As we approach the midway point of the college football season, the familiar debate rages on which is the best team in the nation. Florida State? Auburn? TCU?
Our Eye on College Football team of Tom Fornelli, Jerry Hinnen and Chip Patterson are engaging in a different debate, attempting to determine which state has the best FBS football.
Sure, Texas has the most teams in quantity, but what about overall quality from top to bottom? That's the question we sought to answer, ranking all 41 states with FBS football. Each member of the Eye on College Football team ranked the states from 1-41, and what you see below is the composite of those rankings. (Alaska, Delaware, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont do not have a participant in FBS football).
1. Mississippi
Not even Southern Miss at 2-4 can bring down the surge of The Magnolia State in college football this season. There is a lot of SEC West football left to play, but could it be The Egg Bowl between Ole Miss and Mississippi State, not the Iron Bowl, that determines the division's representative in the SEC title game? -- Chip Patterson
2. Texas
You want quantity? The Lone Star State has a whopping 12 FBS programs, four more than any other state in the union. Baylor is a national title contender, and TCU might beat them out for the Big 12 title anyway, Texas A&M still has life after Johnny Manziel, and even if it doesn't win the AAC, Houston's defense is one of the country's most underrated. Texas is No. 1 in my book, but an 0-5 SMU prevents the state from being the best in our overall rankings. -- Jerry Hinnen
3. Alabama
Auburn and Alabama keep the state in the top three, but UAB, South Alabama and 0-5 Troy balance out some of that success. You could order the top three plenty of ways, but there isn't a strong argument for any other state to overtake Alabama, Texas or Mississippi. -- Chip Patterson
4. California
It's true: the Golden State is home to a disproportionate number of 2014 disappointments, what with UCLA's offensive line issues, USC's pratfall in Chestnut Hill (and Hail Mary defense), Stanford's scoring problems, and an apparent post-Carr/Muema/Fales downturn for all three Mountain West representatives. But hey, Cal's one batted Hail Mary from being the best story in college football, and we're still talking about one state with the Trojans, Bruins, and the two-time defending Pac-12 champion. -- Jerry Hinnen
5. Arizona
It's somewhat strange to see Arizona ranked this high, isn't it? But it's also hard to argue with the positioning, as the state is home to two FBS schools -- Arizona and Arizona State -- and both happen to be ranked in the AP poll right now with a combined record of 9-1. Also, they're both very good when it comes to running the Hail Mary. -- Tom Fornelli
6. Oregon
The Ducks are doing most of the heavy lifting here, as they're a perennial contender in both the Pac-12 and for the national title as well, but don't discount Oregon State. The Beavers are always a solid team under Mike Riley and qualify for bowl games regularly. -- Tom Fornelli
7. Oklahoma
Oklahoma would likely be higher on this list if the state was only home to the Sooners and Cowboys, but that's not the case. So if you're upset about this ranking, Oklahoma, yell at Tulsa, not us. It's not our fault the Golden Hurricane are 1-4. -- Tom Fornelli
8. South Carolina
I asked, but no bonus points are awarded for the personality of head coaches. Otherwise South Carolina's Steve Spurrier and Clemson's Dabo Swinney would push the state of South Carolina to the top of the rankings. You can count on weekly gems from Spurrier, monthly musings from Dabo and a spicy back-and-forth between the two at least three times in a calendar year. -- Chip Patterson
9. Florida
With the Gators and 'Canes both decent-at-best shadows of their former selves and their coaches firmly on the hot seat, yes, it's safe to say the Sunshine State has seen better days -- even with Florida State still perched atop the polls and UCF in the thick of the AAC race. USF, FAU, and FIU aren't doing a whole lot to improve the state's collective FBS image. Still, the Seminoles are the kings of college football until they're dethroned, and that counts for an awful lot. -- Jerry Hinnen
