CFN's Weekly Rankings - Auburn #8

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Alllllllllllrrrighty then.

CFN Ranking Of Every Team - Week 3 

  By Staff
CollegeFootballNews.com
Posted Sep 21, 2009 


How good are the teams right now? The CFN rankings go on how the teams are performing at the moment. While the rankings have changed dramatically (and will again), Alabama appears to have staying power among the best of the best. Who else is close? Check out the third week of the 2009 CFN Rankings.



2009 CFN Rankings

Week 3, Sept. 20


- 2009 CFN Preseason Rankings
- 2009 Coaches' Poll
- Scoreboard & Game Recaps 

- CFN Rankings Week 1 | Week 2

1. Florida 3-0
Last Week: W, Tennessee 23-13
This Week: at Kentucky
Why the ranking is too high: If the offense is going to be Tim Tebow running, Tim Tebow running, and Tim Tebow running some more, the team is beatable. Tennessee might have been able to pull off the win if it had a quarterback the coaching staff had any confidence in.

2. Texas 3-0
Last Week: W, Texas Tech 34-24
This Week: UTEP
Why the ranking is too high: It's not like Texas, who's supposed to be this mature, rock-solid squad, blasted a young and rebuilding Texas Tech team that's not supposed to be ready for primetime. This is a Longhorn squad that looked like it has the weight of the world on its shoulders, and no one is playing tighter than Colt McCoy.
Why the ranking is too low: Texas didn't play its best game, McCoy hasn't been McCoy yet, and Sergio Kindle and the pass rush are just now starting to get going. The team isn't close to hitting its stride, but it has two games to get there before the Oklahoma showdown.
 
3. Alabama 3-0
Last Week: W, North Texas 53-7
This Week: Arkansas
Why the ranking is too high: It's not. It's hard to make a case that Florida and Texas are playing better than the Tide. There's the résumé win over Virginia Tech, and now there are two blowout wins in tune-ups against FIU and North Texas to prepare the team for the SEC season.
Why the ranking is too low: Greg McElroy is playing as well as any quarterback in the country, while the running game is crushing and killing everything in its path. Throw in the nasty run defense, ranked fifth in the nation, and it's all there for this to be a national title-caliber team.

4. California 3-0
Last Week: W, at Minnesota 35-21
This Week: at Oregon
Why the ranking is too high: The argument could be made that the Bears haven't done jack-squat yet. Maryland is awful and Minnesota is, at best, the fifth best team in the Big Ten. The next two weeks against Oregon and USC will show what the team is made of.
Why the ranking is too low: It's all there. As long as Jahvid Best is healthy and Kevin Riley isn't making mistakes, Cal's offense should be strong. The defense is swarming with one of the nation's best pass rushes.

5. Penn State 3-0
Last Week: W, Temple 31-6
This Week: Iowa
Why the ranking is too high: Akron, Syracuse, Temple. That's the start to the season, and the rushing game isn't exactly working averaging a pathetic, for Penn State, 133 yards per game.
Why the ranking is too low: The defensive front is still the Penn State defensive front. The O line might be having problems, and the offense isn't playing as well as it needs to, but the defense is cleaning up the mess by not allowing anyone to do anything yet. However, Iowa will be the first real test.

6. Miami 2-0
Last Week: W, Georgia Tech, 33-17
This Week: at Virginia Tech
Why the ranking is too high: It's not like the secondary has shown up yet. It got torched by Florida State, and then it dealt with Georgia Tech, who doesn't throw. Oklahoma is looming soon, and even with Landry Jones under center, that team can pitch it.
Why the ranking is too low: It's all there. Miami isn't back to being Miami, but the defense is ultra-athletic, there's a running game again, when needed, and Jacory Harris is playing like the type of cool, calm, steady leader of past Miami superstar quarterbacks.

7. Virginia Tech 2-1
Last Week: W, Nebraska 16-15
This Week: Miami
Why the ranking is too high: The running game isn't working. It did against Marshall, but it struggled and sputtered against Alabama and Nebraska. Give credit to Tyrod Taylor for finding a way to get his team the win, but the Hokies have to start producing on the ground and against the run.
Why the ranking is too low: If you think the Hokies will beat Miami, then this is probably a top five team. Who cares how it's done? Tech found a way to pull off the win against a strong Nebraska team, while the Alabama game was close until late. The special teams are strong, Taylor is a veteran who's making things happen, and the chance is there this week to make a huge national statement.

8. Auburn 3-0
Last Week: W, Virginia Tech 41-30
This Week: Ball State
Why the ranking is too high: Are you a believer yet in Chizik Ball? The special teams have been disastrous and the pass rush has been a bit too spotty. And then there's the offense that's putting up big overall numbers, but is still full of players trying to figure out what they're doing.
Why the ranking is too low: The team is adapting and adjusting. West Virginia put the clamps down on the running game, at least somewhat, and the passing attack kicked in. This is a smart team that's hitting big, running big, and playing extremely well.
9. Cincinnati 3-0
Last Week: W, at Oregon State 28-18
This Week: Fresno State
Why the ranking is too high: The running game got stuffed cold by Oregon State and the pass defense is average. Other than that, Cincinnati is playing as efficiently as anyone in America.
Why the ranking is too low: The win at Oregon State was impressive. The brand name might be Cincinnati, and the Big East doesn't get enough credit, but the Bearcats have been unbelievable on the defensive front, QB Tony Pike is playing like a Heisman candidate, and the schedule isn't all that bad with the toughest game on the schedule (now that USF QB Matt Grothe is gone for the year) doesn't come until the date with West Virginia in mid-November.

10. LSU 3-0
Last Week: W, Louisiana-Lafayette, 31-3
This Week: at Mississippi State
Why the ranking is too high: ZZZZZZZZZZ. The LSU offense has been stunningly sleepy. RB Charles Scott hasn't done much, the passing game is fine, but nothing special, and the line isn't crushing and killing like it should be.
Why the ranking is too low: The defense isn't giving up much. Beating Vanderbilt and Louisiana-Lafayette might not seem like that big a deal, but the Tiger defense should feed off the momentum. It was flying around a little better than it did against Washington, and it should start to do more to get into the backfield. And by the way, how good does that win over the Huskies look now?

[jadennis]

Showed up in ESPN's power rankings too (which is more like an AP poll than CFNs).

http://espn.go.com/college-football/powerrankings/_/week/3

Bruce Feldman had us highest at #16.

[The Prowler]

3. Alabama 3-0
Last Week: W, North Texas 53-7
This Week: Arkansas
(1) Why the ranking is too high: It's not. It's hard to make a case that Florida and Texas are playing better than the Tide. There's the résumé win over Virginia Tech, and now there are two blowout wins in tune-ups against FIU and North Texas to prepare the team for the SEC season.
Why the ranking is too low: (2) Greg McElroy is playing as well as any quarterback in the country, while the running game is crushing and killing everything in its path. Throw in the nasty run defense, ranked fifth in the nation, and it's all there for this to be a national title-caliber team.

(1) It helps to have two of the four teams that was ranked ahead of you get beat.

(2) I guess Chris Todd is a Heisman Candidate then.

                     ATT     Comp     Yards     Pct.     TDs     Int.     QB Rating
Greg McElroy     69       46        647       66.7       4        1         161.7
Chris Todd        80       43        725       53.8       6        1         152.1

[Jumbo]

Todd for Heisman