D Poll: Week 6
Ole Miss makes a big leap, Penn State and LSU fall, and FSU, Alabama, and Virginia present problems.
I hate this week’s D Poll. It was my understanding that as more games were played and more data points arrived, it would be easier to construct this ranking. The opposite has proven true, especially after this past week, when the results only muddied the waters even more.
Here’s the biggest conundrum: Florida State beat Alabama, Virginia beat Florida State, and Alabama beat Georgia. Where would you rank all those teams? If you’re basing it strictly on head-to-head results, it’s easy: Virginia is first, Florida State is second, and Alabama is third. It’s not that simple, though. Virginia has a loss to a mediocre-to-bad NC State squad, and Alabama’s win over Georgia is arguably more impressive than Florida State’s win over Alabama. But how is that possible if Florida State beat the same Alabama team that defeated Georgia? I don’t know. This is all so confusing!
As I’ve stated in every one of these polls, vibes and feelings are the most important criteria, with winning falling right behind. What I’ve never mentioned is that head-to-head results come fourth. This week’s D Poll struggled to balance head-to-head results with a team’s actual quality. It was hard, I didn’t like doing it, and I’m not that pleased with the end product. Still, I can only release my honest ranking.
Here’s a little more information on what the D Poll is:
The D Poll values vibes and feelings above all else, and then factors in winning. It’s also important to remember that this ranking is a fluid entity, especially early in the season. As new data points come in, teams are going to shift drastically.
Everybody ranks college football teams differently. There are 62 people who vote on the AP Poll, and each of them has a different method and process for how they go about it. Some value preseason projections and ratings more than others, while some completely throw away their preconceived notions the second the games start being played. Others seemingly don’t have a method at all and just rank 25 random teams for the fun of it. Those people shouldn’t have a vote, but that’s a discussion for another time.
The D Poll is a subjective ranking. Vibes and feelings are some of the most subjective criteria ever. What I categorize as “bad vibes” might be different from what you do, and that’s OK. This is just a silly poll—the stakes aren’t that serious. Also, and this is important, just because I have your favorite team ranked below your rival doesn’t mean I hate your favorite team. Well, maybe I do. That’s up to interpretation depending on the circumstance.
Here’s the D Poll for Week 6. Feel free to roast me—I probably deserve it.
Note: Not every team is going to get a little blurb. That’s just the way life goes sometimes. Maybe next week? For any of the teams I don’t write about, just dwell on the vibes and feelings surrounding their season so far.
Teams dropped from last week’s D Poll: North Texas, BYU, TCU, USC
25. Memphis (-2)
Week 5 result: 55-26 win at FAU
Ryan Silverfield’s Tigers drop as a result of being passed. As things currently stand, I still have them as my favorite to make the College Football Playoff out of the Group of 5. Crushing a rebuilding Florida Atlantic team doesn’t necessarily move the needle enough for me to warrant moving the Tigers ahead of the rest of the Power 4 schools that make up the D Poll, but don’t let that dismay you if you’re a fan of Memphis. If they keep winning, a trip to the school’s first-ever CFP is in the cards.
24. LSU (-10)
Week 5 result: 24-19 loss at Ole Miss
LSU’s star has dwindled each week it’s played since the win at Clemson in Week 1. With an offense that’s teetering on inept, Brian Kelly and the rest of that team could be on the verge of wasting a defense that’s stepped up to the plate and delivered time and again throughout the early going of the season.
Let’s talk about that terrible offense. LSU ranks 98th in scoring offense (19.8 points per game), 104th in yards per game (324.8), 90th in yards per play (5.1), 95th in yards per rush (3.7), and 97th in yards per pass (6.4). With a defense that’s holding opponents to just 12.8 points per game, you’d expect people to be showering LSU with praise. But they can’t score to save their lives, and it finally cost them against Ole Miss.