10. Georgia
The Todd Gurley suspension is a major bummer, but it's still a good year 'round these parts. The Dawgs are in SEC East contention at worst, and -- despite the loss in Williams-Brice -- at best still very much a viable playoff candidate; Georgia Tech is undefeated and as solid a candidate as any in the wide-open Coastal; and even Georgia Southern appears to have struck gold with its hire of Willie Fritz. Its close calls at NC State and Tech and blowout of South Alabama marking it as a potential Sun Belt champion in its maiden FBS voyage. -- Jerry Hinnen
11. Utah
Utah? Utah. Seriously. Before Taysom Hill was hurt last week, BYU was looking like it could actually be fighting for a spot in the playoff this year, and at the very least an access bowl. Then there are the Utes, who have finally started to acclimate themselves to life in the Pac-12 with an upset of UCLA just last week, as well as Utah State, which is becoming an annual contender in the Mountain West. -- Tom Fornelli
12. Kentucky
OK, OK, so our Tom Fornelli may have jumped the gun just a bit when he predicted the Wildcats to win the SEC East. But there's actual excitement surrounding Lexington's local football program for the first time since the Andre Woodson era, and even if Bobby Petrino's arrival hasn't produced the expected offensive fireworks at Louisville just yet, the Cards' defense is strong enough to make some real ACC noise regardless. Even Western Kentucky has its upset of Navy to hang its hat on. -- Jerry Hinnen
13. West Virginia
Everyone knew Marshall had a good team and the most (ahem) manageable schedule imaginable, but the Herd have done their level best to play beyond their competition, winning their last four games by an average of 34 points. And if the Mountaineers aren't back to their Orange Bowl-winning heights just yet, things are clearly better for Dana Holgorsen than they were in 2013. Two top-40, maybe even top-30 programs for a state this size? Not shabby. -- Jerry Hinnen
14. Ohio
I can already hear all the Buckeyes fans complaining, but of course, that's because Buckeyes fans seldom shut up, and there are just so damn many of them. The problem is that Ohio is also home to Akron, Toledo, Cincinnati, Miami (OH), Ohio, Bowling Green and Kent State. You can't crack the top ten with so much MAC holding you down. -- Tom Fornelli
15. Nebraska
The Cornhusker State has just the one FBS program: the Cornhuskers , naturally, who have gotten off to a fine 2014 start with just one iffy performance (at home to McNeese State) and just one highly understandable defeat (by five points at Michigan State). This ranking might nonetheless seem a little high, but maybe we're just big Ameer Abdullah fans -- and if that's the case, can you blame us? -- Jerry Hinnen
16. Missouri
Missouri just has Missouri, and Missouri is currently 4-1 and in the hunt for a second-straight SEC East title. That's not too shabby for a team that had its SEC credentials questioned after just one year in the league. I'm also guessing the Tigers weren't disappointed to hear that Todd Gurley might not be suiting up on Saturday. -- Chip Patterson
17. North Carolina
After watching East Carolina hang 70 points and 789 yards on the Tar Heels, you can bet the rest of the teams in North Carolina were glad the Pirates aren't on the schedule in 2014. This ranking may seem high given the small margin of error for Duke, NC State and UNC, but we'll bet the Old North State puts 3-4 teams in the postseason to solidify its spot in the college football landscape. -- Chip Patterson
18. Michigan
Very similar story to Ohio here, which I'm sure, both states will be happy to hear. Michigan State is a playoff contender, and then there are all those directional MAC schools (Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Western Michigan). Oh, and there's also the Wolverines, who are certainly doing their fair share of dragging this state down the rankings. -- Tom Fornelli
19. Virginia
Virginia is a top half state in the college football state rankings -- that makes sense. But how would you order the teams? Virginia's feisty defense has made the Commonwealth Cup much more intriguing than it was in the last two seasons, particularly when you think of what it could mean for Mike London and the Wahoos' postseason prospects. Virginia Tech has an incredibly confusing resume, but that's par for the course in the ACC Coastal Division. -- Chip Patterson
