September 2019 – The Bat Flip

College Football Rankings Check: Week 5

After each week of the college football season, a fresh set of rankings drop, highlighting the Top 25 teams in the nation. There are two major polls used in the college football, the AP Poll voted on by members of the media, and the Coaches Poll voted on by, well you can probably figure that one out. In October, the College Football Playoff rankings join the other two and take over as the base rankings for the rest of the season.

Following a week of relative calm among the college football rankings, Week 4 injected a little chaos into the mix and some teams paid a high price for their performances. Upsets in Los Angeles and Pittsburgh along with a curb stomping in Madison reshaped the polls and possibly the entire outlook of the college football season.

AP Poll

Screen Shot 2019-09-25 at 1.20.30 PM.png — via ESPN

Others receiving votes: Wake Forest 73, Oklahoma State 57, SMU 55, Army 46, Memphis 42, Iowa State 31, Appalachian State 24, Washington State 21, Mississippi State 14, Missouri 14, Pittsburgh 6, Minnesota 5, Arizona State 5, Colorado 5, Tulane 1

Dropped from rankings: Washington State 19, Arizona State 24, TCU 25

No change among the leading four teams besides Georgia snagging a single first place vote after its big victory over Notre Dame. Speaking of the Fighting Irish, they put up a good fight in Athens, but ultimately, the loss pushes them down to No. 10.

Wisconsin bursts into the Top 10 for the first time this season after a commanding and dominating performance over Michigan. In turn, the Wolverines, who were already on thin ice, take a major tumble to No. 20.

Utah matched the nine spot tumble of Michigan with a nine spot fall of their own to No. 19 after losing ugly to Southern California on Friday night. Central Florida dropped its first regular season game in nearly three years in a shock upset to Pitt at Heinz Field and paid the price. Washington State, Arizona State, and Texas Christian all lost and dropped out of the rankings.

With the victory over Utah, Southern Cal jumped back into the Top 25 after a week unranked. Joining the Trojans among the newly ranked are Kansas State and Michigan State.

For a closer look on how media members voted individually, check the image below.

Coaches Poll

Screen Shot 2019-09-25 at 1.20.43 PM.png — via ESPN

Others receiving votes: Memphis 109, Washington State 83, Michigan State 82, SMU 63, Oklahoma State 51, Army 45, Mississippi State 34, Appalachian State 27, Colorado 12, Minnesota 9, Utah State 9, Tulane 8, Iowa State 7, Nebraska 7, Arizona State 6, TCU 5, Navy 4, Duke 3, Arizona 1, Hawai’i 1

Dropped from rankings: Washington State 19, Arizona State 24

A lot of similarities between the Coaches Poll and the AP Poll, especially in the Top 10. Georgia grabs a first place vote, but other than that the top six all remain the same from last week. Wisconsin is the big mover, jumping five spots and landing safely in the Top 10.

Notre Dame takes a minor hit after its loss to Georgia, while Utah, Michigan, and Central Florida were the big losers on the week. Those drops helped a handful of teams pick up a few spots, especially undefeated sides Virginia, California, Boise State, and Iowa, all of which now sit inside the Top 20.

Undefeated Wake Forest did not make the rankings on the AP side, but the coaches like what they have seen from the Demon Deacons through four games and rewarded them with a Top 25 spot. Southern Cal jumps back into the poll after upsetting Utah.

Top 25 Schedule: Week 5

Let’s take a quick peek at who the Top 25 teams will be playing in Week 5.

Screen Shot 2019-09-25 at 2.09.21 PM.png — via NCAA

Twenty of the AP Top 25 are in action this week as conference play starts to hit full stride. A pair of ranked matchups highlight the schedule, with No. 10 Notre Dame hosting No. 18 Virginia and No. 21 Southern Cal heading to Seattle to face No. 17 Washington.

Even with the lack of ranked matchups on the docket, there are a few ‘prove it’ games for ranked teams that will be facing their first real test of the season. Several teams are also facing a make or break game that could eliminate them from any playoff discussion should they lose.

Each and every week throughout the college football season we will be checking in with the latest rankings and Top 25 schedule so make sure you are checking back to keep up to date on the latest from the college football world.

College Football Rankings Check: Week 4

No ranked matchups and no major upsets means we saw very little movement in the polls this week, especially in the Top 10. There was some minor shuffling in the bottom half of the polls but nothing overly significant that should have any major impact on the playoff race. Here’s how everything stands as the college football season rolls into Week 4.

