TAM Rankings

Week 4 TAM Football Rankings: Mississippi State remains the best TAM team

September 27, 2012 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

For the second week in a row Mississippi State remains the unanimous No. 1 team in the TAM rankings. They beat up on another Sun Belt team last week to remain undefeated, and have a bye week to prepare for a struggling Kentucky squad. Tennessee and Ole Miss remain two and three respectively thanks to both of them beating up on weak opponents. However, both teams will be tested on the road this week as Tennessee plays No. 5 Georgia while Ole Miss takes on No. 1 Alabama. The wheels continue to fall off the Razorback bandwagon this week, after yet another disappointing performance led to another loss forArkansas. It is no surprise that the team that benefits the most in the rankings from the recent struggles at Arkansas is ArkansasState. The Red Wolves jumped the Razorbacks in the polls this week and are now the best TAM team in Arkansas. Vanderbilt was hammered by Georgia last week, and look to rebound against a Missouri team that is still seeking their first SEC win of the year. MTSU is coming off of a bye week and travels to Georgia Tech for this week’s match up. The last two TAM teams in this week’s rankings are Southern Mississippi and Memphis, both of which are still looking for their first win of the year.

The Mid-South is full of fans with allegiances to different area college football programs. Which FBS program in the three states surrounding the Memphis area is the best? To help end some arguments and start others, every week MemphiSport ranks all the college football teams in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. We call it the TAM Rankings.

1. Mississippi State (4-0): Last week No. 1
Last Game: W 30-10 vs. South Alabama @ Davis Wade Stadium
Next Game: vs. Kentucky @ Commonwealth Stadium
Best Win: 28-10 vs. Auburn @ Davis Wade Stadium
Worst Loss: N/A
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

2. Tennessee (3-1): Last week No. 2
Last Game: W 47-26 Akron @ Neyland Stadium
Next Game: vs. Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Best Win: 35-21 vs. North Carolina State @ Georgia Dome
Worst Loss: L 37-20 Florida @ Neyland Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

3. Ole Miss (3-1): Last week No. 3
Last Game: W 39-0 Tulane @ Superdome
Next Game: vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Best Win: 39-0 Tulane @ Superdome
Worst Loss: L 66-31 Texas @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

4. Arkansas State (2-2): Last week No. 6
Last Game: W 56-0 vs. Alcorn State @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Next Game: vs. Western Kentucky @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Best Win: 33-28 vs. Memphis @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Worst Loss: 57-34 vs. Oregon @ Autzen Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

T5. Vanderbilt (1-3): Last week No. 5
Last Game: L 48-3 Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Next Game: vs. Missouri @ Faurot Field
Best Win: W 58-0 Presbyterian @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Worst Loss: 48-3 Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

T5. Arkansas (1-3): Last week No. 4
Last Game: L 35-26 vs. Rutgers @ Razorback Stadium
Next Game: vs. Texas A&M @ Kyle Field
Best Win: 49-24 vs. Jacksonville State @ Little Rock Arkansas
Worst Loss: 52-0 vs. Alabama @ Razorback Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

7. MTSU (2-1): Last week No. 6
Last Game: W 48-30 Memphis @ Liberty Bowl
Next Game: vs. Georgia Tech @ Bobby Dodd Stadium
Best Win: 48-30 Memphis @ Liberty Bowl
Worst Loss: 27-21 vs. McNeese State @ Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

8. Southern Mississippi (0-3): Last week No. 8
Last Game: L 42-17 vs. Western Kentucky @ Smith Stadium
Next Game: Louisville @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 42-17 vs. Western Kentucky @ Smith Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

9. Memphis (0-4): Last week No. 9
Last Game: L 38-14 Duke @ Wallace Wade Stadium
Next Game: vs. Rice @ Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 20-17 vs. UT-Martin @ Liberty Bowl
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 2 (Arkansas State and MTSU)

Other college football articles:

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. If you think your favorite TAM team is too low (or even too high) in the rankings tweet him @churtj09 and let him know. Also, follow him for live tweets from college football games throughout the Mid-South.

Filed Under: TAM Rankings, The Big Features, Web Exclusives Tagged With: Arkansas football, Arkansas State, Memphis Football, Mississippi State football, MTSU football, Ole Miss Football, Southern Mississippi football, Tennessee football, Vanderbilt football

Week 3 TAM Football Rankings: Another week with another No. 1

September 20, 2012 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

Mississippi State has taken over the No. 1 spot in the TAM rankings for the first time ever. They struggled against Troy State, but found a way to win and remain the last undefeated team in the TAM rankings. Last week’s No.1 team, Tennessee, fell to Florida after another fourth quarter collapse. Ole Miss was also undefeated the first two weeks into the year, but then Texas came to town and handed the Rebels a severe beat down. Speaking of beat downs, what is going on at Arkansas? It is hard to believe the Razorbacks were the consensus No. 1 team in last year’s TAM rankings, and some experts’ pick to win the SEC West this season. They followed up their disappointing week two loss to Louisiana Monroe with an equally bad shut out loss at home to Alabama. Vanderbilt finally won a game, and managed to jump Arkansas State in the polls, beating up on Presbyterian out of the Big South conference. Our two Sun Belt teams are neck in neck in the rankings. MTSU is riding a two game win streak, while Arkansas State lost yet another game to a BCS school. Southern Miss lost to East Carolina and Memphis lost to MTSU to give us two teams still looking for wins this year.

