FLA Power Rankings Week 12: The Haves and the Have Nots

How the Teams are Rated

The rankings of each team are based on weekly performances as well as their overall results from the current season. A team may have more talent than another on the list but if they're not getting wins and putting up solid statistics, they won't be rated higher.

1 - FSU 9-0 (7-0), Last Weeks Rank - 1

Week 12 Opponent:  59 - 3 Win Verse Syracuse

Week 13 Opponent: Idaho, 3:30 p.m., ESPNU

Comments from Week 12:

And now come the storm clouds. It looks like FSU's All World Quarterback Jameis Winston could be in some legal trouble. The Noles keep rolling and have a very, VERY winnable game next weekend against the Vandals (how appropriate) before they play the struggling Florida Gators.

FSU has a very good chance of going undefeated this season and could possibly be on a collision course with Alabama for the National Title (sorry Ohio State) but the question on all Noles fans minds are: will it even matter if Winston is not on the team?

2 - University of Central Florida 8-1, (5-0), Last Weeks Rank - 2

Week 12 Opponent: 39 - 36 Win @ Temple

Week 13 Opponent: Rutgers, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, ESPN

Comments from Week 12:

Man, this is just the Knights' season. They went back and forth with a really, REALLY bad Temple team all day in front of a lack luster crowd (I'd guess about 15,000 people) but pulled out the crazy, last second victory. Sometimes you have off games but if you pull them out you just shake it off and move on to the next one.

(Looks at my calendar)

Okay, that relaxing period is over, time for the next opponent, Rutgers! The Knights play tomorrow against an up and down Scarlet Knights team that is looking to throw the AAC into chaos with an upset win. Even though it's at home for UCF you have to wonder how mentally prepared they'll be for this game.

3 - University of Miami 7-3, (3-3), Last Weeks Rank - 3

Week 12 Opponent: 48 - 30 Loss @ Duke

Week 13 Opponent: Virginia, 12 p.m., ESPNU (I don't pray often.. Dear God, don't give us last week's announcers, please...)

Comments from Week 12:

Sorry, I'm about to rant (you've been warned).

I'm not going to comment on the defense, we've all done that and it's been drawn out. You know what I will comment on, leadership from the coaching staff. I like Golden as a man. He seems like a stand-up guy and open enough with the media which has been great for us but the thing that really gets under my skin with him and especially Coach D'Onofrio is the way they explain the short comings of the team/unit.

I use Joe Gibbs as a great example, his football players loved him through and through even in version 2.0 of him coming back in the mid 2000s. One of the reasons is because he never took any of the credit when the players performed well and when things weren't going great he said it was on him and he had to fix it to put the players in position to succeed. Now, THAT is leadership. Heck, even Coach Muschamp came out and said something to that extent after last weekend's game. What do our Coaches say? Players aren't executing and they're missing assignments.. Now, before the javelins start getting tossed, I know the Coaches aren't throwing specific players under the bus, they're being general and they are saying "we're going to fix it" but c'mon man. Every week they blame the players to an extent. "The system works, players aren't executing, we'll work to fix it." You know what you do? You sit the players down, you see what their strengths are, their weaknesses as well and you coach to it. If something's not working you don't throw your hands up and say "it should work but they (the players) aren't getting it." You work with what you have and you make it work.

These kids don't get paid big money to make game plans, to be put into positions to succeed. Coaches are paid to. Coaches are also needed to work on the weaknesses of said players and as the season progresses and hopefully they (the players) develop as the season goes on. The players are meant to come in and execute the game plan as best they can. If they can't, don't go to the media and say "the players aren't executing." You all probably wonder why the defense is playing lifeless? Put yourself in their shoes. Would you play hard for a guy/staff that is telling you you're not executing correctly and then goes out and tells the media the same thing? Pretty demeaning, huh?

Alright, I'm done..

As I kind of mentioned it towards the end, I think this team may be mentally out of it. I'm probably completely off base but that's my judgment. UVA comes to town on Senior Day and we'll have to see if our Canes can turn around this three game losing streak.. Whew, still trying to recover from the word dump..

4 - University of Florida 4-6, (3-5), Last Weeks Rank - 4

Week 12 Opponent: 19 - 14 Loss @ South Carolina

Week 13 Opponent: Georgia Southern, 2 p.m. (?) ESPN3

Comments from Week 12:

We all knew it was going to be tough sledding for the Gators to finish the season 2-1 in their last 3 games and although I give them an "A" for effort last weekend against the Gamecocks they just didn't have enough offensive firepower to weather the storm in Columbia. Coach Muschamp is trying to will his offense to victory but, at this point, it's like flying a brick. It's just too hard. The running game was solid to above average against South Carolina (200 yards on the ground) but the passing game was abysmal with Skylar Mornhinweg at the helm as he only threw for 107 yards. Although, much of it wasn't his fault as the pass calling was extremely conservative to non-existent for long stretches of the game.

The Gators look to bounce back next weekend at home against a lowly Georgia Southern team. Gator faithful may be a little perturbed when they go to the game as odds are "The Swamp" will have a very sparse crowd in certain sections.

5 - Florida Atlantic 4-6, (3-4), Last Weeks Rank - 5

Week 12 Opponent: 41 - 7 Win @ Southern Mississippi

Week 13 Opponent: New Mexico State, 3 p.m.

Comments from Week 12:

You know what, I'm proud of FAU this season. Yes, I know they're 4-6 but it's been a tough year. They've lost last second games due to fumbled snaps and field goals as well as the occasional blow out but in the end, they've been very competitive this season. They beat USM last weekend and now they have a modest two game winning streak heading into their upcoming matchup with a reeling (1-9) New Mexico State team. FAU could very well finish the season 6-6. Whoever takes over this team next season will have a few okay players to work with.

6 - South Florida 2-7 (2-3), Last Weeks Rank - 6

Week 12 Opponent: 23 - 10 Loss to Memphis

Week 13 Opponent: SMU, 7 p.m., ESPN3

Comments from Week 12:

I used the term earlier of a "flying brick." I say that phrase because NASA uses it as an example of how difficult it is to fly their space craft from space to landing back on Earth. The reason I mention the term again is because the whole South Florida football team is a flying brick. It's amazing that a few years ago this Program perennially won 9-10 games a year under Coach Jim Leavitt and now they're resorting to scrapping together a possible 3-4 win season.

7 - Florida International 1-9 (1-5), Last Weeks Rank - 7

Week 12 Opponent: 33 - 10 Loss @ UTEP

Week 13 Opponent: Marshall, 6 p.m.

Week 12 Comments:

Pathetic Panther Tracker

Offense/Defense Ranks	Week 9	Week 10	Week 11	Week 12
Passing Yards/Game	114th	114th (=)	114th (=)	116th (-2)
Rushing Yards/Game	121st	119th (+2)	118th (+1)	119th (-1)
Points For/Game	124th	125th (-1)	125th (=)	125th (=)
Pointes Against/Game	113th	109th (+4)	116th (-7)	112th (+4)

*There are 126 teams in Div. 1A