Who Needs a Blogpoll: Week 5 sees a shakeup after conference play begins to takes its toll

Criteria:

• Best collection of wins
• Single best overall win
• Competitiveness & MOV (even in a loss)
• Talent level
• Schedule
• Point spread, injuries, suspensions, and other weirdness
• My lying eyeballs
• And, finally, Baylor shall never be ranked.

Also considered: Oklahoma State Cowboys, Southern Miss Golden Eagles, South Florida Bulls, Air Force Academy Falcons, Navy Midshipmen, Virginia Tech Hokies, Maryland Terrapins, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Utah Utes

Michigan / OSU tiebreak: Like Ohio State, Michigan has barely broken a sweat this season. The only difference is that Michigan, unlike Ohio State, has beaten a top-10 team. Throw in a win over over Colorado, the Buffs only loss, and this team has arguably the best B1G resume to date — which is a very low bar. I suspect OSU is still better than MGOBLUE, but Ohio State’s sole resume item is a win over Oklahoma, a feat Houston accomplished almost as easily.

Washington: I, and many, thought the Doogs were going to be the class of the Pac 12. Yup, they are. With a bullet. Dynamic offense with a ton of speed, a superb front seven, and an excellent coach. As I said two weeks ago, get past Stanford (and an oregon team they’ve not beaten in 12 years, but will this season,) and the Playoffs are all but locked for Huskies. A true spoiler could arise though with Cal, the most dangerous team in America not named Ole Miss. They can score on anyone, and the defense is finally, slowly improving.

Pay attention: We were in early on the Miami love. And, yup, we still love them. The best team in Florida, with the best coach, best quarterback, and a young improving defense. This team has suddenly become a threat to the Clemson/FSU hegemony. Boise State is seriously poised to get a Big Six Bowl game if Houston loses. This team had a nice road win in a rivalry game this week, and haven’t really been tested by much of anyone. Undefeated Western Michigan won the battle for supremacy with Central Michigan this past weekend, and the reeling Chips have suddenly lost two in a row. People know Tom Herman is going to get paid. Western’s PJ Fleck is about to join him when he takes a G5 job.

SEC sorting out: Texas A&M has smoked everyone they played, perhaps not on the scoreboard but statistically and physically. Early this season, I said this is a different team, and they very much are as the season has shown. Game management at QB, Ford at RB, a commitment to running and stopping the run, has made the what-if Aggies Alabama’s greatest threat in the SEC-West. Slow-starting Tennessee, who has a nice collection of pelts (UGA, VT, UF,) cannot screw around in the Hate Barn this week. But, it may not matter anyway — I suspect the Aggies are just plain better.

Welcome the previously-moribund Colorado Buffaloes, sitting at 4-1, and a special pity vote for the Eastern Michigan Eagles. EMU is one of the worst programs in the sport’s history. But, here they are at 4-1 as well. Congrats to both teams (but Colorado is actually pretty good, unlike EMU.)

Finally, sorry for missing last week. I was recuperating from a farily asstastic series of dental surgeries. Won’t happen again.

Playoff Prediction as of 10/3/16:

Washington Huskies, Ohio State Buckeyes, Alabama Crimson Tide, Clemson Tigers