1. Mississippi State (3-0): Last week No. 2
Last Game: W 30-24 vs. Troy @ Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium
Next Game: vs. South Alabama @ Davis Wade Stadium
Best Win: 28-10 vs. Auburn @ Davis Wade Stadium
Worst Loss: N/A
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

2. Tennessee (2-1): Last week No. 1
Last Game: L 37-20 Florida @ Neyland Stadium
Next Game: vs. Akron @ Neyland Stadium
Best Win: 35-21 vs. North Carolina State @ Georgia Dome
Worst Loss: L 37-20 Florida @ Neyland Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

3. Ole Miss (2-1): Last week No. 3
Last Game: L 66-31 Texas @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Next Game: vs. Tulane @ the Superdome
Best Win: 28-10 vs. UTEP @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Worst Loss: L 66-31 Texas @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

4. Arkansas (1-2): Last week No. 4
Last Game: L 52-0 vs. Alabama @ Razorback Stadium
Next Game: vs. Rutgers @ Razorback Stadium
Best Win: 49-24 vs. Jacksonville State @ Little Rock Arkansas
Worst Loss: 52-0 vs. Alabama @ Razorback Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

5. Vanderbilt (1-2): Last week No. 6
Last Game: W 58-0 Presbyterian @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Next Game: vs. Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Best Win: W 58-0 Presbyterian @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Worst Loss: 23-13 vs. Northwestern @ Ryan Field
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

T6. Arkansas State (1-2): Last week No. 5
Last Game: L 42-13 vs. Nebraska @ Memorial Stadium
Next Game: vs. Alcorn State @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Best Win: 33-28 vs. Memphis @ Liberty Bank Stadium
Worst Loss: 57-34 vs. Oregon @ Autzen Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

T6. MTSU (2-1): Last week No. 7
Last Game: W 48-30 Memphis @ Liberty Bowl
Next Game: vs. Georgia Tech @ Bobby Dodd Stadium
Best Win: 48-30 Memphis @ Liberty Bowl
Worst Loss: 27-21 vs. McNeese State @ Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

8. Southern Mississippi (0-2): Last week No.7
Last Game: L 24-14 East Carolina @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Next Game: vs. Western Kentucky @ Smith Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 24-14 East Carolina @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

9. Memphis (0-3): Last week No. 9
Last Game: L 48-30 MTSU @ Liberty Bowl
Next Game: vs. Duke @ Wallace Wade Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 20-17 vs. UT-Martin @ Liberty Bowl
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 2 (Arkansas State and MTSU)

Other college football articles:

Filed Under: TAM Rankings, The Big Features, Web Exclusives Tagged With: 2012 TAM Rankings, Arkansas football, Arkansas State, Memphis Football, Mississippi State football, MTSU football, Ole Miss Football, Southern Mississippi football, Tennessee football, Vanderbilt

Week 2 TAM Football Rankings: Arkansas falls, so who is No. 1?

September 13, 2012 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

Finally, after weeks of TAM rankings we get a new number one team. That is all thanks to the Razorbacks’ embarrassing home loss to Louisiana Monroe. Several fourth down conversions led to the Razorbacks’ demise and to make matters worse, the No. 1 ranked team in the nation is coming to town and Arkansas might be without 1^st team All SEC quarterback Tyler Wilson. The new No. 1 team in our TAM rankings is Tennessee who will face a pretty tough opponent of their own when No. 18 Florida comes to Rocky Top this week. Mississippi State finally gave Dan Mullin his first SEC West win over a team other than Ole Miss this past Saturday when the Bulldogs beat Auburn. Ole Miss has already matched their win total from last year, but the thought that they are an improved team may be fools gold. We will find out Saturday after they play host to the No. 14 Texas Longhorns. Southern Miss had an early bye week and Vanderbilt lost to Northwestern. Our two Sun Belt TAM teams rebounded nicely this week, as Arkansas State came back in the fourth quarter to beat Memphis. While MTSU grabbed a much needed conference win against Florida Atlantic and a spot in our game of the week. The other team in our game of the week is Memphis who is still searching for their first win of the year. MTSU and Memphis are never too far from the bottom in our rankings, and this game may decide who the worst team in the TAM rankings is this year.

1. Tennessee (2-0):
Last Game: W 51-13 vs. Georgia State @ Neyland Stadium
Next Game: vs. Florida @ Neyland Stadium
Best Win: 35-21 vs. North Carolina State @ Georgia Dome
Worst Loss: N/A
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

2. Mississippi State (2-0):
Last Game: W 28-10 vs. Auburn @ Davis Wade Stadium
Next Game: vs. Troy @ Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium
Best Win: 28-10 vs. Auburn @ Davis Wade Stadium
Worst Loss: N/A
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

3. Ole Miss (2-0):
Last Game: W 28-10 vs. UTEP @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Next Game: vs. Texas @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Best Win: 28-10 vs. UTEP @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Worst Loss: N/A
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

4. Arkansas (1-1):
Last Game: L 34-31 vs. Louisiana Monroe @ Little Rock Arkansas
Next Game: vs. Alabama @ Razorback Stadium
Best Win: 49-24 vs. Jacksonville State @ Little Rock Arkansas
Worst Loss: 34-31 Louisiana Monroe @ Little Rock Arkansas
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

5. Arkansas State (1-1):
Last Game: W 33-28 vs. Memphis @ ASU Stadium
Next Game: vs. Nebraska @ Memorial Stadium
Best Win: 33-28 vs. Memphis @ ASU Stadium
Worst Loss: 57-34 vs. Oregon @ Autzen Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

6. Vanderbilt (0-2):
Last Game: L 23-13 vs. Northwestern @ Ryan Field
Next Game: vs. Presbyterian @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 23-13 vs. Northwestern @ Ryan Field
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

T7. MTSU (1-1):
Last Game: W 31-17 vs. Florida Atlantic @ Floyd Stadium
Next Game: vs. Memphis @ Liberty Bowl
Best Win: 31-17 vs. Florida Atlantic @ Floyd Stadium
Worst Loss: 27-21 vs. McNeese State @ Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

T7. Southern Mississippi (0-1):
Last Game: L 49-20 vs. Nebraska @ Memorial Stadium
Next Game: vs. East Carolina @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 49-20 vs. Nebraska @ Memorial Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

9. Memphis (0-2):
Last Game: L 33-28 vs. Arkansas State @ ASU Stadium
Next Game: vs. MTSU @ Liberty Bowl
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 20-17 vs. UT-Martin @ Liberty Bowl
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 1 (ArkansasState)

Other college football articles:

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. If you think your favorite TAM team is too low (or even too high) in the rankings tweet him @churtj09 and let himn know. Also, follow him for live tweets from college football games throughout the Mid-South.

