2019 WST Poll #4--no fancy titles this time

Crease Creature

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I’d say “what the hell, Memphis?” but I believe I called them out last week, so whoop-de-doo that I was ahead of the curve on that one. See last week's poll here. The other story from last week would be “turmoil in the SEC” because why wouldn’t it be? I haven’t looked or listened (they don’t talk about anything other than Husker football around here) but has the “will a one-loss SEC team that doesn’t make the conference championship be a contender for a playoff spot” talk started yet?

Before the arbitrariness of ranking college football teams begins, I'd like to reach into the mailbag and respond to a comment from one of my loyal readers:

Keep these coming! I enjoy reading them. I could use a case of what you're drinking when you type it out. ;)

I bought a vial of Jen Bielema's tears from an old Gypsy woman that I mix with my Redbull and Mountain Dew to settle the nerves and help me concentrate. It also helps me make sense of what my autographed Mike Leckrone bobblehead is saying sometimes. He's not always very articulate.

  1. Ohio State—dormant this week, which is probably the real reason LSU has leapfrogged them everywhere else. Because remember last week? Go back and click the link at the top if you don’t, I seem to recall not being able to tell how good Florida actually was. (last: 1)

  2. Clemson—their quarterback got a ton of hype last season, and somewhat deservedly so. He’s crashed to earth in a big way and looks very mortal. Not as bad, however, as Florida State’s QBs this past weekend. Not even former Heisman hopeful Alex Hornibrook could stem the onslaught. But here’s something kinda neat—FSU’s QBs: 17/25, 150yds, 1td 3 int. T. Lawrence: 17/25, 170yds, 3td 1 int (last: 2)

  3. Alabama—Gonna use this space to talk about other people. Nice win, Tide, but A&M doesn’t belong in this conference. And who else forgot Missouri was in the SEC as well? I sure did. Hey, Tennessee won their first game, their prize is a trip to Tuscaloosa. Remember a few years back when the ‘Bama-LSU game ended up 6-3? Think that’ll happen again? (last: 3)

  4. Wisconsin—my poll, my ranking, and On and On and On and OnWisconsin. Though I'm starting to think I'm not as biased as I think I am. QB play looked better, the defense was dominant to the point that MSU’s QBs really didn’t want to play anymore. I think they can do the same against Ohio State. Illinois first, though. Taylor’s first game of under 100 yards rushing, as the Spartans sold out against the run. Still managed 2 tds. Shaping up to be a good season, but I’ve seen this before. Some really big games ahead of them yet. (last: 4)

  5. Oklahoma—I’m pretty sure they’ve tried many times, over and over, to drop the phrase Red River Shootout for Rivalry, but you wouldn’t believe how many times I heard the former on radio and tv ads, and in print. Nice win anyway, and essentially gives the Sooners a two-game lead in the conference. Baylor is ranked, and Bedlam is in Stillwater this year, but the Pokes haven’t shown me much other than that my friends and their fans don’t understand why Jonathan Taylor is getting Heisman talk but Chubba Hubbard is not. It’s pretty obvious. (last: 5)

  6. LSU—hey, you get this spot to yourself this week, just as I predicted! Though I thought Georiga was going to be right behind. Guess not. A drubbing of Florida, but my beef with this conference is that the top is so good, and the bottom is so bad and their really isn’t a middle so they always talk about a possible one loss team coming out despite not winning the conference. We’ll see, I guess. The committee has been better than I thought they’d be about that. (last: 6)

  7. Boise State—beat who you play and you’ll live to be ranked another day (last: 9)

  8. SMU—didn’t play last week, and I don’t normally move teams who don’t play, but the bottleneck at 6 last week presented some technical difficulties that I’ll deal with on my own, thank you very much. (last: 10)

  9. Penn State—switching spots with Baylor as their schedule got a little tougher and beating Iowa on the road trumps TTech at home. The score would indicate this game was played by 1911 rules, but Iowa threw the ball 43 times? They must have had a matchup they liked and just failed to connect or execute. 70 total rushing yards on 24 carries, and Stanley was sacked 6 times. Yeah, a little weird. (last: 12)

  10. Baylor—similar schedule to Penn State, just not quite as good now. (last: 11)

  11. Florida—ok, now we’re looking at the 1 loss team with a ‘good’ loss and best overall resume. It certainly ain’t you, Georgia. Though this should bolster the Gator’s hopes of prevailing in the East. (last: t6)

  12. Michigan—still with only one loss, and clearly the best loss in the country at this point, but they gave up 25 to Illinois. Does Wisconsin allow half that this weekend? I hope not. Something must have happened either in the game or coming out of it b/c Cowherd and others are mentioning Harbaugh negatively. Has he lost the team? (last: on the bubble)

  13. Auburn—I don’t want to go to 18 this week, so I’m moving up the Tigers so I can wrap up and get outta here. They were inactive, I don’t like moving inactive teams. I don’t like digging through one loss teams either, so… (last: 17)

  14. Oregon—I did Auburn so I could put Oregon right behind them. Yeah, maybe Georgia or somebody falls to here, but Notre Dame doesn’t look that impressive anymore for losing to them, and really, South Carolina hadn’t even shown up in a game yet. (last: on the bubble)
On the bubble: le sigh Minnesota, Georgia, others
Dropped out: Texas, Notre Dame, Wake Forest (thanks a lot guys, geez), Georgia, Memphis (called it), and Virginia.


