I am sure a lot of people are expecting Florida to remain the top team after a win against Tennessee. That is usually how polls work. But the No. 2 Gators did not exactly dominate the Volunteers last week at Florida Field.
The great thing I love about the way my rankings work is that winning is a necessity, but winning in a dominating fashion is even more of a necessity. This does not mean schedule weak, as Florida is learning in its short tumble. But no team can have an off week, like Tim Tebow and the Gators had last week, and expect to hold onto their position.
Instead the most consistent teams who play the tougher schedules rise to the top. This week that top team is No. 1 Alabama.
I have been waiting for the Crimson Tide to get to the top spot after being ranked No. 4 last week. I absolutely love this team -- see my thoughts from Week 1 in their thrashing of the No. 18 Hokies in Atlanta. They play defense and run the ball well. They are, to my eye, the best team in the country right now. Clearly Florida and No. 5 Texas are riding the laurels of last season's success.
There are certainly going to be some surprises in this week's rankings -- as No. 4 Oklahoma has leap-frogged up the polls despite losing a game, something that I would consider more of a mathematical fluke than anything else -- but I would expect things to settle as the week moves on.
Here is this week's top 15:
1. Alabama 53.279
2. Florida +0.8
3. California +14.83
4. Oklahoma +15.719
5. Texas +21.004
6. USC
7. Mississippi (stats recorded before Thursday night's loss)
8. Kansas
9. Cincinnati
10. Penn State
11. LSU
12. Miami (Fl.)
13. TCU
14. Auburn
15. Missouri
The rest of the Top 25: 16. North Carolina; 17. Ohio State; 18. Virginia Tech; 19. Nebraska; 20. Florida State; 21. Boise State; 22. Michigan; 23. Brigham Young; 24. Houston; 25. Georgia
Top Offense: No. 2 Florida, Texas A&M (ranked 29th in standings)
Top Defense: No. 10 Penn State
Toughest Schedule To-Date: No. 12 Miami
Toughest Schedule Remaining: No. 4 Oklahoma
Easiest Schedule To-Date: No. 8 Kansas
Easiest Schedule Remaining: No. 21 Boise State
Game of the Week: 12 Miami (Fl.) vs. 18 Virginia Tech- the Hurricanes ridiculous start continues as the Hurricanes travel to Blacksburg, Va., to take on the Hokies. The history of this rivalry in the 2000s is well documented as Virginia Tech nearly ruined a couple Miami national championship runs. It is pretty safe to say that this game is very much in the same vein the way the Hurricanes are playing (at least until Miami hosts Oklahoma next week). This should be a very good game and could very well decide which team takes control of the ACC this year. The Hokies and Hurricanes do not rank fantastically in either offense or defense in the ratings, but we all know they have a solid defense. This game will come down to the quarterbacks and who can execute. The scary part is, both have proven they can perform under pressure in big games this season.
Showing posts with label Miami (Fl.) Hurricanes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miami (Fl.) Hurricanes. Show all posts
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Thoughts From Week 3 2009
No. 20 Georgia Tech vs. Miami (Fl.): Tyrone Nesbitt's drop back really bothers me and it is going to hurt this team, if it did not already in this game, Nesbitt is right-handed but he drops back left-handed and turns to throw, he has a powerful arm, but this is a concerning hitch for the Yellow Jackets... because Georgia Tech is so dependent on the triple option, the team cannot fall behind like it did tonight, the passing game is just not up to snuff... the Hurricanes are athletic and the pass defense definitely improved from the game against the Seminoles... Jacory Harris had his doubters entering the season, I think he silenced them... the Hurricanes gauntlet start does not let up as the Sooners travel to Land Shark Stadium next week and the Hokies after that, woo-hoo.
No. 6 California at Minnesota: the Golden Bears are making quite a lot of mistakes that have given the Gophers a chance at this thing from fumbles to muffed punts to silly penalties... the defense is struggling to contain the tandem of Adam Weber and Erick Decker, but they are very physical nonetheless... Jahvid Best is also quite physical and also quite good... I have to ask this, if Cal is having so much problems containing just one good wide receiver -- and granted Decker is one of the top receivers in the nation -- what are they going to do with the multiple weapons that a team like USC or Oregon has?
