2020 Couch Power 10, Week 5
With the return of the Big Ten, we're inching closer to having what could almost be considered a "normal" season. With the Pac-12 starting play next week-- but especially with #MACtion starting, too-- we'll have all major conferences back in action. Right in time for a fresh set of COVID spikes amidst a nation in flames after the election! Hooray!
For now, the conferences that have already been playing have been providing a delicious amount of entertainment. Another slew of ranked teams fell this past weekend; five, to be exact. Many of these were in matchups with fellow ranked teams, to be fair, but it was yet another opportunity for some teams to provide separation with their in-conference peers. And the one instance in which a ranked team lost to an unranked team was in the form of perhaps the most exciting game of the year.
Just a reminder that this is not a definitive ranking on how good the teams are, or on who I think will be/deserves to be in the playoff at the end of the year. Rather, it's more of a "What if preseason rankings and bigwig bias didn't predetermine the top teams" kind of thing, an ideal ranking of the country's teams based on what they've actually proved on the field to date:
1. Alabama
No sooner had we proclaimed Clemson the undisputed best team in America and decry Alabama's sloppiness on defense, did Bama completely dominate a recently-ranked Tennessee team while Clemson struggled to put away 48-point underdogs Syracuse. Just goes to show you. Given the inconsistency of the other SEC teams, it's doubtful the Tide lose this season.
2. Clemson
Clemson's subpar game against Syracuse doesn't suddenly mean they're not the best team in the nation, but it is a worrying sign that a team that had seemingly rounded into form with impressive wins over Miami and Georgia Tech might still have shortcomings that can be exploited. Still, Clemson has more than earned the benefit of the doubt.
3. Cincinnati
Cincinnati was the preseason favorite to represent the Group of Five and crash the New Year's Six bowls (and possibly even the playoff discussion), but had yet to show that potential this season. Their first grand opportunity came on Saturday, and they passed with flying colors. A road test against fellow unbeaten-- and Couch Top 10 --team SMU proved to not be much of a test after all, as the Bearcats ran away with a 42-13 victory. With Memphis, Houston, and UCF all on the docket in the coming four weeks, Cincy kicked off their murderer's row as well as possible.
4. Oklahoma State
I've been damning Oklahoma State with faint praise the last several weeks, noting that their rise in the polls has been as much a result of other teams losing as it was a statement on their quality. With that in mind, it's time to give the Cowboys some serious props: a tough, ranked Iowa State team came to town last weekend and any sort of win over that particular opponent would have been considered a 'good win.' But when the win is a fairly comfortable one after not having played for 3 weeks...that's downright impressive.
5. BYU
BYU moves down after a 38-point win, which probably sounds harsh. The reason for that is simply because Texas State was their first opponent that is likely not postseason-bound, and with more teams joining in the season now, quality wins will be at a premium. The good news is, with Boise State and San Diego State still on the schedule, the Cougars' opportunities to get them are not done.
6. Michigan
The jury might still be out on how good of a team Minnesota turns out to be. But one thing's for certain: for a program and coach that often gets unfairly tagged with the 'inability to win the big games' label, Jim Harbaugh's and Michigan's dominant, season-opening road win over a ranked Minnesota team made a statement.
7. Indiana
Indiana's been a sneakily solid program in recent years. They've rarely been ranked, rarely good enough to command national attention, but consistently good enough to cause some legitimately good teams some legitimate problems. So the fact that they were good enough to upset Penn State at home in their opener isn't altogether that stunning. What was stunning was the way they did it, and is a testament to their squad's resilience.
8. Notre Dame
Notre Dame finally delivered the decisive win we've been looking for from this team, in a 45-3 mauling of Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, due to big wins by other teams, they don't jump in our poll at all. But it's a positive sign that this high-potential team is growing in confidence.
9. Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina couldn't keep up their Top 5 presence with more teams notching impressive victories, and a fairly pedestrian win over Georgia Southern. But the latest Cinderella story is still unbeaten with a win over a ranked team, and that is good enough to keep them in our Couch Power 10.
10. Marshall
Even if people are okay with the logic of ranking undefeated teams ahead of one-loss teams, I understand many might find leaving Ohio State and Wisconsin out of the Power 10 in favor of Coastal Carolina and Marshall. I get it, I do. Here's what I'll say to that: yes, the Buckeyes and Badgers looked terrific, but they were fully expected to beat Nebraska and Illinois. I'm not sure Marshall being 5-0 with a win over a ranked Appalachian State team is something anyone expected.
Just missed: Ohio State, Wisconsin, Georgia, Texas A&M, North Carolina, Heisman frontrunner Javonte Williams
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