2018 Power Ranking Week 3

This week everyone turned their homework in early — before midnight — and so we have an early edition of the Power Ranking. This week the voters liked NT, didn’t like UTEP, and dropped Charlotte. No one jumped too highly, but there was a nice little drop from WKU.

The Tally

1. NT – LW 1
2. FAU – LW 3
3. Marshall – LW 2
4. LT – LW 5
5. FIU – LW 6
6. MTSU – LW 8
7. UAB – LW 4
8. USM – LW 7
9. UTSA – LW 10
10. Rice – LW 11
11. ODU – LW 13
12. WKU – LW 9
13. Charlotte – LW 12
14. UTEP – LW 14

We will not repeat ourselves too much, you can read the recap of the week here and listen to the podcast where we discuss the same..

One mans’ vote:

1. North Texas

   North Texas retains the top spot after taking care of business. Run game and some big plays allowed are the concerns. Also, how does NT respond to a team that is bigger, stronger, faster from 1-85? First real test with some expectations.

2. FAU

   FAU’s QB Chris Robison looked vastly improved but the run game is looking rusty. FAU will likely improve as the weeks go by.

3. Marshall

   An okay win — is still a win! — but the Herd do not look quite complete or explosive enough to compete with the rest FAU (at their best) or North Texas (if they are scoring like they have been).

4. FIU

   Great comeback and a good game by QB James Morgan. It was ODU, though, so how excited should we be about the Golden Panthers?

5. LT

   Tech won by taking care of business. Not much else to say other than it is good to see J’Mar Smith play well. Jacqwis Dancy is the only back looking good in this league, eh?

6. MTSU

   This win felt like a loss, but it doesn’t matter. Hard to think Middle can compete with any of the teams above them here.

7. UTSA

   1) UTSA nearly had a disaster with their entrance.

   We almost blew up a football player. pic.twitter.com/pskdnSNHr2

   — Meep Meep Nation (@MeepMeepNation) September 9, 2018

   2) This tifo thing (Not a fan of this particular flag) was held up upside down.

8. Rice

   Good feelings all around after that loss to a good Hawai’i team. Someone will take the Owls unseriously and they will be beat.

9. USM

   Bad loss. Bad offense down the stretch. Jack Abraham has a touch of the same turnover bug that plagued Keon Howard.

10. UAB

    Bad loss. Coastal Carolina gave UAB and Arkansas a game last season but no one feels like they should be losing to them. UAB had this game in control for a while and let it slip away, that is why no one is happy. UAB should be one of the better CUSA teams and did not perform like it.

11. ODU

    ODU had simultaneously the best bounce-back and a depressing collapse. Losing a conference game at home after leading by 17 is a season-changer.

12. WKU

    WKU blew a 21-point lead at home and proceeded to allow 31-straight points while looking inept on offense. Remember when WKU was synonymous with offensive firepower? Yes? That was before Mike Sanford was the head coach.

13. UTEP

    The same kind of losses but there is something like optimism with a new coach.

14. Charlotte

    Brad Lambert has the hot seat named after him. 45-9 to Appalachian State at home is a bad loss but understandable given the ability of the Mountaineers. Doesn’t make it any easier to take.

League Players of the Week:

Offensive Player of the Week – Sept. 10 – Chris Robison, QB, Florida Atlantic.
Defensive Player of the Week – Sept. 10 – Rashad Smith, LB, Florida Atlantic.
Special Teams Player of the Week – Sept. 10 – Jonathan Cruz, K, Charlotte.