Filed Under: TAM Rankings, The Big Features, Web Exclusives Tagged With: Arkansas football, Arkansas State football, Dan Mullin, Memphis Football, Mississippi State football, MTSU football, Ole Miss Football, Southern Miss football, TAM ranking 2012, Tennessee football, Vanderbilt football

Week 1 TAM Football Rankings: Razorbacks start 2012 season at No. 1

September 6, 2012 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

College football made its triumphant return this past week, and along with it is our TAM ranking. Arkansas starts this year where they ended it last year, at No. 1. While both Arkansas State and Southern Miss both fall out of the top three thanks to embarrassing blow out losses to Oregon and Nebraska respectively. Vanderbilt gave South Carolina all they could handle, but came up short in the end. Mississippi State and Ole Miss both man handled FCS opponents, but Memphis and MTSU were both upset by FCS foes. Tennessee had the most impressive win by a TAM team this week with their victory over North Carolina State. Week one is in the books and it is time to unveil the week one TAM rankings.

1. Arkansas (1-0):
Arkansas took care of business against Jacksonville State. Tyler Wilson threw for 367 yards and three touchdowns in the contest. The Razorbacks were wondering who was going to step up in the passing game after they lost some playmakers at receiver. Tight end Chris Gragg filled that void nicely against Jacksonville State. He had seven catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns, and might be the playmaker Wilson and the Razorbacks need to help the offense out in the passing game. Louisiana Monroe is up next and then Alabama (the No. 1 ranked team in the nation) comes to town.
Last Game: W 49-24 vs. Jacksonville State @ Little Rock Arkansas
Next Game: vs. Louisiana Monroe @ Little Rock Arkansas
Best Win: 49-24 vs. Jacksonville State @ Little Rock Arkansas
Worst Loss: N/A
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

2. Tennessee (1-0):
Are the Vols back? Maybe. Maybe not. Beating North Carolina State is certainly the right step on the road back to national prominence. Tyler Bray was spectacular throwing for 333 yards and two touchdowns. Cordarrelle Patterson’s performance in his first game in a Volunteer uniform was special as he caught six balls for 93 yards and two touchdowns. The defense helped out by forcing four interceptions on the day. Georgia State is next, but all eyes are on their matchup in two weeks with rival Florida.

Last Game: W 35-21 vs. North Carolina State @ Georgia Dome
Next Game: vs. Georgia State @ Neyland Stadium
Best Win: 35-21 vs. North Carolina State @ Georgia Dome
Worst Loss: N/A
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

3. Mississippi State (1-0):
Talk about balanced attacks. The Bulldogs passed for 183 yards and rushed for 194 yards in their first game of the season. They also returned two interceptions, one by Darius Slay and the other by Matthew Wells, for touchdowns. They will need a solid effort if they are going to beat Auburn, and give Dan Mullin his first win over a SEC West opponent not named Ole Miss on Saturday.
Last Game: W 56-9 vs. Jackson State @ Davis Wade Stadium
Next Game: vs. Auburn @ Davis Wade Stadium
Best Win: 56-9 vs. Jackson State @ Davis Wade Stadium
Worst Loss: N/A
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

4. Vanderbilt (0-1):
Vandy gave South Carolina all they could handle in their Thursday night SEC opener, but came up short at the end thanks to a missed pass interference call. Jordan Matthews looked like a star catching 8 passes for 147 yards and one touchdown. There is no time for the Commodores to lick their wounds as next up is a trip to Northwestern.
Last Game: L 17-13 vs. South Carolina @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Next Game: vs. Northwestern @ Ryan Field
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 17-13 vs. South Carolina @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

5. Ole Miss (1-0):
Ole Miss trailed 20-14 at halftime, but scored 35 second half points while allowing only seven to get the win over UCA. Bo Wallace accounted for 346 total yards and three touchdowns on 264 yards passing and 82 yards rushing. The Rebels defense looked sloppy in their season opener, and will need to improve on the defensive side of the ball if they are going to compete in the SEC. Up next for Ole Miss is UTEP and then the Texas Longhorns come to town.
Last Game: W 49-27 vs. UCA @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Next Game: vs. UTEP @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Best Win: 49-27 vs. UCA @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Worst Loss: N/A
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

6. Arkansas State (0-1):
It was clear early on that the Red Wolves were going to be no match for Oregon. Arkansas State gave up 29 first quarter points on their way to allowing 50 first half points to the mighty Ducks of Oregon. Luckily for Red Wolves fans Memphis is coming to town this Saturday, so you can expect Arkansas State to get their first win of the year.
Last Game: L 57-34 vs. Oregon @ Autzen Stadium
Next Game: vs. Memphis @ ASU Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 57-34 vs. Oregon @ Autzen Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

7. Southern Mississippi (0-1):
Austin Davis was missed severely in the Golden Eagles loss to Nebraska, as Southern Miss threw for only 75 yards in the game. The Golden Eagles were also dominated on the defensive side of the ball, giving up 632 total yards to the Cornhuskers. Thankfully the Golden Eagles have a bye week to regroup before they begin C-USA play with East Carolina.
Last Game: L 49-20 vs. Nebraska @ Memorial Stadium
Next Game: vs. East Carolina @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 49-20 vs. Nebraska @ Memorial Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

8. Memphis (0-1):
This is certainly one of the worst losses in the history of the University of Memphis football program. Costly turnovers and inopportune penalties led to the Skyhawks kicking the game winning field goal with just four seconds left. Coach Fuente must get his player to regroup and forget about last week’s blunder if the Tigers are going to be able to avenge the 44 point beat down they took last year in Jonesboro.
Last Game: L 20-17 vs. UT-Martin @ Liberty Bowl
Next Game: vs. Arkansas State @ ASU Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 20-17 vs. UT-Martin @ Liberty Bowl
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

9. MTSU (0-1):
The Blue Raiders were dominated by FCS opponent McNeese State. They trailed 23-6 at the end of the third quarter and allowed 298 rushing yards. Coach Stockstill was on the hot seat before the season started, and the seat has now burned a hole through his pants. MTSU plays Florida Atlantic at home with a chance to save their season and their coaches job, but it might be too little too late for Stockstill.
Last Game: L 27-21 vs. McNeese State @ Floyd Stadium
Next Game: vs. Florida Atlantic @ Floyd Stadium
Best Win: N/A
Worst Loss: 27-21 vs. McNeese State @ Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: N/A
Losses Against TAMs Teams: N/A

Other college football articles:

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

Filed Under: TAM Rankings, The Big Features, Web Exclusives Tagged With: Arkansas football, Arkansas State, Austin Davis, Bo Wallace, Chris Gragg, Cordarrelle Patterson, Darius Slay, Jordan Matthews, Justin Fuente, Matthew Wells, Memphis Football, Mississippi State football, MTSU football, Nebraska football, North Carolina State football, Ole Miss Football, Oregon Football, Rick Stockstill, Southern Mississippi football, Tennessee football, Tyler Bray, Tyler Wilson, UT Martin Skyhawks, Vanderbilt football

Bowl Game Preview 2011: TAMs teams

December 24, 2011 by C.J. Hurt 1 Comment

It is the most wonderful time of the year for every college football fan, and it is not just because of the holidays. Bowl season is now underway, with five of our nine area TAMs (Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi) teams participating in this year’s festivities. Conference pride is on the line, and this year’s bowls are full of great matchups and intriguing storylines involving our TAMs teams. The bowl season is sure to be a memorable one, but for a preview of this year’s TAMs bowl matchups, look no further than MemphiSport:

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl: Southern Miss vs. Nevada
Two of the best rushing attacks in the nation will go head to head when these two teams face off on Saturday at 8 pm ET. The Golden Eagles are 14th in the nation in scoring and are looking to build off their upset win over Houston in the C-USA championship. This is Coach Fedora’s last game before taking over at North Carolina, so expect Southern Miss to play motivated football and send their coach out with a win.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Mississippi State vs. Wake Forrest
Mississippi State sneaks into a bowl game after a very disappointing 6-6 season. They will face a Wake Forrest team that got throttled by Vanderbilt in their last game. Thankfully Wake Forrest is not an SEC West opponent, otherwise Dan Mullin’s squad would be in trouble. Points will be hard to come by as the Bulldogs are giving up less than 20 points per game.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt
Not the matchup that we wanted at MemphiSport (Mississippi State vs. Southern Miss in the “Battle for Mississippi” is what we wanted), but you cannot argue that a matchup between the Big East co-champion and an up and coming Vandy squad will be a good game never the less. Vanderbilt has one of the best bowl win percentages out of any major university at .625. The catch is the Commodores have only been to four bowls in 121 years. Coach Franklin has a contract extension and is looking forward to facing off against the Big East Coach of the Year Butch Jones. If the Big East wants to be taken seriously their co-champion cannot lose to the eighth place team in the SEC.

AT&T Cotton Bowl: Arkansas vs. Kansas State
This is a great matchup with two top ten teams facing off. Arkansas has the misfortune of being in the same division as LSU and Alabama, so they missed a chance to play in a BCS bowl. The Razorbacks have one of the most potent offenses in the nation ranking 13th in the nation in passing yards and averaging 37 points per game. If you take away the Razorback’s games against Alabama and LSU, they are averaging close to 42 points per game. Kansas State will be the Razorbacks third top ten opponent, and hopefully they will fare better than they did in their first two games.

GODADDY.com Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois
This is one of only three bowls that will include two conference champions facing off. The Red Wolves are without Coach Freeze, who is now the head coach at Ole Miss, but they are still looking to get to 11 wins for the first time since becoming an FBS school. Ryan Aplin is still under center so the Red Wolves are still a dangerous team offensively. Arkansas State will have to stop one of the most potent rushing attacks in the nation as the Huskies average 247 yards per game. Chandler Harish and Jasmin Hopkins lead the nations 9th ranked rushing attack, and the Red Wolves must contain the ground game if they want to come out on top of this one.

Click here for the 2011 College Football TAMs Awards

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from the Liberty Bowl on December 31.

Filed Under: TAM Rankings, The Big Features Tagged With: Arkansas football, Arkansas State football, Liberty Bowl, Mississippi State football, Southern Miss football, Vanderbilt football

The 2011 College Football TAMs Awards

December 17, 2011 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

Is Tyler Wilson or Ryan Aplin the Most Outstanding Player? Which TAMs team has been more disappointing Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Tennessee, or Memphis? Who had the best win and who had the worst loss of the year? We answer all of these questions and more as we divvy out the awards for the 2011 college football season. Without further ado, here are the 2011 College Football TAMs awards…

Best Team: Arkansas
Hands down the best team this season in our rankings, Arkansas finished the season undefeated against TAM teams (4-0) and had the most wins against TAM teams out of anybody else in the rankings. The Razorbacks were unanimously selected No. 1 in all of the TAM rankings except for one making them easily the best team in the TAM ranking. If not for Alabama and LSU Arkansas might have had a chance to compete for a SEC championship and a BCS birth.

Worst Team: Memphis
Memphis is not only the worst team in the TAM rankings, but they might be the worst team in all of college football. This year the Tigers showed us every possible way of losing imaginable. They were blown out, shut out, they lost close games, and they had monumental collapses with the game seemingly in hand. With Coach Porter gone after just two seasons it is going to be interesting to see just how much a struggling Tigers program can improve after such a bad Memphis season. New coach Justin Fuente certainly has his work cut out for him next year.

Most Disappointing Team: Tennessee
This honor was going to Mississippi State, who was a team that some people believed could win the SEC West at the beginning of the year. Then the Vols lost to Kentucky for the first time in 26 games, ending the nation’s longest winning streak against a conference opponent, and making Tennessee ineligible for a bowl. Tennessee lost seven conference games for the first time in school history, and the only conference team the Vols beat was Vanderbilt in overtime.

Best Win: Southern Miss 49 Houston 28
The Golden Eagles ruined the Cougars’ chance at a perfect season and a BCS bowl with this win in the C-USA championship game. They dominated the game from start to finish, never trailing and holding the explosive Houston offense to only 28 points (the Cougars average 52.7 points per game). The win gave the Golden Eagles their first conference championship since 2003, and helped vault Coach Fedora to the top of the North Carolina coaching list.

Worst Loss: Tennessee 7 Kentucky 10
This was the first time since 1984 that the Vols lost to Kentucky. To make matters worse, Kentucky beat Tennessee without their first or second string quarterback. In fact, starting receiver Matt Roark played quarterback for the Wildcats. The loss capped off back to back losing seasons for Tennessee for the first time since the1910-1911 seasons, and prevented Tennessee from becoming bowl eligible.

