The Couch Power 10, Week 9
Sometimes it's good to get a break to catch your breath. In October, I spent three consecutive weekends in motion: first, a family vacation in Spain for a family friend's wedding. Next week, a wedding for my close friend in Michigan. Last weekend, finally back in Washington D.C., but my Saturday was dedicated to prepping for a monstrous Halloween party at our house. I am very much looking forward to once again gluing myself to the couch this Saturday, and taking the opportunity to enjoy some calm before the storm that will be the election and whatever right-wing nonsense the aftermath brings.
Yes, my long-winded, more informative introduction than you likely asked for is all to say, last weekend, college football seemed to have their "calm before the storm" moment. It's been a pretty wild season thus far, and was an especially wild last month-plus in the sport. And, as we head into November, which will see the final weeks of the regular season play out, you can guarantee, more madness awaits. But for one late October weekend, things were generally chill.
That's not to say it was a nothingburger of a slate: quite the opposite, in fact. Saturday held a good amount of promise with four different ranked team matchups...but none of them played out as anything resembling a classic. Oregon and Alabama creamed the Midwest neighbors Illinois and Missouri, respectively, and Notre Dame did the same to old rivals Navy. Texas A&M trailed LSU at halftime, but a monster 2nd half saw them run away with it easily, and mighty Vanderbilt played valiantly against Texas, but a last-minute TD + 2-point conversion made the final scoreline a lot closer than the game actually felt. Indeed, those five losers would be the only five ranked teams to lose on Saturday; the intrigue of the weekend instead laid in the "near-upset." We got another Friday night thriller, with Group of 5 playoff bid favorites Boise State eking out a win against their toughest Mountain West competition, UNLV. In the early slate the day after, Nebraska gave Ohio State, looking to bounce back from their first loss to Oregon, an almighty scare in Columbus but the Buckeyes' defense held tough. Ole Miss trailed Oklahoma at halftime, but came back in the 4th quarter to ultimately win by double digits; the same was true later on with Penn State at Wisconsin. And Kansas State and SMU both came within razor-thin margins of slipping out of the Big 12 and ACC races, respectively, but late special teams heroics helped them stay alive vs. Kansas and Duke. All in all, a lot of commotion, but very little movement, at least as it pertains to the polls (sound familiar?).
Just a refresher, in case you forgot: 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. Oregon
It wasn't the sexiest ranked win anyone (themselves included) have notched this season, but Oregon's blowout of # 20 Illinois was a sneakily impressive W. The Illini had a good body of work, and only previous loss had come in a tight one on the road at a Top 5 Penn State team. For the Ducks to dismantle them so comprehensively speaks to the levels above the competition (apart from Ohio State, perhaps) Dan Lanning's squad is in their first-ever Big Ten season.
2. Georgia
Georgia enjoyed their 2nd bye week of the season last weekend, and much like their 1st, it was very well-timed. The Dawgs get a chance to catch their breath in between their huge road win at Texas, and a rivalry game against a suddenly solid Florida side this Saturday. They'll need to avoid a repeat of their last time returning from a bye, where they took until the 2nd half to wake up against Alabama, an awful start that ultimately doomed them.
3. BYU
The Top 3 in our Couch Power 10 all remain unchanged from last week. Nobody's mistaking BYU for being on the same level as Oregon or Georgia currently, to be sure, but it's hard not to see the Big 12 leaders' resumé as third only to those two thus far. After the Cougars passed a trap game test (on the road against plucky UCF) with ease on Saturday, voters responded accordingly, finally leapfrogging them over Iowa State into the Top 10, to be the conference's highest-ranked team. With a perfect record, two wins over current Top 20 teams, only one win within single digits, and the #3 strength of record, it's highly deserved.
4. Miami
For the first time in over a month, Miami enjoyed a pretty stress-free victory, in Saturday's cruise over hapless rivals Florida State. I remain eager to see how Miami matches up against an actual quality team, and we likely won't get to see that unless or until the ACC Championship, given the ease (on paper) of their remaining schedule. But there's no denying an 8-0 start, a legitimate Heisman contender in Cam Ward, and what ESPN considers the second-best body of work in the country.