20. Indiana
The Hoosier State will go as high as Notre Dame wants to take it. It's just hard for Notre Dame to take it that high when Indiana, Purdue and Ball State are clinging to its ankles. The good news is that Indiana does seem to be improving a little, and Purdue actually won a Big Ten game last week. -- Tom Fornelli
21. Pennsylvania
Things will probably even out by the end of conference play, but I'll argue that of all three Pennsylvania FBS teams (Pitt, Penn State and Temple), it is the Owls who have met or exceeded expectations. The Nittany Lions can boost their stock with a win in the Big House on Saturday -- I mean, Utah and Minnesota did it -- but Pitt is in the midst of a concerning three-game slide. Temple, meanwhile, is 3-1 and just two victories from surpassing Vegas' win total (Over/Under 4.5 wins) for 2014. -- Chip Patterson
22. Wisconsin
What to make of the Badgers, Wisconsin's lone FBS representative, in 2014? Melvin Gordon is one of the most talented running backs in the country, but the offense has been plagued by inconsistency in the passing game and it has resulted in a 3-2 start and a loss to Northwestern. But here's the really crazy thing: Wisconsin could still win the Big Ten West! -- Chip Patterson
23. Washington
Washington is 4-1 after playing just two Power 5 conference teams. Washington State is 2-4 after playing four Power 5 conference teams. Despite the Huskies' record -- and a very impressive pass rush with Danny Shelton and Hau-oli Kikaha -- we're thinking these two teams might be closer than many expect and the Apple Cup could be really fun. Washington State doesn't get a great matchup this week, facing an angry Stanford team on the road on Friday night. -- Chip Patterson
24. Louisiana
The Pelican State would have ranked much, much higher in nearly any other year but this one. But this is 2014, and its Baton Rouge bell cow looks headed for no more than seven wins in a loaded SEC West. UL-Lafayette has been a major disappointment, Louisiana Tech lost to Northwestern State, and both ULM and Tulane seem to have substantially backslid from their respective 2012 and 2013 breakthroughs. -- Jerry Hinnen
25. New Jersey
Rutgers' first season of Big Ten play has already going pretty well. The Scarlet Knights are 5-1, likely to lock up a bowl bid soon and have a signature win at home against Michigan. The schedule, which has been favorable so far, will turn on them soon but let's enjoy the success of the B1G's Northeast footprint while we can. -- Chip Patterson
26. Arkansas
The good news for the Razorbacks: they might be one of the 20-to-30 best teams in the country. The bad news: that might still only make them the sixth- or even seventh-best team in the SEC West. But that's better than the 2013 situation by a mile, and in Blake Anderson, Arkansas State seems to have made a strong hire (again) that could lead them to the top of the Sun Belt (again). -- Jerry Hinnen
27. Tennessee
After the success that James Franklin brought to Vanderbilt it is weird to think that the Commodores are pulling the state down in the ranking. But with Memphis and Tennessee playing far more competitive ball and Vanderbilt off to a 1-5 start that's where we are right now. -- Chip Patterson
28. Kansas
Quite the dichotomy of schools here. You have Kansas State, which was long a desolate landscape when it came to college football, and then Bill Snyder showed up. Now the Wildcats are competing for Big 12 titles every season. Then there's Kansas. Kansas needs to find its own Bill Snyder, and it's currently searching for him after firing Charlie Weis. -- Tom Fornelli
29. Colorado
After a couple of rocky years in the, uh, Rockies, things are looking up again; Jim McElwain's CSU Rams have built on their surprise 2013 bowl berth with an upset of Boston College and a 4-1 start, Troy Calhoun's Air Force stunned Boise and took down Navy en route to its own 4-1 mark, and even at 2-4, Mike MacIntyre's Buffaloes have been markedly more competitive in Pac-12 play. -- Jerry Hinnen
30. Illinois