Tennessee vs. No. 1 Florida: there was a reason the Volunteers were ranked No. 8 last week, they have a really athletic defense and it is getting a good push on the Gators' offensive line, that has really disrupted everything they have wanted to do... disrupting Florida even more, Tennessee's strong running game, I definitely did not see that coming as the offensive line is pushing around Florida's defense... but having said all that, Tennessee needs to quit being afraid of what Jonathan Crompton can do it held the team back against UCLA and it is holding the team back in the Swamp... Florida needs to find a way to get their receivers involved, because they are not going to do it themselves, that is the one weakness for the Gators and the Volunteers did a good job forcing Tebow to make plays to them most of the day... having said that, the backs for the Gators are about as good as they come, so fast... and Tim Tebow had a Heisman play on a 3rd and 4 in the third quarter with the game still tight, I was yelling for him to throw the ball away and he somehow got a first down.
No. 6 California at Minnesota: the Golden Bears are making quite a lot of mistakes that have given the Gophers a chance at this thing from fumbles to muffed punts to silly penalties... the defense is struggling to contain the tandem of Adam Weber and Erick Decker, but they are very physical nonetheless... Jahvid Best is also quite physical and also quite good... I have to ask this, if Cal is having so much problems containing just one good wide receiver -- and granted Decker is one of the top receivers in the nation -- what are they going to do with the multiple weapons that a team like USC or Oregon has?
Tennessee vs. No. 1 Florida: there was a reason the Volunteers were ranked No. 8 last week, they have a really athletic defense and it is getting a good push on the Gators' offensive line, that has really disrupted everything they have wanted to do... disrupting Florida even more, Tennessee's strong running game, I definitely did not see that coming as the offensive line is pushing around Florida's defense... but having said all that, Tennessee needs to quit being afraid of what Jonathan Crompton can do it held the team back against UCLA and it is holding the team back in the Swamp... Florida needs to find a way to get their receivers involved, because they are not going to do it themselves, that is the one weakness for the Gators and the Volunteers did a good job forcing Tebow to make plays to them most of the day... having said that, the backs for the Gators are about as good as they come, so fast... and Tim Tebow had a Heisman play on a 3rd and 4 in the third quarter with the game still tight, I was yelling for him to throw the ball away and he somehow got a first down.
Friday, September 18, 2009
2009 Week 3 Rankings: Another New No. 1
The ranking are a little tumultuous this early in the season. One bad game can really affect the statistics. Do not worry this will change as teams get deeper into the season. They are not meant to be really taken seriously until much further into the season.
But we are getting to the point where we can see some trends about who is going to stay near the top throughout the season and who really is not as good as we thought.
The first big news is Florida has taken over the No. 1 spot. I have found in previous years that big games, even when they win, tend to hurt teams more than help in the short-term. They help in the long-term though as no one has really gotten any quality wins yet. No. 3 Brigham Young became the first team to pick up a quality win point as Oklahoma rose back into the rankings. The Cougars used that quality win to overcome the weak Mountain West schedule.
No. 11 Oklahoma also bounced back after the loss and is firmly planting itself among the top teams -- even with the loss. Otherwise the favorites are still at the top during the last week before I can say the rankings are official and some of the artificial weighting I use at the beginning of the season -- i.e. the use of more polls in the poll component -- is taken away.
The real surprises this week? Let's go with No. 7 Cincinnati and No. 8 Kansas who both jumped up from the main polls. The Bearcats feature a strong offense that has them flying high and the Jayhawks also have a single-digit offense and a pretty good defense. Those will be two teams to watch.
Two teams that are overrated? No. 17 LSU is still struggling after a bad game in Seattle in Week One. The Tigers' typically strong defense received an abysmal 31 rating. That will need to improve if they are to fight for the SEC West title. Also No. 20 Georgia Tech is rated low. That seemed to be prophetic as they lost tonight at Miami. The Hurricanes remain unranked, but that will change next week I would bet.
Here are this week's rankings:
1. Florida 60.115
2. USC +5.207
3. Brigham Young +11.172
4. Alabama +13.334
5. Texas +14.494
6. California
7. Cincinnati
8. Kansas
9. Penn State
10. Nebraska
11. Oklahoma
12. Mississippi
13. Boise State
14. TCU
15. Auburn
The rest of the top 25: 16. Arkansas; 17. LSU; 18. Utah; 19. North Carolina; 20. Georgia Tech; 21. Boston College; 22. West Virginia; 23. Missouri; 24. Oregon State; 25. Texas A&M
Top Offense: No. 1 Florida
Top Defense: No. 13 Boise State
Toughest Schedule: No. 11 Oklahoma, Georgia (ranked 37th in standings)
Easiest Schedule: No. 13 Boise State
Game of the Week: No. 7 Cincinnati vs. No. 24 Oregon State- this could be an interesting game with two contrasting styles of play. The Bearcats are the type of team that can roll you over with their passing and offensive ability. The Beavers proved last year against the Trojans just what a great running back can do. Oregon State has not played great so far this season, but they are certainly capable of it especially at home. This will be a big test for the Bearcats as I think they don't want to just be in the BCS conversation as the Big East's representative. A win against a pretty good Pac-10 team might make them clamor for more.
