Contender or Pretender? Highly Ranked Teams That Don't Yet Look Like Contenders

In the FBS world, where rankings are everything, fans, coaches, players, and sports commentators place a lot of importance on a team's position in the polls—deserved or not.

This year, there are a plethora of highly ranked teams at this point in the season that for some reason don't quite seem to get the blood pumping.

While it's all well and good to be highly ranked in the polls, it's quite another thing altogether when people begin to talk about true national contenders.

So, who are the pretenders after Week Five?

Michigan (No. 17)

The talk in Ann Arbor is all about Denard Robinson. With good reason.

Mr. Robinson has pretty much single-handedly given the Wolverines a 5-0 record and a ranking in the top 20.  He may also be the early odds-on favorite to win the Heisman in 2010.

But if you look beyond Robinson, one can't help but notice that the Wolverines are pretty soft.

Robinson has something like half a million yards of total offense through five weeks, all on his own. Take Robinson away, and the rest of the U-M offense has numbers that can best be described as anemic at best.

Is that a result of Robinson being given all of the opportunity? Maybe, maybe not. But you can't argue that the defensive woes in Ann Arbor have anything to do with Robinson's might.

Michigan gives up yards (and points) in bunches. The D-line is serviceable, but the secondary is soft and porous. Michigan has needed a couple of last-minute theatrics by Robinson to finish off teams that many consider inferior (Indiana, Notre Dame, and the FCS's UMass).

On top of that, Michigan is currently ranked 73rd in the nation in scoring defense and 120th in pass defense—that's right, dead last. That doesn't exactly scream title contender.

This problem will probably resolve itself, however. This week, Michigan hosts No. 16 Michigan State in the battle for the Paul Bunyan Trophy. That is followed by a visit from No. 15 Iowa and a trip to Penn State. The season ends, as usual, with the annual battle against Ohio State—No. 2 Ohio State, that is.

Iowa (No. 15)

Why are the Hawkeyes ranked so high?

No one can really answer that.

Sure, they knocked off then-No. 22 Penn State this past weekend, but they also lost to then-No. 24 Arizona in Week Three.

Besides Penn State, Iowa's wins have come against Ball State, Iowa State, and Eastern Illinois. Not exactly the type of resume you'd expect from a team ranked in the top 15 after five weeks.

Iowa isn't exactly setting stat sheets on fire, either. The Hawkeyes don't rank in the top 25 in rushing yards, passing yards, or scoring offense.

The wins come from the defense, as Iowa ranked second in the nation in scoring defense, giving up only 10.2 points per game.

Of course, against their only quality opponent, Arizona, they gave up 27.

Iowa gets an early bye this year as their next game is a trip to No. 17 Michigan on Oc. 16.

Can that vaunted Hawkeye defense contain Denard Robinson?

Has anyone else been able to do that?

Miami (FL) (No. 14)

When ranked teams in the FBS play teams from the FCS, it really shouldn't count.

Does it really give anyone much useful information when a team like Miami whips up a 45-point shutout of Florida A&M?

Has anyone outside of Florida even heard of Florida A&M? Does anyone outside of Florida care?

Miami's first early test came against Ohio State. Miami failed that test.

The 'Canes then dismantled an unranked Pitt squad before escaping Clemson 30-21 in the ACC opener.

Miami's offensive production is laughable for a team ranked so high.  Passing offense is 47th. Rushing is 77th. Scoring offense is 39th.

Heck, even Miami's scoring defense (15th), which is probably the bright spot for the team, doesn't match their poll ranking (No. 14).

The sad part of the whole scenario is the fact that Miami currently only has one ranked team left on its schedule for 2010 (this week hosting No. 24 Florida State).

If the 'Canes get past Florida State, there's really not much left in their way during the regular season. If you're not going to drop Miami in the polls as long as they're winning, what happens in December when they're a possible 12-1 lacking a quality win against a quality ranked opponent?

Florida (No. 12)

Putting Florida on this list shouldn't surprise anyone, at least not after last week.

We all know Alabama is good and the odds-on favorite for 2010, but only scoring six points? Duke did better than that.

It looks like a Tebow-less Gators squad is not quite the SEC powerhouse that it once was.

Can Florida make it back to Atlanta this year for the SEC championship game? Possibly.

Will they beat Alabama on the second go-round? No.

If Alabama gets through the 2010 regular season unscathed, even if Tebow magically found one more game of eligibility, it would likely not matter much.

Nebraska (No. 6)

This one is going to be a stretch for some.

Nebraska, after all, currently ranks 11th in the FBS in terms of total defense and 14th in total offense.

Pretty good numbers.

But Nebraska has played Western Kentucky (0-4), Idaho (3-2)—who has wins over the FCS, MAC, and WAC—Washington (2-2), and South Dakota State (FCS).

The only win in that group that is even worth mentioning is Washington. The only reason that's worth mentioning right now is because Washington sneaked past USC again. Depending on how USC does down the stretch, that may change.

Good thing the FBS doesn't base bowl selections on SOS, right Husker fans?

It's also a good thing for the Huskers that Oklahoma doesn't appear on the 2010 schedule. If Nebraska can get through the Big 12 North (and that's a pretty big "if") and if OU is waiting on the other side (not such a big "if"), that is where Nebraska's title hopes will meet an abrupt end.