You aren't going to rank very highly amongst the rest of the country when the best team in your state is from the MAC, despite having two teams in the Big Ten. Oh, sure, Northwestern may be 2-0 in Big Ten play, but that doesn't change the fact that it has already lost to Northern Illinois this season. As for the Illini, well, basketball season will be here soon, we promise. -- Tom Fornelli
31. Iowa
Every once in a while an Iowa school will sneak up on you and win a bunch of games, but it doesn't happen all that often, and when it does it's usually the Hawkeyes. Most seasons the two schools are solid, and while there's nothing wrong with solid per se, solid isn't enough here. Of course, this is all probably a conspiracy by Big 12 officials to keep the state down. Just ask Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard. -- Tom Fornelli
32. Minnesota
The Land of 10,000 Lakes is also the land of only one FBS program, and the Gophers just aren't good enough on their own to take the state any higher than this. Though that doesn't mean the program doesn't look to be headed in the right direction under Jerry Kill, either. -- Tom Fornelli
33. Maryland
This state could be ranked a bit higher considering the Terps are off to a nice 4-2 start in their first year in the Big Ten, but Navy is struggling so far. The Mids are 2-4 at the moment, and that includes losses to Western Kentucky and Air Force. -- Tom Fornelli
34. New York
Syracuse hasn't been great this year, but the Orange have been a tough out. If Buffalo or Army were performing at a higher level the offensive woes and Terrel Hunt's injury would not matter as much. Buffalo checks in at No. 98 and Army is at No. 107 in the CBSSports.com 128. -- Chip Patterson
35. Massachusetts
Boston College has the dudes and a win over USC. Unfortunately UMass (0-6) needs some dudes and the Eagles did just lose to Colorado State at home. Hey, at least the Patriots appear to have turned things around! -- Chip Patterson
36. Idaho
Boise State's now a long way removed from its Kellen Moore salad days, but it's still a major Mountain West threat (even after losing to Air Force) thanks to wins over Colorado State and Nevada. As for the Vandals, well, there have been a couple of decent efforts on the road... but 0-5 with a 34-10 home loss to South Alabama speaks a little more loudly. -- Jerry Hinnen
37. Wyoming
These one school states are really stuck in a tough position for these rankings. It is a lot to ask the Cowboys to carry the entire reputation of that big state. The Cowboys are 3-2 with wins against Air Force and FAU, but also lost to Oregon and Michigan State by a combined score of 104-28. -- Chip Patterson
38. Nevada
Brian Polian's Wolf Pack look much improved in his second year, taking Boise and Arizona to the wire while beating Washington State; Cody Fajardo could wind up the Mountain West's offensive Player of the Year. But, yeah, there's also UNLV ... and a reason the Silver State is ranked lower than any other two-team state on this list other than New Mexico. -- Jerry Hinnen
39. New Mexico
New Mexico has a Top 10 rushing offense and wins over New Mexico State and, as of last week, UTSA. New Mexico State beat Georgia State earlier this season. These are the good things about college football in New Mexico right now. Unfortunately they also have just four combined wins and rank No. 105 and No. 117, respectively, in the CBS 128. -- Chip Patterson
40. Connecticut
I just don't understand how Connecticut isn't ranked last in these rankings. The only team it has to call its own is the Huskies, and simply put, the Huskies are not good. Even when it manages to reach the Fiesta Bowl -- remember that? -- it only does so with eight wins. Suffice to say that when your women's basketball program is far more popular than your football program, it doesn't bode well for your position in these rankings. -- Tom Fornelli
41. Hawaii
Tough choices here among who is the worst state -- Connecticut or Hawaii. Hawaii beat a better FCS team (winning 27-24 over Northern Iowa, while UConn beat Stony Brook 19-16), but in the end the Rainbow Warriors are still 1-4 on the season. Maybe there is such a thing as East Coast bias ... or maybe Hawaii can just prove us wrong against Wyoming this Saturday. -- Jerry Hinnen