5. Penn State
They're much different in substance, but Penn State is like Miami, in that while they aren't doing it with ease, they keep finding ways to win pretty tough games. A Saturday night in Madison has felled many a stronger team, but the Nittany Lions dug deep in the 4th quarter to make it out alive and enter November unbeaten for the first time in 5 years. They slip ever so slightly in our Power 10 this week, as their three best wins to date (Illinois, USC, West Virginia) all took a beating last weekend, but the good news is, they host Ohio State this coming Saturday in a mammoth opportunity to prove their legitimacy.
6. Texas
For Texas to bounce back from the disappointing defeat to Georgia with a tough road win at Vanderbilt was very impressive, and I found it bizarre that they dropped further in the polls in the wake of a ranked win. And yet, I find myself dropping them slightly in the Couch Power 10, too. My reason is simple: amongst a slew of still-undefeated Power 5 teams, Texas's resumé has taken somewhat of a beating as Michigan and Oklahoma (their two signature wins) continue to be exposed as mediocre teams. But make no mistake, the Longhorns are still in the midst of a very impressive season, and this blogger at least still considers them among the top tier of title contenders.
7. Notre Dame
Notre Dame had perhaps the wildest first two weeks of any team, opening with a massive win on the road at Texas A&M, and then following that up with a home loss to Northern Illinois. Since then, the Irish have looked the part of a top team, but hadn't really had the opportunity to prove it against a very good team. Well, the jury will likely be out on just how good Navy is, but the Midshipmen were undefeated, ranked in the Top 25, and "hosting" (at a neutral site) their rivals last Saturday, and Notre Dame dragged them up, down and around the field. This run they're on, coupled with the fact that their A&M win continues to age like a fine wine (see below), launches them back into the Couch Power 10 and the heart of the playoff discussion.
8. Texas A&M
Speaking of teams that are launching a comeback after coming in with preseason hype and quickly falling off the radar... last Saturday was the first time since the Week 1 loss vs. Notre Dame that Texas A&M had a national audience, and they did not let that opportunity go to waste. The Aggies came in on a 6-game winning streak, a run that continued a beatdown of then-unbeaten Missouri, but their primetime matchup against a Top 10 LSU team was a natural step up in competition. But, after a slow start, the hosts put on a show in the 2nd half, beating the rival Tigers by 15. Mike Elko has done a marvelous job in his first season at the helm, but he will have a tough task refocusing his guys ahead of a tricky road game this Saturday night at South Carolina. Win that one, though, and the stage is set for a Big 12 battle royale against old rivals Texas in the last week of the season.
9. Iowa State
Iowa State may have needed a bye week after their scare against UCF, but it wasn't the best timing from an optics perspective. While they took time off, their Big 12 title competitors BYU got a chance to prove their near-miss the week prior was an aberration and took it, easily beating the same UCF team that had nearly stunned the Cyclones in Ames. Iowa State are still unbeaten, and on pace to still be unbeaten heading into their massive season finale vs. Kansas State, but with no wins to really write home about thus far, it's clear at this point they belong in the "Indiana/Pittsburgh" tier of unbeatens, rather than the "Oregon/BYU/Penn State" tier.
10. Indiana
Speaking of Indiana... yes, the Hoosiers' schedule strength continues to hold them back both in the AP polls and in the Couch Power 10. But you can't deny Curt Cignetti's men continue to pass every test with aplomb. Big Ten opener across the country in the Rose Bowl? They won by 30 points. Big Ten home opener on national TV vs. a streaky Maryland team? They won by 14. A showdown against their toughest opponent to date, the Nebraska team that would go on to nearly upset Ohio State last weekend? Hoosiers by 49. And now, last weekend, a visit from the reigning national runners-up Washington, and without star QB Kurtis Rourke due to injury? Indiana pulled it out by two touchdowns, largely on the back of their defense. Back-to-back matchups against the Michigan teams await now, and won't be easy, but make it through those, and a 10-0 Indiana team suddenly is at the front of the national conversation with a visit to Ohio State, likely with a place in the Big Ten championship on the line. What a ride for this team.
Just missed: Pitt, Tennessee, Kansas State, Ohio State, Boise State, future Hall of Fame fullback Jahvaree Ritzie
BONUS: Couch Playoff Bracket!
*denotes conference auto-bid
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