But we are getting to the point where we can see some trends about who is going to stay near the top throughout the season and who really is not as good as we thought.
The first big news is Florida has taken over the No. 1 spot. I have found in previous years that big games, even when they win, tend to hurt teams more than help in the short-term. They help in the long-term though as no one has really gotten any quality wins yet. No. 3 Brigham Young became the first team to pick up a quality win point as Oklahoma rose back into the rankings. The Cougars used that quality win to overcome the weak Mountain West schedule.
No. 11 Oklahoma also bounced back after the loss and is firmly planting itself among the top teams -- even with the loss. Otherwise the favorites are still at the top during the last week before I can say the rankings are official and some of the artificial weighting I use at the beginning of the season -- i.e. the use of more polls in the poll component -- is taken away.
The real surprises this week? Let's go with No. 7 Cincinnati and No. 8 Kansas who both jumped up from the main polls. The Bearcats feature a strong offense that has them flying high and the Jayhawks also have a single-digit offense and a pretty good defense. Those will be two teams to watch.
Two teams that are overrated? No. 17 LSU is still struggling after a bad game in Seattle in Week One. The Tigers' typically strong defense received an abysmal 31 rating. That will need to improve if they are to fight for the SEC West title. Also No. 20 Georgia Tech is rated low. That seemed to be prophetic as they lost tonight at Miami. The Hurricanes remain unranked, but that will change next week I would bet.
Here are this week's rankings:
1. Florida 60.115
2. USC +5.207
3. Brigham Young +11.172
4. Alabama +13.334
5. Texas +14.494
6. California
7. Cincinnati
8. Kansas
9. Penn State
10. Nebraska
11. Oklahoma
12. Mississippi
13. Boise State
14. TCU
15. Auburn
The rest of the top 25: 16. Arkansas; 17. LSU; 18. Utah; 19. North Carolina; 20. Georgia Tech; 21. Boston College; 22. West Virginia; 23. Missouri; 24. Oregon State; 25. Texas A&M
Top Offense: No. 1 Florida
Top Defense: No. 13 Boise State
Toughest Schedule: No. 11 Oklahoma, Georgia (ranked 37th in standings)
Easiest Schedule: No. 13 Boise State
Game of the Week: No. 7 Cincinnati vs. No. 24 Oregon State- this could be an interesting game with two contrasting styles of play. The Bearcats are the type of team that can roll you over with their passing and offensive ability. The Beavers proved last year against the Trojans just what a great running back can do. Oregon State has not played great so far this season, but they are certainly capable of it especially at home. This will be a big test for the Bearcats as I think they don't want to just be in the BCS conversation as the Big East's representative. A win against a pretty good Pac-10 team might make them clamor for more.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Thoughts From Week 1 2009
No. 10 Oregon vs. Boise State: Oregon and Boise State are known for their big offenses and ESPN loved advertising it as an offensive matchup, but the defenses are not bad and will be the key to success for either team this season... the Broncos don't usually play a strong enough schedule to make it to the BCS without going undefeated, but there are some decent teams on the schedule this year... Broncos are proving in the first half how important special teams are, this should be 6-0 midway through the second quarter, that changes the game... the struggles of Boise State and Oregon on offense in the first half of this game shows why teams need a preseason game in college football, a big game like this should not be decided by such raw, untested schemes and just one game would help; it proves why playing FCS teams actually help despite the image hit.
No. 23 Brigham Young Cougars vs. No. 1 Oklahoma: Sam Bradford really makes this team, you can tell Oklahoma is a different team without its Heisman-winning quarterback, I know you can say that about most teams but the Sooners are clearly not as efficient... you have to feel bad for Oklahoma at some point, the team lost DeMarco Murray for the BCS National Championship Game last year, lost Jermaine Grisham before the BYU game and might be without Bradford for 2-4 weeks... having said all that, BYU is a really good team and should not be overlooked, the Cougars had a good season last year and are just as good with Max Hall coming back at quarterback... as much of a statement as the Broncos made against the Ducks, the Cougars have a better chance of not only making a BCS bowl but they might have a fair shake at making the BCS National Championship Game if the pieces fall right, this win will go a long way but they will hav eto go undefeated.
