There's one very important distinction in the CFN rankings: these
are based on how good the teams are and NOT how they're going to finish.
Some teams have easier schedules than others, some get tougher road
games and some will need a little bit of time to jell meaning they might
be better than their final record might indicate.
Rankings Coaches
| CFN
Preseason |
Week 1
| Week 2
|
Week 3
|
Week 4
Week 5
1. LSU
(6-0)
W, Florida 28-24
next game: at Kentucky
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... there isn’t much of a
passing game at the moment. Defensively, it’s not like Florida’s offense
is as high-powered as it should be at the moment, yet it took a
mega-physical effort, and a few gambles to come away with the win.
That’s nitpicking. This is the number one team in the country right now,
but …
2. Ohio State (6-0)
W, at Purdue, 23-7
next game: Kent State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … shhhhhhh, Ohio State, not
LSU, might have the nation’s best defense. To keep Purdue in check is
one thing, but to do it in West Lafayette is another.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the best win yet is over
Purdue, who’s best win was over, um, uhhh, yeah. The offense still
hasn’t been tested, and the Big Ten isn’t exactly playing like a bunch
of world-beaters.
3. California (5-0)
Didn’t Play
This Week
next game: Oregon State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Tennessee win looks a
heck of a lot more impressive now. With USC’s loss, Cal suddenly becomes
the class of the Pac 10.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it shouldn’t be. This
might be the number two team in the country. Yes, even after the win
over Oregon, there are still a few questions about the banged up
defense. Could the offense roll on the South Florida D?
4. Oklahoma (5-1)
W, Texas 28-21
next game: Missouri
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … there’s still a theory
that the Sooners are as loaded as anyone in the country, and if
everything comes together, could beat anyone in America. As long as the
team doesn’t blow it, it could be in the national title picture again
very soon thanks to the USC loss.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the Miami win doesn’t
look like any big deal right now, while struggling to beat Texas, even
in a rivalry game, doesn’t earn too many points. Heck, UCF came close to
beating the burnt orange.
5. Missouri (5-0)
W, Nebraska, 41-6
next game: at Oklahoma
The Ranking
Should Be Higher Because …
beating Illinois now looks like a really, really big deal. That wasn’t
just a beating of Nebraska this week; that was total and complete
annihilation. A win against the Sooners this week would get national
title talk going.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... is this team for real?
Haven’t we done this the last few years? Actually, this is exactly where
it should be. There are few weaknesses if it plays as well as it did
against the Huskers. However, beating up Nebraska might not be anything
to write home about right now.
6. South Florida (5-0)
W, at Florida Atlantic, 35-23
next game: UCF
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … beating Auburn at Auburn
is looking better and better. West Virginia is still really good, and
that win will carry more and more weight as the year goes on.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... no top five team should
come that close to losing to Florida Atlantic. That was a closer game
than the final score indicates.
7. Florida (4-2)
L, at LSU 28-24
next game: at Kentucky (Oct. 20)
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … there’s no need to punish
the Gators for a hard-fought loss in Death Valley. If anything, that
game should move the team back up.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... Auburn, technically, should
be higher, but isn’t because of the loss to Auburn. At the end of the
day, Florida is on a two-game losing streak, even if the losses are
relatively forgivable. Actually, this is probably one of the five best
teams in America.
8. Arizona State (6-0)
W, at Washington State, 23-20
next game: Washington
The Ranking
Should Be Higher Because …
the win over Colorado continues to look impressive. Now the team is more
battle tested, having to fight to beat Washington State.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... that was a shaky
performance against a Cougar team that hasn’t been special in any way.
It might be a big stretch to put the Sun Devils ahead of Boston College
right now.
9.
Oregon (4-1)
Didn’t Play
This Week
next game: Washington State
The Ranking
Should Be Higher Because …
as long as Michigan keeps winning, that blowout win in Ann Arbor will
carry more and more weight. As the season goes on, losing to Cal on such
a close late play might look better and better.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... will the team come back out
roaring after the loss to Cal and the time off? If this is really a top
ten team, it blasts Washington State at home.
10.
USC (4-1)
L, Stanford 24-23
next game:
Arizona
The Ranking
Should Be Higher Because …
if the team’s head is actually in the game, and John David Booty isn’t
throw his passes like Manute Bol was his primary receiver, this still
might be the best team in the country. Let’s not get too carried away
here.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... you don’t lose to
Stanford at home. No, you don’t lose to Stanford at home. Again, you do
NOT lose to Stanford at home. The first rule of fight club is that you
don’t lose to Stanford at home. The second rule of fight club is that
you don’t lose to Stanford at home.
11. Boston College (6-0)
W, Bowling Green, 55-24
next game: at Notre Dame
The Ranking
Should Be Higher Because …
there might not be a more complete team in the nation. All the parts are
working from a ball-hawking defense, to Matt Ryan and the offense.
Everything clicked against Bowling Green. Of course ….
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... that was Bowling Green.
Yeah, BC is complete, but it might be complete with above-average
players. The heart of the ACC schedule is about to kick in, and now the
Eagles have to overcome their consistency issues.