AP Poll

Screen Shot 2019-09-18 at 7.30.30 PM.png — via ESPN

Others receiving votes: Kansas State 91, Oklahoma State 51, Army 50, Michigan State 37, Memphis 26, Wake Forest 14, BYU 12, Temple 7, Iowa State 7, Mississippi State 4, Appalachian State 2, Minnesota 1

Dropped from rankings: Michigan State 18, Maryland 21, USC 24

It was a quiet week mostly for AP Top 10 teams with one minor standout. Utah’s win was enough to push them past idle Michigan and into the Top 10 for the first time this season. As it stands, it looks like the Utes will be the best bet for the PAC-12 to reach the College Football Playoff, something the conference has not done since Washington in 2016.

There was more shuffling in the bottom half of this week’s AP Poll, with Central Florida cracking the Top 15 after schlakcing Stanford at home. Boise State and Virginia continue to be rewarded for their strong starts.

Upsets dropped Michigan State, Maryland, and Southern California from the Top 25, to be replaced by California, Arizona State, and Texas Christian.

For a closer look on how media members voted individually, check the image below.

Coaches Poll

Screen Shot 2019-09-18 at 7.30.42 PM.png — via ESPN

Others receiving votes: Oklahoma State 100, Memphis 68, TCU 55, Michigan State 40, Wake Forest 33, Army 31, BYU 28, Kentucky 14, Appalachian State 12, Temple 7, Mississippi State 6, Minnesota 5, Duke 4, Nebraska 4, Navy 4, Tulane 3, Iowa State 3, Arizona 1, Wyoming 1, SMU 1

Dropped from rankings: Michigan State 19, Mississippi State 23, USC 24, Maryland 25

The only major changes from last week to this week in the Coaches Poll was the teams moving out and who replaced them. Once again, it was Michigan State, Southern California, and Maryland all dropping out, with Mississippi State joining them. Jumping into the Coaches Top 25 is Virginia, California, Arizona State, and Kansas State.

In the top half of the new Coaches Poll, the Top 10 all remains steady, while Utah and Penn State simply flip places while both remaining undefeated through three games.

Top 25 Schedule: Week 4

Let’s take a quick peek at who the Top 25 teams will be playing in Week 4.

Screen Shot 2019-09-18 at 7.50.38 PM.png — via NCAA

After a week of no Top 25 matchups, we are rewarded with three this week, two of which could serve as College Football Playoff elimination games.

First we have No. 11 Michigan traveling to Madison to take on No. 13 Wisconsin. Michigan entered the season as the Big Ten favorite but looked anything other than convincing through their opening two games. One loss would not necessarily end playoff hopes for either side, but a win will go a long way towards helping.

Then at night, No. 7 Notre Dame heads between the hedges for a primetime showdown with No. 3 Georgia in Athens. General consensus is Notre Dame must run the table to qualify for the playoffs so any loss could sink their season. There is a very real chance Georgia could lose this game and still be in the running for the playoff, but their margin for error would be razor thin.

Our final ranked matchup of the week features No. 8 Auburn going on the road to face No. 17 Texas A&M. Auburn started the season with a win over Oregon, so another victory over a Top 25 side will do wonder for their playoff hopes.

Other than that, it’s a rather run of the mill week for the Top 25, with 22 ranked teams in action throughout the weekend.

College Football Rankings Check: Week 3

Two weeks of college football are in the books and for the first time this season, there was some significant movement in the polls after a busy slate of games. Let’s take a peak at how the teams stack up heading into Week 3.

AP Poll

Screen Shot 2019-09-11 at 8.13.58 PM.png — via ESPN

Others receiving votes: Iowa State 96, California 95, Mississippi State 73, TCU 66, North Carolina 48, Army 42, Colorado 21, Oklahoma State 20, Memphis 12, Arizona State 4, Appalachian State 2, Syracuse 2, Kentucky 2, Boston College 2, Minnesota 1

Dropped from rankings: Syracuse 21, Stanford 23, Iowa State 25, Nebraska 25

No change in the Top 3 as Clemson, Alabama, and Georgia all won decisively. Louisiana State is the big mover after their victory over Texas to vault all the way up to No. 4 and put three SEC teams in the Top 4.

Michigan scrapes by Army in overtime and falls three spots while Florida jumps into the Top 10. Texas put up a battle against LSU but the loss ultimately sends them down three spots. Same case for Texas A&M after falling to Clemson. Washington is the big loser on the week, dropping nine places after an ugly loss to California.

