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  • College football rankings: Georgia moves to No. 2 in CBS Sports 134 after SEC championship win over Texas

    College football rankings: Georgia moves to No. 2 in CBS Sports 134 after SEC championship win over Texas

    uga-134.png
    CBS Sports Graphic

    We have now moved into the postseason schedule for the 2024 college football season where the rest of the calendar year and first month of 2025 will be filled with bowl games and the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. Conference championship weekend marks the true conclusion to the season that was, as most of the 134 FBS teams have played their final game with the same combination of players and coaches that they carried for much of the fall. 

    That’s not to say that we here at CBS Sports are done ranking teams. No, we will circle back after the national championship game on Monday, Jan. 20 for one final edition of the CBS Sports 134, our comprehensive ranking of every FBS team. But this is the penultimate update — a snapshot of how our voters view the entire college football landscape as we transition into the season of the coaching carousel, transfer portal and bowl games. 

    With only 18 teams in action over conference championship weekend, you won’t find many huge swings in the rankings, but there is some notable shuffling in response to those nine results. Georgia took over Texas’ spot at No. 2 after downing the Longhorns in an overtime thriller in the SEC Championship Game, while teams like Penn State (down two spots to No. 5) and SMU (down four spots to No. 10) also dropped following conference title game losses. 

    There is still no change at the top thanks to Oregon proving itself against the Big Ten’s best yet again and finishing the season with a 13-0 record as the only undefeated team at the FBS level. With Saturday night’s win, the conference’s newest power became the first team in Big Ten history to defeat Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State in the same season.  

    College football experts from CBS Sports and 247Sports contribute ballots each week, which are averaged together for our rankings. You can see the top 25 below and 26-134 on our rankings page.
    1 Oregon 13-0 1
    2 Georgia 11-2 5
    3 Notre Dame 11-1 4
    4 Texas 11-2 2
    5 Penn State 11-2 3
    6 Ohio State 10-2 7
    7 Indiana 11-1 8
    8 Tennessee 10-2 9
    9 Boise State 12-1 10
    10 SMU 11-2 6
    11 Arizona State 11-2 11
    12 Alabama 9-3 12
    13 South Carolina 9-3 14
    14 Ole Miss 9-3 15
    15 Miami 10-2 13
    16 Clemson 10-3 17
    17 BYU 10-2 18
    18 Iowa State 10-3 16
    19 Army 11-1 23
    20 Colorado 9-3 20
    21 Illinois 9-3 21
    22 UNLV 10-3 19
    23 Syracuse 9-3 22
    24 Memphis 10-2 26
    25 Missouri 9-3 24

    Biggest movers 

    • No. 41 Marshall (+8): The Thundering Herd were underdogs heading down to Lafayette but played like favorites in an impressive 31-3 win against Louisiana. Marshall finished the year at 10-3, and though they are going through a coaching transition with Charles Huff off to Southern Miss and Tony Gibson taking over, the program seems to be in a good spot heading into 2025. 
    • No. 50 Jacksonville State (+7): An eight-game winning streak was snapped in the final week of the regular season with a 19-17 loss to WKU, but our voters were quick to jump back on board after seeing the Gamecocks thrash the Hilltoppers in the rematch. After being WKU 52-12 in the Conference USA title game, JSU is off to the Cure Bowl to face MAC champion Ohio. 
    • No. 42 Ohio (+5): Speaking of the Bobcats, Ohio also was a team that took a seemingly tight matchup and blew it open over conference championship weekend. Miami (OH) won the regular season meeting 30-20, but the Bobcats raced out to an early lead and never looked back in the conference title rematch, claiming the program’s first MAC title since 1968. 
    • No. 19 Army (+4): The Black Knights have carried an impressive win count all season but lacked for the high-end wins and finally got their best win of the season in the AAC title game by beating Tulane, a team our voters have inside the top 30. 
    • No. 22 UNLV (-3): This is just a small step back for UNLV after losing to top-10 Boise State. The Rebels finish the regular season with a 10-3 record and back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Mountain West, but they now move forward without Barry Odom, who accepted the head-coaching position at Purdue. 
    • No. 34 Louisiana (-3): Injuries at the quarterback position derailed what appeared to be a conference championship path for Louisiana, but the season has still be considered a success. The Ragin’ Cajuns went 10-3 with the only regular season conference defeat coming by two points to South Alabama, but a 31-3 final score in the Sun Belt title game is worth a slight adjustment in the rankings. 
    • No. 10 SMU (-4): Like the College Football Playoff Selection Committee, our voters were hesitant to install too much rankings punishment for the heartbreaking defeat in the ACC title game to Clemson. The Mustangs enter the CFP with an 11-2 record and a combined margin of defeat of just six points while also carrying the nation’s 11th best scoring margin, beating opponents by an average of 17.7 points per game.  
    • No. 78 Western Kentucky (-7): Last week’s rankings movement featured WKU moving up 18 spots after beating Jacksonville State in the final game of the regular season, so this adjustment from the voters taking some of that support back in the wake of a 40-point loss to that very same team in the Conference USA title game.  

    Check out the rest of the CBS Sports 134: Teams ranked 26-134



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  • College football recruiting rankings: Georgia, Alabama lead SEC

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  • Where Texas Tech football sits in recruiting rankings pre-signing day

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  • Guess which four countries led APAC’s top lifestyle and investment hotspot rankings

    Guess which four countries led APAC’s top lifestyle and investment hotspot rankings

    Find out which countries prove to be prime residential hotspots.

    Knight Frank’s recent report has identified Asia-Pacific as a premier lifestyle and investment destination, with Singapore standing out for individuals considering relocation.

    In its latest report, “Quality Life-ing: Mapping Prime Residential Hotspots”, Knight Frank evaluates 15 prominent markets based on five leading indicators: Economy, Human Capital, Quality of Life, Environment, and Infrastructure and mobility.

    Singapore, Australia, Japan and Malaysia lead the rankings as Asia-Pacific’s leading lifestyle and investment hotspots.

    Here’s more from Knight Frank:

    Singapore: Recognised for its stability and development, Singapore emerged the top destination as it ranks among the top five in all indicators. Its robust economy, marked by political stability and a skilled workforce, makes it an attractive destination for businesses and individuals. 

    In Q3 2024, prime residential prices rose 6.9% year-on-year, making it the second most expensive market in APAC (Figure 2, at 2,861 US$ per square feet (psf)), 31% cheaper than Hong Kong (US$4,172 psf), but still ahead of Sydney (US$2,172 psf), Shanghai (US$2,061 psf) and Seoul (US$1,848 psf). The city-state’s economic fundamentals remain strong, with low unemployment and projected GDP growth of 1-3% for 2024. Additionally, the Family Office sector has surged from 400 in 2020 to 1,650 by August 2024, reinforcing its status as a global wealth management hub.

    Australia: Australia is the second most desirable location for investments and relocations, as it came in top 5 for four out of the five indicators in our study.  In Q3 2024, major cities like Sydney experienced a 2.2% year-on-year price increase, supported by cash buyers and limited property supply. Despite rising interest rates, Australian cities continue to show positive price trends. 

    The country’s diverse landscapes cater to various lifestyles, with cities like Perth seeing significant population growth of 3.6% in FY2023. Sydney continues to be the financial capital, home to over a third of Australia’s ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and Melbourne ranks highly for quality of life, excelling in healthcare and education retaining the top spot in Australia as the EIU’s most liveable city in 2024. Overall, Australia’s attractive residential market and enviable lifestyle continue to draw investors, expatriates, and international students from around the globe.

    Japan: Japan excels in Quality of Life and Infrastructure & Mobility aspects, boasting a high life expectancy and sophisticated transportation network. With modest economic growth projected at 0.9% for 2024, rising wages are expected to enhance consumer spending. The Tokyo residential market has shown resilience, with prices increasing over 20% since Q1 2022 and an annual rise of 12.8% noted in Q3 2024 (for the full breakdown, please click here), making it the second best-performing market in Asia-Pacific. 

    This growth is fuelled by high demand for luxury condominiums amid limited supply. Additionally, Japan’s stock market reached an all-time high this year, attracting substantial foreign investment as Tokyo’s population continues to grow with an influx of foreign residents and investors.

    Malaysia: Malaysia, emerging as a hub for technological innovation, is attracting major tech companies like Oracle and Microsoft due to its favourable business climate.  The country’s prime residential market is poised for stability and gradual growth, reflecting the broader resilience of the Asia-Pacific region’s real estate sector. Kuala Lumpur also remains the most affordable market in APAC, with prime residential prices at US$242 psf, making it a top choice for expatriate relocations. 

    Despite facing challenges from rising interest rates, the Malaysian property market has shown signs of recovery, with significant transactions recorded in early 2024. The government’s initiatives, such as maintaining interest rates at 3% and offering stamp duty exemptions for first-time homebuyers, are expected to stimulate demand. 

