The Couch Power 10, Week 3
Last week out, I said something to the effect of "college football just delivers, even when it doesn't seem like it will." Boy, did that hold true in Week 3. It was no secret that, on the surface, the slate of games for last weekend could only be described as a "dud." There were a grand total of 0 matchups between ranked teams, and the College Gameday set went to Boulder for a high-stakes showdown featuring... Colorado and Colorado State.
And yet, we ended up being treated to an extremely exciting day of football. From noon to midnight, it was a day of the 'near-upset': Boston College kicked off the day by taking #4 Florida State to the wire in Massachusetts, ultimately coming up 2 points short of the big upset. In the afternoon, unranked South Carolina led #1 Georgia by double-digits at halftime, forcing the Dawgs to pitch a shutout in the 2nd half in order to avoid their first loss in 20 games. At the same time, their SEC rivals Alabama actually trailed South Florida (!!!) at halftime in Tampa, and only really put the game away in the final few minutes. Speaking of Alabama, at night, #3 Texas almost faced an embarrassing turnaround from their big win over the Tide, entering the 4th quarter at home tied 10-10 with Wyoming, before rattling off three quick touchdowns to salt things away late. And later in the night, in ESPN's game of the week, 'America's new team' Colorado came oh-so-close to being upset by their little brothers, before a furious late comeback (including a 50-yard TD bomb with less than a minute remaining) forced a thrilling win in double OT.
It's too early to make a definitive call about how the rest of the season will play out. But I will say, the last couple weeks have already offered evidence of one of the most exciting things a neutral fan can hear: we very well may have a year of many good, but few (if any) great teams.
Just a refresher, since it's been nary a year since you've heard from this ranking: 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. Don't be mad cuz I'm doin' me better than you doin' you:
1. Texas
One week after making a statement that Texas was finally back for real, the Longhorns gave their fanbase 'disappointment PTSD' by struggling with Wyoming. But, in their defense, this was a classic trap game scenario: one week removed from a possibly season-defining win, home game against a team that on paper shouldn't scare them, but in reality is good enough to beat them if they're sleepwalking. That the Longhorns pulled it out, which is all that really matters, could reinforce that this team really is different.
2. Florida State
Two weeks after making a statement that Florida State was finally back for real, the Seminoles gave their fanbase 'disappointment PTSD' by struggling mightily with Boston College. But, in their defense, this was a classic trap game scenario: one week away from a possibly season-defining game, Noon road game against a team that on paper shouldn't scare them, but in reality is tough enough to beat them if they're sleepwalking, especially on such an emotionally charged occasion as the "Red Bandana game." That the Noles pulled it out, which is all that really matters, could reinforce that this team really is different. I suppose we'll see how they handle Clemson this weekend.
3. Utah
After what I deemed probably the toughest opening two games of anyone in the country, Utah got a nice respite with a comfortable win over FCS Weber State last weekend and a bye week this weekend. The respite will be short-lived; the next weekend brings a road trip to #14 Oregon State. A win in Corvallis, though, and the Utes are very much in the drivers' seat for a 3rd straight Pac-12 title.
4. Duke
Northwestern may be the worst Power 5 team in the country, but still, they are a Power 5 team (and one that has been good in the past), and Duke doesn't exactly have a rich history of blowing those programs out like they did last Saturday. Only a road trip to a tricky-but-mediocre UConn team stands between a surprising 4-0 showdown against Notre Dame.
5. North Carolina
Both as a UNC fan and from an objective, analytical view, I was curious to see whether 'the real Carolina' was the one that so comprehensively outplayed South Carolina in primetime in Week 1, or the one that nearly lost-- and arguably should have --at home to Appalachian State in Week 2. Minnesota was, perhaps by some margin, the best opponent the Heels had faced this season, and Drake Maye's and the defense's dominant display suggests it may be the former.
6. Miami
Miami's Week 2 win over Texas A&M is sandwiched between two matchups vs. cupcakes. Still, the Canes' wins over Miami (OH) and last week, Bethune-Cookman, were as dominant as they should be, and that's clear progress from a program that has so long been mired in mediocrity. With Temple and Georgia Tech on the horizon, the U should (emphasis on *should*) be unbeaten rolling into Chapel Hill in October, which coulds render that matchup a huge game in the ACC race.
7. Colorado
ESPN slots Colorado's "strength of record" as 3rd best in the country, which I'll admit, confuses me. I guess we'll see how good a team TCU turns out to be, but if (as I suspect) they prove to revert to mediocre this season, I think you'd find many programs in America that would be 3-0 with Colorado's schedule thus far. Plus, their narrow-- albeit thrilling --double OT win over Colorado State suggests they may not be quite ready for Prime Time (haHA!). Still, take nothing from the Buffs: a 3-0 start is significantly better than most everyone expected from them preseason, and if they can upset Oregon this weekend, even the most cynical will likely be aboard the hype train.
8. Washington State
Washington State's Week 2 win over Wisconsin is sandwiched between two matchups vs. cupcakes. Still, the Cougs' wins over Colorado State and last week, Northern Colorado, were as dominant as they should be, and the former at least looks a whole lot more impressive now given the way the Rams competed with Colorado. A tough two-game stretch against Oregon State and UCLA is ahead, but Wazzu so far looks like a team hell-bent on proving their Power 5 pedigree.
9. Ole Miss
ESPN's numbers gurus aren't as high on Ole Miss' resumé to date as I am, and true, Mercer, Tulane, and Georgia Tech don't exactly pop off the screen as football heavyweights. But winning a road game against perhaps the strongest Group of 5 team in the land, and winning the other two matchups by a combined scoreline of 121-30 (yes, that's an average score of 60-15) is plenty impressive to me. You know what would really help boost the Rebels' credentials? A win in Alabama this weekend.
10. Missouri
I'll admit, Mizzou was not a team that was on my radar at all, and I'd guess I was not alone in that. After all, they've been unranked since the start of the season, and wins over South Dakota and Middle Tennessee State-- the latter by just 4 points --aren't going to be the kind of wins that put you on the map. But a thrilling win over a Top 15, reigning Big 12 champions Kansas State? Punctuated by a 61-yard walkoff? That'll do just fine. It's one of the more impressive wins of this young season, and all of a sudden, there's a good shot Mizzou will be 5-0 heading into their October visit from LSU.
Just missed: Oregon, Notre Dame, Washington, Penn State, Fresno State, Nate McCollum
Comments