The Pit of Despair:



Mississippi State took the worst loss this past week, dropping a game to Tennessee. I’d have said Memphis but Temple is 5-1. I think Maryland was also favored against Purdue and lost 14-40

Nebraska fans: they were so sure that Scott Frost was going to do in Lincoln what he did in his second year at CFU—turn the team into a high-scoring, offensive machine designed to contend with the best and return the Huskers to glory. That may still happen in the future, but I think that notion finally got put to bed in the frozen slop of TCF Bank Stadium. I think I'll need someone to explain to me how NU got built up into the power that they were one, because I was 4 last when had their last championship season and two, it seems to be greatly talent based and what has changed that that type of player when to Lincoln once but doesn't anymore?



That’s all I got, back to writing legal memos!
 
I bought a vial of Jen Bielema's tears from an old Gypsy woman that I mix with my Redbull and Mountain Dew to settle the nerves and help me concentrate. It also helps me make sense of what my autographed Mike Leckrone bobblehead is saying sometimes. He's not always very articulate.
I knew there was something! hgh)

Good analysis. I see your point from 12 on. There's a lot of teams that have potential, but that doesn't buy a cup of coffee, let alone a date on New Years Day, or the Fab 4 of football. That field is beginning to narrow, and anyone who gets in, who doesn't sit in the rankings you're showing, will pretty much have to win by default, with conference commits to a game.

I get stuck watching a lot of Texas football down here in Texas. I think you're down here too? There's a lot of smoke and mirrors in the press, but it seems to take a nose dive on the field more often than not. What you had, and I see how, is 4 Big 10 teams in that group, including two in top 4. I know only one can possibly survive, to make it into the Fab 4, but even that's difficult because of our Championship game in Indy. Chances are that this year you might have to beat the same team twice, when you count the Indy game.

Thanks for keeping these going!
 
I think you're down here too?
We moved to Omaha in August.


I know only one can possibly survive
I think the B1G's best bet to make the 4 is have the same team that wins in two weeks win in Indy, though I would lay heavy money on a 1-loss B1G champ getting in over a 1-loss Pac 12 champ or 1 loss SEC non champion. That's how they've been doing things it seems.


There's a lot of smoke and mirrors in the press, but it seems to take a nose dive on the field more often than not.

I think there's still an important segment of the national media who believe that things aren't right unless the traditional powers are rolling, and get things hyped up before anybody plays a game. It's why I don't start this poll until after week 3.

I don't like digging through the one-loss teams for the weekly poll, but when it comes time to seed my 16 team tournament, that's a whole other kettle of fish :)
 
I think you have LSU to low. I really have no beef with OSU @1 but have they really been tested? That said the eye test is real so I agree with the ranking. Not sure about Clemson, something is missing but i don’t think it’s Lawerence.....more at WR.
 
Who would you put above LSU? Boise State? I couldn't do that either. Maybe Penn State? Not convinced they belong there either. SMU or Baylor? I don't think either of them fit into that group. Right now, you almost have to go with LSU inclusive in the top 6.

One thing I do know, before this season is over, some of those teams in the top 6 are going to get a loss tacked onto their record. The later in the season it happens, the more it taints your final ranking. Those early season one loss teams are now in the cat bird seat because of perception.

Wisconsin's hope? I see it as beating OSU in the Shoe, then seeing Penn State beat them out in the East, and the Badgers taking out PSU in the championship. That said, Minnesota and Iowa are still out there as major, major threats to the Badgers even making it to that championship game, after they play OSU.

Ain't no "givens" in the Big 10.
 
Who would you put above LSU? Boise State? I couldn't do that either. Maybe Penn State? Not convinced they belong there either. SMU or Baylor? I don't think either of them fit into that group. Right now, you almost have to go with LSU inclusive in the top 6.

One thing I do know, before this season is over, some of those teams in the top 6 are going to get a loss tacked onto their record. The later in the season it happens, the more it taints your final ranking. Those early season one loss teams are now in the cat bird seat because of perception.

Wisconsin's hope? I see it as beating OSU in the Shoe, then seeing Penn State beat them out in the East, and the Badgers taking out PSU in the championship. That said, Minnesota and Iowa are still out there as major, major threats to the Badgers even making it to that championship game, after they play OSU.

Ain't no "givens" in the Big 10.
LSU is a top 3 team
 
LSU gives up a lot of points to average teams. If someone's defense can slow them down, they can be beaten. Vanderbilt put up 38 against them. Their offense is nothing.

I can see where some would see them as not quite top 4 material.
 
LSU gives up a lot of points to average teams. If someone's defense can slow them down, they can be beaten. Vanderbilt put up 38 against them. Their offense is nothing.

I can see where some would see them as not quite top 4 material.
In a 66 point blowout. Burrow is the best QB not named Tua and LSU got what vs Florida
 
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