Josh Pate's College Football Rankings: Week 2 Shakeup and Controversial Takes

The JP Poll vs. Traditional Rankings

• 💡 Josh Pate explains his preference for power ratings over traditional rankings, emphasizing neutral field favorability.
• 🎯 He acknowledges the confusion his JP poll causes new viewers and aims to clarify by presenting an actual top 25 list.
• 🔑 The current rankings are based on merit and body of work for the current year, not preseason expectations.

Key Team Rankings and Justifications

• 🚀 Miami is ranked third, a significant jump from their AP ranking, due to an impressive win over Notre Dame.
• 🌟 Florida State is ranked seventh, with Pate arguing they should be a bonafide top 10 team after dominating Alabama.
• ⛰️ Utah is ranked eighth, with Pate criticizing its low AP ranking (25th) as an egregious omission after a dominant week one performance.
• 🏈 Ohio State is ranked number one, with Pate stating they are the clear top team after winning a national championship and beating an elite opponent.
• 🐯 Clemson is controversially ranked 21st, down from their AP ranking of eighth, due to a lackluster performance in their home opener.

Teams with Notable Rank Differences

• 📈 LSU is ranked second, higher than their AP ranking of third, for their road win against the preseason ACC title favorite.
• 🐂 Texas is ranked eleventh, lower than their AP ranking of seventh, due to an anemic offensive performance and lingering issues inside the 10-yard line.
• 🛡️ Alabama is unranked by Pate, despite being 21st in the AP, because he believes 25 other teams have better bodies of work.
• ⚔️ Penn State is ranked fourth, slightly lower than the AP's second, as Pate has not seen them play anyone significant yet compared to other top teams.
• 💨 USF is ranked 25th, a notable inclusion, for convincingly beating Boise State, a playoff-projected G5 team.

Principles of Ranking

• 📊 Rankings should be about 90% what's happened on the field and only 10% preseason ideas.
• 🧐 The goal is to judge teams based on merit and actual performance, not what they would be favored by on a neutral field.
• ⚠️ Pate criticizes voters who are too prideful to adjust rankings based on new game results, clinging to preseason notions.