    Kuala Lumpur is a focal point for this growth, where new residential projects are catering to evolving buyer preferences, particularly among single-family households seeking lifestyle-oriented developments. Additionally, the appeal of Malaysia’s real estate is enhanced by its strategic location and cultural richness, making it an attractive option for both local and foreign investors looking for quality residential opportunities.

    Other emerging markets in Asia-Pacific, such as the Philippines, India, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, are experiencing significant growth. In the Philippines, Manila’s prime residential prices continue to thrive, with remarkable growth of 4.6% over the past three months and an annual increase of 29.2%, driven by strong economic growth and rising consumer confidence according to Knight Frank’s Prime Global Cities Index Q3 2024. 

    India is projected to lead with a 7.0% GDP growth rate in 2024, driven by a booming tech sector expected to contribute US$350 billion to the GDP by 2026. Momentum in the residential market in India has significantly increased in 2024, with Q3 recording the highest quarterly sales of 87,108 units, representing a 5% year-over-year (YoY) increase and a 9% rise compared to year-to-date figures, particularly in the luxury segment.

    Vietnam follows closely with a GDP growth forecast of 6.1%, bolstered by its favourable manufacturing landscape and the ‘China+1’ strategy, attracting expatriates and investors alike. The average selling price for high-end apartments in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi ranges from US$5,400 to US$15,000 psm, aligning with prices in developed global markets, appealing to wealthy individuals due to competitive pricing and strong potential for capital appreciation. 

    In Thailand, Bangkok’s prime real estate segment has demonstrated remarkable resilience, achieving a sales rate of over 80% of total supply despite challenges like limited land availability and rising costs in the central business district and along the Chao Phraya riverside. The demand for high-quality developments in these sought-after locations remains strong. 

    Finally, Cambodia’s urbanisation is set to accelerate, with the population living in urban areas projected to rise from 24.2% currently to 30.6% by 2030 and further to 41.1% by 2050. This increasing urbanization, combined with one of the youngest demographics in the region, is driving a growing demand for affordable housing, particularly in Phnom Penh.

    The Asia-Pacific residential market is poised to remain attractive to HNWIs, expatriates, and investors due to its strong price resilience amid global economic uncertainties, with safe-haven markets like Singapore, Australia, and Japan leading the way. The region’s sustained economic growth and rising affluence are expected to drive stable price growth and returns, particularly as 19 megacities are projected to emerge by 2030, intensifying housing demand. 

    Additionally, the middle-class population in Asia-Pacific is anticipated to reach 1.7 billion by 2030, prompting a significant rise in demand for affordable housing, especially in emerging markets like Vietnam and Indonesia. Furthermore, there is a noticeable shift toward branded residences in the prime market especially in markets such as Australia, India, and Thailand, appealing to both local and international investors who value luxury living combined with high-end services on top of secure investments.
     



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  • Predicting the College Football Playoff rankings, bracket for conference championship week

    Predicting the College Football Playoff rankings, bracket for conference championship week

    The fifth College Football Playoff rankings of 2024 will be announced tonight, Tuesday, Nov. 30, and things are bound to change after seven ranked teams lost last weekend. Before the CFP committee unveils the next rankings, I predict where the top 25 teams will land, along with the bracket.

    Note that these are my predictions and mine alone. I look at head-to-head results, schedule strength, games against ranked teams and more to help rank the teams how I think the CFP committee will do so. You can read the CFP committee’s official protocols here.

    2024 College Football Playoff rankings predictions: Fifth Top 25 projections

    These predictions are as of Sunday, Dec. 1. 

    1. Oregon (12-0) LW: 1 — Oregon will be ranked No. 1 as long as it’s undefeated.
    2. Texas (11-1) LW: 3 — Texas won its long-awaited rivalry game with Texas A&M, adding a quality win to its resume as it moves up to No. 2
    3. Penn State (11-1) LW: 4 — Penn State moves up in this week’s rankings after Ohio State’s loss.
    4. Notre Dame (11-1) LW: 5 — Notre Dame escaped USC and will likely host a game in the first round of the playoff, potentially rising to the No. 5 seed when it’s all said and done.
    5. Georgia (10-2) LW: 7 — A win is a win in the committee’s eyes this week. Georgia moves up thanks to winning its close game in a week where Miami and Ohio State lost.
    6. Tennessee (10-2) LW: 8 — Tennessee assured its spot in the playoff with a win over Vanderbilt. The Volunteers will be in a great position to host a playoff game.
    7. Ohio State (10-2) LW: 2 — Ohio State will still be in the playoffs even with its second loss because of wins over Penn State and Indiana. Those wins keep the Buckeyes over a pair of one-loss teams.
    8. SMU (11-1) LW: 9 — SMU defeated Cal to enter the ACC championship with just one loss.
    9. Indiana (11-1) LW: 10 — Indiana stays behind SMU after a win over a one-win Purdue team.
    10. Boise State (11-1) LW: 11 — Boise State handled business against Oregon State and will rise into the top 10.
    11. South Carolina (9-3) LW: 15 — The order of the rankings from No. 12-14 will be the cause for plenty of debate. South Carolina beat a Clemson team ranked No. 12 last week, while other three-loss SEC teams beat unranked opponents. However, teams like Alabama and Ole Miss defeated the Gamecocks head-to-head. True as that may be, the committee already showed that head-to-head isn’t the end-all factor when the Tide, Rebels, Bulldogs and Vols were all in the top 10 a few weeks ago. The Clemson win pushes the Gamecocks into the playoffs.
    12. Alabama (9-3) LW: 13 — Alabama will be the first team out this week at No. 12 since it’s ranked higher than any Big 12 team. The Tide will need one team to falter to help it make the playoff.
    13. Ole Miss (9-3) LW: 14 — Ole Miss will be ranked 14th by the committee and require conference championship game blowouts to make the playoff.
    14. Miami (FL) (10-2) LW: 6 — Miami lost its second game of the season to Syracuse. The Hurricanes have fewer losses than teams ranked above it, but Miami hasn’t defeated a currently ranked team. The loss to Syracuse knocked Miami from the ACC championship game and the playoff picture.
    15. Arizona State (10-2) LW: 16 — Arizona State dominated Arizona with a spot in the Big 12 championship game on the line. The Sun Devils are just one more win away from a playoff spot.
    16. Iowa State (10-2) LW: 18 — Iowa State won Farmeggedon, holding off Kansas State. The Cyclones can clinch a playoff spot with a win next week.
    17. BYU (10-2) LW: 19 — BYU finishes the regular season with 10 wins but is out of the playoff picture since it won’t play in the Big 12 title game.
    18. Clemson (9-3) LW: 12 — Clemson’s hopes of making the playoff as an at-large team died with a loss to South Carolina, but its hopes of making the playoff revived when Miami’s loss sent it to the ACC Championship Game. Nonetheless, expect Clemson to land outside the top 15 this week.
    19. Missouri (9-3) LW: 21 — Missouri rallied past Arkansas and will move inside the top 20 this week.
    20. UNLV (10-2) LW: 22 — UNLV took down Nevada and will enter the top 20 ahead of a CFP elimination game in the Mountain West title game.
    21. Syracuse (9-3) LW: NR — At 9-3 with a win over a then-top-10 team, Syracuse will enter the rankings this week.
    22. Illinois (9-3) LW: 23 — Illinois defeated Northwestern and will remain ranked this week.
    23. Colorado (9-3) LW: 25 — Colorado moves up after a 52-0 win on Black Friday. Unfortunately, the Buffaloes saw their playoff hopes disappear last week in a loss.
    24. Texas A&M (8-4) LW: 20 — Texas A&M lost to Texas, but the committee will keep the Aggies ranked since Texas is a top-two team.
    25. Army (10-1) LW: NR — I have no idea who the committee will rank in the final spot, but I’ll go with Army since the Black Knights are 10-1 and bounced back from their first loss with a win.

    CFP🏆: College Football Playoff rankings release schedule

    What the bracket could look like

    bracket

    First Teams Out: No. 12 Alabama, No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 14 Miami

    Notable College Football Playoff rankings questions

    How far does Ohio State fall?

    Ohio State lost to an unranked Michigan, but it still has wins over two top-10 teams. The playoff committee already had a pair of two-loss teams ranked above one-loss teams last week. Could a third two-loss team in Ohio State continue the trend?

    LAST WEEK’S RECAP: Michigan stuns No. 2 Ohio State, Georgia wins in 8OT, more from Rivalry Week

    Where are the three-loss SEC teams in comparison to Miami?

    Miami is the other top-10 team to suffer its second loss this week. However, the Hurricanes don’t have nearly the quality wins of a team like Ohio State. Miami likely will fall below a one-loss Boise State team putting it out of the top 10. The next teams outside of the top 10 are all three-loss teams based on last week’s rankings. When comparing resumes, how much the committee will weigh a third loss will determine where Miami lands compared to South Carolina, Alabama and Ole Miss.

