Rankings and Ratings

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Rankings and Ratings – How CU is ranked nationally, plus Bowl projections

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October 3rd

Jon Wilner: Buffs heading to San Francisco for Redbox Bowl

From the San Jose Mercury News … If the Arizona Wildcats (2-3, 1-1) beat Cal (3-1,0-1) this weekend, their margin-for-error would improve markedly:

Presuming a victory over UCLA, they would need just two wins at home; the roadtrips would become, in a sense, immaterial.

The Wildcats haven’t played like a bowl team thus far but possess a reasonable chance only because of the favorable schedule:

No Stanford, no Washington, and seven home games.

Miss the postseason with that greased path, and it would add a slap in the face to a gut-punch of a season.

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Redbox Bowl: Colorado (4-0/1-0)
Remaining games: four home/four road
Key dates: Oct. 6 vs. Arizona State, Oct. 13 at USC, Nov. 10 vs. Washington State
Comment: There is a path to the division title if the Buffs lose at USC, but only if they win this week. Lose the next two, and even second place might be a stretch.

… Read full story (10 Pac-12 bowl teams projected) here …

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October 1st

CBS Power Rankings: CU into the Top 20

From CBS Sports … Following an exciting night of college football that saw two sets of top-10 teams square off simultaneously, the only question that remains is whether there will be a shakeup in this week’s Power Rankings. Before we get to that, let’s take a look at some of what we have learned one month into the season.

It appears as if this is one of the best Alabama teams in history. Under our noses, Nick Saban has reshaped the CrimsonTide into an elite passing team. (Four of the top 14 receivers in the SEC are from Alabama.) If quarterback Tua Tagovailoa isn’t the leading Heisman Trophy contender, he’s damn close.

Clemson won a game with last year’s scout team quarterback and a kid who began the week as a third-stringer (Chase Brice). Is Kelly Bryant having second thoughts about preserving his eligibility and leaving four games into the season?

I’d love UCF to play any of the top four right now. The Knights are out of strength-of-schedule bullets with no more Power Five opponents on the schedule, but they could play with anybody. And speaking of the state of Florida, it looks to be on its way back to being the state of Florida. Sort of. Florida, Miami, South Florida and UCF are a combined 16-2. Florida State is one of the most disappointing teams of 2018.

From the Pac-12 … 

No. 10 – Washington … Jake Browning became UW’s all-time passing leader in a rout of BYU. It was the most complete performance of the season for the Huskies who still have Pac-12 and playoff possibilities intact.

No. 14 – Stanford … Just when we thought the Cardinal were rounding into shape, K.J. Costello is sacked five games and Bryce Love has to leave with an ankle injury. It’s official: Everyone in the Pac-12 North has a loss.

No. 17 – Colorado … There is one undefeated team left in the Pac-12. The Pac-12 South is entirely up for grabs. Why not the Buffaloes (4-0), who blasted UCLA on Friday? A case can be made for Steve Montez being the best quarterback in the conference.

No. 20 – Oregon … Nice rebound from Stanford. The Ducks post their first Pac-12 road win in almost two years Saturday at Cal. Justin Herbert threw for two more touchdowns. After a bye week, Washington comes to town for North Division showdown.

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Bowl projections … CU outlook improving with four win in the books

CBS Sports Pac-12 Bowl projections:

Rose … Washington v. Penn State

Fiesta … Stanford v. UCF

Alamo … Utah v. Texas

Holiday … USC v. Iowa

Redbox … Oregon v. Minnesota

Sun … Colorado v. Duke

Las Vegas … Washington State v. Boise State

Cheez-It … California v. Oklahoma State

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Sports Illustrated Pac-12 Bowl projections:

Rose … Stanford v. Penn State

Peach … Washington  v. Mississippi State

Alamo … Oregon v. Oklahoma State

Holiday … Colorado v. Michigan

San Francisco … Cal v. Northwestern

Sun … USC v. Boston College

Las Vegas … Washington State v. Boise State

Cheez-It … Utah v. UNLV

Frisco Bowl (replacement for MAC) … Arizona State v. Houston

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ESPN Pac-12 Bowl projections (two pickers):

Rose … Washington v. Penn State

Fiesta Bowl … UCF v. Stanford or West Virginia

Alamo … Oregon v. Oklahoma State or Texas

Holiday …  Colorado v. Iowa or Michigan v. Stanford

RedBox … USC v. Maryland or Washington State v. Iowa

Sun … Washington State v. Virginia Tech or USC v. Boston College

Las Vegas … Arizona State v. Boise State or Colorado v. Fresno State

Cheez-It … Utah v. Fresno State or Arizona State v. Nevada

Armed Forces Bowl: (replacement): Cal v. San Diego State

New Mexico (replacement): Cal v. Utah State

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September 29th

Colorado returns to the Associated Press poll for the first time since the end of the 2016 season

From ESPN … After winning top-10 matchups, Ohio State moved up to No. 3 and Notre Dame rose to No. 6 in The Associated Press college football poll. For the second straight week, there was major turnover at the bottom of the Top 25.

No. 1 Alabama and Georgia still hold the top two spots in the media ranking. The Crimson Tide received 58 first-place votes on Sunday.

Ohio State moved past Clemson after rallying in the fourth quarter at Penn State.

Clemson slipped to No. 4 after a close victory at home against Syracuse. The Buckeyes and Tigers each received a first-place vote.

