2009 CFN Rankings
Week 4, Sept. 27
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1. Alabama 4-0
Last Week: W, Arkansas 35-7
This Week: at Kentucky
Why the ranking is too high: If Tim Tebow is
healthy, Florida is still the No. 1. However, no
one's playing better in all phases than Bama.
There's no weakness at the moment. The run defense
is a brick wall, the ground game is stomping on
everyone, and after the Arkansas game, the passing
game and secondary aren't a question mark.
2. Florida 4-0
Last Week: W, at Kentucky 41-7
This Week: at LSU
Why the ranking is too high: Is John Brantley
good enough to replace Tim Tebow if needed?
Concussions don't go away in a hurry. This could be
a lingering problem that lasts the entire season,
and possibly, Tebow's entire career. The pass rush
hasn't been as good as needed, the receivers still
aren't doing much, and this hasn't quite looked like
the world-beater of a team everyone though it would
be even though the final scores against mediocre
teams have been fantastic.
Why the ranking is too low: Brantley could
end up adding more to the passing game than Tebow.
He was a superstar recruit who should shine when
given the full-time chance, and while the defense
hasn't gotten to the quarterback enough, it's been a
rock so far allowing a mere 29 points in four games.
Even if the O isn't great, the D should pick up the
slack.
3. Texas 4-0
Last Week: W, UTEP 64-7
This Week: Colorado (Oct. 10)
Why the ranking is too high: The win over
Texas Tech was nice, but it doesn't seem like as big
a deal now after the Red Raider loss to Houston. The
team is playing better and Colt McCoy took target
practice against UTEP, but there's still a bit of a
prove-it factor that won't be solved until Oklahoma.
Why the ranking is too low: The offense is
starting to hum. UTEP is awful, but while teams are
struggling left and right, Texas is rolling right
along. Right now, surviving and moving on is good
enough for a team that leads the nation in scoring
and is second in run defense.
4. Virginia Tech 3-1
Last Week: W, Miami 31-7
This Week: at Duke
Why the ranking is too high: The Hokies
needed a miracle at home two weeks ago to beat
Nebraska and is still having problems finding any
sort of a consistent passing game. If the ground
game isn't working well, they can be beaten. The O
line has been fine, but nothing special.
Why the ranking is too low: The running game
finally worked against a good run defense. The Tech
ground attack steamrolled over Miami and showed that
it could impose its will after struggling against
the Huskers. If Alabama is No. 1, Tech, technically,
could be No. 2.
NOTE: We'd like to stop here, but we won't. Take the
teams from No. 5 to, roughly, No. 35, throw them in
a bag and pick them out, and you'd probably have the
right order.
5. Auburn 4-0
Last Week: W, Ball State 54-30
This Week: at Tennessee
Why the ranking is too high: The special
teams are struggling a bit with no return game, and
the home win over West Virginia a few weeks ago was
a bit shaky needing turnovers to win. Auburn hasn't
gone on the road yet and now has to go away for
three of the next four games.
Why the ranking is too low: The 49-24 win
over Mississippi State in Week Two now looks really,
really strong. The offensive line has been
fantastic, and after the win over Ball State, Chris
Todd and the passing game proved they can move the
offense if needed.
6. Nebraska 3-1
Last Week: W, Louisiana-Lafayette 55-0
This Week: at Missouri (Thur. Sept. 8)
Why the ranking is too high: If you don't
believe in Virginia Tech, then you don't give that
much credit to a tough loss in Blacksburg.
Basically, the Huskers lost to the one great team in
played and it won the Sun Belt title beating Florida
Atlantic, Arkansas State, and Louisiana.
Why the ranking is too low: Zac Lee is back.
After a rough game against the Hokies, the Husker
quarterback was back in last week's easy win. The
defense is playing up to Bo Pelini standards
allowing 28 points in four games.
7. Iowa 4-0
Last Week: W, at Penn State 21-10
This Week: Arkansas State
Why the ranking is too high: The offense is
awful. Spin it however you want, but the attack
isn't producing without any help from the defense.
The passing game is inefficient, the running game is
only averaging 144 yards per game, and for all the
pressure generated from the defensive front, there
aren't enough sacks or plays behind the line.
Why the ranking is too low: The win at Penn
State is one of the strongest on anyone's résumé.