    Resume comparison
    Team Rec. LW Rank LW Result Current Ranked Wins Losses
    Miami (FL) 10-2 No. 6 L Syracuse None
    Best win: Louisville
    or Duke    		 Georgia Tech (28-23)
    Syracuse (42-38)
    Alabama 9-3 No. 13 W Auburn Georgia (41-34)
    South Carolina (27-25)
    Missouri (34-0)    		 Vanderbilt (40-35)
    Tennessee (24-17)
    Oklahoma (24-3)
    Ole Miss 9-3 No. 14 W Mississippi State Georgia (28-10)
    South Carolina (27-3)    		 Kentucky (20-17)
    LSU (29-26)
    Florida (24-17)
    South Carolina 9-3 No. 15 W No. 12 Clemson Texas A&M (44-20)
    Missouri (34-30)
    Clemson (17-14)    		 LSU (36-33)
    Ole Miss (27-3)
    Alabama (27-25)

    Is a win over Clemson enough to move South Carolina past teams it lost to?

    South Carolina lost to LSU in a controversial 36-33 finish, lost to Ole Miss in a 27-3 rout and lost to Alabama 27-25 in a close one. That’s two losses to two teams ranked right in front of the Gamecocks. However, South Carolina was the only team to beat a ranked team this week. Will that be enough to make the Gamecocks the last team in?

    Michigan stuns No. 2 Ohio State, Syracuse upsets No. 6 Miami, more from Rivalry Week

    Recapping Rivalry Week’s college football action that saw No. 7 Georgia escape Georgia Tech in 8OT, Michigan upset No. 2 Ohio State and Syracuse remove No. 6 Miami from the ACC title game.

    READ MORE

    2024-25 FCS National Championship Game: Date, time, TV channel, history

    Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024-25 FCS Championship Game.

    READ MORE

    Lafayette-Lehigh football: Memorable moments, all-time history

    It’s been more than 135 years since the first Lafayette vs. Lehigh football game. Here are key moments from their rivalry and an all-time history of the series.

    READ MORE



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  • Preece Power Poll: State prep football finalists earned top spots in final power rankings | News, Sports, Jobs

    Preece Power Poll: State prep football finalists earned top spots in final power rankings | News, Sports, Jobs

    1 / 5

    Lone Peak players run onto the field before the 6A championship game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024.

    Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

    2 / 5

    Timpview junior Jaron Pula runs the ball up the field during the 5A semifinal against Roy at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024.

    Brian Wolfer, Special to the Herald

    3 / 5

    Spanish Fork senior Brock Jacobson (left) celebrates scoring the game-winning TD during the 4A semifinal game against Ridgeline at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024.

    Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald

    4 / 5

    Zaeden Selu of Skyridge (4) runs the football against Lone Peak in a 6A semifinal game at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024.

    Harold Mitchell, Special to the Herald

    5 / 5

    Lehi defenders make a tackle during the 6A semifinal game against Corner Canyon at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024.

    Jared Lloyd, Daily Herald


    Prep football expert Brian Preece ranks all 115 programs that play football in the Beehive State (Utah Valley teams in bold, area teams in italics):