LSU held steady at No. 5 and Notre Dame moved up two spots after beating Stanford. Oklahoma fell to No. 7 and No. 9 West Virginia is in the top 10 for the first time since 2012, when it reached No. 5 early in the season.

Washington also moved into the top 10 after routing BYU.

Mississippi State lost its second straight game and is unranked for the first time this season.

California and Texas Tech both had one-week stays in the ranking after each lost Saturday at home.

No. 21 Colorado is the only unbeaten team left in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes are ranked for the first time since the final 2016 poll.

No. 22 Florida is back in. Suddenly, losing at No. 13 Kentucky Wildcats doesn’t seem so bad for the Gators.

No. 23 NC State is ranked for the first time this year after finishing in the Top 25 last season.

Others Receiving Votes: Boise State (3-1) 86; South Florida (4-0) 83; Syracuse (4-1) 74; Cincinnati (5-0) 35; Iowa (3-1) 34; Texas A&M (3-2) 31; Washington State (4-1) 14; TCU (3-2) 13; Maryland (3-1) 10; California (3-1) 10; Missouri (3-1) 8; Boston College (4-1) 3; Mississippi State (3-2) 3; BYU (3-2) 3; Arizona State (3-2) 2; Appalachian State (3-1) 2; Duke (4-1) 1; Hawaii (5-1) 1; San Diego State (3-1) 1

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USA Today/ Coaches’s poll

From CBS Sports …

Others Receiving Votes: South Florida (4-0) 109; Florida (4-1) 105; Syracuse (4-1) 48; Washington State (4-1) 43; Cincinnati (5-0) 42; TCU (3-2) 40; Appalachian State (3-1) 34; Texas A&M (3-2) 31; Iowa (3-1) 23; Missouri (3-1) 21; Maryland (3-1) 14; Mississippi State (3-2) 13; USC (3-2) 10; Boston College (4-1) 9; San Diego State (3-1) 9; Arizona State (3-2) 8; South Carolina (2-2) 6; Duke (4-1) 5; California (3-1) 5; Troy (4-1) 5; BYU (3-2) 4; Army West Point (3-2) 4; Louisiana Tech (3-1) 2; Fresno State (3-1) 1

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ESPN Power Rankings 

From ESPN … The final Saturday of September brought early clarity to the College Football Playoff race.

Ohio State took early control of the Big Ten by coming from behind — again — to knock off Penn State 27-26 in the final minutes.

Notre Dame, with its new quarterback and running back, rolled past Stanford 38-17, its second victory over a ranked opponent in the first month of the season.

And Clemson found out how scary life might be without quarterback Kelly Bryant, who left the team earlier this week, in a 27-23 win over Syracuse. New starter Trevor Lawrence suffered an apparent concussion in the first half, and backup Chase Brice had to lead the Tigers to a 10-point comeback in the fourth quarter to avoid losing to Syracuse for the second season in a row.

As a result, Notre Dame moves back into the top four spots of the Power Rankings, dropping the Tigers outside the top four.

Remember, the Power Rankings are about how you look and who you play each week. Forget the body of work or the brand name. These rankings drip with recency bias.

From the Pac-12 … 

11. Washington (4-1, 2-0 Pac-12)

Week 5 result: Defeated BYU 35-7
What’s next: at UCLA (Saturday, TBA)

With Stanford’s loss at Notre Dame, the Huskies once again look like the Pac-12’s best chance at earning a CFP berth. Washington completely dominated a BYU team that won at Wisconsin two weeks ago, holding the Cougars to only seven first downs, 34 rushing yards and 194 yards of total offense. The Huskies came within 41 seconds of their first shutout of a ranked opponent since blanking No. 5 USC in 1990.

12. Stanford (4-1, 2-0 Pac-12)

Week 5 result: Lost to Notre Dame 38-17
What’s next: vs. Utah (Saturday, TBA)

The Cardinal lost more than their three-game winning streak over Notre Dame on Saturday night. Heisman Trophy candidate Bryce Love injured his left ankle, which bothered him throughout the 2017 season, and left the game early in the fourth quarter. He had rushed for 73 yards on 13 carries, with a 39-yard touchdown before he was hurt. Love didn’t play two weeks ago against FCS foe UC Davis and has gained more than 100 yards in only one of the four games in which he has played this season.

17. Oregon (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12)

Week 5 result: Defeated California 42-24
What’s next: vs. Washington (Oct. 13, TBA)

The Ducks took out their frustration from last week’s collapse against Stanford by defeating the Bears on the road. Quarterback Justin Herbert was very efficient again, completing 16 of 22 passes for 225 yards with two touchdowns. Oregon gets an extra week to prepare for its Oct. 13 home game against Washington, which might go a long way in deciding the Pac-12 North title.

20. Colorado (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12)

Week 5 result: Defeated UCLA 38-16
What’s next: vs. Arizona State (Saturday, TBA)

The Buffaloes are 4-0 for the first time since 1998 after stampeding past the winless Bruins on Friday night. Colorado quarterback Steven Montez was nearly perfect against UCLA, completing 22 of 26 passes for 237 yards with one touchdown and running for two more scores. Sophomore Laviska Shenault Jr., who looks like the best receiver in the FBS, caught 10 passes or more for the third time in four games. He had a career-high 12 catches for 126 yards with one touchdown.

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This post, about the Arizona State game, from the 2018 Season, is filed under Article.
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