Week four is in the books, meaning we’re halfway through the regular season, and it also means there’s been quite the shake up in the CFSL this week!
1. +1 Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-0) (188)
Last Week – W @ Notre Dame 62-59
This Week – vs. Oregon 10/19/2020 8:45 PM CST
Oklahoma State is the new number one team in the power rankings after they lit it up against Notre Dame. They look like a team on a mission and continue to play very well. They look to win an important game against a tough Oregon team.
2. -1 Clemson Tigers (3-1) (175)
Last Week – L @ Texas A&M 29-44
This Week – @ Florida State 10/22/2020 7:30 PM CST
Clemson is now ranked number two as the champs have been taken down. They had a tough time stopping Texas A&M’s passing attack. They look to regroup next week against Florida State.
3. +5 Miami Hurricanes (3-1) (157)
Last Week – W vs. LSU 51-27
This Week – @ Auburn 10/19/2020 7:00 PM CST
The Hurricanes are HOT right now. Miami has collected three wins in a row now, and their sound win against LSU has been their most impressive victory yet. The Tigers are known for playing great defense, and Miami busted them wide open scoring 51 points and putting up over 550 yards of offense. As they continue to climb in our rankings, the Canes still need to improve, especially when it comes to turnovers, but Miami is a night and day better squad from what we saw week one.
4. +1 Auburn Tigers (3-1) (145)
Last Week – W vs. Michigan 65-23
This Week – vs. Miami 10/19/2020 7:00 PM CST
Auburn welcomed Michigan to their home with a qualified thumping. In a game that was never close, Auburn just could not be stopped. Ron “The Machine” Newman put a stamp on his campaign for Player of the Year. The Auburn quarterback was 23 for 26 going for 228 yards in the air with two touchdowns and rushing for 128 yards and another touchdown. Let’s not forget halfback Loki Lawler was outshined on a great night as well as he ran for 163 yards and three touchdowns.
5. +2 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-1) (140)
Last Week – W vs. Oregon 47-40
This Week – vs. Texas 10/21/2020 7:30 PM CST
Moving to 3-1 with a big conference win against Oregon, Ohio State showed us that they are playoff contenders early in the season. This win belongs to halfback Manuel Silva with three touchdowns on 143 rushing yards. Oregon had no answer for him. The OSU defense also had a lot to say as they limited Oregon to only 51 rushing yards on the night.
6. -2 Oregon Ducks (3-1) (132)
Last Week – L @ Ohio State 40-47
This Week – @ Oklahoma State 10/19/2020 8:45 PM CST
Oregon came into this week undefeated and looking like one of the hottest teams in the CFSL. The streak ended this week as Zach Davis and the Buckeyes scorched the Ducks secondary. Jefferson Allen tried to lead a late game comeback despite throwing two picks on the night. Fatigue definitely hurt the Ducks late in the contest, and Oregon collected its first loss in the season. The Ducks are still a very impressive team, and I expect them to get back to their winning ways soon.
7. -5 LSU Tigers (3-1) (130)
Last Week – L @ Miami 27-51
This Week – @ Florida 10/21/2020 9:00 PM CST
LSU comes in at number seven as LSU is no longer undefeated after their loss to Miami. They will need to regroup and get in the win column in this tough SEC. They will play a tough game against SEC foe Florida this week.
8. +3 Florida Gators (3-1) (103)
Last Week – W vs. USC 34-16
This Week – vs. LSU 10/21/2020 9:00 PM CST
The Gators defense showed out against the Trojans allowing only 16 points, and only 241 yards rushing. Quarterback Matias St. John did a better job protecting the rock as he only had one turnover in this win. If the Gators keep playing like this and St. John protects the ball, they will continue to be a force to be reckoned with.
9. +3 Alabama Crimson Tide (2-2) (92)
Last Week – W vs. Florida State 34-27
This Week – @ Texas A&M 10/20/2020 7:30 PM CST
Alabama played excellent on defense in this game forcing five turnovers, which turned out to be the reason for this win. Alabama has a great balance of passing and rushing on defense as quarterback Doug Day had 249 passing yards with three touchdowns, while halfback Jake Moon added 105 rushing yards. Look for this to be the blueprint to their team moving forward.
10. -5 USC Trojans (2-2) (76)
Last Week – L @ Florida 16-34
This Week – @ Michigan 10/22/2020 9:00 PM CST
USC comes in at number 10. With two straight losses, USC is in desperate need to win a game. Their week one excitement on offense has seemed to cool down but they look to light it back up against Michigan this week.
11. +5 Texas A&M Aggies (2-2) (68)
Last Week – W vs. Clemson 44-29
This Week – vs. Alabama 10/20/2020 7:30 PM CST
With a huge win against the undefeated and resigning CFSL champions, Texas A&M showed they could play with the big boys. A&M played with a lead all game and used that momentum to put a rubber stamp on their first season. With very few rushing yards, it was the A&M defense and quarterback Jimi Germaine who helped stomp out the fire and stabilize their winning record.
12. -3 Nebraska Cornhuskers (2-2) (58)
Last Week – L vs. Texas 20-27
This Week – @ Notre Dame 10/20/2020 9:00 PM CST
Nebraska gave the Longhorns their first win of the season this week, losing by a touchdown. Nebraska’s offense seemed to slow down against the Texas defense as they were held to only 20 points in the loss. Nebraska’s main issue seems to be inconsistency. If the good Nebraska can hit the field every week, we will see them in the playoffs. They’ll have another chance next week against Notre Dame.
13. -3 Michigan Wolverines (2-2) (52)
Last Week – L @ Auburn 23-65
This Week – vs. USC 10/22/2020 9:00 PM CST
Michigan is reeling from the beating they took at the hands of Auburn. Quarterback Tanner Jones had a decent enough game throwing for 248 yards and rushing for 30 yards and a touchdown, however, he could not get past the Auburn defense. The score was salvaged by wide receiver Trey Greers 99 yard kick return touchdown. Michigan will need to do some soul searching to keep their winning record.
14. +2 Texas Longhorns (1-3) (42)
Last Week – W @ Nebraska 27-20
This Week – @ Ohio State 10/21/2020 7:30 PM CST
The Longhorns are back in the win column as they held off Nebraska 27-20. A big reason for them winning is limiting quarterback Courtney Harris to zero passing touchdowns. They will need to do that again this week as they face off against the Buckeyes and quarterback Zach Davis as he threw for 500 yards last week.
15. -2 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (1-3) (32)
Last Week – L vs. Oklahoma State 59-62
This Week – vs. Nebraska 10/20/2020 9:00 PM CST
Notre Dame lost a shootout to the Fighting Irish 59-62. They have shown yet again that they have the offense to keep up with nearly any team, but their defense has not shown up when needed. Notre Dame is not out of it quite yet, but will need their defense to step up (and quickly at that) to get back into contention.
16. -1 Florida State Seminoles (1-3) (18)
Last Week – L @ Alabama 27-34
This Week – vs. Clemson 10/22/2020 7:30 PM CST
Florida State lost another close one to the Crimson Tide this week, moving their losing streak to three in a row. The only team the Seminoles halve defeated thus far was a MAC school. While the Seminoles have kept their games close, their inability to be offensively effective late in the game has cost them. Changes need to be made on offense before it’s too late. Their schedule doesn’t get any easier as they take on the Clemson Tigers next week at home.
