2008
CFN Rankings - Week 11
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.
Click on the teams for the recaps
and thoughts on every game or click
here for the team pages.
Rankings CFN
Preseason | Coaches
Week 1 |
Week 2 |
Week 3 |
Week 4 |
Week 5 |
Week 6 |
Week 7
Week 8 |
Week 9 |
Week 10
1.
Florida
(8-1)
Last Week: 1
W, at Vanderbilt, 42-14
next game: South Carolina
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because …
outside of the loss to
Ole Miss, there's no knock at the moment. The offense is playing as well
as any of the other top juggernauts thanks to Tim Tebow, who's playing
like the Heisman winner of last year. The offense has thrown up 51, 63,
40 and 42 points on the board over the last four weeks, the special
teams are phenomenal, and the defense is playing better than any in the
SEC. At the moment, this is the most complete team in America.
2.
Texas Tech
(10-0) Last Week: 3
W, Oklahoma State 56-20
next game: at Oklahoma ((Nov. 22)
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … if anyone was
wondering whether or not the team was for real, a dominant, methodical
destruction of Oklahoma State showed just how special Tech is. The
defense showed up with a fantastic game against the Cowboys, and QB
Graham Harrell has never been sharper..
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... we're probably going to pick
Oklahoma. Will the two weeks off allow the team to cool down a bit after
being so hot against the top teams? There's still a wee bit of the prove
it factor. Blowing up Kansas on the road was nice, but can the offense
do this against Oklahoma in Norman? It's a one-game shot for the
Big 12 Championship (forget about blowing it against Baylor in the
regular season finale).
3.
Texas
(9-1) Last Week: 5
W, Baylor 45-21
next game: at Kansas
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Longhorns are
one second and a Michael Crabtree heel away from being the unquestioned
No. 1 team in the country. The team showed just how mentally tough it is
by regrouping after the heart-ripping loss to Texas Tech and beating
Baylor without breaking too much of a sweat.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it
can't be. Losing to Texas Tech at home in the final moments might mean
UT deserves to be No. 2 and the Red Raiders No. 1. Unfortunately, the
problem is perception. The voters appear to be looking for ways to make
sure Oklahoma plays for the Big 12 title.
4. Oklahoma
(9-1) Last Week: 6
W, at Texas A&M, 66-28
next game: Texas Tech (Nov. 22)
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … considering we're
probably going to pick OU to beat Texas Tech, this might really be too
low. The offense is breathtaking in its swiftness and ruthless
efficiency game after game. Texas A&M might be down, but the 66 points
hung on the Aggies were the most by a visiting team. In the last three
games, OU has cranked out 58, 62 and 66 points..
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... can the defense handle Texas
Tech? The secondary did a decent job against Jerrod Johnson and the
Aggies, but it'll be a serious question mark against Graham Harrell and
the boys. There's also the question of the other shoe ... is it going to
drop? OU is always good for one big clunker a year.
5.
Alabama
(10-0) Last Week: 2
W, at LSU 27-21 OT
next game: Mississippi State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … Alabama beat a
jacked up LSU and moved down three spots?! The team plays up or
down to its competition, but with the ability to smack anyone in the
mouth with its tremendous line, and with the way the defense came up big
when it had to against the struggling LSU offense, especially Jarrett
Lee, this really might be the No. 1 team in America.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the SEC isn't that big a
deal. At least it isn't this year. There's Alabama, there's Florida, and
there's a decent, but hardly great Georgia. LSU is a shadow of its
former self, and now, the wins over Tennessee and Kentucky, along with
the blasting of the Dawgs, don't seem like that big a deal compared to
what's happening in the Big 12 South. Can the offense keep up with a
real, live offensive attack like Florida's We'll find out soon enough.
LSU wins that game against the Tide with a better quarterback.
6.