I’m proud to say that the D Poll noticed these negative trends and began sliding LSU as a result. While the AP Poll kept LSU in the top five, the D Poll dropped them all the way to No. 14 prior to this past weekend’s games. With the loss, a further drop of ten spots is more than warranted, because let’s be serious—there are at least 23 other teams in the country that have played better than LSU has so far. That might be controversial, but isn’t that what the D Poll is all about in the first place?
23. Arizona State (NR)
Week 5 result: 27-24 win vs. TCU
Arizona State did everything in its power to lose to TCU on Friday night, but outstanding play by quarterback Sam Leavitt and star receiver Jordyn Tyson made it possible for the Sun Devils to pull off the victory and reenter the D Poll.
The preseason Big 12 favorites fell from grace immediately after losing on the road to a Mississippi State team that many believed to be one of the worst in the SEC. But since that game, we’ve learned that Mississippi State isn’t as bad as we once thought, and that Arizona State still has the chops.
Kenny Dillingham is a heck of a coach. The Sun Devils have played two sloppy games in a row against Baylor and TCU, yet they won both of them 27-24. They probably can’t continue to be as abysmal on third and fourth down as they were against the Horned Frogs, and definitely shouldn’t spot their opponent 17 points right off the bat, but the fact that they were able to pull off the win despite those issues just speaks to the culture that Dillingham has built within that program. Arizona State of five years ago definitely wouldn’t have been able to mount a comeback from down three scores. With Dillingham at the helm, however, anything seems to be possible.
22. Mississippi State (-4)
Week 5 result: 41-34 loss vs. Tennessee
Despite the close loss to the Volunteers, I can’t help but feel extreme optimism about Mississippi State. The Bulldogs won two games a season ago, including a 19-point defeat against this same Tennessee team. Just a year later, Mississippi State has already picked up a Top 25 victory against Arizona State and just played a quality Tennessee team to the wire. That’s definitely progress.
There’s obviously still room to grow—Tennessee put up 466 yards of offense on the Bulldogs’ defense—but there are more positives than negatives. As such, I believe that Mississippi State has earned at least one more week in the D Poll. It’ll obviously have opportunities to rise up in this ranking if it can pick up some upset wins against Texas A&M, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Missouri, and rival Ole Miss. And given how it’s performed up to this point, it’s safe to say that competitiveness can be expected moving forward.
21. Michigan (NR)
Week 5 result: BYE
My thoughts on Michigan following its departure from the D Poll after losing to Oklahoma were as follows: If they can beat Nebraska, then I might decide to include them again. If you read last week’s post, then you’re well aware that I ultimately erred on the side of not putting them back in. But after multiple teams toward the bottom of the poll faltered, my hand has been forced. Welcome back, Wolverines. You probably deserved this last week, but I’m stubborn.
Michigan definitely belongs toward the top of this bottom tier of one-loss teams in the D Poll. The Oklahoma loss continues to look better and better (I hate “quality losses”) with the Sooners’ continued good play, and I probably didn’t give the win over Nebraska the credit it deserved. The offense is still not top-tier, but was it ever going to be? As long as this defense performs the way it needs to, and the offense does just enough, then Michigan can definitely win most of the games on its schedule.
20. Illinois (NR)
Week 5 result: 34-32 win vs. USC
Fewer teams impressed me more than Illinois did this past weekend. After getting their skulls caved in the week prior by Indiana, there was definitely a world where the Fighting Illini rolled over and died. For many teams, a loss like that would’ve derailed the entire season.
Not Illinois. They were more physical and aggressive versus a USC squad that features some of the best skill-position talent west of the Mississippi River. But that speed and elusiveness didn’t translate against an Illinois team that was more prepared and ready to win. Even after the Fighting Illini fumbled the ball twice right as they were about to score, their resolve remained strong. As a result, they pulled out the victory and saved their season.
While my preseason expectations around Illinois—I had them at No. 8 in the preseason D Poll—might have been a bit much, there’s still a firm belief inside me that this team can do great things if it continues to stay prepared and aggressive. Countless lessons were learned after the loss to Indiana, and it’s clear that the course has been corrected.