    Rank/School/Record/Previous Rank (Change)/Note

    1. Corner Canyon (6A) 13-1 1 (NC) Chargers repeat as 6A state champions

    2. Lone Peak (6A) 11-3 3 (+1) Knights just fall short in 6A title game

    3. Skyridge (6A) 10-3 2 (-1) Falcons lose to rival Lone Peak in 6A semifinals

    4. Lehi (6A) 9-3 5 (+1) Pioneer season ends in heartbreaking fashion

    5. Morgan (3A) 13-0 6 (+1) Trojans only undefeated team in Utah in 2024

    6. Bountiful (5A) 13-1 8 (+2) Redhawks claim 5A title

    7. Roy (5A) 12-2 9 (+2) Royals two losses were to rival Bountiful

    8. Timpview (5A) 8-3 4 (-4) Thunderbirds fell to Roy in 5A semifinals

    9. Brighton (5A) 11-2 12 (+3) Bengals made 5A semifinals

    10. Orem (5A) 9-3 10 (NC) Tigers dropped by Timpview in 5A quarterfinals

    11. Maple Mountain (5A) 8-3 13 (+2) Golden Eagles pushed Bountiful in 4A playoff game

    12. Crimson Cliffs (4A) 12-2 20 (+8) Mustangs make historic comeback to win 4A title

    13. Spanish Fork (4A) 11-3 15 (+2) Dons lose heartbreaking 4A championship final

    14. Olympus (5A) 7-4 11 (-3) Titans lose rematch to Brighton in 5A quarterfinals

    15. Ridgeline (4A) 12-1 7 (-8) Spanish Fork gave RiverHawks only loss

    16. Richfield (3A) 12-1 19 (+3) 25-game winning streak snapped by Morgan

    17. Green Canyon (4A) 8-3 21 (+4) Wolves gave Crimson Cliffs a scare in 5A quarterfinals

    18. Sky View (4A) 8-5 33 (+15) Bobcats upset Provo in 4A quarterfinals

    19. Provo (4A) 8-3 14 (-5) Bulldogs win Region 8 title but fall at home in playoffs

    20. American Fork (6A) 5-7 18 (-2) Cavemen upset No. 5 seed in 6A tournament

    21. Park City (4A) 10-2 16 (-5) Miners have good year with just two losses

    22. Viewmont (5A) 8-4 32 (+10) Vikings gave Bountiful its only loss in 2024

    23. West (5A) 6-6 18 (-5) Lost a lot of close games in 2024

    24. Farmington (6A) 5-6 22 (-2) The Phoenix rose from the ashes in second half of year

    25. Fremont (6A) 8-4 23 (-2) Season ended by Skyridge in 6A quarterfinals

    26. Davis (6A) 8-4 24 (-2) Darts started better than they finished

    27. Stansbury (4A) 8-4 27 (NC) Stallions won Region 10 title.

    28. Weber (6A) 7-5 35 (+7) Warriors had nice playoff win against Bingham

    29. Northridge (5A) 7-5 31 (+2) Knights gave Maple Mountain a scare in 5A playoffs

    30. Mountain Crest (4A) 7-4 34 (+4) Mustangs had solid season

    31. Desert Hills (4A) 7-4 36 (+5) Thunder have solid but not spectacular year

    32. East (5A) 6-6 28 (-4) Leopard season never got any traction

    33. Bingham (6A) 5-6 25 (-8) 2024 campaign not up to Miner standards

    34. Mountain Ridge (6A) 5-6 26 (-8) Sentinels were hoping for more in 2024

    35. Woods Cross (5A) 7-5 30 (-5) Wildcats eliminated in 5A second round by Olympus

    36. Springville (5A) 6-6 29 (-7) Red Devils took some tough losses in league play

    37. Riverton (6A) 3-8 45 (+8) Silverwolves gave Skyridge a serious scare in playoffs

    38. Syracuse (6A) 5-6 37 (-1) Titans fell to rival Fremont in 6A second round

    39. Beaver (1A) 12-1 42 (+3) Beavers win third consecutive 1A state title

    40. Alta (5A) 5-7 57 (+17) Hawks defeated in 5A second round by 5A champs

    41. Herriman (6A) 3-8 39 (-2) Mustangs better than their record would indicate

    42. Grantsville (3A) 9-3 44 (+1) Cowboys lost in 3A semifinals to Richfield

    43. Salem Hills (4A) 6-5 38 (-5) Skyhawks fell to rival Spanish Fork in 5A second round

    44. Manti (3A) 8-4 64 (+20) Templars played Morgan real tough in 3A semifinals

    45. Westlake (6A) 3-9 50 (+5) Thunder manage to win a 6A playoff game

    46. Uintah (4A) 8-4 43 (-3) Utes have good year and win playoff game

    47. Wasatch (5A) 3-8 52 (+5) Wasps upset West Jordan in 5A playoffs

    48. San Juan (2A) 11-2 56 (+8) Broncos win fourth straight 2A state title

    49. Dixie (4A) 4-7 53 (+4) Flyers upset Pine View, lose to Provo in playoffs

    50. Layton (6A) 4-7 46 (-4) After early success, six straight losses

    51. West Jordan (5A) 6-5 47 (-4) Jaguars won league title but had short playoff run

    52. Pleasant Grove (6A) 1-10 51 (-1) Rough season but Vikings nearly won playoff game

    53. Granger (5A) 6-6 60 (+7) Lancers won some games this year

    54. Juan Diego (3A) 6-6 69 (+15) Soaring Eagles gave Richfield a test in playoffs

    55. Box Elder (5A) 4-7 48 (-7) Lost close one to Granger in 5A first round

    56. Hurricane (4A) 5-7 54 (-2) Tigers show improvement over past few seasons

    57. Cedar Valley (5A) 3-8 55 (-2) Aviators mostly grounded in tough Region 7

    58. Bear River (4A) 4-8 70 (+12) Bears picked up nice playoff win over Timpanogos

    59. Timpanogos (4A) 6-5 40 (-19) Timpanogos struggled in second half of season

    60. Emery (2A) 9-3 62 (+2) Two of their losses were to 2A champs San Juan

    61. Snow Canyon (4A) 4-8 66 (+5) Not a great year but won a playoff game

    62. Bonneville (5A) 3-8 49 (-13) Lakers take a step back in 2024

    63. Highland (5A) 3-7 58 (-5) Early season wins then region struggles

    64. Juab (3A) 6-5 61 (-3) After beating Manti Wasps lost to them the next game

    65. Layton Christian (2A) 6-4 68 (+3) Not allowed to compete in playoffs

    66. Kanab (1A) 9-4 83 (+17) Cowboys finished strong and took second in 1A

    67. North Summit (1A) 11-1 41 (-26) Braves were upset by Kanab in 1A semifinals

    68. Ogden (3A) 7-4 71 (+3) Tigers had solid season

    69. Milford (1A) 8-4 84 (+15) Played Beaver tough twice in 1A gridiron wars

    70. Pine View (4A) 4-6 67 (-3) Panther season ended in loss to archrival Dixie

    71. Cedar City (4A) 4-7 59 (-12) Reds had tough time in league play

    72. Copper Hills (6A) 3-8 65 (-7) Like most years, wins come early, losses come late

    73. Hunter (5A) 4-7 73 (NC) Three of four wins came in league play

    74. Taylorsville (5A) 4-7 75 (+1) Early season successes weren’t sustained

    75. Murray (4A) 6-5 63 (-12) Spartans derailed by Snow Canyon in 4A playoffs

    76. Canyon View (3A) 6-6 72 (-4) Falcons win some, lose some

    77. Tooele (4A) 4-7 74 (-3) Buffs season ends at Salem Hills

    78. North Sanpete (3A) 3-8 80 (+2) Generally a rough season for the Hawks

    79. Delta (2A) 5-7 81 (+2) Rabbits scurried to 2A semifinal appearance

    80. Jordan (4A) 3-8 78 (-2) Beetdiggers trying to fight back to respectability

    81. Mountain View (4A) 3-8 77 (-4) Rough second half of season for Bruins

    82. West Field (4A) 1-10 78 (-4) Things should get better in 2025 for the Longhorns

    83. Logan (4A) 2-8 79 (-4) Grizzlies didn’t make RPI cut for 4A playoffs

    84. Payson (4A) 1-9 82 (-2) Lions missed playoffs

    85. Clearfield (5A) 1-9 86 (+1) Another tough year for Falcon program

    86. Rich (8-man) 10-3 88 (+2) 8-man state champs can win 11-man games too

    87. Duchesne (1A) 5-6 87 (NC) 2024 season not as good as others in recent years

    88. Skyline (5A) 1-10 89 (+1) 10 losses most in program history

    89. Summit Academy (2A) 6-6 90 (+1) Bears win playoff game

    90. South Sevier (2A) 5-6 85 (-5) Rams lost to Summit Academy in playoffs

    91. South Summit (2A) 4-7 92 (+1) Wildcats had a better second half of season

    92. Millard (1A) 4-7 91 (-1) 1A division was tough this year and Eagles suffered

    93. Carbon (3A) 3-8 94 (+1) Program actually making incremental improvements

    94. North Sevier (1A) 5-7 97 (+3) Wolves put together some wins in 2024 season

    95. Judge Memorial (2A) 4-8 98 (+3) Not exactly where proud program wants to be

    96. ALA (2A) 5-6 99 (+3) Eagles win 2A playoff game

    97. Cyprus (5A) 1-10 93 (-4) Pirates miss playoffs for second straight season

    98. Enterprise (1A) 2-9 95 (-3) Wolves took a step back after great season in 2023

    99. Monticello (8-man) 8-4 101 (+2) Buckaroos win silver trophy in 8-man tournament

    100. Union (3A) 2-9 101 (+1) Cougar program usually better than 2024 record

    101. Hillcrest (4A) 1-9 102 (+1) Huskies did beat Cottonwood, otherwise futile

    102. Kearns (5A) 0-10 96 (-6) A year to forget for winless Cougars

    103. Cottonwood (4A) 0-10 103 (NC) Missing playoffs probably a good thing for the Colts

    104. Parowan (1A) 2-9 104 (NC) Rams had a tough year

    105. Grand (2A) 1-10 105 (NC) Rough season for the Red Devils

    106. Altamont (8-man) 6-5 106 (NC) Longhorn program thriving in 8-man football

    107. Water Canyon (8-man) 6-6 107 (NC) Wildcats make semifinals

    108. St. Joseph (8-man) 5-5 108 (NC) Jayhawk program getting better and better

    109. Ben Lomond (3A) 0-10 109 (NC) Rough times continue for Scot faithful

    110. Whitehorse (8-man) 4-5 110 (NC) Raiders put together some wins this season

    111. Gunnison (1A) 0-9 111 (NC) Bulldogs had winless campaign in 2024

    112. Providence Hall (2A) 0-11 112 (NC) Only team in Utah to lose 11 games

    113. UMA-Hillfield (8-man) 2-5 113 (NC) Bettered UMA-Camp Williams in 2024

    114. UMA-CW (8-man) 2-7 114 (NC) Beat Monument Valley in back-to-back games

    115. Monument Valley (8-man) 0-7 115 (NC) Cougars went winless in 2024 campaign

    (NC) = No Change since the last rankings done prior to the playoffs starting

    Utah County Rankings: 1. Lone Peak #2 2. Skyridge #2 3. Lehi #4 4. Timpview #8 5. Orem #10 6. Maple Mountain #11 7. Spanish Fork #13 8. Provo #19 9. American Fork #20 10. Springville #36 11. Salem Hills #43 12. Westlake #45 13. Pleasant Grove #52 14. Cedar Valley #57 15. Timpanogos #59 16. Mountain View #81 17. Payson #84 18. ALA #96 19. UMA-Camp Williams #114.

    Notes: For the first time since 2016, no team from Utah County won a state title but it was still a great year for Utah County teams as they went 62-44 against teams outside the valley. Lone Peak and Spanish Fork finished just short of their ultimate goal by three and two points respectively. So close. But Utah County was definitely the dominant county in the state again with a total of five programs in the top 10 and a total of nine in the top 20 in the Preece Power Poll (PPP). 6A Region 3 was particularly dominant, producing three of the four 6A semifinalists and five of the eight teams in the quarterfinals.

    Corner Canyon is definitely deserving of the top spot again in the PPP. And the Chargers did face some major adversity losing its starting quarterback Helaman Casuga and their star running back Bryton Brady during the season. But for Corner Canyon it was “next man up”, or in reality in the running back department, “next men up” as the Chargers showed off their incredible depth avenging their only loss on the season by downing Lone Peak 30-27 in a well-played 6A final. Corner head coach Eric Kjar won his fifth state title at the school, sixth overall, and the victory over Lone Peak was his 100th in his career with the Charger program.

    6A provided the top four teams in the PPP but it could be argued from top to bottom that perhaps the 5A classification was deeper. The 5A classification has seven teams in the top 20 while 6A has five. And Region 1 champion Farmington didn’t even have a winning record this year.

    4A was the chaotic classification. Crimson Cliffs will carry a 12-game winning streak into next year but the Mustangs were actually beaten up by eventual 3A champion Morgan, 41-13. Spanish Fork, the other finalist, lost to Provo 46-42 and also to 5A Maple Mountain. But the Dons certainly had the Mustangs on the ropes. Provo’s only losses were to 5A teams Brighton and Olympus and then being upset by Sky View in the quarterfinals. Green Canyon gave Crimson Cliffs all it wanted down in St. George, falling 28-25. And why the Wolves are ranked ahead of Sky View who made the semifinals is they beat the Bobcats head-to-head and played the eventual champs much closer. Park City lost just twice this year, once to Stansbury in region play and then a close one to Spanish Fork in the quarterfinals, 30-24.

    As one can see it was a razor’s thin edge from winning the title or not even making it to the semifinals, so it wasn’t surprising the epic 4A championship game between Crimson Cliffs and Spanish Fork needed extra football for the Mustangs to eventually prevail 57-55 in triple overtime. Crimson Cliffs also pulled off the biggest comeback in state history when it overcame a 21-point fourth quarter deficit to force overtime. The previous was a 20 point deficit overcome by San Juan in 1998 when it came back to defeat South Summit for the 2A title.

    If the No. 5 PPP ranking for Morgan seems shocking, well, it shouldn’t be. The 3A Trojans beat two of the 4A semifinalists (Crimson Cliffs and Sky View), and beat them up badly. Morgan beat the 2-time 4A champs 41-13 and then shutout Sky View 34-0 in successive weeks. The Trojans were the only undefeated team in the state this year and they snapped Richfield’s 25-game winning streak by beating the Wildcats 13-2 in the championship final.

    2A was a pretty weak classification this year. Since Layton Christian couldn’t compete in the state tournament only San Juan and Emery actually had winning records, and the Broncos easily took state. San Juan beat everyone so handily, including Emery, that the running clock came into play.