USC
(8-1) Last Week: 8
W, California 17-3
next game: at Stanford
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the defense really
is good. In the last five games it has allowed 13 points, and has
allowed seven points or fewer in six of the nine games this season. The
athletes and speed are breathtaking, and above everything else, the
Trojans are popping. Taylor Mays, Rey Maulauga and the D are beating
people up.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. the
Pac 10 is awful. Really, really bad. Oooooh, USC shut out Arizona State,
Washington State and Washington. It took way, way too long to put away
mediocre Arizona and California teams. USC is struggling way too much
against mediocre teams, and it hasn't played a truly great team all year
(considering Beanie Wells wasn't playing for Ohio State and Terrelle
Pryor didn't come in until it was too late).
7.
Oklahoma State
(8-2) Last Week: 7
L, at Texas Tech 56-20
next game: at Colorado
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … if Texas Tech is a
top two team, and Texas is a top five team, and possible No. 3, the
theoretically, Oklahoma State could be No. 4, or even No. 3. The team
ran into a buzz saw in Lubbock, but the Cowboy attack really is special.
The win at Missouri deserves more and more respect.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ..
the Missouri game is the one thing OSU
can hang its hat on. The defense is by far the shakiest of the top five
Big 12 teams, while the offense showed it could sputter and cough for
long stretches with the passing game isn't quite clicking. If this
really is a top five team, it obliterates Colorado next week.
8.
Penn State (9-1)
Last Week: 4
L, at Iowa 24-23
next game: Indiana
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … it can't be. At this
point in the year, any team worth of the top five doesn't lose at Iowa
with everything on the line. Even in the tough loss, the positives still
hold true. The defense is still strong, the offensive line is among the
best in America, and the receiving corps is experienced and talented.
However ...
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... .. the one big question mark
has been QB Daryll Clark in the fourth quarter. He didn't win the Ohio
State game; Pat Devlin did. When the team needed a smooth and steady
leader in the fourth quarter, Clark threw the interception that changed
the season. The Nittany Lions need to look impressive again and they
need to obliterate a bad Indiana team.
9.
Missouri
(8-2) Last Week: 10
W, Kansas State 41-24
next game: at Iowa State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the offense can hang
around with anyone. Fine, so it's probably the fourth or fifth best team
in the Big 12, but that might mean Mizzou is the fourth or fifth best
team in America. Chase Daniel, when he's on, might be the best
quarterback in the Big 12, while defensively, the pass rush continues to
dominate.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it was way too tough to get
by Baylor, and the Kansas State game started to slip a wee bit. There's
still a question mark about the résumé with the best wins coming against
Illinois and Nebraska. The Tigers will get their chance to redeem
themselves in the Big 12 title game..
10. Ohio
State
(8-2) Last Week: 10
W, at Northwestern 45-10
next game: at Illinois
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … Beanie and Terrelle
are starting to play well. Really, really well. Pryor's emergence as
more of a leader and more of a playmaker is making Ohio State a
legitimate BCS team. Beat Illinois, beat Michigan, and go to yet another
big money game.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ...
the line play has to be better. Beanie
and Pryor are making up for the inconsistencies and issues on the
offensive front, while the defensive line isn't generating nearly enough
of a pass rush. that could be a problem against Juice Williams and
Illinois next week.
11.
Utah
(10-0) Last
Week: 15
W, TCU 13-10
next game: at San Diego State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … TCU really is that
good. Utah just finds ways to win, and it showed against the Horned
Frogs that it's able to come up clutch when needed. The epic win might
have been the confidence boost to get past the BYU hump and into the BCS.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... it took one of the greatest
drives in team history, and missed field goals from TCU, to come away
from the win. Scoring 13 points last week against TCU is one thing, but
the 13-10 win over New Mexico is still scary. This seems like a very
good team, but not necessarily an elite one. The consistency is missing.
12.
Michigan State
(9-2) Last Week: 16
W, Purdue 21-7
next game: at Penn State (Nov. 22)
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … it hasn't always
been pretty, but the Spartans are on a three-game winning streak and
appear to be getting more and more confident in the passing game.
