Tuesday, September 16, 2008

The College Football Blog: Power Rankings (After Week 3)



Power Rankings After Week 3

1. USC 2-0 (2nd)
2. Oklahoma 3-0 (1st)
3. Missouri 3-0 (8th)
4. UGA 3-0 (3rd)
5. Florida 2-0 (4th)
6. LSU 2-0 (6th)
7. Texas 2-0 (9th)
8. Alabama 3-0 (NR)
9. Auburn 3-0 (5th)
10. Penn St. 3-0 (10th)
11. USF 3-0 (12th)
12. Texas Tech 3-0 (NR)

-Previous week’s ranking in parenthesis;

Out: Ohio State (7th).
Next Three In: Ohio State, Kansas, Wisconsin.

Explanation: I realize this week’s rankings might need explaining more than any previous week. First you might ask how I could drop Oklahoma from 1st to 2nd when they beat a team from a BCS conference 55-14. I didn’t think they were that much better than USC last week and I don’t think USC is that much better than Oklahoma right now. But I got to see USC play a second game against a good opponent and they whipped them so soundly that I just have to elevate them above the Sooners, but like I said, I don’t think there’s much difference. After the top 2 there’s a drop off for me. Right now I think USC and Oklahoma are a level above the rest and that might help explain how I could move Missouri from 8th to 3rd in one week when all they did was blowout Nevada. It’s not just this week. I think Missouri has been very impressive this year and they were a great team last year and the only team that beat them last year was Oklahoma. Although Georgia came away with a hard fought road SEC win, I still have to move them back a slot because they just didn’t play like a National Championship contender. I moved Florida back a spot with them because I after watching Florida play Miami two weeks ago I didn’t think they were that impressive. Auburn I just couldn’t help moving back because they were terrible and they won 3-2 against a Mississippi State team that lost by 8 to Louisiana Tech. Auburn is a team that I think will be very good late in the year and I think their defense would save them against most teams right now but their offense is just not working yet. Texas didn’t play but with Ohio State losing and Auburn unimpressive, I moved them up to 7th. Bama moving all the way to 8th always needs explaining. I had them on the edge of the rankings last week and then they won a game handedly this week that they might have struggled with in years past. Taking care of business against an overmatched opponent can be as important as beating a team as an underdog. I kept PSU at 10 because they just blew out the worst team in the country. USF I moved up a spot because they won another tough game and this one was against a good opponent. Texas Tech moved from just out to just in at number 12 after another easy win. You may wonder why I have Ohio State just out. I still think Ohio State is a good team and if Beanie Wells were healthy I would have them ranked 10th. I was not impressed with East Carolina’s 24-20 win over Tulane. It’s one thing to give a team from a power conference the benefit of the doubt for winning ugly against a weaker conference opponent. I extend no such benefit to teams from Conference USA. I have Kansas just outside the rankings because I was impressed with their performance in the loss on the road to USF. Wisconsin beat Fresno State on the road despite all the calls going against them which was impressive.

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