Maryland makes its Top 25 debut after thrashing previously ranked Syracuse by 43 points on Saturday. Southern California and Virginia join the Terrapins in climbing from the depths of the unranked.

For a closer look on how media members voted individually, check the image below.

Coaches Poll

Screen Shot 2019-09-11 at 8.14.07 PM.png — via @ESPN

Others receiving votes: Virginia 64, Kentucky 62, California 51, Iowa State 48, Memphis 46, Oklahoma State 45, North Carolina 42, Army 31, Boston College 31, NC State 28, TCU 28, Colorado 16, Stanford 8, Hawai’i 7, Appalachian State 6, Minnesota 5, Wyoming 3, Troy 2, Arizona State 2, Wake Forest 2, Nebraska 1, Navy 1, Tulane 1

Dropped from rankings: Syracuse 22, Stanford 23, Nebraska 25

On the coaches side, the Top 4 remains steady as LSU only jumps a single spot to No. 5 in the poll. Michigan once again pays for its struggles with a three spot drop while rivals Texas and Texas A&M are both docked four places in the standings.

Mimicking the AP poll, Washington takes a nine spot tumble for their inexplicable loss to California at home. On the flip side, Auburn, Penn State, and Utah were the big winners in the voting, moving upwards multiple spots.

Mississippi State, Southern Cal, and Maryland are the three new sides joining the party with the Bulldogs being the one difference between the Coaches and the AP.

Top 25 Schedule: Week 3

Let’s take a quick peek at who the Top 25 teams will be playing in Week 3.

Screen Shot 2019-09-11 at 8.27.28 PM.png — via NCAA

That is a pretty grim schedule with no AP Top 25 sides facing-off in Week 3. We came close to the first ever ranked showdown between Iowa and Iowa State, but the Cyclones were on a bye and fell out of the Top 25.

There are still some attractive matchups to watch this weekend with Pitt and Penn State meeting for the 100th time in their history while 2017 National Champions Central Florida play host to former ranked squad Stanford in Orlando.

College Football Rankings Check: Week 1

With the college football season underway and the first week of game complete, a new set of national polls have been released, ranking the Top 25 teams in the country. Let’s see how the teams stack up after Week 1.

AP Poll

Screen Shot 2019-09-05 at 12.30.03 PM.png — via ESPN

Others receiving votes: Virginia 73, TCU 61, Mississippi State 50, Cincinnati 48, Army 31, Miami 10, Oklahoma State 8, Memphis 6, Appalachian State 4, Arizona State 4, Minnesota 2, North Carolina 1, USC 1, Boston College 1

Auburn and Oregon are the biggest movers after their thriller in Dallas on Saturday night. Auburn jumps into the Top 10 after their last second victory while the Ducks slide down to #16. Iowa State and Florida both fall even with victories. Boise State joins the rankings with their come from behind victory over Florida State. Clemson and Alabama hold onto the top two spots, picking up all 62 first place between themselves.

For a closer look on how media members voted individually, check the image below.

Coaches Poll

Screen Shot 2019-09-05 at 12.30.40 PM.png — via ESPN

Others receiving votes: Mississippi State 92, Cincinnati 49, Iowa State 41, Kentucky 40, Memphis 34, Oklahoma State 32, Virginia 28, TCU 26, Army 24, NC State 18, Miami 11, Boston College 10, USC 10, Northwestern 7, Appalachian State 4, Arizona State 4, Tulane 4, Fresno State 3, Hawai’i 3, Minnesota 3, North Carolina 2, Troy 2, Wyoming 1, Navy 1

Less movement in the Coaches Poll compared to the AP with Auburn being the biggest gainer and Oregon the biggest slider. Boise State and Nebraska make their first appearance in the coaches poll with victories. Iowa State and Northwestern both fell out of the Top 25 after Week 1.

Top 25 Schedule: Week 2

Let’s take a quick peek at who the Top 25 teams will be playing in Week 2.

Screen Shot 2019-09-05 at 1.13.31 PM — via NCAA

Nearly all of the AP Top 25 teams are in action this weekend, with No. 25 Iowa State being the only outlier. There will be two games featuring Top 25 teams squaring off with No. 1 Clemson hosting No. 12 Texas A&M and No. 6 LSU heading to Austin to take on No. 9 Texas.