If you haven't submitted your Mumme Poll ballot yet, go do it right now. It's OK. I'll wait.
If you have, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.
I'm ranking the teams here because, well, it reads more interesting that way. But keep in mind that the Mumme Poll does not officially ask for you to place one team ahead of another. It's simply a ballot -- you're either on it or you're not. So while I may have a Alabama ranked 12 spots ahead of Oklahoma here, it doesn't reflect that way in the official Mumme Poll ballot.
Anyway, here's my ballot:
1. Alabama. The Tide have played a tough schedule and looked good doing it. I've been immensely impressed at their ability to handle adversity and they've seamlessly transitioned to a new QB and new O line. Nick Saban knows what he's doing.
2. Florida. Boy do they look beatable. Too bad they won't play anyone who is likely to beat them until the SEC championship game. Unless Georgia gets it together quickly, that is.
3. Virginia Tech. Played Alabama closer than most people remember, and Alabama is the best team in the country. Add in wins over two more teams I have ranked in my top 15, and it's pretty easy to put VT here. I'm looking forward to the matchup with Georgia Tech this weekend.
4. Texas. Boy that Colorado game looked like it had some trap-game potential early. But the Big 12 North is what it is, and Texas ended up steamrolling the Buffs in the second half. Next week, I might have them No. 1. For now, however, they haven't beaten anyone.
5. USC. One loss, on the road, in a tough environment, without their starting QB, against a former assistant who knew the Trojans' system inside and out, against a future NFL first-round QB. Not excusable, but understandable.
6. Iowa. I'm not convinced Iowa is better than Ohio State, and Ohio State lost at home to USC. So while I'm on the Hawkeyes bandwagon until they lose, I can't move them past USC into the top five just yet.
7. Miami. Sure, they were dominated at Virginia Tech, but that opening gauntlet was insane, and the Hurricanes looked good in their other three matchups vs. ranked teams. The game in Blacksburg underscored the notion that there's still a lot of work to be done, but for now, they deserve some credit for surviving a miserable stretch of schedule.
8. Boise State. What are you supposed to do with them? They've beaten an Oregon team that I think is pretty good, and they won't play anyone else worth mentioning. At the very least, I wish college football had a "bracket buster" weekend the way college basketball does.
9. Oregon. The Ducks have looked great since an opening week loss at Boise State. They have wins over two ranked teams (even if Cal was a fraud) and I can easily forgive a Thursday night road loss to another top-10 team to open the season with a brand new head coach. We've seen the real Oregon in the past five games.
10. TCU. Here's what I know about TCU -- They have a great nickname and they can dominate the crappy members of the ACC. (I know, I know… isn't that all of them?) The Horned Frogs get No. 19 BYU in two weeks, however, and Colorado State won't be a pushover next week. Right now, I'm assuming I'm a believer.
11. Cincinnati. They have a date with No. 21 South Florida in Tampa this week. That will be a good test. But right now, they still belong on the strength of an increasingly impressive win over Oregon State on the road.
12. Oklahoma. I'm not certain the Sooners belong here, but I gave them the last slot on my ballot for three reasons: 1.) They've been without their Heisman-winning QB for almost the entire season, and now he's back. 2.) I looked at the teams I was comparing them with, and in a head-to-head matchup, I'd pick the Sooners to win easily in each. 3.) They play Texas next week, and if they win, I'll be proved right, and if they lose, I'll have no qualms about dropping them off the list.
Left off my ballot:
13. Ohio State. A win over fraudulent Wisconsin doesn't impress me. The Buckeyes will once again dominate the Big Ten afterthoughts, but the last time they won a game that really meant something I weighed about 30 pounds less. Those were the days.
14. LSU. The defense continues to impress under John Chavis, but that O line is a mess. They'll beat teams (like Georgia) with questionable offensive attacks, but there's no chance of the Tigers winning any shootouts this year. Too many close calls against inferior teams and a pretty definitive loss to the lone good team they've played -- a game in which LSU mustered 3 points and Tim Tebow was kept on a short leash.
15. Nebraska. The win over Missouri was good, but this isn't Chase Daniel/Jeremy Maclin Missouri. The last-second loss at Virginia Tech was a good sign, too, but it's too early in the season to hand out bonus points for moral victories.
Monday, October 12, 2009
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8 comments:
you seem pretty high on Boise St. - but in the same regard pretty low on Cincinnati? If Cincy were to pull off their 'signature win' this week against USF would you boost them up? Or at that point would you take the 'quality of the oppenent' and boost both of them down?
Yeah they are both undefeated - but as the weeks wear on I think everyone has no choice but to start dropping them down the polls due to the 'quality' of the opponent. Very similar to UGA's start of the season last year. We beat GA southern and Central michigan and were dropped from our #1 pre-season based solely on the 'quality' of the opponent.
I think there are still plenty of teams better than Iowa than the 5 you have listed. I live in Iowa, and there is a reason I displaced my fan hood all the way down to Athens :) This team is a true multiple personality team. With games @ Ohio state and @ Wisconsin left on their slate - don't be surprised to see this team end up 2nd or 3rd best...in the Big 10.
I also have no site of Oregon on mine, and TCU gets a little more respect from me. Other than that I can live with your ranking.
The Shamecocks WILL beat the Gaturds this year. Don't know exactly why I believe that I just do. I also think the Dawgs will keep that one closer than a lot will expect.
Apparently Irwin is off his medication. I fail to see how his comments are related to your rankings....Irwin, the horse is dead. WE know our D sucks.
That said, I think FU looks beatable too, but like you, I see NO ONE on the schedule...other than, well, you know, The Old Ball Coaches team. That would drive the FU fans up the wall...would be great to see.
Good point on SC vs. Fla. Spurrier will at least have his guys up for that game. But let's keep in mind that they also allowed 41 points to Georgia.
On the Boise vs. Cincy debate, I'm sure that'll shift. Again, the rankings aren't as important as the fact that both make my ballot, and I think that's pretty open-and-shut at this point. I am looking forward to this game for Cincy this week. I know they don't get much credit because they're in the Big East, but isn't it possible they're actually a pretty good team?
Oops. Commented on wrong post. Medication shot warranted.
I also left Ohio State off my list because they lost to the only decent team they have played....again. I have Boise in my Top 5. I hate it, but they have been impressive and their defense holding Oregon to ZERO first downs in the 1st half wasn't a fluke. Had it not been for sloppy ball handling when the game was pretty much over, that could have been a big blowout. (Oregon is in my Top 12.) USC is the team I didn't have in my Top 5, they barely beat OSU and lost to an unranked team.
Once some of the Top teams actually play some quality teams and prove their worthiness, they might knock Boise out since BSU has few chances to enforce their worthiness due to the remaining schedule.
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