Beating Arizona two weeks ago might be better than
it first appeared, while the team found a way to get
the job done last week in a hostile environment with
everyone focused on revenge.
8. TCU 3-0
Last Week: W, at Clemson
This Week: SMU
Why the ranking is too high: The win over
Virginia two weeks ago isn't anything to chirp
about. The offense is doing just enough to get the
job done, but against Clemson, it became one
dimensional focusing all around QB Andy Dalton, who
isn't an elite runner.
Why the ranking is too low: The defense
really is incredible. The pass rush is the real
deal and could get to any quarterback, while it'll
be tough for anyone to run against the front seven.
No one's touching this team over the next few weeks
until the trip to BYU.
9. Houston 3-0
Last Week: W, Texas Tech 29-28
This Week: at UTEP
Why the ranking is too high: It's possible
Oklahoma State and Texas Tech really aren't that
good. Fine, so this is nitpicking. Technically, it's
hard to rank the Cougars lower than around five. No
one has two better wins.
Why the ranking is too low: How much would everyone geek out if Texas had won at
Oklahoma State to go along with its win over Texas
Tech? The Cougars have played real, live teams and
are still second in the nation in both passing
offense and total yards.
10. Boise State 4-0
Last Week: W, Bowling Green 49-14
This Week: UC Davis
Why the ranking is too high: It's not, but
Boise State beat Oregon at home and beat three
non-BCS teams ... whoopee. Purdue almost beat Oregon
in Autzen. It's going to get respect against the
remaining schedule.
Why the ranking is too low: The win over
Oregon looks even stronger now, while the win at Fresno State is looking better and better. The Bulldogs pushed Wisconsin and Cincinnati on the road, while the Broncos won 51-34 in Fresno. Don't just gloss over the blowout win at Bowling
Green.
11. Cincinnati 4-0
Last Week: W, Fresno State 28-20
This Week: at Miami University
Why the ranking is too high: The win over
Fresno State was rough. The defense couldn't get the
Bulldogs off the field and RB Ryan Mathews ran amok.
The win at Rutgers doesn't appear to be any big
deal, and beating Oregon State lost its luster after
the Beavers lost to Arizona.
Why the ranking is too low: The passing game
is ultra-efficient, ranking second in the nation
while the defense is continuing to do a phenomenal
job of getting into the backfield. The team is the
real deal, but it'll have to prove it at South
Florida in a few weeks.
12. Kansas 4-0
Last Week: W, Southern Miss 35-28
This Week: Iowa State (Oct. 10)
Why the ranking is too high: The best win is
over Southern Miss at home, and it was only by
seven? Oh sure, the offensive stats look great, but
three of the wins came against Northern Colorado,
UTEP and Duke. The secondary is struggling allowing
252 yards per game.
Why the ranking is too low: The offense
really is good. The defense is going to have a few
problems against the teams with an offense, but Todd
Reesing and company are going to account for more
than 300 passing yards per game.
13. South Florida 4-0
Last Week: W, at Florida State 17-7
This Week: at Syracuse
Why the ranking is too high: There's only one
win to go by. USF got jacked up for one of the
biggest games in the program's young history, but
was it a fluke? Can the team be consistent on a
weekly basis in the non-statement games? The first
three wins came against Wofford, Western Kentucky,
and Charleston Southern.
Why the ranking is too low: That was a
flat-out beatdown of the Noles. When Bobby Bowden's
breath is taken away and he says that the Bulls were
far better than he thought they were, that's saying
something. That was no fluke; USF is athletic and
good.
14. Wisconsin 4-0
Last Week: W, Michigan State 38-30
This Week: at Minnesota
Why the ranking is too high: The Badgers have
yet to go on the road, and it beat the three FBS
teams on the schedule by eight (Northern Illinois),
in double OT (Fresno State), and by eight (Michigan
State). The secondary has been shaky at times, and
the team is having a nightmare of a time closing.
Why the ranking is too low: Wisconsin beat
NIU and Michigan State without much of a problem for
50 minutes before taking its foot off the gas.
There's a real live passing game to worry about now.
Scott Tolzien is playing as efficiently and as sharp
as any quarterback in the country.
15. LSU 4-0
Last Week: W, at Mississippi State 30-26
This Week: at Georgia
Why the ranking is too high: The lines aren't
playing well. Outside of the goal line stand against
MSU, the defensive front has been mediocre while the
O line is struggling. LSU is 105th in the nation in
total offense, and the best team it has beaten is
... Washington? Mississippi State? This looks like a
team that's about to get tagged. The Tigers are
about to be exposed or ...