12. Illinois (5-1)
W, Wisconsin, 31-26
next game: at Iowa
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the one loss was to Missouri,
and the Illini almost pulled off a late comeback win. Not only did they
beat Wisconsin and Penn State in the last two weeks, they were more
physical, mistake-free, and didn’t play like the young, immature team
it’s supposed to be.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... Illinois played a nearly
perfect game and still almost lost to Wisconsin. Now the spotlight is
on; can the team handle it? How will it play if it suffers a few
turnovers and has to come from behind?
13. South Carolina (5-1)
W, Kentucky, 38-23
next game: at North Carolina
The Ranking
Should Be Higher Because …
the defense took out the Kentucky offense, and now, the Gamecocks are in
the driver’s seat in the East. They still have to deal with Florida, but
with the only loss to LSU, it’s possible this is a top ten team.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... No one is afraid of the
offense. The D saved the day against UK. This has been a good enough
team to win the relatively ugly, tight games, but will it keep getting
the right breaks and the big plays at the right times?
14. West Virginia (5-1)
W, at
Syracuse, 55-14
next game: Mississippi State (Oct. 20)
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … this still might be the
best team in the Big East. Don’t give up on the Mountaineers just yet
after the South Florida loss two weeks ago.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it appears Pat White will
have injury problems throughout the rest of the year. Jarrett Brown is
good, and he will be special, but he’s not White.
15. Kansas (5-0)
W, at Kansas State, 30-24
next game: Baylor
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … you wanted to see what KU
would do, and it showed you. Kansas State had the momentum, it had the
crowd, it had everything apparently going its way, but the Jayhawks came
though in the fourth quarter.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it shouldn’t be. This is
about right. The offense is playing well, while the defense did a great
job against the Wildcat running game. Bigger tests are ahead.
16. Wisconsin (5-1)
L, Illinois, 31-26
next game: at Penn State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … P.J. Hill was hurt, and
the running game wasn’t going anywhere, but the Badgers still almost
beat Illinois through the air. Illinois had to do everything perfectly,
and it still needed a late fourth down conversion to seal the win.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... this isn’t a physical team.
The offensive line failed to get any push on the Illinois front, while
the defensive tackles got destroyed all game long. The defense is going
to have problems for the rest of the year.
17. Cincinnati (6-0)
W, at Rutgers, 28-23
next game: Louisville
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … it might be better than
South Florida, who has the ranking along with all the national love. No
one gets big defensive plays like the Bearcats, while the offense is
doing just enough to win.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the offense did just
enough to beat Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights had a shot late to win, but
got picked off. Can the team win a big game if it doesn’t get a ton of
turnovers?
18. Purdue (5-1)
L, Ohio State, 23-7
next game: at Michigan
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … there’s no real reason to
drop after losing to Ohio State. The Buckeye defense might have the best
in America.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... now there’s reason to
question the Boilermakers. Oh sure, the Buckeyes were great, but if
Purdue is a top 15 team, it should’ve been able to crank out more than a
touchdown in the final ten seconds at home.
19. Virginia Tech (5-1)
W, at Clemson, 41-23
next game: at Duke
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … now that’s Virginia Tech
football. Big defense, big special teams, just enough offense. When the
formula works, few teams can touch the Hokies.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the nation’s 113th
ranked offense is still having issues. Tech isn’t going to get two
returns for touchdowns every game. Eventually, the offense will have to
be consistent, and so far, it hasn’t been. Everything has to go right
for the Hokies to beat the better ACC teams. Thanks to the D and special
teams, everything went right against Clemson.
20. Auburn (4-2)
W, Vanderbilt, 35-7
next game: at Arkansas
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … that Florida win looks
tremendous now. This is probably too low a ranking by at least five
spots because of the way the defense is playing, and with the way QB
Brandon Cox has turned things around.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it’s still hard to overcome
that loss to Mississippi State. There’s a logjam of teams in the top 25,
and that one gaffe is enough to keep the Tigers down for a little while
longer.
21. Florida State (4-1)
W, NC State
27-10
next game: at Wake Forest
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … this seems like the type
of team that’s going to keep getting better and better week after week.
It’s hardly a killer right now, but it’s getting by, and it’s getting
wins. This year, playing one bad half in a loss to Clemson, and winning
everything else, probably deserves a top ten spot.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it seems like at some
point, everything is going to fall apart. Very soon, the offense is
going to have to come through with a big comeback in a firefight, and it
might not be equipped to do it.
22. Kentucky (5-1)
L, at South Carolina, 38-23
next game: LSU
The Ranking
Should Be Higher Because …
the Wildcats struggled, and it still took everything the South Carolina
defense had to win. This offense is the real deal. It’s going to nail
someone else big on the schedule.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... beating Louisville now
isn’t remotely impressive, and Arkansas is hardly playing line an SEC
star. Those are the two games UK hung its hat on.
23. Kansas State (3-2)
L, Kansas, 30-24
next game: Colorado
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … winning at Texas is still
impressive, and the team proved it was good enough to come this
close to beating Auburn. The defense, despite its problems with Kansas
late, is good enough to beat almost anyone in the Big 12.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... KU shut down the running
game. If the Wildcats aren’t generating turnovers and coming up with big
plays on special teams, they’re going to have big problems beating the
better teams without some ground support.