    In 1A, Beaver didn’t get to avenge its only loss to North Summit as the Braves were beat by Kanab in the semifinals. But the Beavers downed Kanab to win the title. 1A was much better than 2A from top to bottom and provided its fans a great tournament.

    It looks like 8-man football will expand to 12 programs next year as Panguitch will start up a program and Milford, due to low numbers, will go from 1A to 8-man level. The Utah School for the Deaf and Blind looks to have a program again in 2025. Rich again won the state tournament and put together a 10-win season with most of their wins coming in traditional 11-player football.

    It should be noted that In five of the seven classifications, schools repeated as state champions.

    RPI and PPP much closer aligned in 2024: The RPI seeds for the playoffs were generally pretty tight. Though the formula for RPI seeding hasn’t changed, perhaps coaches have figured out how to best augment their RPI ranking but also prepare for state competition when scheduling.

    In 6A, both the RPI and PPP predicted the top four teams. The only discrepancy was the PPP saw American Fork as the fifth best team in 6A and the Cavemen were seeded No. 12. American Fork then defeated No. 5 seed Farmington 21-17 in a second round game.

    In the 5A, the PPP saw Timpview as the top team but the RPI seeded the Thunderbirds No. 4, which proved to be a good seeding as No. 1 Roy knocked off the defending champs 29-19 in the semifinals. The PPP did rank Bountiful ahead of Roy and the No. 2 seed Redhawks defeated Roy for the state title 42-25, the very identical score they beat them in the regular season. The PPP would have had Roy and Bountiful meeting in one semifinal and Timpview vs. Brighton in the other based on its poll going into the tournaments, so the RPI got this one right.

    In 4A, the PPP and RPI had similar views on the seeds and were a tad off. Both saw Ridgeline as the team to beat but the RiverHawks lost to Spanish Fork in the semifinals. The PPP had the Dons as the third best 4A team going into the tournament behind Ridgeline who they beat and Provo, the latter ended up getting upset by Sky View. Crimson Cliffs, the No. 3 seed, but No. 5 in the PPP, ended up taking state going through Sky View in the semifinals.

    In 3A and 2A, the PPP were pretty much exactly the same as both saw Morgan and San Juan taking state respectively which they did.

    In 1A, based on North Summit’s win earlier in the season over Beaver, the PPP put the Braves as the team to beat, while the RPI had Beaver as the top seed. The Beavers did take state but over No. 3 seed Kanab, who upset North Summit.

    In the 8-man tournament both the RPI and PPP predicted/seeded the same outcome, Rich defeating Monticello for the championship and Altamont and Water Canyon as semifinalists.

    Your weird factoid: Usually only the state champions will carry winning streaks into the next season. But so will Layton Christian and Cyprus. Layton Christian was not allowed to compete in the 2A playoffs because of their use of foreign exchange players but went 6-4 and defeated Summit Academy in its last game. Cyprus, who went 1-9, won its last game of the season against Taylorsville but didn’t qualify for the 5A playoffs due to its poor RPI rating.

    Biggest Climbers in the Final Poll: The last PPP was before the playoffs started and Manti made the biggest move surging up 20 positions. The Templars made the 3A semifinals and really gave Morgan a good test before losing by 14 points. Kanab, with its big upset of North Summit, moved up 17 spots while its 1A rival Milford improved 15 positions. Alta also sprung forward 17 spots. Juan Diego also jumped up 15 positions, as did Sky View thanks to its upset win over Provo in the 4A quarterfinals. Westlake led Utah County, improving five spots.

    Biggest Decliners in the Final Poll: It was up and down for North Summit, who made the biggest gain from the mid-season poll to the playoff poll, but slipped the most from playoff poll to the final poll losing 26 positions. Timpanogos had a rough end of its season including being upset in the first round of the 4A playoffs and slipped 19 spots to lead the valley. Also seeing significant slippage was Bonneville (13 spots), Cedar City (12 spots) and Murray (12 spots).

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  • Fantasy Football Week 12 Defense (DST) Rankings and Streamers

    Fantasy Football Week 12 Defense (DST) Rankings and Streamers

    Overall on the week just four defenses finished with double-digit point totals. They also just happened to be four defenses that we had inside our top eight, which feels good. However, it does mean that it was not a great week for streamers and another week that seems to suggest that just rolling out a strong defense, even in a bad matchup, is preferable to continuing to try and play the wire week in and week out.

    Despite all of that, we had a pretty good week with seven of the top 10 defenses predicted correctly. A few of those slipped in with just seven or eight points on the week, but that was enough in a down week like this. We did miss on the Washington Commanders, who weren’t able to get anything going against the Eagles. We also missed as the Dolphins didn’t deliver in a streaming spot against the Raiders, and the Browns put up no fight against the Saints. It seems clear that I need to stop counting out the Saints’ offense despite having no healthy wide receivers. Taysom Hill is all they need.

    Don’t miss episodes of Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry and Rotoworld Football Show all season long for the latest player news, waiver wire help, start/sit advice, and much more.

    As a final reminder, what you’ll get each week in this article is not just my rankings but also my thoughts on why teams are ranked how they are. Tier One will be my “elite” plays of the week. Tier Two will be plays that I consider strong, while Tier Three will almost always be borderline top-10 plays. Those are either good defenses in bad matchups or mediocre defenses in good matchups. Tier Four will be deep-league targets, and Tier Five will be defenses that nobody should be playing that particular week.

    Each week, I’ll keep track of how many Top-10 defenses I correctly called, so we can all see how accurate the BOD (Best Overall Defense) rankings are.

    2024 SEASON SUCCESS RATE (Percentage of top 10 defenses correctly predicted)

    WEEK 11: 7-3

    SEASON-LONG: 61-49 (55.5%)

    BOD Formula and Philosophy

    If you’ve read my earlier articles then you know that I value defenses that get pressure on the quarterback and create turnover opportunities, which is likely what most people value. However, that means I look at underlying metrics and try to value the quality of the defense over simply saying, “Who is playing a bad offense?” While opponents factor into my rankings, I don’t want to elevate a bad or mediocre defense simply because of a matchup.

    To do that, I’ve utilized the following formula:

    ((PFF PASS RUSH PRODUCTION x 2) + FORCED INCOMPLETE RATE + TACKLES FOR LOSS/GAME + (TURNOVER RATE x 2))

    DIVIDED BY

    (EPA RATE ALLOWED + OPPONENT SCORING RATE X 1.5)

    With all of that out of the way, how do these defenses rank for Week 12?

    WEEK 12
    Rank Tier One DSTs Opponent BOD
    RANKING
    1 Minnesota Vikings at CHI 2
    2 Houston Texans vs TEN 6
    3 Pittsburgh Steelers at CLE 11
    4 Denver Broncos at LV 10
    5 Washington Commanders vs DAL 9
    6 Detroit Lions at IND 1

    Yes, there are six defenses in tier one, but I truly believe there’s a solid case for any of these teams to be the number one play on the week.

    The Vikings have yet another week in Tier One. They are averaging 9.4 fantasy points over the last six weeks and get a strong matchup against a Bears offense that has been floundering and is down three starting offensive linemen. Over the last two months, the Vikings are 2nd in turnover rate, 3rd in opponent’s scoring rate, and 15th in PFF’s pass rush productivity grade. Their secondary has been giving up big plays and they rank dead last in forced incompletion rate, which gives us slightly pause but the Bears passing attack hasn’t been able to get anything going down the field so I’m not too worried for this week. I think Brian Flores’ scheme is going to eat up Caleb Williams, and so I’m happy to roll the Vikings out this week.

    The Texans are in another good spot against a poor Titans offense that has given up the most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses on the season. Yes, they have played a little bit better with Will Levis under center the last two games, but they did allow 11 fantasy points to the Vikings this past weekend, so it’s still a matchup we like to take advantage of. Over the last two months, the Texans are 5th in turnover rate, 5th in opponent’s scoring rate, and are averaging 8.6 fantasy points per game. Will Anderson is still not back which has taken a bit of teeth out of the pass rush, but this Titans offensive line has struggled this season, so I’m content to fire up the Texans yet again.

    The Steelers were one of just four defenses this past week that put up a double-digit score, which is all the more shocking since they did it against a Ravens offense that had given up the fewest points per game to opposing defenses. I had thought of the Steelers as a safe floor play in all weeks, but them doing that to the Ravens has to make you consider their upside every week. Over the last two months, the Steelers rank 4th in turnover rate, 6th in tackles for a loss or no gain per game, and 8th in opponent’s scoring rate. Jameis Winston has given the Browns a little bit more juice, but they’re still prone to turnovers and allowing fantasy value for opposing defenses, which makes the Steelers a solid play here on Thursday night.

