College Football Rankings 2015: Hits and Misses from the Week 5 Polls
Another college football Saturday is in the books. Little by little, the landscape is beginning to take shape and we're learning more about each team as they pass, or fail, their biggest tests to date.
It's time to digest all that happened in Week 4 and evaluate the recent USA Today Amway Coaches poll and the Associated Press Top 25. After giving up a record 62 points at home to Utah, did Oregon drop out of any top-25 polls? Where do the Utes find themselves after their dominant performance? Has there been any change atop the rankings?
Given the history of the coaches poll, is Auburn still somehow ranked?
Where did pollsters get it right? Where did they swing and miss? We give our two cents in the following slides based not only on Saturday's action but what has transpired so far this season.
Hit/Miss: Michigan
1 of 6
USA Today Amway Coaches Poll: NR (previously NR)
Associated Press Top 25: No. 22 (Previously NR)
As is customary this time of year, one poll will get it right and one poll won't. And it's usually the coaches poll that doesn't get it right. This time, we're talking about Michigan. Yes, the Wolverines are worthy of being a top-25 team after shutting out BYU, 31-0.
Here's what Jim Harbaugh's team has done to this point: won three games, all in dominant fashion with one quality victory, and lost by seven points to Utah. That deserves at least some recognition in the polls. There are ranked teams that have done less (looking at you, Oregon, which is ranked in the coaches poll, and Wisconsin).
The AP poll got it right by giving the Wolverines the attention they deserve for playing outstanding defense and having at least an identity on offense while toppling a good opponent. The coaches poll? Not so much.
Miss: Utah
2 of 6
USA Today Amway Coaches Poll: No. 12 (previously No. 17)
Associated Press Top 25: No. 10 (previously No. 18)
All Utah did was hand Oregon its worst home loss ever at Autzen Stadium (h/t Andy McNamara) in a 62-20 beatdown. The Ducks have their problems, specifically pass defense, but that was a first-class boat racing the Utes put on in Eugene. Plus, Utah has a win over Michigan, which now looks much better than it did in Week 1.
And the Utes can barely crack the top 10? Where are pollsters putting this team?
Granted, one AP voter gave Utah a first-place vote. That's as bold as you're going to find this early in the season. Seriously, though, how has Utah not established itself as consensus top-10 team? In the opinion of ESPN.com's Ted Miller, this is still an underrated team.
Of course, now that we've spent time talking up the Utes and demanding more respect, we'll watch as they promptly lose to Cal in Week 6. Maybe. Because college football is weird like that.
Hit: West Virginia
3 of 6
USA Today Amway Coaches Poll: No. 21 (previously NR)
Associated Press Top 25: No. 23 (previously NR)
The Mountaineers haven't done much resume-wise. Wins over Georgia Southern, Liberty and Maryland only take you so far. We'll find out for certain whether West Virginia is a top-25 team next week at Oklahoma.
But head coach Dana Holgorsen's team deserves some praise, as it's looked good beating its opponents into the ground. And if you're going to beat undermanned teams, you might as well do it in style.
The 'Eers have impressed in two key areas: defense and passing offense. They have the top scoring defense in the Big 12 and haven't allowed a single point in three first halves, outscoring teams 74-0 in that span, according to WVU sideline reporter Jed Drenning. That's a credit to defensive coordinator Tony Gibson, as Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports notes.
Quarterback Skyler Howard has also played better than expected in the passing game, connecting often with Shelton Gibson and Jovon Durante. We'll see if West Virginia can keep it up, but it's looked good so far.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Miss: UCLA
4 of 6
USA Today Amway Coaches Poll: No. 10 (previously No. 11)
Associated Press Top 25: No. 7 (previously No. 9)
Let's see if we have this right: UCLA, which went on the road against a ranked team—while banged up on defense—and won by 26 points, is only good enough to move up a spot or two in the polls?
Let's put it another way: Arizona is no longer ranked because it got blown out by the Bruins. The highly anticipated division matchup was over by halftime. UCLA's defense, minus linebacker Myles Jack, defensive lineman Eddie Vanderdoes and cornerback Fabian Moreau, held Arizona's offense to five yards per play. Quarterback Josh Rosen, who struggled last week against BYU, rebounded with a great performance.
So how is UCLA barely being rewarded for this? The win over Arizona is easily better than anything Baylor (and in the case of the coaches poll, Georgia) has done to date. If pollsters don't think UCLA is a playoff-caliber team, that's fine. But resume-wise, that win over the Wildcats should at least put the Bruins on the very periphery of the top four.
Hit: Oregon
5 of 6
USA Today Amway Coaches Poll: T-No. 24 (previously No. 13)
Associated Press Top 25: NR (previously No. 13)
Oregon's days as a top-25 team are done in at least one poll, the AP. It ends a six-year streak of the Ducks appearing in the AP poll dating back to 2009, per Oregon assistant athletic director for communications Andy McNamara. But after getting drilled by Utah, 62-20, and showing no life whatsoever, it's hard to argue the Ducks are anything more than a fringe top-25 team right now.
The pass defense is atrocious, and now there's a possible quarterback controversy after Vernon Adams Jr. failed to get the offense moving. (Head coach Mark Helfrich Fox Sports 1 reporter Molly McGrath that Adams was pulled in favor of backup Jeff Lockie because of poor performance, not Adams' finger injury.)
"When we play like that, it's on me," Helfrich said after the game, per Ken Goe of the Oregonian. "Offense, defense, special teams, it's all on me."
The loss could start conjuring doomsday scenarios for Oregon. The pass D isn't likely to be fixed any time soon, but is the offense capable of getting back on track against Colorado. If it isn't, that would signal a major problem.
Miss: Stanford
6 of 6
USA Today Amway Coaches Poll: No. 20 (previously No. 24)
Associated Press Top 25: No. 18 (previously No. 21)
And here, once again, we have the same issue as last week. What is USC still doing ahead of Stanford in the top 25? The Cardinal beat the Trojans straight up in Week 3. Yet Stanford is one spot behind USC in the AP poll and a whopping four spots behind USC in the coaches poll.
Suddenly, Stanford's Week 1 loss to Northwestern doesn't look so bad, either. The Wildcats are 4-0 with another quality win over Duke and could be Big Ten West title contenders. So, in the time between Week 1 and now, Stanford has rebounded by taking care of the opponents it needed to take care of and stifled USC.
Where's the discussion?
USC had an easy victory over Arizona State in Week 4, but the Sun Devils are struggling mightily against Power Five/conference opponents. This was hardly a statement win for the Trojans. If all else remains the same next week, do the right thing, pollsters: put Stanford ahead of USC.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
