Ranking all 130 Football Teams into 10 Tiers for the 2021 Season. Iowa & ISU in Tier 3. Little Debbie way down in Tier 6

[Franisdaman]

Tier 1 (Championship Favorites, Teams 1-5):
Alabama,
Clemson,
Georgia,
Ohio State,
Oklahoma

Tier 2 (Knocking on the Door, Team 6-12):
Florida,
North Carolina,
Notre Dame,
Oregon,
Penn State,
Texas,
Texas A&M

Tier 3 (Teams 13-20):
Cincinnati,
Iowa,
Iowa State,
Miami,
Oklahoma State,
USC,
Washington,
Wisconsin

Tier 4 (Teams 21-28):
Arizona State,
Auburn,
Louisville,
LSU,
Michigan,
Ole Miss,
UCF,
UCLA

Tier 5 (Teams 29-37):
Boise State,
Coastal Carolina,
Indiana,
Kentucky,
NC State,
Northwestern,
TCU,
Utah,
West Virginia

Tier 6 (Teams 38-42):
Florida State,
Maryland,
Michigan State,
LITTLE DEBBIE (a snack cake to the rest of the B1G)
Tennessee

Tier 7:
Air Force, Appalachian State, Arkansas, Ball State, Baylor, Boston College, Buffalo, BYU, Cal, Colorado, Houston, Kansas State, Kent State, Liberty, Louisiana, Marshall, Memphis, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon State, Pitt, San Diego State, San Jose State, SMU, Stanford, Tulane, Tulsa, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest

Tier 8:
Army, Central Michigan, Florida Atlantic, Mississippi State, Nevada, Ohio, Purdue, Rutgers, Texas Tech, UAB, UTSA, Virginia, Washington State, Western Michigan, Wyoming

Tier 9:
Arizona, Duke, Georgia Tech, Illinois, South Carolina, Syracuse, Vanderbilt and nearly all the rest of the non-Power 5

Tier 10;
UConn, Kansas


FULL STORY; https://www.espn.com/college-footba...-130-college-football-teams-tiers-2021-season

 

[Obviously Oblivious]

Worthless tier ranking is worthless. There are so many flaws in these tiers, I don't even know where to start. Suffice it to say, I don't think much thought went into this.

 

[hawktrooper1]

Most hyped Clone team ever gets to spend the summer job shadowing big bro. We should expect an 8-4 or 7-5 letdown with several close, disheartening losses in Ames this year.

 

[CeMar_Clone]

Most hyped Clone team ever gets to spend the summer job shadowing big bro. We should expect an 8-4 or 7-5 letdown with several close, disheartening losses in Ames this year.

Wishful thinking on your part, not grounded in reality at all. ISU will be favored in 11 games most likely. At OU could be tough.

 

[Cydkar]

At OU could be tough.

Ya think?

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

Nice knowing that the ESPN know-it-alls have thought long and hard and come to the bold conclusion that this season will be pretty much like every other one in the CFP era.

 

[MeetTheFerentz]

Wishful thinking on your part, not grounded in reality at all.

hawktrooper may have sounded a bit whiny with his post, but there is nothing to say his statement isn't "grounded in reality." That's because this is uncharted territory for ISU. Never in their history have they had expectations. Not a single person on earth knows how they are going to respond. Iowa had crushingly disappointing seasons in '97, '05, '10 and '16, when they were loaded with returning talent and hyped up the wazoo. That's not an uncommon thing for mid-tier programs. Campbell and Co. are going to find out just how hard it is to "stay on top."

 

[grayhair81]

Wishful thinking on your part, not grounded in reality at all. ISU will be favored in 11 games most likely. At OU could be tough.

You were favored in ten back in 2019. 7-6. But yes, playing in the weakest P5 conference should help your cause.

 

[grayhair81]

Here's to hoping the Hawks don't stub their toe against that tier-8 team again in 2021.

 

[Franisdaman]

hawktrooper may have sounded a bit whiny with his post, but there is nothing to say his statement isn't "grounded in reality." That's because this is uncharted territory for ISU. Never in their history have they had expectations. Not a single person on earth knows how they are going to respond. Iowa had crushingly disappointing seasons in '97, '05, '10 and '16, when they were loaded with returning talent and hyped up the wazoo. That's not an uncommon thing for mid-tier programs. Campbell and Co. are going to find out just how hard it is to "stay on top."

They have not won a conference championship in their entire history. They finished 2nd this year.

They lost to Louisiana. At home.

Overall, they lost 3 games this year; not exactly something to brag about.

So, it's pretty clear that as of today, they have failed to reach "the top."