    The Broncos finished last week as the 2nd highest-scoring defense in fantasy and that was against a Falcons offense that had allowed the 13th-fewest fantasy points to opposing defenses coming into the game. The Broncos are 6th in pass rush productivity rate, 7th in opponent’s scoring rate, and 6th in explosive play rate allowed. They now get to face a Raiders offense that has given up the most fantasy points to opposing defenses since Davante Adams was “injured” and then traded away. There’s a strong argument the Broncos could be ranked higher but they’ve averaged just 7.5 fantasy points per game over the last six weeks, so it gives me a little pause when I think of rankings them over the three defenses ahead of them.

    The Commanders let me down last week, but the Eagles are a far tougher opponent than this iteration of the Cowboys that just allowed 19 fantasy points to the Texans on Monday Night Football. Over the last two months, the Commanders are 4th in pass rush productivity grade, 6th in opponent’s scoring rate, and 13th in turnover rate. They have a tendency to give up some big plays because their secondary has some cracks, but they might get Marshon Lattimore onto the field this week, and the Cowboys with either Cooper Rush or Trey Lance under center don’t seem likely to threaten the Commanders much down the field.

    You’re not going to be shocked that the Lions are up here since they were my top defense last week as well. Over the last two months, the Lions are 1st in turnover rate, 4th in opponent’s scoring rate, 12th in pass rush productivity grade, and 13th in forced incompletion rate. The Colts are not a smash-spot opponent with Anthony Richardson under center. He has struggled to complete passes in the short and intermediate areas and that has led to a couple of good weeks for fantasy defenses against him, but teams are averaging six six fantasy points per game when Richardson starts under center. That’s not usually a total we want to target, but the Lions have averaged 11.5 fantasy points per game over the last six weeks, so it’s hard to even think about taking them out of your lineup.

    Rank Tier Two DSTs BOD
    RANKING
    7 Chicago Bears vs MIN 7
    8 Philadelphia Eagles at LAR 3
    9 Los Angeles Rams vs PHI 5

    The Bears have been showing a few chinks in the armor over the last six weeks, averaging only 5.4 fantasy points per game. That’s obviously not ideal for our purposes but over the last two months, they do rank 4th in pass rush productivity rate, 8th in turnover rate, and 11th in forced incompletion rate, which we like to see. On the other hand, rank 15th in explosive play rate allowed and 17th in opponent’s scoring rate, which is likely why the fantasy points haven’t translated. That does give me a little bit of concern because this Vikings offense can certainly hit on big plays down the field, but the Vikings have also had some sack and turnover issues, so I can see the Bears sneaking into the top 10.

    Both the Eagles and Rams have been tremendous fantasy defenses of late. The Eagles have averaged 10.8 fantasy points over the last six weeks and the Rams have put up 12.2 fantasy points per game. They both rank outside the top 15 in pass rush productivity rate but they’re both in the top ten in forced incompletion rate and turnover rate. The Eagles have allowed fewer points, and their offense has been harder to accumulate points again of late, so I give them the slight edge here, but I can see both as top 10 options this week.

    Rank Tier Three DSTs BOD
    RANKING
    10 Kansas City Chiefs at CAR 14
    11 Tampa Bay Bucs at NYG 23
    12 San Francisco 49ers at GB 8
    13 Arizona Cardinals at SEA 24
    14 Los Angeles Chargers vs BAL 4

    The Chiefs defense gave up 30 points to the Bills on Sunday and are only averaging 4.8 fantasy points per game over the last six weeks. We know they’re a solid real-life defense, but their production hasn’t consistently translated over to fantasy points. They do rank 13th in pass rush productivity rate, but the Panthers have a solid offensive line and are actually 6th in the NFL in sack rate allowed. The Chiefs are 9th in opponent’s scoring rate, so we should feel good about them keeping the Panthers out of the end zone; I’m just not sure we can count on them for tons of turnovers or sacks even though they’ll be coming into this game fired up after taking their first loss last weekend.

    The Bucs are in a great spot against a Giants offense that will be led by Tommy DeVito; however, the Bucs are also my 23rd-ranked defense over the last two months, so we’re going to have to decide just how much we’re ready to trust them. The Giants will still have Malik Nabers and Tyrone Tracy Jr., and this is a Bucs defense that ranks 10th in pass rush productivity rate, 14th in turnover rate, and 26th in opponent’s scoring rate over the last six weeks. That pass rush grade is what stands out to me because the Giants’ offensive line has had issues since Andrew Thomas went down with an injury. I think that’s where the Bucs can do some damage in Week 12, and I don’t see the Giants really being an offense to take advantage of Tampa’s leaky secondary.

    The 49ers have consistently failed to live up to expectations this year. They’ve battled multiple injuries, but even with Christian McCaffrey back, the 49ers lost this weekend and barely survived against the Bucs two weeks ago. Nick Bosa is now apparently dealing with multiple oblique injuries, and the defense has averaged just 5.6 fantasy points per game over the last six weeks. The Packers matchup is an average one, but the 49ers feel like a slightly above-average defense right now, so I don’t feel great about rolling them out there in shallower formats.

    The Cardinals have been solid of late, averaging 7.2 fantasy points per game over the last six weeks. That’s not an elite number, but it’s solid enough when you consider that the Seahawks give up the 7th-most fantasy points per game to opposing defenses on the season, so that isn’t just limited to a recent stint without DK Metcalf. Seattle is 18th in turnover rate and 22nd in sack rate allowed, so this is an offense you can take advantage of for fantasy success. The Cardinals are 16th in pass rush productivity rate and 12th in turnover rate over the last two months, so they’re a slightly above-average defense facing an offense that has allowed fantasy success and that could make the Cardinals a sleeper pick for Week 12.

    The Chargers aren’t in a good spot against the Ravens, but we just saw the Steelers deliver against the Ravens this past weekend. Over the last two months, the Chargers are 1st in forced incompletion rate, 2nd in opponent’s scoring rate, and 9th in pass rush productivity rate so this could be a low-scoring game that allows the Chargers to put up 5-7 fantasy points and make them a safe floor play in deeper formats.

    Rank Tier Four DSTs BOD
    RANKING
    15 Cleveland Browns vs PIT 12
    16 Indianapolis Colts vs DET 15
    17 Miami Dolphins vs NE 27
    18 Green Bay Packers vs SF 19
    19 Baltimore Ravens at LAC 16
    20 New England Patriots at MIA 26
    21 Tennessee Titans at HOU 22

    Nothing here really tempts me. The Browns and Ravens are in bad spots against offenses that don’t give up a lot of fantasy points to opposing defenses, the Packers have been slipping and are in a tough spot against the 49ers, and the Patriots have been a much better offense with Drake Maye under center so I can’t get behind playing the Dolphins after they didn’t deliver against the Raiders.

    Rank Tier Five DSTs BOD
    RANKING
    22 New York Giants vs TB 17
    23 Seattle Seahawks vs ARI 21
    24 Las Vegas Raiders vs DEN 30
    25 Carolina Panthers vs KC 32
    26 Dallas Cowboys at WAS 28
    27 Buffalo Bills BYE 13
    28 Cincinnati Bengals BYE 18
    29 New Orleans Saints BYE 25
    30 New York Jets BYE 20
    31 Atlanta Falcons BYE 31
    32 Jacksonville Jaguars BYE 29

    Tier 5 each week will be defenses that I don’t think anybody should play outside of the deepest formats.



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  • The final DII football Power 10 rankings before the postseason begins

    The final DII football Power 10 rankings before the postseason begins

    The DII football regular season is officially in the books. Conference champions were crowned and Ferris State kept winning, leading to just some slight changes in the DII football Power 10 rankings as the selection show nears (you can watch Sunday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. ET on NCAA.com).

    If you have been paying attention to my bracket projections, you’ll notice with CSU Pueblo leaping up yet another spot this week, all four projected No. 1 seeds are in the top 5 of the Power 10. Keep in mind, while that sounds like a no-brainer, it is not always the case with how deep Super Region Two and Three tend to run. In a season like few others, where upsets ran rampant and we had four different No. 1 teams in a span of four weeks, we are truly seeing some dominating football teams this year.

    DII FOOTBALL NEWS

    🏆 Potential Harlon Hill winners
    🏟 Former DII stars on NFL rosters
    🏈 Most championships in DII football history

    Before we get to the new-look Power 10, remember, these are my rankings. There is no committee or voting body coming up with these teams, just my spreadsheets, notes from coaches and a lot of deep diving into rosters and stats. I try to blend selection committee metrics — like strength of schedule, in-region record and PI — along with what I am seeing for an overall look at the landscape of DII football’s top teams. I try to explain why I make my choices in the article below. This will also be the final Power 10 rankings until after the championship game.

    The DII football Power 10: Week 12

    No. 1 Ferris State | Previous: 1. The Bulldogs took down Davenport and improved to 4-1 against teams with a plus-.500 record. They also had a win against Ashland earlier in the season, which may have played its way into the tournament this past Saturday. The Bulldogs have a top-10 scoring defense in DII and despite a lopsided loss on opening day to Pittsburg State, have yet to lose since and are rolling into what should be the first-round bye in Super Region Three.