19. Texas (+1)
Week 5 result: BYE
18. Virginia (NR)
Week 5 result: 46-38 win vs. Florida State
The full Chandler Morris experience was on display in Virginia’s upset over Florida State. The veteran quarterback—who’s seemingly been in college longer than I’ve been alive—scored three touchdowns on the ground and threw for two more while also turning the ball over three times. Chandler Morris giveth and Chandler Morris taketh away.
Virginia utilized a balanced offensive attack to pull off the upset, as well as some crazy hijinks that only happen in college football. Florida State inexplicably forgot how to play football for the first quarter or so and allowed Virginia to take a 14-0 lead. To the Seminoles’ credit, they bounced back to a 21-14 advantage midway through the second quarter, but Virginia kept pace for the rest of regulation and ultimately pulled away in the second overtime period.
Obviously, beating a team that I had ranked in the top five is a major boost to the vibes. Add on one of the most insane field storms I’ve ever seen, and you have yourself a recipe for a crazy jump in the D Poll. How long Virginia stays, I’m not sure. What I can say is that had the Cavaliers not fallen to NC State earlier in the season, they might be sniffing the top ten right now. Alas, that’s not the case, so 18 will have to do. I’m sure Virginia fans will be OK with that.
17. Penn State (-5)
Week 5 result: 30-24 loss vs. Oregon
What’s been known about Penn State remained true this past weekend: The Nittany Lions are incapable of winning big games.
While the contest might’ve ended up being competitive in the end, anybody who watched the entire game knows that Oregon thoroughly outplayed Penn State up until the midway point of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Drew Allar and the rest of the offense failed to ever find a consistent groove, and while the defense played commendably given the other side of the ball’s struggles, it still couldn’t come up with the big plays in overtime.
James Franklin’s tenure as the head coach at Penn State has in many ways been an incredible success story. There’s a world where the program crumbled following the countless scandals that plagued it prior to Franklin’s arrival, but against all odds, he made it better than it was before. Still, Penn State has struggled to compete with the big boys like Ohio State and Michigan, and now Oregon. Franklin fell to 4-21 in games against top-ten opponents following the loss. I fear that’ll only get worse unless Franklin and the rest of his team look in the mirror and figure out new ways to approach games against quality teams.
16. Tennessee (+3)
Week 5 result: 41-34 win at Mississippi State
15. Georgia (-12)
Week 5 result: 24-21 loss vs. Alabama
After conducting a quick vibe audit of Georgia’s football program, I found that folks in Athens are not pleased that Kirby Smart fell to 1-7 against Alabama. Understandable.
Smart and the Bulldogs definitely have a case of the Crimson Tide Flu, and there are no definitive answers on how to cure it. It made sense when Nick Saban was the head coach because everybody lost to Alabama when he was there. But he’s gone, and Kalen DeBoer has taken his place, and things just haven’t seemed to change one bit. For the second year in a row, Alabama hit the field and blitzed Georgia with 14 straight points. Yes, Georgia brought it closer toward the end, but was it ever in doubt? Nope.
Georgia’s days of being the dominant force nationally appear to be over. It’s clear that the depth of talent that it had on the offensive and defensive lines in 2021 and 2022 isn’t there anymore. That’s not to say that the Bulldogs aren’t fantastic, because they are, but they won’t be running through the SEC like a hot knife through butter anymore. That’s just the way life goes in the NIL and transfer portal era.
Can Georgia accomplish its goals and win the SEC and the national championship? Absolutely! All is not lost, but as for right now, fans of Georgia are not pleased because they went to Sanford Stadium on Saturday night looking for a way to cure their case of Crimson Tide Flu, and all they came back home with was a fever and a lollipop from the nice lady at the front desk.
14. Alabama (+7)
Week 5 result: 24-21 win at Georgia
Alabama is the team most equipped to win the national championship out of the SEC, and Saturday night’s win over Georgia proved that.
“So why aren’t they ranked higher, Seth? What’s the deal with that?”
Well, anonymous complainer, this poll does not aim to predict, but to rank based on what has been done so far, and with a loss under their belt already, I’m forced to put the Crimson Tide lower than their ceiling.
