Point-Counterpoint…Week 4 Power Rankings

A fellow football junkie and I compare our weekly power rankings.  If you missed last week’s, catch up here.  Changes are marked by +/- the number of rankings.  These are real emails back and forth.

Josh                               Kam

1. Michigan State       1. Michigan State

2. Wisconsin               2. Wisconsin +1

3. Ohio State                3. Ohio State  -1

4. Penn State               4. Nebraska

5. Nebraska                 5. Penn State

 

J – So this is deja vu for us since one of us (me – cough cough) accidentally purged the other conversation….I had my entire top 5 intact.  Slight edge to Penn State with their defense over Nebraska but neither did enough to hop idle OSU.

 

K – Mine is pretty close with just Wisconsin and Ohio State flip-flopping.  I don’t like to jump bye week teams, but I feel like the Wisconsin run game is one of the premier rushing attacks in the country and now the defense, while still young, is showing signs of improvement.  Great performances from Nebraska, PSU and MSU as well. Big props for Nebraska handling a falling power.

 

J – Miami has fallen pretty far but still a nice win.  They will be a bowling team from a power league.  Can’t write that off entirely.  You think McEvoy is coming around?  Being tossed into the fire of LSU’s D led to a bad first impression but he seems to have a little Russell Wilson in him in terms of the mobility and scrappiness.

 

K – I just admire Gordon’s talent and the blocking scheme.

 

J – Nice dodge.  My 6 to 8 is a bit surprising.  Get ready to laugh!

 

6. Rutgers +2                6. Maryland

7. Maryland                  7. Rutgers +1

8. Indiana +2                8. Iowa +1

 

J – Rutgers’ D has been pretty good in the face of some tall orders from the air raid in week 1 to the triple option last saturday.  The offense is also decent – when they hold onto the ball.  They are a couple plays away from 4-0.  Did I also mention that their WSU and Navy wins were on the road?  The Terps also have two decent road wins.  USF is clearly improved (though not great) and Syracuse is a bowl team from a year ago.  They are also a few plays away from 4-0.  Lastly my little darling Hoosiers!  I knew they would start 2-1.  Just not in this fashion.  We saw the ceiling at Missouri and it was pretty good.

 

K – I like the new entries thus far!  Maryland had a nice win against the Orange of Syracuse. The offense really hasn’t shown a lot of struggle thus far this season.  Rutgers also with a good win on the road against Navy. Kyle Flood making that extension look good unless they fall apart in Big Ten play, much like they did against PSU.  Iowa checks in at 8. The offense might have found something with CJ Beathard coming in at QB. He looked great and adds the vertical threat opening up the run game. As of speaking now though, Rudock is listed as the Purdue game starter…

 

J – Ugh, that was my big fear when we did this Sunday night.  Kirk is loyal to a fault sometimes and refuses to have people lose their job to injury.  God isn’t there anyone I can fire for losing that thread?  I have the hawks ninth.  Their defense makes great adjustments but we haven’t seen this team play sixty good offensive minutes.  CJB has earned the starting gig in my eyes but he could be hampered by terrible play calling – we will have to wait and see.  Special teams is also still an unknown for this club.

 

9. Iowa                            9. Indiana +2

10. Minnesota +1         10. Minnesota

11. Illinois +1                 11. Michigan -4

 

J –  Joining Iowa in the next trio was Minnesota and Illinois!  The Illini are 3-1, taking advantaged of their three winnable games.  I’m not saying it will happen but of all the teams below them I think they have the clearest path to a bowl.  Some winnable dates at home the rest of the way.

 

K – You aren’t picking apart Iowa as much as normal.  I wanted to add that Rudock had some nice plays in the first half, I thought the play calling against Pitt was a lot better for both quarterbacks. We never give a lot of credit to the coaches when they have a positive game.

 

J – I’m not sure 24 points is much of a positive.

 

K – Pitt had a lot of time of possession with that great power back in Konnor.  Let’s get back to this group though…

 

J – So this is interesting that we both have the Gophers at 10 despite a 3-1 start and a pretty decent defense outside the horrible TCU game where nothing went right.  I think we have the same feeling about them…SOFT SCHEDULING!!!

 

K – Minnesota had 1 completed pass the entire game against SJSU. 31 minutes of time of possession, 1 pass for 7 yards….That wont beat anyone in the Big Ten.

 

J – Wait, 1915-ball won’t work?

 

K – Indiana had the best win of the week against an SEC TEAM!!! TAKE THAT SEC!!! No one took note since it was Indiana, but hey, it’s a huge win.

 

J – Kevin Wilson said himself that they need to grow from it.  Going 4-8 with that Missouri win doesn’t mean diddly.  They have an interesting schedule with Maryland, North Texas and at Iowa.  Outside shot at being 5-1 when they host Michigan State.