There's something to be said for a team that's getting challenged every
week but is still coming through.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... this is hardly a juggernaut.
The Spartans should've lost to Wisconsin last week and they had too
tough a time putting Purdue away. It'll take a win at Penn State in two
weeks for anyone to finally give the team a little bit of respect.
13. Georgia
(8-2) Last Week: 13
W, at Kentucky 42-38
next game: at Auburn
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because …there isn't a better
QB-RB combination in America than Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno.
Throw the receivers A.J. Green and Mohamed Massaquoi into the mix and
Georgia has skill players to burn. Outside of the blowout against
Florida, the Dawg attack, the SEC leader in total offense and is second
in scoring offense, is rolling.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... what happened to the
defense? 38 points against LSU, 49 to Florida, and 38 against Kentucky.
The only time the Dawg defense has done anything over the last few weeks
has been against horrendous offenses like Tennessee's and Vanderbilt's.
14.
South Carolina
(7-3) Last Week: 13
W, Arkansas 34-21
next game: at Florida
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the defense, while
it had a few problems against Arkansas, remains the best in the SEC.
It's not coming up with a ton of turnovers but it's been a rock against
the pass and it's allowing just over 100 rushing yards on the ground. If
Florida isn't sweating, it should be.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the Gamecocks are getting
the critical acclaim without actually doing much of anything. The best
win this year was against ... Arkansas? Kentucky? Everyone knows what
South Carolina does, it's just a question of executing. It'll be
interesting to see how USC does against Florida and Clemson over the
final two games.
15. TCU
(9-2)
Last Week: 12
L, at Utah 13-10
next game: at Air Force (Nov. 22)
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … if Utah doesn't go
on its biggest drive in school history, and if TCU PK Ross Evans hits
one of his two final field goals, TCU is in the top ten and everyone is
gushing over the upcoming BCS game. The defense is still phenomenal; it
stuffed Utah cold.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... if you don't believe in
the Mountain West, then you're not all that fired up about the win over
BYU. That's it. That's the lone bright spot this year. The second best
win was against Colorado State a few weeks ago.
16. LSU
(6-3) Last Week: 14
L, Alabama 27-21 OT
next game: Troy
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Tigers gave the
No. 1 team, at least according to most polls, everything it could
handle. The defense rose up and played one of its better all around
games, even if John Parker Wilson and Julio Jones were doing their
Brady-to-Moss impersonation.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... Jarrett Lee. It's not right
to pile on, he did throw a striking ball on the touchdown pass to
Demetrius Byrd, but Lee stunk against the Tide. The coaching staff had
to hide its quarterback for stretches. He doesn't have to be perfect
against Troy, Ole Miss and Arkansas, but he can't be a liability. He has
thrown six interceptions for touchdowns so far.
17. Boise State
(9-0) Last Week: 17
W, Utah State 49-14
next game: at Idaho
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the train just keeps
on rolling. It's getting to the point to where the Broncos aren't even
being challenged. The defense has been phenomenal, no one's getting any
meaningful points on this group, while Kellen Moore is growing into a
special, efficient passer.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... Hawaii, San Jose State, New
Mexico State, Utah State .... zzzzzzzz. The only win so far that's
remotely decent, Oregon, is a long, long time ago (September 20th).
18. North Carolina (7-2) Last Week: 19
W, Georgia Tech 28-7
next game: at Maryland
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because …finally, someone in
the ACC stepped up with a dominant performance and separated itself from
the pack. UNC is just six points away from being unbeaten, having lost
to Virginia Tech and Virginia by three each.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. the Tar Heels aren't getting
nearly enough on offense to keep up in a shootout if Maryland is on next
week. If the UNC defense isn't forcing turnovers, the offense could have
issues over the final few games.