    No. 2 Grand Valley State | Previous: 2. I know I’m higher on the Lakers than the other polls, but the only blemish on their record is a loss to the No. 1 team in DII football. The Lakers went 5-1 against teams with a winning record and similarly to their GLIAC foe, have a top-10 scoring defense. If my bracket projections are correct, the Lakers will have a host seed and home-field advantage for the first couple of rounds. Lubbers Stadium in November is not a fun place for opponents to play.

    No. 3 Valdosta State | Previous: 3. The Blazers have played one close football game this entire season, and that was an eight-point victory back on Oct. 12. The Blazers have outscored its opponents 431 to 91 behind a top-5 scoring offense (fifth at 44.8 points per game) and top-5 scoring defense (No. 5 at 9.1 points per game allowed). Defeating Delta State and West Florida by a combined 50 points to close the season was the exclamation point to yet another undefeated regular-season run. 

    No. 4 Kutztown | Previous: 4. The Golden Bears ran the table in 2024 and their only loss since Sept. 16, 2023, is in the national semifinals. My projections have Kutztown in the No. 1 spot for Super Region One and we should all hope we get a Charleston (WV) vs. Kutztown matchup down the road. That would pit the Golden Bears’ No. 2 defense in DII against one of the most explosive offenses in the division. Kutztown goes as far as its defense takes it.

    No. 5 CSU Pueblo | Previous: 6. The ThunderWolves won their first RMAC title since 2014. Do you know what happened then? If you guessed the ThunderWolves won the national championship, give yourself a pat on the back. This team is cruising, and even when it faced adversity this past weekend — trailing 21-7 at the half — they showed they had no fear and came storming back with a 24-0 third quarter. This team has plenty of signature wins, the No. 1 scoring offense in the RMAC at 41.7 points, Howard Russell V and Reggie Retzlaff give them two superstars on offense and run an aggressive defense that can turn the tide of a game on a single drive. 

    No. 6 Harding | Previous: 5. The Bisons ran for 433 yards and seven touchdowns in yet another lopsided victory. They have the top scoring offense and defense in DII football and have run for an absurd 4,174 yards and 53 touchdowns. Their lone loss in the last two seasons was a tightly contested battle a few weeks back against Ouachita Baptist. Super Region Three is a gauntlet, and if my projections are right, Harding will be on the road, so being able to control the tempo and clock with that flexbone offense and stingy defense could get the Bisons back to the semifinals. 

    No. 7 Charleston (WV) | Previous: 7. While this offense is technically the fifth-best in DII statistically, I think it may very well be the most explosive in DII. Chavon Wright tied the single-season rushing touchdown record with 37 behind a 2,000-yard campaign, but in the last two weeks, quarterback Ean Hamric has been dynamite, throwing for 434 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions, while rushing for two additional scores. If this defense can slow down Kutztown — which the two should very likely meet — they are heading to the semifinals.

    No. 8 Central Oklahoma | Previous: 9. So, here’s where it gets dicey. The Bronchos lost to Pittsburg State, so in the regional rankings, that gives the Gorillas the edge. However, in the Power 10 rankings, the MIAA champs — the first time the Bronchos have won the MIAA, mind you — have the edge. They defeated an Emporia State team that was in the playoff hunt to close the season and, if Charleston (WV) isn’t the best offense in the land, then the Bronchos are. In a tricky Super Region Three, where six of the top seven are right here inside the Power 10, it will be interesting to see how that offense handles some of the best defenses in all DII football.

    No.  9 Pittsburg State | Previous: 8. How about the day for Luke Niggemann who had a pair of rushing touchdowns and scored on a blocked punt in the Gorillas 23-7 win over Northwest Missouri State? This team has a lot of balance on both sides of the ball, so don’t be fooled if no one stands out statistically because everyone carries the load. If my projections are correct and Pittsburg State has earned another host seed at No. 3, that is a huge advantage for the Gorillas who has won each of its postseason home games in the past two seasons. 

    No. 10 Ouachita Baptist| Previous: First five out. The Tigers closed the season in the Battle of the Ravine with a much-needed win over Henderson State, eliminating the Reddies’ slim hopes of a postseason berth. This spot was close between the Tigers and Western Colorado, but the Tigers are undefeated against teams with a winning record, have a higher strength of schedule, and a higher KPI, so this is a spot where I leaned on the metrics. My projections have the Tigers with a host seed, but we shall see how that plays out. 

    First five (ish) out (in alphabetical order):

    • Augustana (SD): The Vikings lost to Bemidji State, but the Beavers are now a tournament team. It hurts, but not enough to take the Vikings out of the equation.
    • UIndy: The Greyhounds are 10-1 and make it seven out of seven for my projected Super Region Three teams in the Power 10 conversation. Finishing the season by scoring at least 52 points in each of their last three games helps. 
    • Slippery Rock: The Rock rolled Bloomsburg in their finale and are heading to the playoffs yet again. Excluding the PSAC championship game, the Rock has not had more than one loss in the regular season since 2017.
    • Western Colorado: The Mountaineers closed the season against Colorado School of Mines, CSU Pueblo, Chadron State and Colorado Mesa — three of which are in the Super Region Four rankings — and went 3-1, proving this team is the real deal.
    • Wingate: The Bulldogs avenged their lone loss of the season, defeating Carson-Newman in the SAC championship game and staying in contention for the No. 1 seed in Super Region Two. This defense is insane and allowed just 84 total yards on Saturday. 

    Just missed: Angelo State, Cal (PA), Central Missouri, Minnesota State, West Alabama.

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  • Teams left out of second CFP rankings

    Just as the frustrations with the first College Football Playoff rankings were settling in, the sport went on its usual path of chaos — completely changing the landscape of the projected playoff field.

    The rankings got flipped upside down when Georgia fell flat against Mississippi and Miami couldn’t stay perfect when it faced Georgia Tech. Consequently, some teams saw their playoff chances boosted while others are feeling uncertainty in qualifying for the 12-team field.

    There’s three weeks left in the regular season − and conference championship week − thus there’s still plenty of chances for the rankings to drastically change. The moves in the second rankings were mostly justified, but still, some teams got the short end of the stick.

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  • Dave Campbell’s Texas Football final high school rankings for 2024

    Dave Campbell’s Texas Football final high school rankings for 2024

    The final high school rankings from Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine and TexasFootball.com, distributed by The Associated Press.