Why the ranking is too low: ... they might be
ready to turn it on. The defense is coming through
when it absolutely has to, and the offense isn't
making mistakes. There's speed, athleticism, and
talent on both sides of the ball, but the team has
yet to reach its potential.
16. Missouri 4-0
Last Week: W, at Nevada 31-21
This Week: Nebraska (Thur. Oct. 8)
Why the ranking is too high: The Tigers are
winning, but it's not exactly pretty. They struggled
way too much to put away Bowling Green and Nevada,
and now comes the real test. They need to run well
to win, and they're not going to be able to motor on
the Huskers.
Why the ranking is too low: Blaine Gabbert is
growing into more and more of a playmaker, while his
Jeremy Maclin/Chase Coffman-less receiving corps is
coming into its own. The passing game is efficient
and the offense is cranking out 453 yards per game,
but now it's prove-it time.
17. Oklahoma 2-1
Last Week: Didn't play this week
This Week: at Miami
Why the ranking is too high: Do you really
think OU will win at Miami this week? Oh sure, the
offense was great against Tulsa two weeks ago, but
YAWWWWWWN. Landry Jones still has to show he can do
something against a real, live defense.
Why the ranking is too low: The defense might
be the best in America. It gave up one big drive to
BYU, and that's been it. No one's running on the
defensive front, and the Miami offensive line that
couldn't handle Virginia Tech's front four is going
to have a nightmare of a time with the rested
Sooners.
18. USC 3-1
Last Week: W, Washington State 27-6
This Week: at California
Why the ranking is too high: 27-6 over
Washington State?! The team really came out rocking
and rolling after the Washington loss ... yecchhh.
USC's offense isn't putting points on the board and
isn't doing enough with all the yards its amassing.
The team isn't back to being USC yet ...
again, 27-6 to Washington State?! At home?!
Inexcusable.
Why the ranking is too low: The offense might not be great, but the defense really is playing well. Lost in the all the hullabaloo of over the loss
to Washington was how the defense did a great job.
Now come the real tests at Cal and Notre Dame. If
the Trojans win those two games, they belong in the
top ten.
19. Ohio State 3-1
Last Week: W, Illinois 30-0
This Week: at Indiana
Why the ranking is too high: It's not. The
Buckeyes are still this low only because of the home
loss to USC, and we don't want to put the Trojans
much higher at the moment. The offense still isn't
exploding; the ground game should be a lot better.
Why the ranking is too low: 68-0. That's the
total score of the last two OSU games against Toledo
and Illinois. The Rockets and Illini have real, live
offenses that have been shut down cold. The Buckeyes
are one late stop against USC from being ranked No.
4.
20. Miami 2-1
Last Week: L, at Virginia Tech 31-7
This Week: Oklahoma
Why the ranking is too high: The Canes faced
a real, live pass rush and folded. The ground game
hasn't been good enough to pick up the slack if
Jacory Harris and the passing game aren't producing,
while the defensive line isn't generating enough
pressure.
Why the ranking is too low: It's a loss at
Virginia Tech. There's no reason to get too freaked
out about it. If Miami beats Oklahoma, it might end
up running through the rest of the schedule. This is
still a young, ultra-athletic team that can beat
anyone in the country on the right day.
21. 21. Oregon 3-1
Last Week: W, California 42-3
This Week: Washington State
Why the ranking is too high: It's not. If you
believe in Boise State, then the loss on the road
isn't that big a deal. The team is just now starting
to show off why everyone was so high on it to start
the year.
Why the ranking is too low: The Purdue win
looks a little better after the way the Boilermakers
played against Notre Dame. Beating Utah was nice,
and the destruction of Cal was amazing. Do you want
to face the Ducks in Autzen right now?
22. West Virginia 2-1
Last Week: Didn't Play This Week
This Week: Colorado
Why the ranking is too high: The best win so
far is over East Carolina, and the team still has to
prove it belongs among the elite in the Big East.
The offense couldn't stop making mistakes against
Auburn, but there won't be a chance for a splashy
win until a trip to South Florida at the end of
October.
Why the ranking is too low: The offense can
move the ball. The passing attack is solid, for West
Virginia, and now the running game is rested. Watch
the Mountaineers go on a nice run to get to 5-1
before hosting Connecticut.