19. Florida State (7-2) Last Week: 22
W, Clemson 41-27
next game: Boston College
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … statistically, FSU
has the ACC's best defense as well as the best offense. QB Christian
Ponder is starting to come into his own, and DE Everette Brown is
playing at an All-America level as he heads up a resurgent defense. Had
there not been a fumble late against Georgia Tech, the Noles would
probably be in everyone's top five.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... overall, this is still a
work in progress. This is hardly a complete and consistent team, even if
the stats are nice, and it still comes up with lapses now and then.
20.
Miami (6-3) Last Week: 23
Didn't Play This Week
next game: Virginia Tech
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … somewhat quietly,
the Canes are on a four-game winning streak with the only two losses
coming to the ACC's top two teams (North Carolina and Florida State).
This is a young, young, young team that should keep getting better with
a bit more time.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. there's still a question mark
about the effectiveness of the offense. The quarterback situation is
going to be an issue over the final three games, even if the coaching
staff doesn't want to say there's a problem. The Virginia Tech came will
show just how much the Canes have matured since the start of the year.
21.
Iowa (6-4) Last Week: 27
W, Penn State 24-23
next game: Purdue
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … they're the ones who
actually pulled it off. With a nasty run defense and clutch offense, the
Hawkeyes knocked off Penn State and now have a decent finishing kick
against Purdue and Minnesota. Shonn Greene belongs in the Heisman hunt.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because .. there's still that matter of
the loss to a bad Illinois team two weeks ago. The offense did its job
against Penn State, but outside of Greene, it's hit or miss.
22.
Boston College (6-3) Last Week: 28
W, Notre Dame 17-0
next game: at Florida State
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Notre Dame game
showed that the defense, when it's on, can win games by itself. With
five takeaways, BC overcame the bad offense to pull out the win and get
past the two-game losing streak going into the road trip to Florida
State.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... uhhhhh, the offense? QB
Chris Crane wasn't supposed to be Matt Ryan, but he hasn't even been
close.
23. Virginia Tech (6-3) Last Week: 29
W, Maryland 23-13
next game: at Miami
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Hokies were able
to pull up out of the nosedive thanks to Darren Evans and the running
game rolling against Maryland. The defense is starting to hum again, at
least it did against Maryland. There are wins against Georgia Tech and
North Carolina on the résumé to fall back on.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... if anyone stops Evans, the
offense is done. The passing game wasn't awful against the Terps, but
it's going to be a liability the rest of the way.
24. Pitt
(7-2) Last Week: 35
W, Louisville 41-7
next game: at Cincinnati
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Big East's most
talented team is gaining more and more confidence by the week. The win
over a mediocre Louisville team was dominant, efficient, and impressive.
If the team plays with the same sort of confidence down the stretch,
it'll win the Big East.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... you're right not to trust
the flakiest of teams. Would you be shocked if it lost to Cincinnati,
West Virginia, and Connecticut? The team puts up points, but it
has to work to get them.
25. Cincinnati
(7-2) Last Week: 38
W, at West Virginia 26-23 OT
next game: at Louisville
The Ranking Should Be Higher Because … the Bearcats are
finding ways to get it done. Through injuries, inconsistencies, and wild
momentum swings, UC was able to get by South Florida and West Virginia.
Now it's in a position to win the Big East by beating bad Louisville and
Syracuse teams, and hoping to get by a home game against Pitt.
