- October 11, 2021
- Comments: 0
- Posted by: admin
Alabama tight end Cameron Latu (81) drops a pass in the end zone against Texas A&M during the second half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)
BLACKSBURG – Alabama is supposed to be the one constant. Pencil the Tide in atop your AP Top 25 ballot each week and then go to work on the mixed bag that is the rest of college football. But Saturday, Alabama lost to Texas A&M. And while Georgia is a fairly unassailable choice to take over the No. 1 ranking, the fact that even the Tide couldn’t help but get swept up on this year’s sea of unpredictably should tell us a lot about what to expect over the next two-and-half months.
Iowa rallied past Penn State, Ole Miss survived a 2-point try at the end by Arkansas, Oklahoma stormed back to top Texas in the Red River Showdown, and Notre Dame needed a late, long field goal to win at Virginia Tech.
Ohio State and Kentucky continue to impress.
Michigan and Michigan State survived Nebraska and Rutgers, while BYU and Oregon State took losses that dropped their profiles.
Watching the Big Ten sort itself out should be fun. I ended up with five teams from the league in my top nine spots, and I have the growing sense that Ohio State – the long, long ago Oregon loss not withstanding – will end up being the best of that bunch.
I’ve also flopped from banging on Oklahoma for not being as dominant as expected to giving the Sooners tons of credit for consistently finding a way to win.
A trio of Texas teams – Baylor, Houston and UTSA – joined the discussion for the final spot in the poll, along with Liberty and Pittsburgh.
And, of course, A&M joined my rankings. After all, it did just beat Alabama.
With so many moving pieces, it’s getting harder and harder, but I did try to slight YOUR favorite team again this week, and – of course – I terribly overrated its rival. Because, as always, my ballot is here to hurt your feelings.
Here is this week’s AP Top 25 ballot:
1. Georgia
2. Iowa
3. Cincinnati
4. Oklahoma
5. Alabama
6. Ohio State
7. Michigan
8. Michigan State
9. Penn State
10. Kentucky
11. Oklahoma State
12. Wake Forest
13. Coastal Carolina
14. Ole Miss
15. Oregon
16. Notre Dame
17. BYU
18. Arizona State
19. Arkansas
20. Texas
21. San Diego State
22. SMU
23. Texas A&M
24. Auburn
25. Florida
mbarber@timesdispatch.com
Twitter: @RTD_MikeBarber
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
The scars from Virginia Tech’s second wrenching defeat of 2021 still raw late Saturday night, Justin Fuente pondered how the Hokies might, and should, respond.
There’s nothing wrong with taking TV’s money, but when fans can’t watch their team’s biggest game of the year? There’s something wrong with that.
The ACC Network, the sole television carrier for this Saturday’s Virginia and Virginia Tech football games, remains unavailable to Xfinity/Com…
“They eat about two and a half times what a normal person would eat.
Chris Tyree was in the stands at Lane Stadium the last time Notre Dame football visited Blacksburg. Tyree, then a junior at Thomas Dale High S…
One ACC football team is undefeated. One is on pace to average more than 30 points a game for the fifth consecutive year, and one has forced d…
Virginia Tech played 20 games last basketball season without enduring consecutive defeats. Then the Hokies went one-and-done in the ACC and NC…
Knock off multiple top-15 opponents, and chances are you’ll have a heck of a football season.
In lopsided losses to North Carolina and Wake Forest, Virginia football coach Bronco Mendenhall left starting quarterback Brennan Armstrong in…
“I take a lot of pride in keeping my guys upright and protected.”
Alabama tight end Cameron Latu (81) drops a pass in the end zone against Texas A&M during the second half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft)
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.
source