Ty Simpson is the best quarterback in the conference through five weeks. His accuracy and poise under pressure in big moments were on full display in Athens on Saturday evening. The throws were on time and on target, and he’s grown so much since that Week 1 loss at Florida State. I have a soft spot for players that stick it out at a place even though they aren’t starting right away, and it appears to me that the knowledge that Simpson gained from remaining at Alabama has finally paid off in the form of some quality performances in some big-time moments.
As for Bama head coach Kalen DeBoer, I am ashamed for those that doubted this man. He is not Nick Saban, and that is OK, but he is definitely a heck of a football coach, and that continues to be on full display as he beats down some of the best programs in the nation. Now he just needs to figure out how to get past those lesser opponents that seem to have his number, like Vanderbilt, whom Alabama conveniently plays this weekend in Tuscaloosa.
13. Florida State (-7)
Week 5 result: 46-38 loss at Virginia
I hate this, but I have to stand by my principles. Head-to-head matters, and since Florida State beat Alabama, the Seminoles remain above the Tide.
If it feels weird to you that FSU is above Alabama, but Virginia isn’t above FSU, then welcome to the club. I, too, am grieved by the fact that this is the way this week’s poll played out, but there was really not much I could do. You see, Virginia’s loss to NC State is so egregious that putting them above teams that have wins over Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee just didn’t seem right. Feel free to roast me on that. I probably deserve it.
Calling Florida State’s performance at Virginia sloppy would be a major understatement. The Seminoles went down 14-0, then roared back to a 21-14 lead, before ultimately falling in double overtime. Virginia was the better team on Friday night, and as a result, Florida State couldn’t escape with a win.
Knowing the craziness of college football, FSU will beat Miami this weekend in Tallahassee. If that occurs, then I have no idea what I’m going to do with the D Poll. It might just explode.
12. Georgia Tech (-2)
Week 5 result: 30-29 win at Wake Forest
Watch it, Georgia Tech—you’re on shaky ground right now.
The Yellow Jackets should’ve lost to Wake Forest had it not been for some horrendous officiating by the ACC. Georgia Tech was down 23-20 with less than two minutes left and no timeouts. Wake Forest had the ball and would’ve been able to run out the clock and get a big win if the officials had just called a blatant offsides penalty on a crucial third down. They didn’t, Georgia Tech forced a punt, kicked the game-tying field goal, and ultimately won in overtime. Justice, my friends, was not served.
Still, as an undefeated Power 4 team, Georgia Tech belongs with the rest of the bunch. Trust me, it pains me because while I enjoy the success story, it’s hard to put a team this high after they won a game they shouldn’t have because the officials screwed over the other team. It’s especially painful when that happens to Wake Forest. What has Wake Forest done to anybody to warrant such pain and suffering?
11. Iowa State (+6)
Week 5 result: 39-14 win vs. Arizona
10. Missouri (+3)
Week 5 result: 42-6 win vs. UMass
9. Vanderbilt (+2)
Week 5 result: 55-35 win vs. Utah State
8. Texas Tech (+1)
Week 5 result: BYE
7. Indiana (+1)
Week 5 result: 20-15 win at Iowa
Call me crazy, but I’m encouraged by Indiana’s sloppy win at Iowa. Indiana had been blowing the doors off teams for weeks and found themselves in an old-school Big Ten knockdown, drag-down fight and still was able to come away on top. Teams that show they can win in different ways are some of the most impressive. Despite not having their fastball, the Hoosiers got the job done.
Are we seriously living in a world where Fernando Mendoza is going to be the first quarterback taken in next year’s NFL Draft? Some of the throws he made under duress were so insane that NFL scouts must’ve been drooling. Somehow, Indiana has a better signal-caller than it did a year ago, and that’s awesome if you ask me.
The Hoosiers play Oregon in two weeks. Buckle up, because if they win that game, then they are definitely going to be the number one team in the D Poll. No pressure, Indiana.