The Ranking Should Be Lower Because ... the team is just good enough
to beat anyone, and just flaky enough to potentially lose to anyone. It
hasn't happened, outside of the disaster against Connecticut, but there
isn't enough offensive pop to keep up with a good offense that gets
hot..
|
26 |
BYU (9-1) |
|
27 |
Georgia Tech (7-3) |
|
28 |
Nebraska (6-4) |
|
29 |
Kansas (6-4) |
|
30 |
California (7-3) |
|
31 |
Kentucky (6-4) |
|
32 |
West Virginia (6-3) |
|
33 |
Maryland (6-3) |
|
34 |
Arizona (6-3) |
|
35 |
Wake Forest (6-3) |
|
36 |
Wisconsin (5-5) |
|
37 |
Oregon (7-3) |
|
38 |
Oregon State (6-3) |
|
39 |
Ball State (9-0) |
|
40 |
Virginia (5-5) |
|
41 |
Connecticut (6-3) |
|
42 |
South Florida (6-3) |
|
43 |
Northwestern (7-3) |
|
44 |
Minnesota (7-3) |
|
45 |
Central Michigan (7-2) |
|
46 |
Western Michigan (8-2) |
|
47 |
Notre Dame (5-4) |
|
48 |
Clemson (4-5) |
|
49 |
Arkansas (4-6) |
|
50 |
East Carolina (6-3) |
|
51 |
Louisville (5-4) |
|
52 |
Kansas State (4-6) |
|
53 |
Navy (6-3) |
|
54 |
Air Force (8-2) |
|
55 |
Vanderbilt (5-4) |
|
56 |
Ole Miss (5-4) |
|
57 |
Auburn (5-5) |
|
58 |
Illinois (5-5) |
|
59 |
Arizona State (3-6) |
|
60 |
Texas A&M (4-6) |
|
61 |
Rice (7-3) |
|
62 |
Baylor (3-7) |
|
63 |
Louisiana Tech (5-4) |
|
64 |
Michigan (3-7) |
|
65 |
Mississippi State (3-6) |
|
66 |
Rutgers (4-5) |
|
67 |
Tulsa (8-1) |
|
68 |
UCLA (3-6) |
|
69 |
Stanford (5-5) |
|
70 |
Marshall (4-5) |
|
71 |
Houston (5-4) |
|
72 |
Purdue (3-7) |
|
73 |
Colorado (5-5) |
|
74 |
Indiana (3-7) |
|
75 |
Colorado State (4-6) |
|
76 |
Nevada (5-4) |
|
77 |
UNLV (4-6) |
|
78 |
New Mexico (4-7) |
|
79 |
Wyoming (4-6) |
|
80 |
Tennessee (3-7) |
|
81 |
NC State (3-6) |
|
82 |
Duke (4-5) |
|
83 |
Northern Illinois (5-3) |
|
84 |
Akron (5-4) |
|
85 |
San Jose State (6-4) |
|
86 |
Iowa State (2-8) |
|
87 |
Memphis (5-5) |
|
88 |
UTEP (4-5) |
|
89 |
Southern Miss (4-6) |
|
90 |
UL Lafayette (5-4) |
|
91 |
Troy (6-3) |
|
92 |
Buffalo (5-4) |
|
93 |
Temple (3-6) |
|
94 |
Bowling Green (5-5) |
|
95 |
Fresno State (5-4) |
|
96 |
Army (3-7) |
|
97 |
Washington (0-9) |
|
98 |
UL Monroe (3-7) |
|
99 |
Toledo (2-7) |
|
100 |
Syracuse (2-7) |
|
101 |
Utah State (2-8) |
|
102 |
Hawaii (5-5) |
|
103 |
UCF (2-7) |
|
104 |
UAB (1-7) |
|
105 |
FIU (4-5) |
|
106 |
Arkansas State (4-5) |
|
107 |
Florida Atlantic (4-5) |
|
108 |
Kent State (2-7) |
|
109 |
New Mexico State (3-6) |
|
110 |
Ohio (2-8) |
|
111 |
Middle Tennessee (3-6) |
|
112 |
Miami Univ. (2-7) |
|
113 |
Washington State (1-9) |
|
114 |
Eastern Michigan (2-8) |
|
115 |
Tulane (2-7) |
|
116 |
Idaho (2-8) |
|
117 |
SMU (1-9) |
|
118 |
San Diego State (1-9) |
|
119 |
North Texas (1-9) |