The Confidential

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30 Aug 2012

The Confidential’s College Football Top 25: Week 1

Each week, the Confidential will provide its ranking of the top 25 teams in College Football.  Here is the Week 1 version, with analysis of the top 15:

  1. USC:  Who is going to beat them?  They have Oregon and Notre Dame at home.  In past years, they have beaten themselves though.
  2. LSU:  Look at LSU’s schedule–they host Alabama.  That could be the deciding factor between those two schools.
  3. Alabama: Not only do the Crimson Tide travel to LSU, they also have to go to Arkanas and Missouri, while also playing Michigan.
  4. Florida State: The Confidential likes to pick on FSU fans, but this should be a very good Seminoles team.
  5. Oklahoma: The Sooners fall out of the top 5 because they have a trip to Morgantown–a unique place to play and a very possible defeat.
  6. Wisconsin: The big game on the schedule is the week 5 matchup at Nebraska.  Otherwise, Wisconsin misses Michigan, hosts Ohio State, and will close the season at depleted Penn State.  Very favorable.
  7. Oregon: Nothing challenging on the OOC slate.  They travel to USC though, which should be a great game.
  8. South Carolina: Not sure how they will win at LSU, but they get to host Georgia.  That will help.
  9. Georgia: No LSU.  No Alabama.  No Arkansas.  Still, we see the Bulldogs losing to South Carolina on the road.
  10. Michigan State: If the Spartans get by Boise State, they host Notre Dame, Nebraska, and Ohio State.  The tough road game is rival Michigan.
  11. West Virginia: This season could be very tough for the Mountaineers as they adjust to playing far away.  Or the Big XII will have trouble adjusting to it.
  12. Arkansas: The Razorbacks host Alabama and LSU this year, but must travel to South Carolina and Auburn.  Not sure about John L. Smith though.
  13. Michigan: Not quite buying into the Wolverines yet.  Neutral game against Alabama, plus road games against Notre Dame, Nebraska, and Ohio State.
  14. Virginia Tech: It’s hard to discount the Hokies and their continued ability to finish reasonably well ranked.  This year should be more of the same.
  15. Clemson: The Tigers get to host Virginia Tech, but Auburn in Atlanta and Florida State in Tallahassee could mean a 2-2 start.
  16. Texas
  17. Ohio State
  18. Nebraska
  19. Boise State
  20. Oklahoma State
  21. TCU
  22. Stanford
  23. Louisville
  24. Kansas State
  25. Florida

So there it is.  If this isn’t the way the standings wrap up at the end of the year, well… sorry.

Posted by acaffrey in Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , ,
27 Aug 2012

The Confidential ACC Football Rankings (Week # 1)

With the football season a mere three days away, the time has come for the Confidential’s First Football Rankings.  As with last year, Syracuse and Pitt will be included in these rankings.  Here they are:

  1. Florida State: It’s put up or shut up time for Florida State.  Well, not really.  After all, the Big XII may be crossing its fingers when it says it is not interested in expansion.
  2. Virginia Tech:  Until someone proves otherwise, you might as well pencil in Virginia Tech every year for the conference championship game.
  3. Clemson: After a long off-season trying to forget about the Orange Bowl, the Tigers get to take it out on an opponent.  Unfortunately, it’s not a cupcake–it’s Auburn.
  4. Virginia:  Virginia hopes to maintain the momentum it regained last year.  Need to care of business against FCS Richmond.
  5. North Carolina State: A win against Tennessee, even if the SEC foe is down, would be a great start.  The ACC needs wins like this.
  6. Georgia Tech: It’s hard to predict a win over Virginia Tech in the opener, but Virginia Tech can be vulnerable early in the season.  Ask James Madison. Well, not the former President.
  7. North Carolina: Elon?  Ugh.  Enjoy that game.
  8. Pittsburgh: Because of WVU leaving the Big East, Pitt has two games against FCS foes.  First up… Youngstown State.
  9. Wake Forest: After the disappointing opener loss at Syracuse last year, Wake gets an easier foe in Liberty.  Should start 1-0 obviously.
  10. Miami: Boston College is a tough opener.  At least Miami will not have to deal with all the suspensions like last year.
  11. Syracuse: With Syracuse’s schedule, they pretty much NEED to win against a good Northwestern team.  We’ll see.
  12. Boston College: BC went 0-6 against FBS foes to start last year.  A win over Miami would be a great way to start this year out.
  13. Duke: Florida International may not be a strong team, but Duke has no business looking past anyone.
  14. Maryland: If Maryland is going to turn it around, they absolutely cannot lose to William & Mary.  Last year they opened with a win and the season imploded.