Surprise Team: Arkansas State
The Red wolves won their first Sun Belt conference title since 2005, and finished undefeated in Sun Belt play for the first time ever this season. Their defense was the stingiest in the TAM poll, holding opponents to 19.3 points per game. Ryan Aplin led the way for the offense this season. He finished the year 10th in the nation in total yards per game, with over 3,000 yards passing, and he was the team’s leader in rushing yards too. Arkansas State played so well in Coach Freeze’s first year that he was able to get the Ole Miss head coaching job.

Coach of the Year: Hugh Freeze
In his first year as head coach at Arkansas State, Hugh Freeze led the Red Wolves to their most successful season ever. They won ten games for the first time since becoming a FBS school in 1991, and fielded one of the most explosive offenses in the nation. Coach Freeze’s defense was just as good, finishing 15th in rushing defense and 20th in the nation in total defense. He will try to have similar success at his new job, coaching fellow TAM team Ole Miss next season.

Most Outstanding Player: Tyler Wilson
Tyler Wilson was the best TAM player on the best TAM team. Therefore, he has earned the coveted Most Outstanding Player Award. At the beginning of the year, the major question for the Razorbacks was how much effective will Tyler Wilson be. We were all wondering if he could live up to the big shoes Ryan Mallet left behind, and Wilson did that with no problem. He led all quarterbacks in the SEC (and TAM rankings) in passing yards per game, total passing yards, and he had a quarterback rating of 148.66. Wilson’s numbers were even better against TAM teams, throwing for 284 yards per game, seven touchdowns, and one interception in four games against TAM foes. If Wilson decides to stay for another year he could set several school records and take Arkansas back to a BCS bowl game.

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

Filed Under: TAM Rankings, The Big Features Tagged With: Arkansas football, Arkansas State football, Coach Fedora, Coach Freeze, Coach Fuente, Coach Porter, Memphis Football, Ryan Aplin, Southern Miss football, Tennesse football, Tyler Wilson

Can anyone knock Arkansas out of the No. 1 spot in TAMs Rankings?

November 16, 2011 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

The college football season is coming to an end with three weeks left before conference championships begin. It is going to be a TAM Saturday as six TAM teams will face off in very meaningful games. Arkansas kept their SEC West championship hopes alive by throttling fellow TAM team Tennessee. Southern Mississippi was pushed all the way to the brink of defeat by UCF, before a pass deflection on a two point conversion sealed the win for the Golden Eagles. Arkansas State is one win away from being crowned Sun Belt champion, with their next game against TAM ranking bottom dweller MTSU. The Bulldogs will try to become bowl eligible this weekend against the best TAM team, Arkansas. Vanderbilt throttled Kentucky over the weekend, and can become bowl eligible with a win over a Tennessee team that is still looking for their first conference win of the season. Ole Miss continues to spiral out of control in Houston Nutt’s last year. The Rebels only scored 7 points and were embarrassed at home by Louisiana Tech. This week’s most disappointing team goes to the worst team in the TAM rankings the Memphis Tigers, who dominated three quarters before surrendering 24 fourth quarter points in a loss to UAB. Without further ado, the TAMs Rankings for the week of November 16, 2011…

Rankings compiled by MemphiSport. Updated every Wednesday.

1. Arkansas (9-1): Last week No. 1
The Razorbacks won their third game against a TAM teamthis season in convincing fashion, as they dominated Tennessee on Saturday. Arkansas is now ranked No. 6 in the BCS and still has an outside chance at a SEC championship. If Arkansas wins out there will be a three way tie at the top of the SEC West and a tie breaker will need to be implemented in order to decide who will represent the West in the SEC championship. Arkansas plays Mississippi State next and then it is a showdown with the best team in the country and arch rival LSU to possibly determine the SEC West champion.
Last Game: W 49-7 vs. Tennessee @ Razorback Stadium
Next Game: vs. Mississippi State @ Little Rock Arkansas
Best Win: 42-38 vs. Texas A&M @ Cowboy Stadium
Worst Loss: 38-14 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 2 (Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Tennessee)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

2. Southern Mississippi (9-1): Last week No. 2
UCF was one two point conversion away from pulling off a huge upset against Southern Miss, but the Golden Eagles found a way to deflect the pass and hold on for the win. The victory over UCF made Southern Miss the C-USA East champions and they will likely play Houston for the C-USA crown. Next up is a pitiful UAB team, followed by a game against the worst TAM team Memphis to wrap up the season.
Last Game: W 30-29 vs. UCF @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Next Game: vs. UAB @ Legion Field
Best Win: 30-24 vs. Virginia @ Scott Stadium
Worst Loss: 26-20 vs. Marshall @ Joan C. Edwards Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

3. Arkansas State (8-2): Last week No. 3
Arkansas State held on Saturday to defeat Louisiana-Lafayette by one point and remain in control of the Sunbelt race. The Red Wolves are going bowling for the first time since 2005 which has every Arkansas State fan excited. They get a chance to improve their TAM record this weekend when they play TAM rankings bottom dweller MTSU. If Arkansas State wins out they will get ten wins for the first time ever which is a major accomplishment for the Red Wolves. We are beginning to hear whispers about Coach Freeze leaving to coach Ole Miss next year, so it will be interesting to see how the team responds to the off field distraction.
Last Game: W 30-21 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette @ ASU Stadium
Next Game: vs. MTSU @ Floyd Stadium
Best Win: 47-3 vs. Memphis @ ASU Stadium
Worst Loss: 26-7 vs. Virginia Tech @ Lane Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

4. Vanderbilt (5-5): Last week No. 6
Vandy dismantled Ole Miss on Saturday and is just one win away from becoming bowl eligible for just the fifth time in school history. They will look to become bowl eligible when they travel to Neyland Stadium, and play rival and fellow TAM team Tennessee in what is going to be an intense game on Saturday. Turnovers will be key as Vanderbilt leads the SEC in takeaways while Tennessee has only turned the ball over 13 times all season.
Last Game: W 38-8 vs. Kentucky @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Next Game: vs. Tennessee @ Neyland Stadium
Best Win: 30-8 vs. Ole Miss @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Worst Loss: 34-0 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Ole Miss)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Arkansas)

