CFN Rankings No. 1 to 119 - Week 9, Oct, 27

You must rank teams based on how good you believe they are at the moment. That's the point when it comes to putting the teams in some order. However, once the year is complete, it's only fair to take the subjectivity out of it and go by what actually happened on the field.

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 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8

1. Ohio State  (9-0)
W, at Penn State 37-17
next game: Wisconsin
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... Penn State isn’t the be-all-end-all team many made it out to be. Yes, winning in Happy Valley on a Saturday night is big, but it’s not like pulling off the win in Death Valley. Beat Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, and then it’s time to do cartwheels.

2. LSU (7-1)
Didn’t Play This Week
next game: at Alabama
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the overall wins are there to look impressive. Break it down and it might not seem like that big a deal, but when a team can beat as many above-average teams as LSU has, the credit has to follow.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the loss to Kentucky now looks particularly bad while the win over Florida doesn’t seem like that big a deal. LSU might not really be the sure-thing No. 2 team in the mix it’s being made out to be.

3. Oklahoma (7-1)
Didn’t Play This Week
next game: Texas A&M
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … it shouldn’t be. Third is a gift considering the way the team played at Iowa State two weeks ago. With time off, throttling Texas A&M is a must.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the loss to Colorado doesn’t seem all that bad now, and the win over Missouri will keep getting better and better. The hope now needs to be for Kansas to win out in the North so the Sooners get potentially get more BCS love in a Big 12 title game.

4. Arizona State (8-0)
W, California 31-20
next game: at Oregon
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the win over California was the one most were waiting for. Not only did ASU win, but it did by coming from behind and shutting down the vaunted Cal attack in the second half. The Colorado win is starting to look better and better.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... do you really believe ASU will go into Autzen Stadium and come away with a win? There’s still UCLA and USC to deal with, but for now, taking care of the Ducks should be enough. It’s possible ASU will flip-flop spots with the Quackers next week.
 
5. Missouri (7-1)
W, Iowa State 42-28
next game: at Colorado
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Tigers went through the motions and still blew out Iowa State without breathing hard. They basically took the week off, won by double-digits, and now will move on. However …
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... … can the offense just turn it back on again? Colorado is playing well enough to pull off the upset. If you want to put Oregon or Boston College here, there’s no argument.
 
6.   Oregon (7-1)
W, USC 24-17
next game: Arizona State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … now the Michigan win looks terrific, and the win over USC provides the national street cred to be in the national title chase. This is a supremely confident team that’s getting the job done on both sides of the ball.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... losing to Cal is now a blemish and not something to brag about. The win over USC isn’t nearly as impressive as it looks on paper, but a win over Arizona State would mean a jump into the top five, maybe even the top three. That’s not going to be as easy as it seems.

7. Boston College  (8-0)
W, at Virginia Tech 14-10
next game: Florida State 
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … you got the win you were looking for. Beating Virginia Tech in Blacksburg is impressive no matter how it happened. This was the signature performance that made everyone sit up and finally take notice. But …
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... … it took a miracle to pull it off. After stinking it up for roughly 55 minutes, BC recovered on-side kick and got an all-timer or a finish from Matt Ryan. We might see what happens again in a rematch in the ACC Championship.

8. West Virginia (7-1)
W, Rutgers 31-3
next game: Louisville
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … if you like Oregon, this might be the better version. Everything is clicking for the high-powered attack, while the defense has been a brick wall. The blowout win over Mississippi State looks great now that the Bulldogs blew out Kentucky.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it shouldn’t be. A blowout win over Rutgers is impressive. This might be one of the three best teams in America at the moment.
 
9.  Kansas (8-0)
W, at Texas A&M 19-11
next game: Nebraska  
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … KU showed it could win a big game outside of Kansas. Don’t let the final score fool you; KU had the A&M game after halftime. No coaching staff is doing a better job of making adjustments on the fly.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the games against the big boys aren’t coming until the end. Wins over Kansas State and Texas A&M aren’t going to get a protest going to get KU in the national title game. If they beat Missouri at the end of the year and are unbeaten going into the Big 12 title game, then the nation will pay attention.

10. Michigan  (7-2)
W, Minnesota 34-10
next game: at Michigan State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … it shouldn’t be. Michigan became the high riser of the week mostly because everyone else stunk it up. This probably isn’t close to being one of the top ten teams in America with Chad Henne and Mike Hart out.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... you could take your pick of about 20 teams for this spot. The Wolverine had better get healthy and had better start rocking on offense again, to go along with the good play from the D, to stay this high.

11. Auburn (6-3)
W, Ole Miss 17-3
next game: Tennessee Tech
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … if you believe LSU is really the nation’s best team, then you have to believe that Auburn might be among the best. The defense, despite what happened against the Tigers a few weeks ago, is playing at a ridiculously high level.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the team is about to shut it down for a second straight week. It didn’t do anything remotely crazy to beat Ole Miss, and it’ll go through the motions against Tennessee Tech. Can they flip the switch back on again? They couldn’t last year after a mid-year lull in the schedule.