24. Texas (4-2)
L, Oklahoma, 28-21
next game: at Iowa State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … if you believe Oklahoma is
a top ten caliber team, or higher, then you have to give more respect to
a Texas team that played well in Dallas. Colt McCoy is playing as gutty
as any quarterback in America.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the offensive line is
getting McCoy killed. There wasn’t much going for the running game
against OU, and the receivers, for the most part, continue to struggle
to help out the cause.
25. Michigan (4-2)
W, Eastern
Michigan, 33-22
next game: Purdue
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … eventually, this offense
has to starting working, right? Mike Hart is running as well as any back
in America. Behind a strong line, he’s carrying the team.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... you don’t struggle that
much with Eastern Michigan and stay in the top 25. The Wolverines should
probably be ranked in the mid-30s.
|
26 |
Tennessee (3-2) |
|
27 |
Maryland (4-2) |
|
28 |
Georgia (4-2) |
|
29 |
Colorado (4-2) |
|
30 |
Alabama (4-2) |
|
31 |
Arkansas (3-2) |
|
32 |
Penn State (4-2) |
|
33 |
Virginia (5-1) |
|
34 |
Georgia Tech (3-3) |
|
35 |
Clemson (4-2) |
|
36 |
Indiana (5-1) |
|
37 |
Miami (4-2) |
|
38 |
Texas A&M (5-1) |
|
39 |
Oklahoma State (3-3) |
|
40 |
Texas Tech (5-1) |
|
41 |
Rutgers (3-2) |
|
42 |
Nebraska (4-2) |
|
43 |
Washington (2-3) |
|
44 |
Hawaii (6-0) |
|
45 |
Oregon State (3-3) |
|
46 |
Boise State (4-1) |
|
47 |
Wyoming (4-1) |
|
48 |
Connecticut (5-0) |
|
49 |
Mississippi State (4-2) |
|
50 |
UCLA (4-2) |
|
51 |
Michigan State (4-2) |
|
52 |
Wake Forest (3-2) |
|
53 |
BYU (3-2) |
|
54 |
Stanford (2-3) |
|
55 |
Air Force (4-2) |
|
56 |
UTEP (4-2) |
|
57 |
Tulsa (3-2) |
|
58 |
Washington State (2-4) |
|
59 |
Iowa (2-4) |
|
60 |
TCU (3-3) |
|
61 |
Northwestern (3-3) |
|
62 |
Fresno State (3-2) |
|
63 |
East Carolina (3-3) |
|
64 |
Vanderbilt (3-2) |
|
65 |
New Mexico (3-2) |
|
66 |
Ole Miss (2-4) |
|
67 |
Houston (2-3) |
|
68 |
North Carolina (2-4) |
|
69 |
Notre Dame (1-5) |
|
70 |
Pitt (2-3) |
|
71 |
Utah (3-3) |
|
72 |
Louisville (3-3) |
|
73 |
Southern Miss (2-3) |
|
74 |
Baylor (3-3) |
|
75 |
Troy (4-2) |
|
76 |
Navy (3-2) |
|
77 |
Arizona (2-4) |
|
78 |
UCF (3-2) |
|
79 |
Nevada (2-3) |
|
80 |
Bowling Green (3-2) |
|
81 |
New Mexico State (3-3) |
|
82 |
Central Michigan (3-3) |
|
83 |
UNLV (2-4) |
|
84 |
Florida Atlantic (3-3) |
|
85 |
Akron (3-3) |
|
86 |
Miami University (3-3) |
|
87 |
Ball State (3-3) |
|
88 |
San Jose State (3-3) |
|
89 |
San Diego State (2-3) |
|
90 |
Western Michigan (2-4) |
|
91 |
NC State (1-5) |
|
92 |
Kent State (3-3) |
|
93 |
Minnesota (1-5) |
|
94 |
UAB (1-4) |
|
95 |
Duke (1-5) |
|
96 |
Memphis (2-3) |
|
97 |
Toledo (2-4) |
|
98 |
Syracuse (1-5) |
|
99 |
Iowa State (1-5) |
|
100 |
UL Monroe (1-4) |
|
101 |
Arkansas State (2-3) |
|
102 |
SMU (1-4) |
|
103 |
Buffalo (2-4) |
|
104 |
Army (3-3) |
|
105 |
Eastern Michigan (2-4) |
|
106 |
Ohio (2-4) |
|
107 |
Colorado State (0-5) |
|
108 |
Middle Tennessee (1-5) |
|
109 |
Rice (1-4) |
|
110 |
UL Lafayette (1-5) |
|
111 |
Louisiana Tech (1-4) |
|
112 |
Idaho (1-5) |
|
113 |
Temple (1-5) |
|
114 |
Tulane (1-4) |
|
115 |
Northern Illinois (1-5) |
|
116 |
Marshall (0-5) |
|
117 |
Utah State (0-6) |
|
118 |
North Texas (0-5) |
|
119 |
FIU (0-6) |