5. Mississippi State (5-5): Last week No. 4
Dan Mullin still has yet to defeat an SEC West foe not named Ole Miss since he has become the Bulldogs head coach. Alabama absolutely dominated the Bulldogs offense, holding them to only 12 yards rushing and just 131 total yards. The Bulldogs do not get any relief in the schedule this week when they take on the top TAM team Arkansas. If Mississippi State loses this week then their game against arch rival Ole Miss will matter even more, since the Bulldogs will need to defeat the Rebels to become bowl eligible.
Last Game: W 24-7 vs. Alabama @ Davis Wade Stadium
Next Game: vs. Arkansas @ Little Rock Arkansas
Best Win: 59-14 vs. Memphis @ Liberty Bowl
Worst Loss: 24-10 vs. Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

6. Tennessee (4-6): Last week No. 5
Tennessee still has yet to beat an SEC team and another loss will eliminate the Vols from bowl contention. Good news for Volunteer fans is the return of sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray, who practiced on Tuesday for the first time since broke his thumb against Georgia on October 8. However, Bray is still listed as questionable for the Vols matchup against Vanderbilt this weekend, so it will be interesting to see how much playing time Coach Dooley will give him. The Vols must beat Vanderbilt and Kentucky in order to become bowl eligible.
Last Game: W 49-7 vs. Tennessee @ Razorback Stadium
Next Game: vs. Vanderbilt @ Neyland Stadium
Best Win: 45-23 vs. Cincinnati @ Neyland Stadium
Worst Loss: 37-6 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (MTSU)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Arkansas)

7. Ole Miss (2-8): Last week No. 7
Just when you think that the Rebel’s season has hit rock bottom Ole Miss gets a shovel and keeps on digging. They suffered their fifth straight loss at home against Louisiana Tech on Saturday, and they get the best team in the nation next when LSU comes to town. To make matters worse Coach Nutt has suspended starting quarterback Randall Mackey and leading rusher Jeff Scott for Saturday’s game. Their best hope is that LSU decides not to make the trip to Oxford in order to prepare for their contest against Arkansas.
Last Game: L 27-7 vs. Louisiana Tech @ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Next Game: vs. LSU @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Best Win: 38-28 vs. Fresno State @ Bulldog Stadium
Worst Loss: 27-7 vs. Louisiana Tech @ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 2 (Vanderbilt and Arkansas )

8. MTSU (2-7): Last week No. 8
Logan Kilgore and Jeff Murphy split time under the center, but MTSU still suffered their seventh loss of the season on Saturday. The Blue Raiders will not be going bowling this year thanks to Saturday’s loss and are now playing for pride the rest of the season. Good news for MTSU is if they can find a way to win two of their final three games they will likely jump Ole Miss in our TAM rankings. They play fellow TAM team Arkansas State next in a showdown of the two best Sun Belt teams in the TAM rankings (also the only two Sun Belt teams in the TAM rankings).
Last Game: L 42-14 vs. Louisiana-Monroe @ Malone Stadium
Next Game: vs. Arkansas State @ Floyd Stadium
Best Win: 38-31 vs. Memphis @ Johnny Floyd Stadium
Worst Loss: 49-21 vs. Georgia Tech @ Johnny Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Tennessee)

9. Memphis (2-6): Last week No. 9
Memphis held the lead for most of Saturday’s game against UAB and was up 35-17 when the fourth quarter started. However, by the time the fourth quarter ended the Tigers had surrendered 200 total yards and 24 unanswered fourth quarter points in a losing effort. They have to forget Saturday’s debacle and get ready for a Marshal team that is still fighting for bowl eligibility.
Last Game: L 41-35 vs. UAB @ Liberty Bowl
Next Game: vs. Marshall @ Liberty Bowl
Best Win: 33-17 vs. Tulane @ Tulane Stadium
Worst Loss: 41-35 vs. UAB @ Liberty Bowl
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 3 ( Miss St., Arkansas State, MTSU)

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

Filed Under: TAM Rankings, The Big Features, Web Exclusives Tagged With: Arkansas football, Arkansas State football, C-USA football, Coach Freeze, Dan Mullin, Houston Nutt, Logan Kilgo, Memphis Football, Mississippi State football, MTSU football, Ole Miss Football, SEC Football, Southern Mississippi football, Sun Belt football, Tennessee football, Tyler Bray, Vanderbilt football

Arkansas remains the top TAMs team for the sixth consecutive week

November 9, 2011 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

Our TAM teams had yet another thrilling weekend full of big wins, narrow losses, and a coaching change we all saw coming. Arkansas kept their BCS bowl hopes alive with a big win in the de facto SEC bronze medal game against South Carolina. Southern Miss is on a collision course with a Houston team that is vying for a chance to crash the BCS party. Arkansas State has its first seven win season since joining the FBS and is still atop the Sun Belt. While Ole Miss and Tennessee remain the only two teams in the TAM rankings who are still searching for conference wins. Tennessee did beat up on fellow TAM team MTSU 24-0, but the Rebel’s loss to lowly Kentucky was the straw that broke the camel’s back in Oxford as Houston Nutt will not be returning as head coach of Ole Miss next season. Vanderbilt gave another SEC foe all they could handle before falling short. Mississippi State is riding a two game winning streak into this week’s contest against an Alabama team that is sure to be motivated coming off of their first loss of the season. Thankfully for Tiger fans Memphis was on a bye week and they get UAB this week in what will be a game to determine who the worst team in C-USA is. Without further ado, the TAMs Rankings for the week of November 9, 2011…
Rankings compiled by MemphiSport. Updated every Wednesday.

