Ohio State is climbing the rankings every week and if they continue to play the way they’re playing, and Alabama’s defense continues to allow yards (36th), there will be a new #1 in our ratings. LSU continues to impress and jump Clemson this week as our 3rd overall best team in CFB. Florida takes a jump up too this week with the 11th ranked defensive efficiency and a win over Auburn. This will be a telling week as several of our top 25 teams face each other and schedules are starting to get much tougher. Check back next week for our next power ratings update.
1. Alabama: -26.75 – The Tide were off last week and find themselves with their lowest spread yet this season against A&M this weekend. Alabama has the 3rd highest point differential in CFB at +37PPG but find themselves favored by 8 less points than their previous low.
2. Ohio State: – 26.5 – The Buckeyes faced one of the better defensive fronts in college football this past Saturday in Michigan State and they shredded the Spartans with 323 rushing yards at 6.6YPC and 529 total yards. OSU has played the 19th toughest schedule.
3. LSU: -23.5 – How times have changed in Baton Rouge! The Tiger high-octane passing attack is 2nd in the nation at 398YPG which is +164 yards compared to last season. LSU is averaging 52PPG 1st in CFB.
4. Clemson: -22.5 – The Tigers needed the week off after a physical game against North Carolina and will now face a Florida State team they beat by 49 last year.
5. Georgia: -20.0 – The Bulldogs have outgained opponents by an average of 234 yards per game and have the 7th highest scoring differential in the Nation at +28.5PPG.
6. Oklahoma: -18.5 – The Sooners continue to win with their offense which is averaging nearly 622YPG. That is +60 more yards than the next best (LSU) in college football. OU coasted to a win last week against Kansas after getting up 35-10 at halftime.
7. Wisconsin: -15.25 – The Badgers defense allows just 182 total yards per game and 3.0 yards per play which are both 1st in the country but they’ve played the 72nd easiest schedule.
8. Florida: – 11.5 – The Gators defense is a top 15 unit in terms of defensive efficiency, and they looked the part in a big home win over Auburn last Saturday. The Gators held UA to just 269 yards of total offense.
9. Auburn: -11.25 – The Tigers are off a loss in the Swamp to the Gators and it wasn’t as close as the final 13-24 score. Auburn was minus 7 in FD’s and 130 less total yards and QB Nix threw 3 INT’s.
10. Notre Dame: -10.5 – The Irish have a top 20 team in terms of offensive efficiency and top 10 in offensive efficiency and a +/- yards per play margin of +2.4.
11. Oregon: -10.0 – The Ducks are off a solid win over Cal and now turn their attention to Colorado. Oregon has been a 13 or more-point favorite in every game but one this season. Oregon’s weakness is a rushing offense that averages just 140YPG 75th in the nation.
12. Texas: -10.0 – The Longhorns have a top 10 offensive efficiency ratings, but the defense allows 441YPG. A big reason why the D has allowed that many yards is they’ve faced two top six YPG offenses in LSU and Okie State.
13. Penn State: – 10.0 – Penn State has faced one of the weakest schedules of all the top 20 teams, but they still have a top 10 offensive efficiency rating and top 15 in DEFF. PSU’s toughest game to date was against a Pittsburgh team we have ranked 50th.
14. Utah: – 9.75 – The Utes were off last week and remained unchanged in our rankings.
15. Missouri: -9.75 – Mizzou has a solid defensive efficiency rating (4th) but offensively they’ve averaged a miniscule 5.5 yards per play which is 67th in country. We will find out more about the Tigers in this week when they face a decent Ole Miss team.
16. Michigan: -9.0 – The Wolverines defense can be good at times (just held Iowa to 1-rushing yard), but the offense has produced just 24 total points against the good defenses they’ve faced (Iowa, Wisconsin).
17. Texas A&M: – 9.0 – The Aggies two losses have come against Auburn and Clemson by a combined 22-points. The Aggies average just 5.2 yards per play (82nd) but the “Tigers” previously mentioned are both top 25 in YPPL defense which factors into that low number.
18. Michigan State: -8.0 –The Spartans were served a big plate of humble pie this past weekend in Columbus. MSU did hold the Buckeyes to less than their season YPG average but it was still 529 yards. Sparty has a top 25 defense but the offense is 40th.
19. Washington: – 8.0 – The Huskies drop in our ratings this week after a fortunate win over USC and then a loss last week to Stanford. UW was held to less than 300 yards and allowed 482 to the Cardinal who came into the game average 327YPG (105th).
20. Boise State: – 8.0 – The Broncos have a top 25 offense and defensive efficiency ratings and remained unbeaten after a win in UNLV last week. Boise rushed for 6.5YPC and 182 yards vs. the Rebels.
21. Oklahoma State: – 8.0 – Drastic differences between the offenses and defenses for the Cowboys. Okie State is 9th in total yards per game, 7th in rushing but are 89th in yards allowed and 81st in rush D. OSU turned the ball over 5 times against Tech last week in their 10-point loss.
22. UCF: -7.25 – Despite a close loss last week against a good Cincinnati team the Knights still have a top 5 total offense and top 40 total defense. UCF outgained Cincy by 80+ yards but were minus 3 in TO’s.
23. SMU: -7.25 – The Mustangs remain unbeaten at 6-0 after an OT win against Tulsa last week. SMU erased a 21-point deficit in the dramatic come from behind win. The Stangs have scored 41+ points in every game but one this season, ranking 10th in PPG.
24. Iowa State: -7.25 – The Cyclones have played the 27th toughest schedule in CFB and yet rank 15th in total yards per game offensively and 47th in yards allowed per game defensively. Iowa State dominated TCU at home last week in their 49-24 win.
25. Iowa: -7.0 – The Hawkeye’s. The Hawks ran for 351 yards at 6.9YPC going into last week’s game but managed just 1-rushing yard on 30 carries against Michigan. Iowa has the 12th best defensive efficiency rating which is the main reason they stay in the top 25.
Check back here next week for another installment of ASAwins Power Ratings.