This will get all mixed up soon enough.  Let the games begin….

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
21 Aug 2012
2 Comments

Ranking the ACC Out-of-Conference Schedules

The 14 ACC schools certainly have different scheduling philosophies for out-of-conference games.  However, there is not one team that has a truly embarrassing slate, especially relative to the program at issue.  Here is the Confidential’s ranking of teams and the degree of difficulty for their OOC schedules:

Syracuse–USC and Missouri.  That alone puts them atop the list.  Add in Northwestern and Minnesota as two more BCS-level opponents.  Even Stony Brook is a high-level FCS opponent.  Syracuse gets the AC/DC Honorary “Big Balls” Award.

Miami–Kansas State, South Florida and Notre Dame are three high quality opponents.  Only Bethune-Cookman is a sure win.

Florida State–Florida and South Florida are very challenging opponents.  And FSU gets points for being willing to schedule West Virginia, even though that game was cancelled due to West Virginia fleeing the Big East.

Clemson–Auburn and South Carolina are two high-quality OOC opponents also.  Ball State may be tricky too.

Boston College: Notre Dame and Northwestern will be challenges.  Maine is good for an FCS program.  Army may or may not be good.

Virginia–Penn State was supposed to be the key game, but that is now weaker. TCU remains as a very tough opponent though.  Louisiana Tech and Richmond round out the schedule.

Pitt: Virginia Tech and Notre Dame are tough opponents.  Youngstown State and Gardner-Webb mean two FCS opponents.  Buffalo is not an overly difficult game for OOC #5.

Virginia Tech–returned to its Big East roots with games and Pitt and Cincinnati.  The other games are against Bowling Green and Austin Peay.  Meh.

Maryland–West Virginia and UConn, which gives Maryland the edge over NC State.  Temple is not a shabby third OOC game.  William and Mary round out the schedule.

North Carolina State–Tennessee and UConn will be OK opponents, but this is not the Tennessee of the 1990s and UConn did not exist back then.  South Alabama and Citadel are decent for their mid-major/FCS levels, respectively.

Georgia Tech–Georgia is always tough.  Brigham Young may or may not be a challenge, but Middle Tennessee State and Presbyterian are not going to be.

Wake Forest–Notre Dame will be tough, and you can never look past Vanderbilt.  Army and Liberty are also on the schedule.

Duke–Besides Stanford, the Blue Devils play a soft Florida International, Memphis, and North Carolina Central.

North Carolina–Louisville will be good, but Idaho, Elon, and East Carolina are underwhelming.  North Carolina gets the Beck Honorary “Loser” Award for 2012.  [And let’s not talk scandal either.]

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
20 Aug 2012

The Confidential ACC Football Rankings (Week # -1)

With the football season a mere two weeks away, the time has come for the Confidential’s Pre-Preseason Football Rankings.  As with last year, Syracuse and Pitt will be included in these rankings.  In any event, here they are:

  1. Florida State: Sooner or later, the King must be the King.  It has been a long time since the Seminoles were dominant.  Not sure it will happen this year, but they have the inside track for the ACC Championship.
  2. Virginia Tech:  While Miami and Florida State have been the ACC Kings, it is Virginia Tech that has carried the ACC most seasons since the realignment.  The Hokies slide above Clemson due to divisional differences.
  3. Clemson: The first thing Clemson needs to do is forget about the late-season collapse.  The second thing it needs to do is look at all the talent on both sides of the ball.  It’s going to be fun.  Don’t count the Tigers out.
  4. Virginia:  The Confidential likes what happened with Virginia last year and envisions the team building off that success.  It is amazing what a good coaching hire can do to rejuvenate a program.  That Penn State game looks a lot less daunting right now too.
  5. North Carolina State: The Wolfpack have a fairly talented crew returning.  The difficulty of the schedule is questionable.  Tennessee and UConn could go either way.
  6. Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets open the season with Virginia Tech.  If the Tech battle goes Ga Tech’s way, this #6 ranking will be low.
  7. North Carolina: The OOC game against Louisville will be tough, especially on the road.  But Elon, Idaho, and East Carolina is not too tough for the remainder of the slate.
  8. Pittsburgh: Every year, the Panthers seem ready to make a run.  Every year they do not.  So, it is #8 for Pitt until they capitalize on potential.
  9. Wake Forest: Not sure where Wake Forest is going with this OOC slate.  Anything from 1-3 to 3-1 is possible with Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Army, and Liberty.  Pencil in a win over Florida state though.
  10. Miami: A reasonably challenging OOC slate with USF, Notre Dame, and Kansas State.  But Miami gets North Carolina State, Florida State, and Virginia Tech at home.
  11. Syracuse: An insane OOC, with preseason #1 USC, Missouri, Northwestern, and even Minnesota.  Is any other team playing 4 BCS conference teams OOC?  Throw in 4 conference road games and the USC game being home but on a neutral site and this has the makings of a very difficult year.
  12. Boston College: Boston College rallied last year, showing some serious character.  This should pay off in 2013.  Just not quite bowl-ready though.
  13. Duke: Outside of Stanford, Duke’s OOC is very soft.  This #13 ranking may end up being a little low.  But Duke’s going to have to prove it on the field before the Confidential believes.
  14. Maryland: Well, it cannot get WORSE for Randy Edsall, can it?  A tough OOC slate with Temple, UConn, West Virginia and William & Mary?  That’s right… William AND Mary.

The Confidential predicts a Seminoles-Hokies battle for the ACC Championship, with the Seminoles showing the world that they are back.

 

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Football, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
13 Mar 2012

ACC Basketball Rankings: March 13, 2012

Here is how the Confidential ranks the ACC basketball schools as of March 13, 2012:

1. Syracuse (31-2)  Notwithstanding the loss to Cincinnati, Syracuse has been the best ACC team from start to finish.

2. North Carolina (29-5)  Sure, the Tar Heels were swept by Florida State.  But Florida State had four more losses overall.

3. Duke (27-6)  Like North Carolina, Duke lost to Florida State twice.  Again, however, the upsets of Duke were far more reasonable.

4. Florida State (24-9)  Give the Seminoles credit for the head-to-head victories over the teams above them here.  But to win it all, you’ve got to win the winnable games too.

5. Virginia (22-9)  Virginia has been struggling for weeks now.  Good, but not great.

6. North Carolina State (22-12).  The Wolfpack rallied in the ACC tournament to get off the bubble and into the Big Dance.  Likely at Miami’s expense.

7. Miami (19-12)  A good first season for the new Miami coaching staff.  The NIT will be good for this team, as long as they take it seriously.

8. Clemson (16-15)  At 8-8 in conference play during the regular season, Clemson fell to Virginia Tech in the ACC tourney.  Season was a stepping stone though.

9. Maryland (17-15)  At 6-10 in conference play, Maryland actually made progress.  Consider that this team was 3-3 heading into December.

10. Pittsburgh (17-16)  After starting 13-2, the team finished 4-14.  12 of those 16 losses were to teams in the Big Dance field.

11.  Virginia Tech (16-17)  A disappointing record obviously.  At some point, you’ve got to win a lot more of the close, winnable games.

12. Wake Forest (13-18) Like all the teams down this far, the Demon Deacons were a significant disappointment all season long.

13. Georgia Tech (11-20).  The new coaching staff did not have much success.  Next year should be better.

14. Boston College (9-22)  The Eagles were so young this year that the future is actually quite bright.  These were freshmen struggling, not juniors.

Agree?  Disagree?  Let us know!

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , ,
07 Mar 2012

The Confidential’s Basketball Top 30 for March 7, 2012

With over 300 teams in college basketball, the top 25 is just not enough anymore.  Here is the Confidential’s Top 30 for March 7, 2012:

  1. Syracuse (30-1).  Syracuse looked very good in its home finale against Louisville, a team that has historically solved the 2-3 zone.
  2. Kentucky (30-1).  Kentucky is a team on a mission.  Is this the year for Coach Calipari?
  3. North Carolina (27-4).  The preseason favorites are rounding into form at the right time.  Nobody will want to play the Tar Heels.
  4. Kansas (26-5).  There has been a lot of rotation between the teams ranked 3rd through 8th… this week Kansas moves up to #4.
  5. Missouri (27-4).  Missouri looked very good defeating Iowa State and Texas Tech.  Recovered from a tough week the week before.
  6. Duke (26-5).  Lost big to North Carolina, leaving the Blue Devils with 2nd place in the ACC.  Tiebreaker in the ACC tournament perhaps?
  7. Ohio State (25-6).  Wins over motivated teams like Northwestern and Michigan State suggest that Ohio State is also peaking at the right time.
  8. Marquette (25-6).  Loss at Cincinnati was disappointing, but Marquette handled a very good Georgetown team to end the regular season.
  9. Michigan State (24-7).  No real shame in losing to Indiana and Ohio State.  Being handled by Indiana, even on the road, was surprising.
  10. Georgetown (22-7).  The Hoyas split a tough week–beating Notre Dame and losing to Marquette.  The slight edge over Baylor due to foe quality.
  11. Baylor (25-6).  Iowa State really needed to beat Baylor.  And did.  The Bears are still primed to make some noise in March Madness.
  12. Michigan (23-8).  Michigan got important wins to keep its hopes for a #3 seed alive, even if Illinois and Penn State are not great teams.
  13. Wisconsin (23-8).  The Badgers got two more wins, over Minnesota and Illinois, keep pace with the Big 10 leaders.
  14. Indiana (24-7).  Wins over Michigan State and Purdue–a great way to end the surprise turnaround season.  Especially in a deep year for the Big 10.
  15. Murray State (30-1).  Murray State struggled in the conference tournament championship game, but pulled out the victory late.  Teams on the bubble everywhere exhaled.
  16. Florida State (21-9).  The Seminoles finished strong, beating Virginia and suddenly challenging Clemson during the final week.  A lot of good wins for this Seminole team.
  17. Creighton (28-5).  With so many teams ahead of them losing, Creighton takes advantage with its three-win sweep of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
  18. San Diego State (24-6).  Like Creighton, San Diego State was able to avoid losing this past week.  Even if the wins were not overly impressive, they did not lose.
  19. UNLV (25-7).  UNLV lost to Colorado State, but rallied to defeat a good Wyoming team to end the regular season.  Up next?  Wyoming again.
  20. Wichita State (27-5).  The Shockers were shocked in the MWC tournament by Illinois State.  Still, this team is looking solid for an at-large bid.
  21. Notre Dame (21-10).  Notre Dame got back in the winning way with a victory over Providence.  Now it is on to the Big Apple to make some noise in the Big East tournament.
  22. Virginia (22-8).  Virginia lost to Florida State at home, which hurt.  But they got a key overtime win over Maryland to stop the losing streak.
  23. Louisville (22-9).  The Cardinals are really struggling offensively right now.  Also playing and losing to very good teams.
  24. Florida (22-9).  No shame in losing at Vanderbilt and to Kentucky.  But the Gators are really tacking on the losses right now.
  25. Temple (24-6).  A couple of nice wins over Massachusetts and Fordham to end the season on a high note.  A very good profile for the Owls.
  26. Virginia Commonwealth (28-6).  Three more wins for Virginia Commonwealth.  Big win to qualify for the Big Dance.
  27. Iowa State (22-9).  In a week with games against Missouri and Baylor, winning the home game and losing the road game is a fine result.  A tourney lock at this point.
  28. St. Mary’s (27-5).  St. Mary’s gets the edge over Gonzaga by defeating them in the West Coast Conference tournament championship game.
  29. Gonzaga (25-6).  See above.
  30. Vanderbilt (21-10).  Vandy responded to the nice win against Florida by losing to in-state rival Tennessee to conclude the season.

Tell us what you think.  Is anyone unfairly missing?  Anyone too high or too low?

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , ,
06 Mar 2012

ACC Basketball Rankings: March 6, 2012

This is particularly complex with Pitt and Syracuse not yet in the ACC, but it can still be done.  Here is how we view the ACC basketball schools as of March 6, 2012:

1. Syracuse (30-1)  What more can you say?  30-1 with a Big East schedule, plus victories over Florida, North Carolina State, Stanford, and Virginia Tech.

2. North Carolina (27-4)  North Carolina appears to be peaking at the right point of the season.  After getting demolished by Florida State, the Tar Heels won 12 of 13 down the stretch.

3. Duke (26-5)  Duke has had a great season.  Had the Blue Devils beat North Carolina they would have been a #1 seed in the Big Dance.

4. Florida State (21-9)  The Seminoles were an impressive 12-4 in conference play.  Plus, they beat Virginia last week.

5. Virginia (22-8)  One of three 9-7 teams, Virginia has had the best season start-to-finish.  The best overall record too.