23. Georgia 3-1
Last Week: W, Arizona State 20-17
This Week: LSU
Why the ranking is too high: It's not. The
Dawgs will probably beat LSU this week and move into
the top 15. The Oklahoma State loss is still not
looking good, but the sickness the team suffered
before Stillwater is gone and the offense is working
well.
Why the ranking is too low: This is a nice
three-game winning streak no matter how you slice
it. Beating South Carolina, Arkansas at Arkansas,
and Arizona State is as strong a three wins as
anyone can boast.
24. South Carolina 3-1
Last Week: W, Ole Miss 16-10
This Week: South Carolina State
Why the ranking is too high: It's not. The
Gamecocks have a tremendous defense that's going to
keep everyone in check (and it was better against
Georgia than the 41-37 score might indicate).
However ...
Why the ranking is too low: ... the offense
that looked so good at times over the first few
games went into the tank in crunch time against the
Rebels. There needs to be more consistency; it can't
be all Stephen Garcia.
25. Penn State 3-1
Last Week: L, Iowa 21-10
This Week: at Illinois
Why the ranking is too high: The team just
got exposed. There wasn't any consistent production
in the running game in the first three games against
bad teams, and then the O line was awful against
Iowa. There needs to be a decent win soon, and there
aren't any chances for one until the Michigan game
in a few weeks.
Why the ranking is too low: It's not. This is
a bit of a gift because the defense is so strong.
Iowa isn't that good.
26. Oklahoma State 3-1
27. Ole Miss 2-1
28. Michigan 4-0
29. Notre Dame 3-1
30. Florida State 2-2
31.Texas Tech 2-2
32. BYU 3-1
33. Georgia Tech 3-1
34. NC State 3-1
35. California 3-1
36. Arizona State 2-1
37. Pitt 3-1
38. Arizona 3-1
39. Utah 3-1
40. Oregon State 2-2
41. Clemson 2-2
42. North Carolina 3-1
43. Arkansas 1-2
44. Connecticut 3-1
45. UCLA 3-0
46. Indiana 3-1
47. Central Michigan 3-1
48. Michigan State 1-3
49. Fresno State 1-3
50. Tennessee 2-2
51. Texas A&M 3-0
52. Mississippi State 2-2
53. Baylor 2-1
54. Boston College 3-1
55. Wake Forest 2-2
56. Stanford 3-1
57. East Carolina 1-2
58. Kentucky 2-1
59. Louisville 1-2
60. Washington 2-2
61. Air Force 3-1
62. Tulsa 3-1
63. Illinois 1-2
64. Minnesota 3-1
65. Colorado State 3-1
66. Navy 2-2
67. Vanderbilt 2-2
68. Southern Miss 3-1
69. Rutgers 3-1
70. Idaho 3-1
71. Northern Illinois 2-2
72. Purdue 1-3
73. Syracuse 2-2
74. Northwestern 2-2
75. Toledo 2-2
76. Nevada 0-3
77. Iowa State 2-2
78. Colorado 1-2
79. Wyoming 2-2
80. Marshall 3-1
81. UNLV 2-2
82. Bowling Green 1-3
83. Hawaii 2-1
84. Troy 2-2
85. Arkansas State 1-2
86. San Jose State 1-3
87. Middle Tennessee 2-1
88. Louisiana Tech 1-2
89. Western Michigan 2-2
90. Ohio 2-2
91. UCF 2-2
92. Army 2-2
93. Duke 2-2
94. Akron 1-3
95. North Texas 1-3
96. Kent State 2-2
97. Louisiana-Lafayette 2-2
98. ULM 2-2
99. Maryland 1-3
100. Temple 1-2
101. Buffalo 1-3
102. Memphis 1-3
103. SMU 1-1
104. Florida Atlantic 0-3
105. Kansas State 2-2
106. Washington State 1-3
107. UAB 1-3
108. UTEP 1-3
109. Eastern Michigan 0-3
110. Utah State 1-2
111. Virginia 0-3
112. FIU 0-3
113. Rice 0-4
114. San Diego State 1-3
115. Miami Univ. 0-4
116. New Mexico State 2-2
117. Ball State 0-4
118. Tulane 1-2
119. New Mexico 0-4
120. Western Kentucky 0-4