Commonwealth Collegiate Power Rankings Week 7 (10-9-24)

By: Joe Dillard Jr.

Headline Photo Credit: Brynne Smith-LMS Network 

We are talking all Virginia Football! Teams have had multiple chances to prove themselves and we will see how conference titles shake out.  We only have one Honorable Mention as 2 of the three teams lost and with VMI losing again we had no choice but to move them out of the rankings. Others are finding themselves in the right position to strike while we will see what some of the top teams are made of after coming off a loss. Here’s a look at what we have for this week.  

HM Virginia State University (2-3) on the road where a win would have had them in the tenth spot instead of losing to an undefeated Johnson C. Smith 21-17, allowed the Trojans to edge UVA Wise who lost 33-0.  The Trojans are looking to steal a spot in the CIAA conference Championship as Johnson C. Smith seems to be the favorite to be the 1 seed.  Who will face them?  Virginia State or Virginia Union.  For our state purpose, I hope it is one of the two which means that a head-to-head clash at the end of the year will have a big meaning if they can string some wins on the back end of the schedule.  

10. . Virginia Union (3-2) With a 31-13 win against Winston-Salem State propels the first division II team into the top ten.  As they started the year as an honorable mention, we knew the Panthers were in control of their destiny but will have everyone’s best to contend against.  Elizabeth City is next up, and the Panthers have no intention of slowing down as they look to gain momentum going into October football. Stack a couple of wins and they will not just be in the top 10 but will have jumped a couple of spots.  With the CIAA Conference Championship only hosting the top 2 teams with no division breakdown, this will be interesting to see how things unravel. 

9. Norfolk State (2-5) After coming off a 10-3 loss to Sacred Heart, the Spartans have a big test in front of them this week as they host Towson who might be 2-3 but has had a tough schedule facing 3 FCS ranked teams and beating William and Mary this past week.  So, I guess you could see what a win for the Spartans could mean in this poll as again similar opponents matter.  This will be an opportunity for them to jump back up with a huge win, if not Virginia Union is right there waiting. 

8. Old Dominion (1-4) It just feels like Old Dominion has it bad in the sense of close losses and competing against good competition.  This is why even with a loss they find themselves moving up as they fought hard against Coastal Carolina 37-45.   Again, similar opponents matter, and this is one of the main factors in how we separate teams, but Old Dominion knows close will not be enough and cannot be the theme of the year.  This week they play Georgia State who beat Vanderbilt who beat Alabama so goes figure.  Just know the Monarchs are looking to solidify four quarters of football. 

7. Hampton (3-3) In a 46-44 loss to Rhode Island in overtime, the Pirates at least showed fight after taking a hit from William and Mary.  They seem to look much improved from last season and still should look to make a name for themselves in the CAA.  With a bye week in front of them, they will have two weeks to prepare to travel to North Carolina A&T and secure a much-needed win after dropping two in a row.  As far as the in-state battle goes, Hampton still has Richmond on their schedule which could end up being a huge game for them regarding the rankings.  

6. Virginia Tech (3-3)-The Hokies went out to Stanford and straight put on a dominant performance winning 31-7.  Their record is indicative of the season where they have not been consistent which could all end with a victory against Boston College.  These are the important games as ACC play begins. Two home games in a row are golden and hopefully, the Hokies can take advantage of the opportunity. This week will call for physicality and a lot of it but we will see how they respond. 

5. Richmond (4-2), Four in a row is called hot in football as Richmond held off North Carolina A&T 20-17.  The Spiders have everything in front of them and can make a run for the FCS rankings if they can continue to be hot. They head into this week with a bye however on the other side could be an undefeated Delaware team that could propel the Spiders into contention for a conference title and would be a great audition for the future conference they will be in.  

4. William and Mary (4-2) Coming off a road loss to Towson 27-34, the Tribe will have a much-needed bye week as they are looking to contend for the CAA championship and will need a stronger finish than the start and 4-2 is good but when you are looking to win the conference and go deep in the playoffs, you will need to go 6-0 in the back half of the schedule. As done before the bye week can hurt you in the countdown as Richmond could switch spots with them as they look for 5 in a row.  The Tribe will start the must-win scenario on October 19 for homecoming against Campbell University.    

3. JMU (4-1) When you are not UVA or Virginia Tech in the state a loss is always detrimental towards your end goal.  A 19-21 loss to ULM drops the Dukes to the number 3 spot as they will look to get back on the winning side of things as they will face Coastal Carolina must I say Coastal Carolina has 4 games against Virginia schools and JMU will be looking to be the second team to beat them.  Aside from that Coastal Carolina is also 4-1 which will be a big game for the Dukes.  I would like to see a dominant performance as the recovery game for JMU which will focus on the conference title now and sit back and see how things shake up if they can continue winning. 

2. Virginia (4-1) Huge win for Virginia against Boston College 24-14, showing that the Hoos are poised for a run, and if this is true each game will get bigger as they continue to win.  They will welcome Louisville into Charlottesville as a win here will give UVA an edge early in the ACC rankings.  Beating Louisville will give them a chance to be ranked and like I said Mo Money Mo problems “No Diddy” and will have a chance to win the ACC.  This is why they ultimately can control their destiny in our rankings and thus move up to the number 2 spot. 

1. Liberty (5-0) New number one as Liberty is the only team in the state undefeated with a win against Florida International 31-24 in overtime. With the weather and the schedule combination, Liberty will be off until October 23 and will travel to Kennesaw State.  With back-to-back Wednesday night games, it will be huge for Liberty as they look to gain momentum toward a conference title and a playoff appearance.  Any loss would move them from playoff contention so this run has to be appreciated and followed within the state as they compete with UVA to see who can be the first out of the state to be in the new college football playoff.