6. Miami (18-11)  Miami and North Carolina State are squarely on the bubble.  Need some ACC tournament wins to feel safe.

7. North Carolina State (20-11).  Missed some opportunities down the stretch.  Probably need to win two in the ACC tournament to get off the bubble.

8. Clemson (16-14)  Clemson is now 7-7 in conference play.  They followed up the win over Virginia by beating Georgia Tech and North Carolina State.

9. Maryland (16-12)  After beating Miami, Maryland was primed to move up a few spots.  But then they lost to Georgia Tech.

10.  Virginia Tech (15-14)  This team has had more closes losses.  This past week was a 2-point loss to Virginia and an OT loss to Duke.

11. Pittsburgh (15-14)  Pittsburgh’s small momentum is over.  Hard to believe this team was once 13-2.

12. Wake Forest (13-15) They did beat Boston College by nearly 30.  Not a bad way to end the week.

13. Georgia Tech (10-18).  The losing streak is over.  And Georgia Tech beat a good Maryland team to accomplish that task.

14. Boston College (8-20)  Boston College had been showing some signs of life.  Losing by 29 to a sub .500 Wake Forest team is not such a sign.

Agree?  Disagree?  Let us know!

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , ,
28 Feb 2012

The Confidential’s Basketball Top 30 for February 28, 2012

With over 300 teams in college basketball, the top 25 is just not enough anymore.  Here is the Confidential’s Top 30 for February 28, 2012:

  1. Syracuse (29-1).  Another road win for Syracuse as it continues its best season ever, this time over Connecticut.   One regular season game left.  Next up: Louisville.
  2. Kentucky (28-1).  What more can be said about Anthony Davis?  This team is rolling.  Next up: Georgia.
  3. Michigan State (24-5).  Two more wins, albeit over less than daunting competition.  It gets tougher.  Next up: @ Indiana.
  4. Duke (25-4).  Big win over Florida State, followed up by narrow win at home over Va Tech.  Next up: @ Wake Forest.
  5. Kansas (25-5).  Big win over Missouri.  Avoided the let down against Oklahoma State too.  Next up: Texas.
  6. North Carolina (25-4).  Two big wins over North Carolina State and Virginia.  Matchup with Duke looms.  Next up: Maryland.
  7. Missouri (25-4).  Tough week, with losses to both Kansas State and Kansas.  Is the lack of depth catching up to the Tigers?  Next up: Iowa State.
  8. Marquette (24-5).  Suspended four players for the first half and still beat a good West Virginia team.  Marquette is dangerous.  Next up: @ Cincinnati.
  9. Baylor (25-5).  Struggled with the upper echelon of the Big XII, but beating up on the middle of the pack.  Next up: @ Iowa State.
  10. Ohio State (23-6).  Home loss to Wisconsin hurts a little, but this is still a very good team.  Will be a challenge in March.  Next up: @ Northwestern.
  11. Georgetown (22-6).  The Hoyas have now won two in a row, after losing to Seton Hall.  The Notre Dame win was particularly impressive.  Next up: @ Marquette.
  12. Michigan (21-8).  Despite losing to Purdue, it is difficult to move anyone ahead of the Wolverines.  Next up: @ Illinois.
  13. Wisconsin (21-8).  The Badgers are alternating wins and losses.  This past week, a loss to Iowa followed by a win over Ohio State.  Next up: Minnesota.
  14. Murray State (28-1).  The one minor conference team that has punched its ticket to the Big Dance.  They need to keep winning though.  Next up: Conference Tourney.
  15. Wichita State (26-4).  The Shockers will be the #1 seed in the always tough MWC tournament.  A very nice season, indeed.  Next up: Conference Tourney.
  16. Indiana (22-7).  That’s give Big 10 teams in the top 16.  The wins were not impressive, but certainly better than losses.  Next up: Michigan State.
  17. Louisville (22-7).  Loss to Cincinnati hurts a bit, but the Cardinals rebounded against disappointing Pittsburgh.  They cannot overlook South Florida. Next up: South Florida.
  18. Florida (22-7).  If Florida was in a deeper conference, this might be a 10-loss team.  The loss to Georgia is inexplicable.  Next up: @ Vanderbilt.
  19. Virginia (21-7).  There are worse crimes than losing to North Carolina.  Even at home.  Next up: Florida State.
  20. Florida State (19-9).  The Seminoles have hit a rough patch.  A great chance to right the ship against Virginia.  Next up: @ Virginia.
  21. UNLV (24-6).  UNLV is starting to get some momentum back.  Two decent wins, with a tough road game coming up.  Next up: @ Colorado State.
  22. San Diego State (22-6).  San Diego State got two good wins last week.  This team will make some noise in March.  Next up: @ Boise State.
  23. Notre Dame (20-10).  After winning 8 in a row, Notre Dame has now lost two in a row.  They are in the Big Dance with all the good wins though.  Next up: Providence.
  24. Vanderbilt (20-9).  There is no shame in losing to Kentucky.  This is an improved Vanderbilt team.  Next up: Florida.
  25. Temple (22-6).  Lost to St. Josephs was bad, but not awful.  Temple still has plenty of good wins.  Next up: Massachusetts.
  26. Iowa State (21-8).  Jumps into the top 30 with two more wins.  Hard to ignore an 11-5 conference record in the Big XII.  Next up: @ Missouri.
  27. South Florida (18-11).  This team has a lot of losses, but most were early in the season when not at full strength.  11-5 in the Big East is good.  Next up: @ Louisville.
  28. St. Mary’s (25-5).  With a 14-2 conference record, St. Mary’s is the #1 seed in the conference.  Is it enough for an at-large?  Next up: Conference Tourney.
  29. Virginia Commonwealth (25-6).  Two more wins for the Rams.  And it is on to the conference tourney.  Next up: Conference Tourney.
  30. Creighton (25-5).  Two more wins for Creighton.  On to the conference tourney.  Next up: Conference Tourney.

