Faux Top 10
Who’s in charge of these rankings? First off, rankings should be based on what you’ve done this season, not the name on your chest or your historical accomplishments. So with that in mind, how is it even possible to have a Top 25 before the season starts?!?!?!? Secondly, how in the world is Alabama ranked above LSU? Who has Bama beaten? LSU just went into Texas and took counter punch after counter punch from a Power 5 team on a national stage while Bama was beating down a team barely worthy of the Div 1, or FBS, status they carry.
For the record, this isn’t an Anti-Alabama post, not by a long shot. This is just one of many problems I have with the college system. The rankings, which directly tie into the so called “playoffs”, is riddled with bias.
Don’t believe me? Let’s look at the Massey Ratings, a composite computerized system to rank teams based on 52 other systems and their opinions (find it here: https://www.masseyratings.com/cf/compare.htm). Duke is somehow ranked 55th by losing 42-3 to Bama and beating lower division North Carolina A&T 45-13...and this is Bama’s best win after 2 games. The Tide’s other win was against New Mexico St, the country’s 5th worst team (125th), by a score of 62-10.
Meanwhile, LSU won on the road against Texas, 45-38. The Longhorns were ranked 9th prior to the game and is now 20th in the computer system. Their other win was against Georgia Southern (82nd) by a score of 55-3. Just a simple add and divide exercise tells you LSU has played, and beaten, on average a 51st ranked team while Bama has played, and beaten, on average a 90th ranked team.
So what’s the explanation? If you’re a ranking sympathizer, tread lightly. Most of your answers lead to a conclusion you don’t want. Which is NCAA teams are ranked pre-season and early season based on their name and past accomplishments. That’s not a fair system, that’s not an even playing field. So hopefully everyone is enjoying their fake Top 25.
Here’s my real Top 10 based on actual accomplishments. I’m only going to use teams that are currently in the Top 10 to save time and effort, I can’t afford to retire on this one article.
The Real Top 10 - using current Faux Top 10 (avg win rank based on ranking at time of game)
- Clemson (avg win rank = 30th)
- LSU (avg win rank = 46th)
- Auburn (avg win rank = 52nd)
- Michigan (avg win rank = 71st)
- Ohio State (avg win rank = 74th)
- Alabama (avg win rank = 80th)
- Notre Dame (avg win rank = 98th)
- Georgia (beat #72 plus lower division)
- Oklahoma (beat #74 plus lower division)
- Penn State (beat #82 plus lower division)
QB University
What was once a reference to Miami, FL can now be basically attributed to college football as a whole. The emergence of the Spread, West Coast and Air Raid offenses and coupled with QB camps cropping up all over the country the past two decades, you can watch the Noon, 3:30 and 8pm games each Saturday and start believing the next Joe Montana or Tom Brady played in each of those games.
While I have my personal opinion of who’s the best in the nation (Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence and Jalen Hurts) here’s some of the numbers after two weeks that leads the nation:
Yards Passing:
Elijah Sindelar (Purdue) 932
Anthony Gordon (Wash State) 884
Cole McDonald (Hawai’i) 799
Joe Burrow (LSU) 749
Collin Hill (Colo St) 738
Rating:
Jalen Hurts (Okla) (6 TD 0 INT) 252.3
Joe Burrow (LSU) (9 TD 1 INT) 219.1
Anthony Gordon (Wash St) (9 TD 1 INT) 218.9
Sean Clifford (Penn St) (6 TD 0 INT) 215.0
Spencer Sanders (OKST) (6 TD 0 INT) 211.6
