As a Tennessee fan I was surprised that we were still ranked after losing to Bama. However, Tennessee did just get a nice road win against Kentucky. As for Duke, they're not very good without Leonard
My rankings this week: 1. Ohio State Buckeyes ~ 2. Florida State Seminoles +2 3. Washington Huskies -1 4. Michigan Wolverines -1 5. Georgia Bulldogs ~ 6. Texas Longhorns +1 7. Oregon Ducks +2 8. Alabama Crimson Tide +2 9. Ole Miss Rebels +3 10. Oklahoma Sooners -4 11. Penn State Nittany Lions +2 12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish +2 13. Louisville Cardinals +5 14. Oregon State Beavers -6 15. Air Force Falcons ~ 16. LSU Tigers ~ 17. Missouri Tigers ~ 18. Utah Utes -7 19. UCLA Bruins +4 20. Tulane Green Wave -1 21. James Madison Dukes -1 22. Kansas Jayhawks (NR) 23. Fresno State Bulldogs +2 24. Liberty Flames (NR) 25. USC Trojans -3 Dropped: #21 North Carolina, #24 Florida Considered: Tennessee, Arizona, Kansas State, Oklahoma State
Had to make some tough decisions in the lower portion of the top 25 this week. Liberty has an atrocious SOS and is in the worst conference in the FBS, but they have gone undefeated, and I feel as if that should be rewarded. So, I put them in over Tennessee, a team that the CFP, AP, and Coaches Polls are very high on. I nearly put them in this week, though. I couldn't convince myself to take out USC quite yet, and I am questioning my decision to rank Fresno State the more I look at this. Yeah, they're one of the best Group of 5 teams, and they did just beat an above average UNLV team, but maybe I should have given that position to a power 5 team? I'm sure things will get sorted out eventually.
My Top 25: 1. Ohio State ~ 2. Georgia +3 3. Washington ~ 4. Florida State -2 5. Michigan -1 6. Oregon +1 7. Texas -1 8. Alabama ~ 9. Ole Miss ~ 10. Penn State +1 11. Louisville +2 12. Oregon State +2 13. Oklahoma St (NR - Likely highest a NR team has jumped in my rankings since I started) 14. Kansas +8 15. Oklahoma -5 16. Utah +2 17. James Madison +4 18. Tulane +2 19. Missouri -2 20. Arizona (NR) 21. Notre Dame -9 22. LSU -6 23. Tennessee (NR) 24. Fresno State -1 25. Liberty -1
Dropped: #15 Air Force, #19 UCLA, #25 USC Considered: Iowa, Toledo, North Carolina, Air Force
As we approach the date when Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, honoring the friendship of the settlers and the native Americans, I am posting the Iroquois prayer for Thanksgiving. When I posted this in several regions, a few Thanksgivings ago, I was criticized for posting a "pagan" prayer. However, I think the prayer is poignant and beautiful. And who, after all, is the Great Spirit?
We return thanks to our mother, the Earth, which sustains us. We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water. We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases. We return thanks to the corn, and to her sisters, the beans and squash, which give us life. We return thanks to the bushes and trees, which provide us with fruit. We return thanks to the wind, which, moving the air, sends sadness away. We return thanks to the moon and stars, which have given us their light when the sun was gone. We return thanks to our grandparents, who have protected their grandchildren from witches and reptiles, and have given us their rain. We return thanks to the sun that has looked upon the Earth with beneficent eye. We return thanks to the Great Spirit, who embodies all goodness, and who directs all things for the good of the children.
My rankings this week: 1. Georgia Bulldogs +1 2. Ohio State Buckeyes -1 3. Washington Huskies ~ 4. Michigan Wolverines +1 5. Florida State Seminoles -1 6. Oregon Ducks ~ 7. Texas Longhorns ~ 8. Alabama Crimson Tide ~ 9. Louisville Cardinals +2 10. Oregon State Beavers +2 11. Oklahoma Sooners +4 12. Missouri Tigers +7 13. Ole Miss Rebels -4 14. Penn State Nittany Lions -4 15. James Madison Dukes +2 16. Tulane Green Wave +2 17. Arizona Wildcats +3 18. LSU Tigers +4 19. Utah Utes -3 20. Oklahoma State Cowboys -7 21. Kansas Jayhawks -7 22. Notre Dame Fighting Irish -1 23. Liberty Flames +2 24. Iowa Hawkeyes (NR) 25. North Carolina Tar Heels (NR) Dropped: #23 Tennessee, #24 Fresno State Considered: Toledo, Kansas State, Troy, South Dakota State (the defending FCS National Champions who are on a 24 game winning streak and have beaten 7 teams in the FCS top 25 this season!)