1. Arkansas (8-1): Last week No. 1
Tyler Wilson threw his first interception in four games this Saturday, but the Razorback’s still found a way to win against a very talented South Carolina group. Jarius Wright leads the SEC in both receptions and receiving yards, and he is beginning to establish himself as one of the premier receivers in the nation. Arkansas still has a chance to be the SEC West champion and play in the SEC championship, but they will have to beat LSU to force a three way tie at the top of the division. The Razorbacks are going for their sixth straight win this Saturday against fellow TAM team Tennessee.
Last Game: W 44-28 vs. South Carolina @ Razorback Stadium
Next Game: vs. Tennessee @ Razorback Stadium
Best Win: 42-38 vs. Texas A&M @ Cowboy Stadium
Worst Loss: 38-14 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 2 (Ole Miss and Vanderbilt)
Losses Against TAMs Teams:0

2. Southern Mississippi (8-1): Last week No. 2
Southern Miss keeps on rolling through C-USA play this time by beating East Carolina 48-28. This is the first time all season that the Golden Eagles defense has given up more than 24 points to a conference opponent, and they remain one of the stingiest defenses in the nation, only allowing 19.6 points per game. They play Central Florida next and then they get the two worst teams in the conference (Memphis and UAB) to close out their season.
Last Game: W 48-28 vs. East Carolina @ Dowdy Ficklen Stadium
Next Game: vs. UCF @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Best Win: 30-24 vs. Virginia @ Scott Stadium
Worst Loss: 26-20 vs. Marshall @ Joan C. Edwards Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0

3. Arkansas State (7-2): Last week No. 5
Arkansas State continues to cruise through conference play this season, this time they handle a winless Florida Atlantic team to set up a match up against Louisiana-Lafayette with huge Sun Belt Championship implications. Coach Freeze has done a great job with this year’s team, but the Red Wolves have one more hurdle to jump on Saturday before they can be crowned Sun Belt champions. The Red Wolves will try to remain perfect in TAM ranking play when they take on MTSU in two weeks.
Last Game: W 38-21 vs. Florida Atlantic @ FAU Stadium
Next Game: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
Best Win: 47-3 vs.Memphis @ ASU Stadium
Worst Loss: 26-7 vs. Virginia Tech @ Lane Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

4. Mississippi State (5-4): Last week No. 3
Mississippi State has its first two game winning streak of the season after a blow out victory over FCS foe UT-Martin. The Bulldogs have won three of their last four against subpar competition, and they get an angry Alabama team that is coming off of their first loss of the season. Coach Dan Mullin is looking for his first win against an SEC West foe not named Ole Miss this weekend, but Alabama is not going to make it easy for him to do so. In order for the Bulldogs to pull off the upset they need a huge game from their due it all back Vick Ballard.
Last Game: W 55-17 vs. UT-Martin @ Davis Wade Stadium
Next Game: vs. Alabama @ Davis Wade Stadium
Best Win: 59-14 vs. Memphis @ Liberty Bowl
Worst Loss: 24-10 vs. Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams:0

5. Tennessee (4-5): Last week No. 6
Tennessee snapped their 4 game losing streak on Saturday against MTSU by shutting out the Blue Raiders in Rote to a 24-0 victory. The Vols have now only lost 12 regular season games in the months of November and December dating back to 1990. They will need all of that November magic this week when they take on the top TAM team Arkansas. In their five SEC games this year the Vols are only averaging 10.2 points per game. If they stand a chance in Arkansas this week they will need to find a way to get more production out of Taureen Poole and the running game so that they can keep Tyler Wilson off of the field.
Last Game: W 24-0 vs. MTSU @ Neyland Stadium
Next Game: vs. Arkansas @ Razorback Stadium
Best Win: 45-23 vs. Cincinnati @ Neyland Stadium
Worst Loss: 37-6 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (MTSU)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

6. Vanderbilt (4-5): Last week No. 4
Vanderbilt lost another close game to an SEC opponent on Saturday, this time it was in the “Swamp” against Florida. In fact, if you take out the 34 point beat down the Commodores suffered at the hands of Alabama their average margin of defeat in conference is only 8 points. While Coach Franklin has Vandy headed in the right direction, the Commodores must find a way to win close games if they are going to become bowl eligible this season. Next up for Vanderbilt is Kentucky and then they play rival and fellow TAM team Tennessee.
Last Game: L 26-21 vs. Florida @ Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Next Game: vs. Kentucky @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Best Win: 30-7 vs. Ole Miss @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Worst Loss: 34-0 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Ole Miss)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Arkansas)

7. Ole Miss (2-7): Last week No. 7
The Rebels’ season went from bad to worse this Saturday when Kentucky demolished them with a beat down of epic proportions. This loss was the straw that broke the Rebel’s back as it was announced early this week that Coach Nutt will not be returning next year as the head coach. Ole Miss is playing for pride now that they are not going to be bowl eligible for the second consecutive year. They play a solid Louisiana Tech team who has lost to two TAM teams (Southern Miss and Mississippi Stat) this season a combined total of 8 points.
Last Game: L 30-13 vs. Kentucky @ Commonwealth Stadium
Next Game: vs. Louisiana Tech @ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Best Win: 38-28 vs. Fresno State @ Bulldog Stadium
Worst Loss: 30-13 vs. Kentucky @ Commonwealth Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 2 (Vanderbilt and Arkansas)

8. MTSU (2-6): Last week No. 8
MTSU lost to Tennessee this weekend taking their TAM record to 1-1, with one game against a TAM team remaining. The Blue Raiders held the Vols to 24 points and shut them out in the second half, but MTSU could never find any rhythm offensively. Star quarterback Logan Kilgore was pulled from the game in the second quarter by Coach Stockstill after throwing a bad interception. MTSU needs to win out to become bowl eligible and keep their streak of two years of bowl eligibility alive.
Last Game: L 24-0 vs. Tennessee @ Neyland Stadium
Next Game: vs. Louisiana-Monroe @ Malone Stadium
Best Win: 38-31 vs. Memphis @ Johnny Floyd Stadium
Worst Loss: 49-21 vs. Georgia Tech @ Johnny Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Tennessee)

9. Memphis (2-6): Last week No. 9
The Tigers are coming off of a bye week and they get the only team in C-USA worst than them this week when they take on UAB. A win this week will triple the Tigers’ win total form last year, and will give them more than one conference win for the first time since 2008. Memphis will need big games from Taylor Reed and Billy Foster if they are going to snap a two year losing streak in the “Battle for the Bones” rivalry since 2008.
Last Game: W 41-0 vs. Central Florida @ BH Networks Stadium
Next Game: vs. UAB @ Liberty Bowl
Best Win: 33-17 vs. Tulane @ Tulane Stadium
Worst Loss: 47-3 vs. Arkansas State @ ASU Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams:3 (Miss St., Arkansas State, MTSU)

The Mid-South is full of fans with allegiances to different area college football programs. Which FBS program in the three states surrounding the Memphis area is the best? To help end some arguments and start others, every week MemphiSport ranks all the college football teams in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. We call it the TAMs Rankings.

