiers 6-0. (#12 in SOR). BYE. Probably should be 9-0 before the Michigan game (doable), then 10-0 vs Ohio State.
7 Iowa State Cyclones 6-0. (#5 in SOR). Pulled away from WVU late. Who left on the schedule will beat them? Win over Iowa is aging well.
8 Pittsburgh Panthers 6-0. (#8 in SOR). So, defeating the woke agenda (CAL) was closer than it should have been. But they're undefeated in a P5 conference, with a top 8 SOR. Two OOC wins over P5 teams (Cinco and West Virginia). Impressive.
9 Alabama Crimson Tide 6-1. (#9 in SOR). Barely survived South Carolina. Uh oh.
10 Georgia Bulldogs 6-1. (#7 in SOR). Yes, losing to Alabama is less embarrassing than the Vanderbilt loss. but Head to head matters. Don't worry Bulldogs -- Bama will stumble.
11 Ohio State Buckeyes 5-1. (#14 in SOR). Should have beat Oregon. But Ryan Day chokes in big games. Offense is too streaky and inconsistent.
12 Kansas State Wildcats 5-1. (#13 in SOR). I said they would beat Colorado State in a close game, and it would reveal the contender. Klieman doesn't miss.
13 Clemson Tigers 5-1. (#21 in SOR). Besides for losing to Georgia, has been running ALL over everyone. Quietly looking like a playoff contender.
14 Tennessee Volunteers 5-1. (#16 in SOR). Honestly, they're not at 14 because they're good; everyone else has glaring problems. Florida, ???, took them to OT. Alabama might win by 60 next week.
15 LSU Tigers 5-1. (#11 in SOR). Win over a great Ole Miss Team. USC loss is more inexplicable by the week.
16 SMU Mustangs 5-1. (#19 in SOR). The close BYU loss ages better and better. And they play NO ONE for the rest of the season. Incredible.
17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 5-1. (#16 in SOR). Ugh. I mean, the TAMU win is aging very well (another team I don't believe in)? The Purdue boat race and And Louisville win seem to be legit?
18 Texas A&M Aggies 5-1. (#10 in SOR). That meh win over Notre Dame is doing a lot of heavy lifting. The schedule should be easily winnable until Texas at the end of the season.
19 Boise State Broncos 5-1. Should have beaten Oregon. Why did I drop them after beating Hawaii? Because I watched chunks of it, and Hawaii (??) slowed down Jeanty. Still my Heisman favorite, but honestly, 15 fourth quarter points made this a much better game than it actually was.
20 Arizona State Sun Devils 5-1. (#24 in SOR). Ok, they should have a better record, and honestly, Utah isn't a bad team. That was an impressive win.
21 Illinois Fighting Illini 5-1. (#17 in SOR). UHHHHHH. Oh boy. Barely survived Purdue. Yikes. The close Kasans game looks like hot poop, Nebraska win is underwhelming, and 1-6 Purdue nearly won. Not expecting much from the fightin' Illini in the future.
22 Texas Tech Red Raiders 5-1. (#25 in SOR). The good news for the raiders is that Iowa State is going to be the only good team they play this year. The bad news for the red raiders is they already have a loss. All gas, no breaks, and lots of ditches coming up.
23 Nebraska Cornhuskers 5-1. (#41 in SOR). Winning has to count for something, but they really haven't played anyone. Yikes.
24 Army West Point 6-0. (#31 in SOR). Decimated UAB. Longest nation win streak. Occasionally passing the ball? Hasn't trailed in a game all season?
25 Navy Midshipmen 5-0. (#30 in SOR). BYE. I don't really understand the triple option. Something, something, America.

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