12. Alabama (6-2)
Didn’t Play This Week
next game: LSU  
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the win over Tennessee looks terrific now. The Tide moves up without having to do a thing this week, mainly because everyone else hit the skids. However ….
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... … there’s that little matter of losing to Georgia. But Georgia got blown out by Tennessee, and Tennessee got blown out by Alabama, and so on. Forgetting about all of that, are you 100% sold that this wildly inconsistent team is the 12^th best in the nation? We’ll know more after the showdown with the Tigers.

13.  Georgia (6-2)
W, Florida 42-30
next game: Troy
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Dawgs beat Alabama at Alabama. The win over Florida was an impressive display of Georgia offensive firepower. Once again, this team proved it can beat anyone in the SEC, but …
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... … which team will show up next week? This is an emerging team that should be national title-level good next year, but it needs to be consistent. It’s not right now.

14. Florida (5-3)
L, Georgia 42-30
next game: Vanderbilt
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … it shouldn’t be. The offense isn’t the same with Tim Tebow hurt, and it got its defensive doors blown off way too easily by the slightly-above average Georgia attack.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... … you and a few pals could beat the Gator secondary deep. This isn’t last year’s defense by a long shot. Offensively, if Tebow isn’t running the ball, it’s either Percy Harvin ten times a game, or nothing. Fumbles have been just a part of the problem in the Gator backfield.

15. Texas  (7-2)
W, Nebraska, 28-25
next game: at Oklahoma State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … this could be the reverse of the Oklahoma situation of last year when Texas choked down the stretch. If OU provides the opening by struggling late in the year, Texas might be right there to pound on a South title.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... … Colt McCoy has become a punching bag. He’s getting hit way too often and taking too many big shots. You don’t get Nebraska’s run defense to roll against every week.

16. Tennessee (5-3)
W, South Carolina 27-24 OT
next game: UL Lafayette
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … this might be your SEC East champion. Tennessee, Arkansas and Vandy have to come to Knoxville, while the only road game left is at Kentucky.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the defense got rocked by South Carolina. The secondary didn’t have a prayer of stopping Kenny McKinley, who got nailed by a bout of cramps. Like several SEC teams, the Vols could show up fired up and beat anyone by 25, or it could get blasted by double digits. It depends on the day.

17. USC (6-2)
L, at Oregon, 24-17
next game: Oregon State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … if you believe Oregon really is that good and a bag of Bugles, then losing at Autzen Stadium isn’t that big a deal. The defense is playing at a high enough level to some up with a huge finishing kick.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it’s just not happening on offense. USC needs more of a running game than it’s getting out of Chauncey Washington and Joe McKnight, but the real problem is at quarterback, where Mark Sanchez still needs time.

18. Virginia Tech (6-2)
L, Boston College 14-10
next game: at Georgia Tech
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … it took a successful on-side kick and the possible No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft standing on his head for the Hokies to lose last Thursday night. For 55 minutes, Tech had Matt Ryan and Boston College stopped cold.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it’s not like the offense showed up against BC. There was a big Branden Ore run, and, um, uhhhh. The defense as good as Tech’s even if it was gassed and even it only rushed three, should’ve been able to come up with a stop at home. At least it should’ve if Tech thinks it’s an ACC champion.

19. California (5-3)
L, at Arizona State 31-20
next game: Washington State  
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … it shouldn’t be. This is a gift. UCLA and Oregon State aren’t that great, and a team with an offense like Cal’s shouldn’t stink it up at Arizona State after getting a 13-0 lead.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the running game has decided to take a few weeks off, while the defense hasn’t come up with a big stop since Oregon fumbled away a win through the end zone. There needs to be a big win coming up soon to stay this high.

20. South Carolina (6-3)
L, at Tennessee 27-24 OT
next game: at Arkansas
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Gamecocks deserved a better fate against Tennessee. They played their hearts out, came up with over 500 yards of offense, and couldn’t get the job done. Yeah, they outplayed the Vols. They also outplayed Georgia in a win early in the year, but the Dawgs are ranked up higher.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... … over the last two weeks, the Gamecocks have found ways to not win. Now, they’re not finding ways to lose, they’re simply not getting the big play they need to get over the hump. After so many gut-wrenching games, does the team have anything left in the tank?

21. Rutgers (5-3)
L, West Virginia 31-3
next game: at Connecticut  
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … if the team that showed up against South Florida could play every week, this would be a top ten team. Getting blown out by West Virginia isn’t as bad as it might appear.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the offense appears to take on a different look without a healthy Mike Teel. He didn’t sling it around on West Virginia like he had all year long, but he was the least of the Scarlet Knights’ problems.

