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One of the good things about an off week is that you absolutely cannot lose.
Make no mistake, yesterday would’ve been one of those weeks that Auburn would’ve been in danger of becoming a statistic. Ten ranked teams lost yesterday, with seven of those defeats coming to unranked opponents. Texas, Washington, Texas A&M, Oregon, Wisconsin, USF, and NC State all got dumped by those looking in from the outside, and some of those games were absolute laughers.
We’re looking at a true divide in the 1% and the 99% in college football at the moment, with the top tier teams being truly that much better than everyone else. The upper crust of the rankings didn’t change much, but everything below did.
The latest @AmwayUS Coaches Poll doesn't include much of a shakeup at the top -- with one obvious exception. @WeAreAFCA https://t.co/wtjicbhqlW pic.twitter.com/xCSF9iRHMi
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) October 28, 2018
Everyone will be looking forward to Saturday’s game in Baton Rouge with #1 Alabama and #4 LSU, but there are other SEC teams dotting the rankings as well. In the Coaches’ Poll, we’ve got:
- #5 Georgia
- #12 Kentucky
- #13 Florida
- #21 Mississippi State
- Receiving Votes — Texas A&M (#26), Auburn (#38), South Carolina (#43)
Unfortunately, at this point, Auburn’s the third-highest ranked team in the state after Alabama and UAB (who’s receiving three more votes than the Tigers). In the AP Poll, Auburn’s receiving votes (#36) as well.
POLL ALERT: No. 8 Ohio St, No. 10 Washington St move into the top 10.
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) October 28, 2018
Houston, Fresno St, Utah St, Virginia and Syracuse join Top 25. Seven slots in all have new teams, the biggest change in the Top 25 era (1989-present).
Full poll: https://t.co/jfkE4ZyuKG pic.twitter.com/q3eRgFuY8k
And with Bill Connelly’s S&P+ rankings, Auburn actually sits much closer to the top. The Tigers are #15 in those rankings, with future opponents Texas A&M at #26, Georgia at #5, Liberty at #112, and Alabama at #1.
We always knew that November was going to be a bear, but with the three SEC games remaining on the schedule, it’s going to be extremely tough. It all starts at 11 am CST Saturday with Texas A&M at home. Let’s hope that the Tigers take a better approach to a morning kickoff than the last time they hosted someone for brunch. War Eagle!