Polls 2021

[Josh Rexhausen]

The team up 71 doesn't look like a number 2 team beating #20 Penn St at home by 9. A lot of teams are struggling.

[Carin's Dad]

Hate to say it, but UC is not a #2 team. I think we're over ranked because both writers (AP) and coaches (USAToday) want to get a team from the Group of 5 into the playoffs. Tuesday will burst some bubbles.

[longtimefan]

We had a noon game against Indiana, with a slow start. After the first quarter we beat them 38-10. That’s about the same level of dominance.

[djs]

The polls are giving us great respect. Hope we deserve it. Being rated above Alabama and Ohio State is dreamlike, although I have a hard time believing we're really better than them after seeing Ohio State's beatdown of Indiana. I'll take it.

[Josh Rexhausen]

I figured the AP might drop us a spot. Coaches who vote in the poll probably have a better understanding of how tough it is to play a service academy with triple option in a road game.

We lost 6 votes in the AP and 28 in the Coaches from last week. Looks like we benefited from OU performance and indecision on whether Alabama and Ohio State is better. Just my analysis.

[Lobot]

I figured the AP might drop us a spot. Coaches who vote in the poll probably have a better understanding of how tough it is to play a service academy with triple option in a road game.

[Carin's Dad]

Stayed at # 2 in the AP as well. I’m a little surprised honestly.

https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

But, no additional style points this week. It will be more enlightening when the first playoff ranking comes out.

[Lobot]

Stayed at # 2 in the AP as well. I’m a little surprised honestly.

https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll

[cpawstoney]

Here’s the whole thing. We jumped OU and so did Alabama

https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaa.../coaches-poll/

SMU movved up to #16 and Notre Dame up to #11. Need both those teams to keep winning.

[Lobot]

Here’s the whole thing. We jumped OU and so did Alabama

https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaa.../coaches-poll/

[Chewbacca2099]

Surprisingly, we moved up to #2 in the coaches poll this week

[red_n_black_attack]

I don't mind playing SMU twice at Nippert so they can get both losses to the Bearcats.

[Lobot]

Side note: when Houston plays SMU, who do we root for to win?

I think you root for SMU to be undefeated when they come to Nippert for schedule strength reasons. The only problem with that is that we might end up playing them in Nippert twice depending on how Houston and SMU finish the season. There's no divisions in football this year so it's the top 2 teams to the AAC Championship.

[red_n_black_attack]

Here is a UC News Record reporter pointing out what needs to happen for the Bearcats to be in the CFP.
Opinion | The steps necessary to lock UC in the CFP | Sports | newsrecord.org

Instead of Michigan, can we root for an undefeated MSU? They can hand both Oh St and Pa St losses with Harbaugh dropping 3 or 4 of last 5. The Luke almost went to MSU storyline could be fun.

If there are only 4 undefeated conference champs, this assumes we won't get jumped by a one loss Pac-12 team or a two loss SEC/B!G team. I think both are possible for the committee so I am rooting for only two undefeated teams, Georgia and UC. The more P5 teams with losses, the better our chances. We need Georgia undefeated to keep out a second SEC team. Even beating IU and ND on the road, the cards are stacked against us.

Side note: when Houston plays SMU, who do we root for to win?

[Carin's Dad]

Agreed, and some of those scenarios could make it hard for Committee to put UC in the CFP. All I'm rooting for is Georgia to win out so UC doesn't become #1 by a Georgia loss t somebody else. I want UC to be #1, but I want it in the final poll after we beat an undefeated consensus #1 Georgia, if that is the way it plays out. There's a lot of football over the next two months that could change it. I just don't want to see UC ascend to #1 during regular season where pundits can (and will) question the validity. I am rooting for that scenario out of many as the only way UC ascend to #1 ranking.

If being #2 doesn't punch our ticket, #1 probably wouldn't either. Given our remaining schedule, I don't see how we could move up anyway. Maybe a loss by Georgia and defeating an unbeaten SMU, but I think we could well get leapfrogged by the end of the season.