No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 4 Virginia Tech: this game certainly lived up to its hype as the Hokies and Crimson Tide played in a classic battle... but Alabama's defense was as good as advertised, it gave up a couple big plays at the end and a kickoff return but really stymied the Virginia Tech offense all night, the Hokies are the best team in the ACC and even in a somewhat dominating defeat, still looked like they should handle the conference easily... but the Tide just dominated the Hokies physically, the o-line and d-line were getting all the push they wanted up front and that's a recipe for success as both of them are very strong... I was most impressed with running back Mark Ingram, the dude is built like a tank and his 150-plus yard performance may be a statistical high for the year, but he will be wearing out defenses for a long time to come this year, it won't be the last time the Tide steamroll an opponent in the fourth quarter
Cincinnati vs. Rutgers: the Bearcats just looked like they were in a different league than the Scarlet Knights, a completely unexpected mismatch... not to say Rutgers will not be fine, Cincinnati is a very good team... very impressed by Tony Pike, he picked Rutgers' defense apart all day
Miami (Fl.) vs. No. 14 Florida State: never thought I would see both of these teams get out to the offensive start they did Christian Ponder and Jacory Harris had free reign in the pocket despite some big hits early... this turned out to be one of those classic rivalry games but with a different M-O, I was surprised at how the secondaries got abused in this one, I thought Miami and FSU were great defenses... young quarterbacks Christian Ponder and Jacory Harris did more than enough to win this game for their team and they both have very bright futures this year... FSU and Miami will be determining a good portion of this season with BYU hosting FSU and Oklahoma heading to South Florida, they both will be up to the challenge
No. 23 Brigham Young Cougars vs. No. 1 Oklahoma: Sam Bradford really makes this team, you can tell Oklahoma is a different team without its Heisman-winning quarterback, I know you can say that about most teams but the Sooners are clearly not as efficient... you have to feel bad for Oklahoma at some point, the team lost DeMarco Murray for the BCS National Championship Game last year, lost Jermaine Grisham before the BYU game and might be without Bradford for 2-4 weeks... having said all that, BYU is a really good team and should not be overlooked, the Cougars had a good season last year and are just as good with Max Hall coming back at quarterback... as much of a statement as the Broncos made against the Ducks, the Cougars have a better chance of not only making a BCS bowl but they might have a fair shake at making the BCS National Championship Game if the pieces fall right, this win will go a long way but they will hav eto go undefeated.
No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 4 Virginia Tech: this game certainly lived up to its hype as the Hokies and Crimson Tide played in a classic battle... but Alabama's defense was as good as advertised, it gave up a couple big plays at the end and a kickoff return but really stymied the Virginia Tech offense all night, the Hokies are the best team in the ACC and even in a somewhat dominating defeat, still looked like they should handle the conference easily... but the Tide just dominated the Hokies physically, the o-line and d-line were getting all the push they wanted up front and that's a recipe for success as both of them are very strong... I was most impressed with running back Mark Ingram, the dude is built like a tank and his 150-plus yard performance may be a statistical high for the year, but he will be wearing out defenses for a long time to come this year, it won't be the last time the Tide steamroll an opponent in the fourth quarter
Cincinnati vs. Rutgers: the Bearcats just looked like they were in a different league than the Scarlet Knights, a completely unexpected mismatch... not to say Rutgers will not be fine, Cincinnati is a very good team... very impressed by Tony Pike, he picked Rutgers' defense apart all day
Miami (Fl.) vs. No. 14 Florida State: never thought I would see both of these teams get out to the offensive start they did Christian Ponder and Jacory Harris had free reign in the pocket despite some big hits early... this turned out to be one of those classic rivalry games but with a different M-O, I was surprised at how the secondaries got abused in this one, I thought Miami and FSU were great defenses... young quarterbacks Christian Ponder and Jacory Harris did more than enough to win this game for their team and they both have very bright futures this year... FSU and Miami will be determining a good portion of this season with BYU hosting FSU and Oklahoma heading to South Florida, they both will be up to the challenge
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