 

K – Against the Mean Green? No chance

 

K – MEAN….

 

K – GREEN….

 

J – That same week is Notre Dame-Florida State and Texas A&M-Alabama so it won’t be gameday and is already scheduled for 3:30 so it can’t be moved to prime time but if Indiana does get to 5-1 and sneaks in at like 22nd and MSU continues to roll it could be the ABC afternoon game.  Indiana with exposure?!  What!!!???

 

K – Maybe they can replace Michigan.

 

J – Speaking of…Michigan at 11th?  Get ready for me to drop the hammer!

 

12. Northwestern +1          12. Illinois

13. Michigan -7                  13. Purdue +1

14. Purdue                            14. Northwestern -1

 

J – Against power-five caliber teams (Utah and Notre Dame) Michigan has exactly 3 offensive points.  John Madden alert—you need to score more than the other team.  I texted this to a Michigan and friend during the game, “I feel bad for Hoke.  His players look slow, now fight in them.  Can’t tackle.  It’s like they lost their love of the game.  Maybe that is on Brady but it seems endemic for all the players and he can’t piss off all 125, can he?”

 

K – All it takes is the distrust of the leaders on the field and it spreads.

 

J – It has been the talk of the Big Ten world…Brady Hoke’s job security.  Obviously his seat is hot but I want to hammer Michigan on on something else.  I was relieved when they let Rich Rod go.  Pretty obvious from Hoke’s 11-2 season with all his players that RR was knocking on the door.  Hindsight is 20/20 tough and the fact that they let Les Miles slip away doomed whoever was going to take that job.

 

K – It’s karma for running Lloyd Carr out of town. You know, Urban Meyer left a successful gig at Florida to come to OSU…If Les Miles doesn’t win an SEC title within the next three years, maybe they run him out. Michigan isn’t going to give Hoke 3 years. But a thought, Miles could jump ship. Maybe Harbaugh leaves San Fran to come rescue his Big Blue. Does he really want to leave the cushy pro ranks though?

 

J – Things are teetering on Michigan becoming irrelevant for 15 years or so.  The next hire, assuming Hoke is let go, HAS to come through because they cannot continue the cycle in 4 more seasons.  That’s what leads to Indiana’s rinse and repeat spin cycle of suck.  As for the pie in the sky of Jim Harbaugh, the problem for Michigan is how many NFL teams will call him first?  Outside of Seattle, Arizona, Detroit (who just hired Caldwell and they look vastly improved), Baltimore (you can’t fire him and replace him with his brother, right?), Denver, Indy, New England and probably Cinci  wouldn’t all the other teams make that call.  Does he really turn down 20+ jobs for a college gig that will look like a demotion to a lot of people?

 

K – Before jumping down the Michigan rabbit hole entirely, Illinois and Purdue have shown at least a little offensive spark. Northwestern just sucks. I’m buying in now on your Northwestern disgust. Siemien had a bad game in an underwhelming win against an FCS foe. They should be putting up 40 against an FCS team near the end of September.

J – Yeah, I wrote them off midway through that Cal game.  Tough to prepare for your season when voting on a union.  I mentioned Illinois’ easy path…Do you think hosting Purdue, Minnesota, Iowa and traveling to Northwestern allows them to squeeze three more wins from this team?

 

K – You know, between these bottom-tiered teams, if someone can assert themselves and take advantage of the doable dates, they can go bowling thanks to having 400 bowl games. Be it Purdue, Illinois or Minnesota. Hopefully one of these teams can make it to a bowl and wins.  Help round out the depth of the league.  One of these teams has to take advantage and maybe you are onto something with Beckman’s crew.  It’s year three of his rebuild and that schedule is favorable.

 

J – Okay rabbit hole time!  It is interesting in talking about Michigan football that their greatest NFL player couldn’t beat out Brian Griese.  What the hell did Lloyd Carr see in practice?  Uh-oh this could lead to a post about best NFL player.  This will be hard for some of the teams.

 

K – Or really easy…Take Purdue, CLEARLY Mike Alstott.  Overall story though, it’s a great time to be a Michigan hater, unless you’re an Ohio State fan/Michigan hater, cause they are out of national title contention.

 

J – Why is OSU out of the title hunt?  Turns out Va Tech is….oh.  Go ECU Pirates – they would be FSU’s stiffest competition in the ACC.

 

K – Love me some Purple and Gold.

 

J – You know if the Big Ten takes them that opens up the Charlotte television market.  Get on that Delany!!!

 

K – It’s all about the market!! Better grab South Alabama while he can!

 

J – Well this foolishness seems like a good place to wrap.  League play finally here with 5 league games.  That Maryland-Indiana game will be a big measuring stick game.  That might be the game of the week.

 

K – Never thought we would say that.