22. Connecticut (7-1)
W, South Florida 22-15
next game: Rutgers
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Huskies keep on winning and are one point away from being unbeaten. There’s nothing flashy about the team on either side of the ball, but it’s rock solid, gets a ton of big plays from the linebacking corps, and runs well.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... eventually, UConn will play a good team that gets and get out to a 14-0 lead, and it’ll be over. There isn’t enough firepower to hang around with several teams ranked lower.

23.  South Florida (6-2)
L, at Connecticut 22-15
next game: Cincinnati
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Bulls will be kicking themselves over the loss to Connecticut. It took a half to wake up after the Thursday night loss to Rutgers, but they showed just how good they could be in the second half.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the supposedly nasty run defense hasn’t been able to handle top backs over the last few weeks. Commit to the ground game, and you’ll wear down the USF defensive front.

24. Kentucky (6-3)
L, Mississippi State 31-14
next game: at Vanderbilt (Nov. 10)
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Wildcats are better than they showed against Mississippi State. Call it a case of the letdowns. If fully focused and if everything is humming, this is still one of the SEC’s premier teams.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... you don’t lose to Mississippi State. Yeah, the Bulldogs beat Auburn, but they also got obliterated by West Virginia. Kentucky had everything to play for in a wide-open East, and it blew it.

25. Wake Forest (6-2)
W, North Carolina 37-10
next game: at Virginia
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Demon Deacons are on an impressive six-game winning streak. The two losses came at the beginning of the year against Boston College and against Nebraska, when it still had some stones. Yes, this might be a better team than last year’s ACC champion.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it’s not that impressive a six-game run. Army, Maryland, at Duke, Florida State, at Navy, North Carolina … whoopee.

26	Clemson (5-2)
27	Illinois (6-3)
28	Penn State (6-3)
29	Wisconsin (7-2)
30	Virginia (7-2)
31	Oregon State (5-3)
32	Colorado (5-4)
33	Georgia Tech (5-3)
34	Boise State (7-1)
35	Cincinnati (6-2)
36	Arkansas (4-3)
37	Texas Tech (6-3)
38	Mississippi State (5-4)
39	UCLA (5-3)
40	Texas A&M (6-3)
41	Oklahoma State (5-3)
42	Kansas State (5-3)
43	Maryland (4-4)
44	Hawaii (8-0)
45	Purdue (7-2)
46	Indiana (5-4)
47	Iowa (4-5)
48	Michigan State (5-4)
49	BYU (5-2)
50	Miami (5-3)
51	Florida State (5-3)
52	Louisville (5-4)
53	Arizona (3-6)
54	Washington State (3-5)
55	Washington (2-6)
56	Vanderbilt (5-3)
57	New Mexico (6-2)
58	Stanford (3-5)
59	Air Force (6-3)
60	Northwestern (5-4)
61	Nebraska (4-5)
62	Fresno State (5-3)
63	Utah (6-3)
64	TCU (4-4)
65	Pitt (3-5)
66	East Carolina (5-4)
67	Houston (5-3)
68	NC State (3-5)
69	UTEP (5-3)
70	Wyoming (5-3)
71	Troy (6-2)
72	North Carolina (2-6)
73	Notre Dame (1-7)
74	Navy (4-4)
75	Ole Miss (2-6)
76	UCF (4-3)
77	Tulsa (5-3)
78	Southern Miss (3-3)
79	Baylor (3-6)
80	Nevada (4-4)
81	Central Michigan (5-4)
82	Ball State (5-4)
83	Colorado State (1-7)
84	UNLV (2-7)
85	Ohio (4-5)
86	Eastern Michigan (3-6)
87	Bowling Green (4-4)
88	Western Michigan (3-6)
89	San Jose State (3-5)
90	San Diego State (2-5)
91	Miami University (4-5)
92	Kent State (3-6)
93	UAB (2-6)
94	Duke (1-7)
95	UL Monroe (3-5)
96	Florida Atlantic (4-4)
97	Minnesota (1-8)
98	Syracuse (2-6)
99	Louisiana Tech (3-5)
100	New Mexico State (4-5)
101	Buffalo (4-5)
102	Temple (3-5)
103	Army (3-5)
104	Middle Tennessee (4-5)
105	Akron (3-5)
106	Toledo (4-5)
107	Iowa State (1-8)
108	Arkansas State (3-5)
109	Memphis (4-4)
110	Marshall (1-6)
111	Tulane (2-6)
112	Rice (1-7)
113	SMU (2-5)
114	Idaho (1-8)
115	North Texas (1-7)
116	UL Lafayette (1-7)
117	Northern Illinois (1-8)
118	Utah State (0-8)
119	FIU (0-8)