Commonwealth Collegiate Power Rankings Week 6 (10-2-24)
By: Joe Dillard Jr.
Headline Photo Credit: Travis Cheek-LMS Network
We are talking all Virginia Football! Let’s see who the top dog by the end of the year will be. This has been fun I must say and with the teams starting conference play, we will see how many conference champs we have in the state. This week we had a little separation as teams either kept rolling or stumbled trying to make a splash. Here is what we have for week 6.
Honorable Mention: UVA @ Wise (2-1) This is where a canceled game could affect your status but hopefully, we will see them again and with a win will continue to have the momentum to be in the top 10. 3-1 is hard to overlook and the fact they have a division II schedule they will have comparable stats with the other division II teams. We will keep a close eye on them as we have expanded the Honorable Mention teams to three this week. The one-loss approach is what is most valuable, and they will have to defend that to have a chance at reaching the top 10.
Honorable Mention: Virginia Union’s (2-2) 42-7 dominant win against Shaw University after back-to-back losses put the Panthers into new territory having more than one honorable mention. They started the year off as the favorite Division II team to crack the top ten however they find themselves in a dogfight to see who the first one will be in the top 10. The Panthers have back-to-back home games against Winston-Salem State and Elizabeth City State thus making it hard for the other teams to surpass them in rankings. But again, this is why we play the game.
Honorable Mention: Virginia State University (2-2) I believe if the Trojans offense can remain balanced there is no reason they cannot be the first to crack the top ten as a Division II team. With a strong showing winning 35-18 against Fayetteville State University, the Trojans will be in control of their destiny. Both losses that VSU had were one-possession losses. They are in a prime position to obtain their goals. This week is a big one as they travel to Johnson C. Smith who is undefeated and has a win against Virginia Union which could be a power win for the Trojans.
10. VMI (0-4) is off this week and hopefully will have all Division One teams with a win after two weeks to prepare for their opponent. This loss could move them out of the rankings as the Division II teams are gaining momentum in the middle of the year. The last Division I program in the state looking for a win along with VCU, George Mason, and fellow non-football institutions.
9. Old Dominion (1-3) finally leaving the 0-win column is ODU with a victory over Bowling Green 30-27 in what was a steal but earlier in the year ODU can relate to teams stealing a win and playing all four quarters. They were beaten in every aspect from total yards, first downs, plays, and time of possession which normally leads to a loss. A win over Coastal Carolina would be huge for their chances to move up as Coastal fought hard versus UVA and beat William and Mary so this win could propel ODU back into the mix. They can shoot up the rankings, but we will need consistency first.
8. Norfolk State (2-4) Losing 37-10 to North Carolina Central at home was a bad loss and will need some victory points next week against Sacred Heart. It’s going to be a drive for the MEAC championship and will be the only way up. They have some manageable games in the conference to see where things will shake up. Beating Virginia State and VMI are going to be what they hang their hat on and only adding a conference title would help with the rankings.
7. Hampton (3-2) Tough three-game stretch for the Pirates culminating in a 49-7 loss at William and Mary. Going 2-1 might prove huge for a rebuilding Pirates program looking to compete in the CAA conference. Winning 2 of your three rival games will lead to bragging rights with recruiting and they finally look settled in on the conference as they are getting used to opponents in the conference. The Pirates will need a strong showing this week against Rhode Island will lead them into a bye week with the focus of a conference title in reach.
6. Virginia Tech (2-3)-Lost to Miami 38-34 on Friday night was a great effort shown by the Hookies and even with the record not showing what they would want, this was one of those games that spoke volumes to the Hokie Nation that they can compete, but the consistency thing is still a work in progress. With an extra day of rest for this week, they look to travel West and face Standford in what could be a start to a strong ACC showing. With a win against Standford, that would give them 12 days to prepare for Boston College in what could have the Hokies looking at a 2-1 record in the conference. That’s the only way they will move up if other teams ahead continue to win.
5. Richmond (3-2), After losing to UVA and Wofford, Richmond has run off three straight with an impressive road win against Elon 27-17 they will be hosting North Carolina A&T to look for their fourth in a row. This is the time for the Spiders to plant their flag back in the state and contend for a CAA conference championship. They have all three phases of the game getting better each week and the offense has had a balanced attack with production. This is their last season in the conference so why not go out with a bang?
4. Virginia (3-1) UVA drops a spot as William and Mary didn’t just win, they dominated on all phases and look to have found their stride. The same can be said for this UVA team as they have another shot at rising with a chance to go 2-0 in the ACC as they will host Boston College in a huge game for UVA. This will determine what direction the noise will go if they lose will be looked at as inconsistent and you know how we feel about that. Whereas if they win then the energy and momentum could be just what the doctor ordered for the Hoos. With the ACC wide open, this start could be clutch come November when conference title appearances are determined.
3. William and Mary (4-1) Dominate performance beating Hampton 49-7 along with moving up 2 spots in the FCS rankings to 10 and moving up a spot in our rankings with UVA off. The Tribe will travel to Towson as they are looking to go 5-1 heading into the bye week. This will be huge for them as they look to climb the charts and gain a playoff seeding more beneficial to them than the drawing from a couple of years back. There are a lot of short-term goals still to be accomplished before the postseason but the Tribe looks determined to make this a great season. Moving into the third spot shows the depth within the state of programs that can have a conference championship as the top four teams are all in different conferences.
2. Liberty (4-0) Game canceled due to weather and will not affect the Flames on the countdown however William and Mary are not waiting on games played by the Flames as they are waiting for that first loss to hit which would move them up in the rankings. The funny thing is Liberty is saying the same thing about JMU. Since they did not play this week, we will remind you of the new Quarterback U in the state as they were down 14-0 and fought back while still producing a 100-yard rusher. They look ahead with Florida International University on deck as they look to continue blazing the flame on all opponents.
1. JMU (4-0) – Is there any doubt about who the best team in the state is? I believe we now know that UVA must not only beat UNC but have a great showing just to contend with what the Dukes have accomplished so far. With back-to-back weeks of scoring 6o plus points and just dominating Ball State 63-7, James Madison will have LA Monroe up next while looking to be the first Virginia team in the new playoff system with a chance to win a National Title. Curt Cignetti moved on to Indiana and the players who transferred and the ones who stayed still have a couple of things in common which are a winning culture and zero losses as Indiana is 5-0. A powerhouse in the making on a National stage versus our state already knowing who they are.