Tell us what you think.  Is anyone unfairly missing?  Anyone too high or too low?

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , ,
27 Feb 2012

ACC Basketball Rankings: February 27, 2012

This is particularly complex with Pitt and Syracuse not yet in the ACC, but it can still be done.  Here is how we view the ACC basketball schools as of February 27, 2012:

1.  Syracuse (29-1)  Syracuse went on a 26-0 run to defeat South Florida.  Syracuse gave up a 17-point lead against UConn, but still won.  This team just wins right now.

2. Duke (25-4) Duke and North Carolina have identical 25-4 records, including the same 12-2 conference record.  But Duke beat North Carolina.

3. North Carolina (25-4)  North Carolina does get a chance at revenge this Saturday against Duke.  It should be winner take all for the ACC crown.

4. Florida State (19-9)  Have looked vulnerable lately.  A loss to Boston College and now a loss to Miami by 16.

5. Virginia (21-7)  At 8-6 in conference, Virginia is still a few wins behind Florida State.  Still lacks a high-quality win.

6. Miami (17-10)  Miami lost to Maryland earlier in the week, but rebounded nicely to take care of Florida State handily.  Needs a few more wins for March Madness to call.

7. North Carolina State (18-11).  The loss to North Carolina is excusable.  At this time of year, no excuse for losing to Clemson.

8. Clemson (13-13)  Clemson is now 7-7 in conference play.  They followed up the win over Virginia by beating Georgia Tech and North Carolina State.

9. Maryland (16-12)  After beating Miami, Maryland was primed to move up a few spots.  But then they lost to Georgia Tech.

10.  Virginia Tech (15-14)  This team has had more closes losses.  This past week was a 2-point loss to Virginia and an OT loss to Duke.

11. Pittsburgh (15-14)  Pittsburgh’s small momentum is over.  Hard to believe this team was once 13-2.

12. Wake Forest (13-15) They did beat Boston College by nearly 30.  Not a bad way to end the week.

13. Georgia Tech (10-18).  The losing streak is over.  And Georgia Tech beat a good Maryland team to accomplish that task.

14. Boston College (8-20)  Boston College had been showing some signs of life.  Losing by 29 to a sub .500 Wake Forest team is not such a sign.

Agree?  Disagree?  Let us know!

