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SALT LAKE CITY — With over a third of the Top 25 teams having a bye this week, there wasn’t a lot of movement on my ballot; still, there were several conference-defining games that made the weekend interesting.
The weekend was great for the Pac-12, which had its two leading programs, Oregon and Utah, get wins on the road to keep the conference in the conversation of the College Football Playoffs. And the SEC East is starting to take shape after Georgia claimed a vital win over Florida.
Rising: Georgia, Oregon
In the only matchup featuring two Top 10 teams, it was the lower-ranked team, Georgia, that came away with a win. The Bulldogs haven’t been perfect the last few weeks, but they answered back against a good Florida team that struggled to contain Jake Fromm and the Georgia offense. Also, Florida still has issues with tackling.
Falling: Appalachian State, Florida, SMU
SMU climbed the ladder and then slid down to the bottom after a shootout in Memphis. The two teams each scored 31 points apiece in the second half, but it was two additional field goals by Memphis in the second quarter that ultimately were the difference against the Mustangs. It was a fun matchup if you like all the offense, and Memphis wins this time.
Added: San Diego State
The Aztecs had a bye week but were the only team on my ballot that didn’t pair up with the consensus Associated Press Top 25. I’m still not 100% sold on San Diego State and their ability to remain a ranked team, but they’ve done well this season and are sitting at 7-1 this season, with their only loss against Utah State, which got trounced by BYU at home.
Dropped out: Appalachian State
The margin of error was razor-thin for Appalachian State and a loss to Georgia Southern eliminates them from my ballot. Given their schedule in comparison to those around them in the poll, it’s just not enough to keep the Mountaineers ranked this week.
As always, hit me up on Twitter (@JFurKSL) if you have any questions about my ballot.
