I think through 5 weeks, Bama and Georgia have separated themselves from the field as evidenced by not just their pedigrees, but by their play on the field against some very solid competition. That said, after those two teams, the rest of the field is wide open.
There are a ton of posters who just rip this Penn State team apart, focusing solely on its flaws. That said, is there a team out there that has a better claim to be ranked ahead of us? Let's look at the possibilities. Are any of these teams better than us or deserve to be ranked ahead of us?
#3 Oregon - They lost to a mediocre Stanford team, dropping them in the rankings. Rightfully so. Nope.
#5 Iowa - They are solid but have beaten no one apart from Iowa St. This team is very good and fundamentally sound, but are they a #3 team in the country type of good? Don't think so. Nope.
#6 Oklahoma - They survived narrowly again, beating another mediocre opponent by a very close margin. They are clearly overrated. Nope.
#7 Cincinnati - Until yesterday, they'd beaten only cupcakes. They had a solid win, but ND was overrated and narrowly escaping a loss for a while. They could be even with us. Possibly.
#8 Arkansas - Obliterated yesterday. Didn't even show up. A pretender. Nope.
#9 Notre Dame - Lost their first game which was long overdue. Overrated by the media yet again. Nope.
#10 Florida - Lost to an OK Kentucky team. They're out. Nope.
#11 tOSU - Improving, but they have serious defensive flaws and a loss. Nope.
#12 Ole Miss - Destroyed yesterday. Couldn't even put up a fight. Nope.
That's as high as I'm going. The obvious answer is NO ONE has a better claim to be the 3rd best team in the nation. NO ONE. Newsflash: Our team is not perfect. Nor are you ENTITLED to a perfect team. However, we have a defense that is gelling, our best secondary in many years, a phenomenal pass rusher and playmaker in Ebiketie, and the best WR in the country and a game changer on offense in Dotson. So, all you Debbie Downers, life is a matter of perspective. Acknowledge our many strengths and look at the whole picture. We are the 3rd best team in the country. Enjoy the ride.
WE ARE!!!
There are a ton of posters who just rip this Penn State team apart, focusing solely on its flaws. That said, is there a team out there that has a better claim to be ranked ahead of us? Let's look at the possibilities. Are any of these teams better than us or deserve to be ranked ahead of us?
#3 Oregon - They lost to a mediocre Stanford team, dropping them in the rankings. Rightfully so. Nope.
#5 Iowa - They are solid but have beaten no one apart from Iowa St. This team is very good and fundamentally sound, but are they a #3 team in the country type of good? Don't think so. Nope.
#6 Oklahoma - They survived narrowly again, beating another mediocre opponent by a very close margin. They are clearly overrated. Nope.
#7 Cincinnati - Until yesterday, they'd beaten only cupcakes. They had a solid win, but ND was overrated and narrowly escaping a loss for a while. They could be even with us. Possibly.
#8 Arkansas - Obliterated yesterday. Didn't even show up. A pretender. Nope.
#9 Notre Dame - Lost their first game which was long overdue. Overrated by the media yet again. Nope.
#10 Florida - Lost to an OK Kentucky team. They're out. Nope.
#11 tOSU - Improving, but they have serious defensive flaws and a loss. Nope.
#12 Ole Miss - Destroyed yesterday. Couldn't even put up a fight. Nope.
That's as high as I'm going. The obvious answer is NO ONE has a better claim to be the 3rd best team in the nation. NO ONE. Newsflash: Our team is not perfect. Nor are you ENTITLED to a perfect team. However, we have a defense that is gelling, our best secondary in many years, a phenomenal pass rusher and playmaker in Ebiketie, and the best WR in the country and a game changer on offense in Dotson. So, all you Debbie Downers, life is a matter of perspective. Acknowledge our many strengths and look at the whole picture. We are the 3rd best team in the country. Enjoy the ride.
WE ARE!!!