    CLASS 6A

    Rank School (Record) Week 11 Prv rank

    1 Duncanville (9-0) W: Cedar Hill, 48-6 1

    2 Galena Park North Shore (10-0) W: Humble Summer Creek, 35-10 2

    3 North Crowley (10-0) W: Crowley, 65-21 3

    4 Southlake Carroll (10-0) Idle 4

    5 Humble Atascocita (9-1) W: Baytown Goose Creek Memorial, 73-7 5

    6 DeSoto (8-2) W: Lancaster, 45-13 6

    7 Allen (10-0) W: Plano East, 48-7 8

    8 Coppell (10-0) W: Lewisville Marcus, 47-28 9

    9 Lamar Fulshear (10-0) Idle 10

    10 Austin Westlake (9-1) W: Dripping Springs, 35-14 11

    11 Humble Summer Creek (8-2) L: Galena Park North Shore, 35-10 7

    12 Katy (9-1) W: Katy Mayde Creek, 36-15 12

    13 Fort Bend Ridge Point (9-1) W: Fort Bend Austin, 60-22 13

    14 Willis (10-0) Idle 14

    15 The Woodlands (9-1) W: Conroe Oak Ridge, 56-17 15

    16 Lake Travis (9-1) W: Austin High, 56-7 16

    17 Bridgeland (9-1) W: Cypress Woods, 28-24 17

    18 Euless Trinity (9-1) W: Hurst Bell, 63-13 18

    19 Cibolo Steele (9-1) W: Buda Johnson, 70-14 19

    20 Prosper (8-2) W: Plano West, 51-10 20

    21 SA Northside Brennan (9-1) W: SA Northside Warren, 60-0 21

    22 Alvin Shadow Creek (9-1) W: Pasadena Rayburn, 72-0 22

    23 Austin Vandegrift (9-1) W: Round Rock, 35-6 23

    24 Fort Bend Hightower (9-1) W: Fort Bend Elkins, 63-20 24

    25 Klein Cain (9-1) W: Magnolia West, 42-21 25

    Dropped out: None

    ___

    CLASS 5A DIVISION I

    Rank School (Record) Week 11 Prv rank

    1 Aledo (9-1) W: Denton, 62-0 1

    2 A&M Consolidated (10-0) W: Lockhart, 63-0 2

    3 Denton Ryan (9-1) W: NRH Birdville, 56-14 3

    4 Dallas Highland Park (9-1) W: Midlothian, 38-21 4

    5 College Station (9-1) Idle 5

    6 Comal Pieper (10-0) W: Boerne Champion, 69-27 6

    7 Lufkin (9-1) W: Galveston Ball, 35-21 7

    8 Frisco Lone Star (9-1) W: Frisco Reedy, 41-30 9

    9 NRH Richland (8-2) W: Azle, 58-28 10

    10 Georgetown (9-1) W: Cedar Park, 31-7 NR

    Dropped out: No. 8 CC Flour Bluff

    ___

    CLASS 5A DIVISION II

    Rank School (Record) Week 11 Prv rank

    1 Dallas South Oak Cliff (8-2) W: Dallas Jefferson, 49-0 1

    2 SA Alamo Heights (10-0) Idle 2

    3 Texarkana Texas (10-0) W: Nacogdoches, 44-7 3

    4 Argyle (9-1) W: Lewisville The Colony, 37-6 4

    5 Richmond Randle (10-0) W: Rosenberg Lamar Consolidated, 73-0 5

    6 Brenham (9-1) W: Belton, 42-24 7

    7 Port Neches-Groves (9-1) W: Dayton, 30-3 8

    8 Alvin Iowa Colony (9-1) W: Texas City, 40-18 9

    9 Prosper Walnut Grove (9-1) W: Frisco Independence, 63-34 10

    10 Colleyville Heritage (8-2) W: Grapevine, 36-7 NR

    Dropped out: No. 6 Liberty Hill

    ___

    CLASS 4A DIVISION I

    Rank School (Record) Week 11 Prv rank

    1 Celina (10-0) W: Lake Dallas, 52-14 1

    2 Austin LBJ (10-0) W: Austin Eastside, 67-0 2

    3 Alvarado (10-0) W: Kennedale, 42-7 3

    4 Stephenville (9-1) W: Burnet, 51-7 4

    5 Comal Davenport (9-1) Idle 5

    6 Kilgore (8-2) W: Mabank, 48-0 6

    7 Longview Pine Tree (9-1) W: Palestine, 35-7 7

    8 Bay City (9-1) W: Port Lavaca Calhoun, 42-39 8

    9 Springtown (9-1) Idle 10

    10 Frisco Panther Creek (9-1) W: Sulphur Springs, 41-14 NR

    Dropped out: No. 9 Sulphur Springs

    ___

    CLASS 4A DIVISION II

    Rank School (Record) Week 11 Prv rank

    1 Carthage (9-1) W: Brownsboro, 57-8 1

    2 Sinton (10-0) W: Rockport-Fulton, 32-10 2

    3 Graham (9-1) W: Eagle Mountain, 49-3 3

    4 Wimberley (8-2) W: Lago Vista, 44-6 4

    5 Texarkana Pleasant Grove (8-2) W: Van, 30-14 5

    6 Gilmer (7-3) W: Paris North Lamar, 56-0 7

    7 Bellville (7-3) W: Caldwell, 63-7 8

    8 Hamshire-Fannett (9-1) W: West Orange-Stark, 28-14 9

    9 West Orange-Stark (8-2) L: Hamshire-Fannett, 28-14 6

    10 Waco La Vega (7-3) W: Lorena, 41-21 10

    Dropped out: None

    ___

    CLASS 3A DIVISION I

    Rank School (Record) Week 11 Prv rank

    1 Malakoff (10-0) W: Winnsboro, 35-28 1

    2 Edna (10-0) W: Palacios, 48-0 2

    3 Hitchcock (8-1) Idle 3

    4 Columbus (9-1) W: Hempstead, 37-0 4

    5 Palestine Westwood (10-0) W: Huntington, 63-0 5

    6 Jefferson (10-0) W: Tatum, 18-13 6

    7 Franklin (7-2) W: Rockdale, 83-24 8

    8 Winnsboro (8-2) L: Malakoff, 35-28 7

    9 Texarkana Liberty-Eylau (8-2) W: Sabine, 64-0 9

    10 Shallowater (8-2) W: Dalhart, 49-20 10

    Dropped out: None

    ___

    CLASS 3A DIVISION II

    Rank School (Record) Week 11 Prv rank

    1 Gunter (8-2) W: Leonard, 63-0 1

    2 Poth (10-0) W: Dilley, 23-7 3

    3 New Diana (10-0) W: Elkhart, 77-24 4

    4 Wall (9-1) W: Stanton, 57-7 5

    5 Grand Saline (10-0) W: Quitman, 28-0 6

    6 East Bernard (9-1) L: El Maton Tidehaven, 29-28 2

    7 Newton (7-3) Idle 7

    8 Holliday (8-2) W: Jacksboro, 36-14 10

    9 Lexington (9-1) W: Rogers, 35-0 9

    10 Tolar (9-1) W: Eastland, 35-7 NR

    Dropped out: No. 8 Jacksboro

    ___

    CLASS 2A DIVISION I

    Rank School (Record) Week 11 Prv rank

    1 Stamford (10-0) W: Hawley, 38-22 1

    2 Refugio (9-1) W: Three Rivers, 83-7 2

    3 Sunray (10-0) W: Stinnett West Texas, 52-16 3

    4 Ganado (9-1) W: Danbury, 49-0 4

    5 Honey Grove (9-1) W: Omaha Pewitt, 42-18 6

    6 Mason (9-1) W: San Saba, 35-0 7

    7 Hawley (9-1) L: Stamford, 38-22 5

    8 Panhandle (9-1) W: Spearman, 47-15 8

    9 Corsicana Mildred (10-0) W: Malakoff Cross Roads, 50-6 9

    10 Hamilton (10-0) W: De Leon, 35-28 10

    Dropped out: None

    ___

    CLASS 2A DIVISION II

    Rank School (Record) Week 11 Prv rank

    1 Muenster (8-2) W: Chico, 58-0 2

    2 Albany (7-2) Ccd. vs. Hamlin 3

    3 Gruver (10-0) Idle 4

    4 Collinsville (9-1) W: Santo, 48-7 5

    5 Stratford (6-3) W: Farwell, 35-14 6

    6 Windthorst (9-1) W: Petrolia, 26-20 7

    7 Wink (9-1) W: Van Horn, 69-0 8

    8 Shiner (7-3) W: Yorktown, 54-13 9

    9 Mart (8-2) L: Goldthwaite, 46-0 1

    10 Junction (9-1) W: Sabinal, 64-6 10

    Dropped out: None

    ___

    CLASS 1A SIX-MAN DIVISION I

    Rank School (Record) Week 11 Prv rank

    1 Gordon (10-0) W: Gorman, 52-0 1

    2 Abbott (10-0) W: Aquilla, 58-8 2

    3 Whiteface (10-0) W: Gail Borden County, 90-40 3

    4 Jonesboro (8-1) W: May, 60-30 6

    5 Buena Vista (9-0) W: Marfa, 54-0 5

    6 Happy (9-1) W: Nazareth, 62-14 8

    7 Westbrook (8-2) W: Hermleigh, 75-46 9

    8 May (9-1) L: Jonesboro, 60-30 4

    9 Avalon (10-0) W: Covington, 68-19 NR

    10 Spur (10-0) W: Lorenzo, 52-7 NR

    Dropped out: No. 7 Aquilla, No. 10 Saint Jo

    ___

    CLASS 1A SIX-MAN DIVISION II

    Rank School (Record) Week 11 Prv rank

    1 Jayton (10-0) Idle 1

    2 Richland Springs (9-0) W: Lohn, 64-0 2

    3 Oglesby (8-2) W: Evant, 64-0 3

    4 Matador Motley County (10-0) W: McLean, 58-38 4

    5 Benjamin (7-1) W: Harrold, 54-8 5

    6 Cherokee (9-1) W: Calvert, forfeit 6

    7 Iredell (8-2) Idle 7

    8 Strawn (7-2) W: Woodson, 64-14 8

    9 Whitharral (7-2) Idle 9

    10 Zephyr (9-1) W: Gustine, 58-6 10

    Dropped out: None

    ___

    PRIVATE SCHOOLS — 11-MAN

    Rank School (Record) Week 11 Prv rank

    1 SA Holy Cross (10-0) W: Austin Hill Country, 46-0 1

    2 Argyle Liberty Christian (9-1) W: Frisco Legacy Christian, 51-3 2

    3 FW All Saints (10-0) W: FW Southwest Christian, 50-14 3

    4 Dallas First Baptist (9-1) W: Muenster Sacred Heart, 46-6 4

    5 Houston Kinkaid (9-1) W: Houston Bellaire Episcopal, 49-10 5

    Dropped out: None

    ___

    PRIVATE SCHOOLS — SIX-MAN

    Rank School (Record) Week 11 Prv rank

    1 Pasadena First Baptist (10-0) W: Houston Emery-Weiner, 69-66 2

    2 Houston Emery-Weiner (8-1) L: Pasadena First Baptist, 69-66 1

    3 Fredericksburg Heritage (10-0) W: Cedar Park Summit, 62-6 3

    4 CC Annapolis (10-0) Idle 4

    5 Wichita Christian (10-0) W: Waco Valor Prep, 60-12 5

    Dropped out: None



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