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
21 Feb 2012

The Confidential’s Basketball Top 30 for February 22, 2012

With over 300 teams in college basketball, the top 25 is just not enough anymore.  Here is the Confidential’s Top 30 for February 22, 2012:

  1. Syracuse (27-1).  Another road win for Syracuse as it continues its best season ever.  Looking to win the regular season title with two wins in the last three games  Next up: @ South Florida.
  2. Kentucky (26-1).  A light week, with only a game against Mississippi.  Yes, they won.  Next up:  @ Mississippi State.
  3. Missouri (25-2).  The Tigers are firmly entrenched as the #3 team right now.  Think the SEC folks are happy?  Next up: Kansas State.
  4. Michigan State (22-5).  Took care of Wisconsin.  Then defeated Purdue on the road.  Next up: @ Minnesota.
  5. Duke (23-4).  Narrowly escaped North Carolina State.  Revenge game upcoming.  Next up: @ Florida State.
  6. Kansas (22-5).  Light week, with only a game against mid-major Texas Tech.  Wait, they are in the Big XII?  Next up: @ Texas A&M.
  7. North Carolina (23-4).  Tough week with road trips at Virginia and North Carolina State.  The Tar Heels try to keep pace with Duke.  Next up: @ NC State.
  8. Ohio State (22-5).  Road loss to Michigan was not horrible, but keeps the Buckeyes on the outside of the 1 seed discussions for now.  Next up: Illinois.
  9. Georgetown (20-5).  Beat Providence on the road.  Looking for a double-bye in the Big East tournament.  Next up: @ Seton Hall.
  10. Marquette (22-5).  Convincing win at sinking Connecticut.  Still in the hunt for the Big East regular season championship.  Next up: @ Rutgers.
  11. Baylor (23-5).  Baylor is starting to lose momentum.  The loss to Kansas State was the first upset.  Next up: Oklahoma.
  12. Michigan (20-7).  Big win over Ohio State.  No… huge win!  Next up: @ Iowa.
  13. Notre Dame (19-8).  After starting conference play 3-3, the Fighting Irish are now 11-3 and 19-8 overall.  That’s 7 wins in a row.  Next up: West Virginia.
  14. Wisconsin (20-7.  Loss at Michigan State was disappointing, but respectable.  Travel to Ohio State this week, cursing the schedule maker along the way.  Next up: @ Iowa.
  15. Florida State (19-7).  Florida State looked really good beating up NC State on the road.  Also took care of the Hokies.  Next up: Duke.
  16. Florida (21-6).  Florida is not getting impressive wins, but they are getting wins.  Next up: @ Auburn.
  17. Murray State (26-1).  Big bracket buster win over St. Mary’s.  That helps the at-large cause.  Next up: @ Tennessee State.
  18. Louisville (21-6).  Took care of DePaul on Saturday.  Remember, played Syracuse very tough.  Next up: @ Cincinnati.
  19. Virginia (20-6).  Bounced back against Maryland with a convincing win.  Need to pull an upset sooner or later though.  Next up: @ Virginia Tech.
  20. Indiana (20-7).  Loss to Iowa hurts, no way around it.  A rare OOC game in February for the Hoosiers next.  Next up: North Carolina Central.
  21. Wichita State (24-4).  Got a nice win over Davidson on Saturday to help the at-large cause.  Next up: Illinois State.
  22. New Mexico (22-4).  Even New Mexico fans have to be surprised… they beat San Diego State on the road and then throttled UNLV.  Next up: @ Colorado State.
  23. Temple (21-5).  The Owls have a bunch of good wins.  Time to make plans for March.  Next up: @ La Salle.
  24. UNLV (22-6).  Losing momentum here with 3 losses in two weeks.  Need to turn it around soon.  Next up: Boise State.
  25. San Diego State (20-6).  Not only has San Diego State been struggling, but they have given struggling UNLV its only recent win.  Next up: Wyoming.
  26. Vanderbilt (19-8).  Wins over Mississippi and Georgia beef up the totals, but nobody will be impressed until they host Kentucky.  And win.  Next up: South Carolina.
  27. St. Louis (21-5).  Time to give St. Louis some publicity.  They have won six straight.  Next up: @ Rhode Island.
  28. St. Mary’s (23-5).  Like a lot of West Coast teams, St. Mary’s is in a funk lately.  Next up: @ Portland.
  29. Virginia Commonwealth (23-6).  Rebounded from the George Mason loss to beat Northern Iowa.  Next up: NC Wilmington.
  30. Creighton (23-5).  Trying to rebound after that three-game losing streak.  The win over Long Beach State helps.  Next up: Evansville.

Tell us what you think.  Is anyone unfairly missing?  Anyone too high or too low?

Posted by acaffrey in ACC only, Basketball, Rankings and tagged , , , , , ,

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