Some thoughts: As the week has gone by, I've wondered if keeping Kansas and Oklahoma State ranked so high was a good decision. They both have some very good wins.. And also some questionable losses. I do think they both deserve to be ranked, but I'm not sure if I should have ranked them above the likes of Notre Dame and others. I've also been wondering if I'm being too tough on Iowa. They do have only two losses, and are most definitely going to win the Big 10 west.. But their offensive woes are well known. They also don't have any signature wins. And in the only game of the year where they played against someone with a pulse, they got steamrolled (against Penn State). So maybe my ranking is correct, but it is something I've been questioning.
Dear Lord, I give to you all the members of my family. You know them all so well and love them all too. Lord, I ask that you would cover us with a shower of hope.
Father, a hope that draws us together to work out our differences, and that helps us to celebrate together and care for one another. A hope that rides like a banner in our lives and watches over us wherever we may go. A hope that overcomes adversity and gathers strength to overcome. A hope that guides us and gives us a vision for our future alone and together. Lord give us hope filled with love, and which fuels faith. A hope that breathes peace.
May our family live in you Underneath your promises. Amen.
These rankings are already very outdated (I forgot to post them earlier again), but here are my rankings for this week: 1. Georgia Bulldogs ~ 2. Michigan Wolverines +2 3. Washington Huskies -1 4. Florida State Seminoles 5. Oregon Ducks +1 6. Ohio State Buckeyes -3 7. Texas Longhorns ~ 8. Alabama Crimson Tide ~ 9. Missouri Tigers +1 10. Oklahoma Sooners +1 11. Ole Miss Rebels +1 12. Penn State Nittany Lions +1 13. Arizona Wildcats +1 14. Louisville Cardinals -5 15. Tulane Green Wave +1 16. LSU Tigers +1 17. Oklahoma State Cowboys +1 18. Notre Dame Fighting Irish +1 19. Iowa Hawkeyes +1 20. Liberty Flames +2 21. Oregon State Beavers -6 22. James Madison Dukes +1 23. Toledo Rockets +1 24. SMU Mustangs +1 25. NC State Wolfpack (NR)
Dropped: #21 Kansas State Considered: Troy, Kansas State, South Dakota State, Clemson
Georgia has fallen to Alabama, which throws a big element of chaos into the playoff race. And Tulane lost to SMU - putting Liberty into the position of frontrunner in the race for the G5 NY6 spot!
Loving God, Help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
This year would have been perfect for the expanded 12 team playoff. What a shame we have to wait another year.
Big10 atheltics
I'm really late with these since bowls have already started, but here are my rankings post conference championship weekend: My rankings: 1. Michigan +1 2. Washington +1 3. Florida State +1 4. Texas +3 5. Alabama +3 6. Georgia -5 7. Ohio State -1 8. Oregon -3 9. Missouri ~ 10. Oklahoma ~ 11. Ole Miss ~ 12. Penn State ~ 13. Arizona ~ 14. LSU +2 15. Louisville -1 16. Notre Dame +2 17. Liberty +3 18. SMU +6 19. Tulane -4 20. Oklahoma St -3 21. Iowa -2 22. Oregon State -1 23. James Madison -1 24. NC State +1 25. Troy (NR) Dropped: #23 Toledo Considered: Miami (OH), Toledo, Kansas State, South Dakota State
Notably, I did choose to exclude the SEC from my top 4. I personally feel like the playoffs should be comprised of the most deserving teams, and I feel as if Florida State, an undefeated power 5 champion, was more deserving than a 1 loss SEC champion. Ultimately I think the playoff committee went more the route of the 4 best teams. You can definitely make an argument (in fact I'd say it's probably the truth) that Florida State is not currently one of the 4 best teams in the country. Alabama probably is - but you could also make a good argument in favor of Georgia, two-time defending national champions who lost to Alabama right at the SEC championship game's end as one of the 4 best teams, yet they are on the outside looking in. Ohio State even, who lost to rival Michigan in a thriller could be considered one of the 4 best. Yet, they are left out, for obvious reasons. I just think the playoff selection process as it is now is very flawed. But, thankfully, the expanded playoff will fix a lot of the issues with it I feel. If we had 12 teams in the playoffs, none of these previously mentioned issues would even be an issue - the debate would instead be centered around the 11th, 12th, 13th, etc ranked teams.
Anyways, small rant aside - bowl season has been interesting so far. SMU and Tulane have both fallen to 6-6 ACC teams, which isn't a good look for the G5. Perhaps Liberty will surprise us all and give Oregon more of a challenge in the Fiesta Bowl! The best bowl so far has probably been the Famous Toastery Bowl, when Western Kentucky performed a historic comeback to defeat Old Dominion in OT. Some surprising results we've seen so far include Syracuse's thrashing at the hands of USF and USC blowing out ACC runner-up Louisville in shocking fashion. Perhaps the rest of the bowl season will prove to be similarly entertaining!
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