6. Ole Miss (+9)
Week 5 result: 24-19 win vs. LSU
You could put the corpse of George Washington at quarterback for Lane Kiffin and the Rebels, and they’d probably still beat LSU. That might sound like disrespect to Trinidad Chambliss, who’s inexplicably playing out of his mind right now, but let’s be honest—did any of you expect Chambliss to be this good in lieu of starting quarterback Austin Simmons’ injury? The answer is definitely no.
On Friday’s episode of Seth’s College Football Corner, I described the crazy family affair going on with Lane Kiffin’s daughter, Landry, dating LSU star linebacker Whit Weeks. Well, it was the Kiffins that got the best of this matchup, and if you ask me, that’s some pretty good vibes.
Welcome to the top ten, Ole Miss. You are a good team, and I am sorry for doubting you at the onset of the season.
5. Oklahoma (-3)
Week 5 result: BYE
4. Texas A&M (+3)
Week 5 result: 16-10 win vs. Texas A&M
Everything I wrote about Indiana rings true for the Aggies. A&M’s offense put up tons of yards against Auburn’s defense yet struggled to score. It didn’t matter, though, as the defense suffocated Auburn all afternoon, and the win came regardless of any offensive hardships.
It was another step toward me saying that this season is going to be different for Texas A&M than years past. The obstacles that have tripped A&M up before are still ahead of them, but with the added tools they’ve exhibited so far, I’m more confident that a potential trip to the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta is a definite possibility.
3. Ohio State (+2)
Week 5 result: 24-6 win at Washington
Doubting Ohio State is a fool’s errand, and I am a fool. In the lead-up to the game against Washington, I spewed nonsense like, “Ohio State might not be prepared for the atmosphere it’s going to face,” and “Does this offense really have enough juice?” and “Since the win over Texas doesn’t appear to be all that impressive, perhaps Ohio State isn’t as good as we all thought.” Wrong, wrong, and wrong again.
Ohio State dominated Washington. I don’t care that the final score was somewhat close—the Buckeyes made nothing easy for the Huskies, and the game was never in doubt.
Freshman quarterback Julian Sayin was extremely efficient, completing 22-of-28 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. He didn’t have to do all that much because, well, nobody really did. Ohio State just went out there and did its thing, and that was more than enough.
The Buckeyes are really good, and I have a feeling that they’ll do the same thing they did to Washington to a lot of other teams on their schedule.
2. Oregon (+2)
Week 5 result: 30-24 win at Penn State
Everything I’ve previously written about Oregon remains true. The vibes are fantastic, and the team is awesome. What Dan Lanning has cooking there will be studied for generations.
Dante Moore might be the best quarterback in the country. I hesitate to fully exalt him with that title just because so many other quarterbacks could’ve been labeled as such so far this season, and they’ve fallen off the map quite quickly. But he’s definitely impressed through his first five games as the starter for the Ducks, and his ability to remain poised under the constant pressure that the Beaver Stadium atmosphere pressed upon him was truly a sight to see. Nothing appeared to rattle him, which was even more important once Oregon found itself in overtime after being up 17-3 just mere minutes earlier.
The Big Ten is Oregon and Ohio State’s to lose at the moment, and if I had to pick a winner right now, I’d go with the Ducks. Despite what the naysayers will say about Penn State, beating the Nittany Lions on the road is hard, especially during a White Out. Oregon had to travel 2,500 miles, and you wouldn’t have even known it. That just speaks to the culture that Lanning has built—Oregon will settle for nothing less than greatness. It doesn’t matter how far they have to go or who they have to play. Nothing other than winning matters, and so far through five games, that’s all they’ve done.
1. Miami (NM)
Week 5 result: BYE
Nothing anybody else did this week made me believe that they were better than Miami. The Hurricanes are still the best team I’ve seen with my two eyes this season.
The hardest game left on their schedule is this weekend when they have to face Florida State in Tallahassee. If they win that one, there is little resistance in their way as they attempt to march toward the ACC Championship Game and, subsequently, the College Football Playoff.