College football powerless rankings: Lowered expectations at LSU, Oklahoma sink in

The Bottom 5 welcomes LSU and Oklahoma to the college football rankings no team wants to be a part of but lowered expectations are sinking in.

This week, the Bottom 5 is dedicated exclusively to the Power 5. There are many teams worthy of making this list; however, there are only five slots. The SEC made its debut and it is clear who will take the lion’s share of losses in the conference this season.

The Missouri Tigers only scored against Alabama’s JV team in the second half. It was 28-3 at halftime and the Crimson Tide took their foot off of the gas in the second half. The Vanderbilt Commodores could not take advantage of a basic gameplan the Texas A&M Aggies employed.

Here is the Bottom 5 for Week 4

5. Oklahoma (1-1)

For the second season in a row, the Kansas State Wildcats upset the Oklahoma Sooners. Last season, the Wildcats jumped out to a 41-23 lead and hung on to win 48-41. This season was the opposite. It was the Wildcats who found themselves down 14-35 in the second half and roared back to win 38-35. The Wildcats won despite playing a roster depleted due to COVID-19.

This game indicates that Alex Grinch needs time to fix the defense through the scheme and recruiting. The Sooners had a big lead and the defense collapsed late in the game. Spencer Rattler played like a freshman in this game. In his second start, Rattler threw for 387 yards, but three interceptions.

The Big 12 is proving it does not have a dominant team once again this season.

4. LSU (0-1)

The LSU Tigers were not going to come close to the magical season they had last season. They lost too much to graduation and the NFL. Dave Arranda is the head coach of the Baylor Bears and Joe Brady is the offensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers. The Tigers were not going to compete for a National Title this season.

What happened in Baton Rouge this weekend was a complete shocker. The surprise wasn’t so much that Mississippi State upset LSU; with seating restrictions, Death Valley isn’t the home field advantage it ordinarily would be. But no one saw K.J. Costello and the Bulldogs’ receivers to set SEC passing records at the expense of the Tigers.

Costello threw for an SEC record 623 passing yards against the Tigers. Derek Stingley, Jr. did not play, but his absence does not account for the Bulldogs’ ability to toss the ball around the yard with ease. The Tigers will be an interesting watch for the rest of the season.

3. Florida State (0-2)

There have been many nationally elite programs that have lost their luster. Michigan, Texas, USC are three of many programs looking to regain their status among the national elite. Few have fallen as fast as Florida State. Less than a decade ago, the Seminoles won the final BCS Championship and played in the first College Football Playoff.

There beat down at the hands of Miami is not cause for overreaction, however. The Seminoles needed spring and summer practice more than many teams the ACC. The Seminoles brought in an entirely new coaching staff this offseason to address some severe issues plaguing FSU for years.

Miami exposed Florida State’s abysmal offensive line play sacking Seminoles’ quarterbacks six times. One the other hand, Miami protected D’Eriq King well all game. It is hard to see, but the Seminoles have a lot of work before they are respectable again.

2. Duke (0-3)

Chase Brice has figured out very quickly Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross are not at the other end of his passes and Travis Etienne is not in the backfield. However, Duke’s porous 0-2 start is not entirely on Brice. The Blue Devils have held leads in every game this season. The Blue Devils were up 10-0 against Virginia early, but the offense stalled.

Duke has had three issues this season. The line play has not been perfect on either side of the ball. Brice has been on the run all three games this season. He did face three of the better defensive lines in the conference so far this season. That has led to the Blue Devils’ inability to finish drives.

Duke’s first two drives against Notre Dame were successful until they got into the red zone, where they settled for field goals. The offense was ineffective against Boston College. The offense showed promise against Virginia, but Duke’s third issue crept up again. Turnovers have plagued Duke all season.

The Blue Devils had seven turnovers against Virginia, five against Boston College and two against Notre Dame.

1. Kansas (0-2)

The Jayhawks fill a spot they will be in all season as the worst program in the Power 5. Kansas had to rally to make a game of their season opener. Coastal Carolina had a 28-3 lead against the Jayhawks before anyone blinked. There was no such luck against Baylor. Kansas scored first before the Bears scored 40 unanswered points. That is not a typo.

It is evident that outside of running back Pooka Williams, the Jayhawks do not have a roster capable of competing in the Big 12 –and probably the Group of 5. The quarterback position is in flux and the defense has miles to go. Both Jalon Daniels and Miles Kendrick have played this season and have thrown two touchdowns between them.

The defense has surrendered over 1000 yards of total offense so far this season. When you are this bad, the best thing to do is make a reality show how bad you are.

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