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

Filed Under: TAM Rankings, The Big Features Tagged With: Arkansas football, Arkansas State football, C-USA football, Coach Franklin, Coach Freeze, Dan Mullin, Houston Nutt, Logan Kilgore, Memphis Football, Mississippi State football, MTSU football, Ole Miss Football, SEC Football, Southern Miss football, Sun Belt football, TAM rankings, Tennessee football, Vanderbilt football

The Razorbacks are scary good, remain No. 1 in the TAMs Rankings

November 2, 2011 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

Our TAM teams celebrated Halloween early this past weekend, and I do not know what is scarier, this grotesque razorback or the grotesque first halves Arkansas has been dealing with the past two weeks. Like Arkansas, Southern Miss also faced a first half scare before rebounding in the second half to win their game against UTEP. Nightmare seasons for Ole Miss and Tennesse continued as they reamin two of the three teams in the SEC without a conference win. Speaking of nightmares, Arkansas State is keeping every offensive coordinator in the Sun Belt up at night as not a team in the conference has been able to score more than 24 points on the terrifying Red Wolves’ defense. Equally as scary has been the play of the bottom dwellers MTSU and Memphis who both followed up wins with blow out losses. Mississippi State struck fear into yet another SEC East foe on Saturday to improve Coach Mullin’s record against SEC East opponents to 6-3 in his tenure at Mississippi State. Too bad the Bulldogs are in the SEC West where the only team they strike fear in is Ole Miss. This week’s most disappointing team is Vanderbilt who controlled most of the game Saturday against Arkansas, but lost anyways thanks to a truly greusome finish for Commodore fans, with a fumble inside the Razorbacks’ five yard line that was returned for a touchdown and a missed field goal to force overtime. Without further ado, the TAMs Rankings for the week of November 2, 2011…
Rankings compiled by MemphiSport. Updated every Wednesday.

1. Arkansas (7-1): Last week No. 1
For the second straight week the Razorbacks struggled early against a TAM team before finding a way to win. This time the scare was against Vanderbilt who controlled most of the game before Arkansas forced a fumble and returned it 94 yards for a touchdown. This is the third time Arkansas has fallen behind big early only to surmount an impressive comeback, but if they continue playing with fire somebody will burn them. Next up for the cardic kids is a game with huge SEC and BCS implications when the no. 9 Gamecocks of South Carolina come to town. If the Razorbacks fall behind big this weekend do not expect a big comback as Steve Spurrier’s squad will continue to pour it on until the final whistle.
Last Game: W 31-28 vs. Vanderbilt @Vanderbilt Stadium
Next Game: vs. South Carolina @ Razorback Stadium
Best Win: 42-38 vs. Texas A&M @ Cowboy Stadium
Worst Loss: 38-14 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 2 (Ole Miss and Vanderbilt)
Losses Against TAMs Teams:0

2. Southern Mississippi (7-1): Last week No. 2
A big kudos goes out to Southern Miss who is no. 25 in this weeks BCS poll, making two TAM teams in the BCS poll ths week. The Golden Eagles remain in the driver’s seat in the C-USA East, but they do face a tough two game stretch against East Carolina and UCF. Southern Miss has given up only 20 points in th last two games and continues to dominate C-USA offenses holding conference foes to only 15 points per game. A showdown with Houston in the C-USA championship seems emminent for the Golden Eagles, but they must take care of business the last four games of the season.
Last Game: W 31-13 vs. UTEP @ Sun Bowl Stadium
Next Game: vs. East Carolina @ Dowdy Ficklen Stadium
Best Win: 30-24 vs. Virginia @ Scott Stadium
Worst Loss: 26-20 vs. Marshall @ Joan C. Edwards Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

3. Mississippi State (4-4): Last week No. 3
The Bulldogs finally won their first conference game of the year against a woeful Kentucky unit. Things go from extremly easy to unbelievably effortless for Mississippi State when they take on the Sky Hawks of UT- Martin out of the OVC. A two game winning streak should give the Bulldogs some confidence before reality slaps them in the face when they play back to back games against two teams currently ranked in the top 10 of the BCS polls (Alabama and Arkansas).
Last Game: W 28-16 vs. Kentucky @ Commonwealth Stadium
Next Game: vs. UT-Martin @ Davis Wade Stadium
Best Win: 59-14 vs. Memphis @ Liberty Bowl
Worst Loss: 24-10 vs. Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

4. Vanderbilt (4-4): Last week No. 4
Vandy had Arkansas in the fourth quarter inside the Razorback ten yard line with a chance to go up 35-20, but a scoop and score by Jerry Franklin and a successful two point conversion pass by Wilson to Wright tied the game and gave all of the momentum to the Razorbacks. The Commodores still had a chance to force overtime late but a missed field goal sealed their fate as they managed to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. There is no time for Coach Franklin’s team to hang there heads because they head to ”the Swamp” to take on a very athletic Florida Gators team on Saturday. Three very winnable games remain on the Commodores schedule (Kentucky, Tennessee, and Wake Forest) and Vandy could be looking at a 7 or 8 win season when it is all said and done.
Last Game: L 31-28 vs. Arkansas@ Vanderbilt Stadium
Next Game: vs. Florida @ Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Best Win: 30-7 vs. Ole Miss @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Worst Loss: 34-0 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Ole Miss)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Arkansas)

5. Arkansas State (6-2): Last week No. 6
With their 37-14 win over North Texas Coach Freeze and the Red Wolves have their first six win season since 2008 and they are now bowl eligible. More impressive is the fact that with a win over Florida Atlantic this Saturday Arkansas State will have their first season with more than six wins since making the jump to D-1A (now known as the FBS) in 1991. The Sun Belt championship will be on the line next Saturday when Louisiana-Laffayete comes to town, as a win will gaurantee the Red Wolves a trip to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Last Game: W 37-14 vs.North Texas @ ASU Stadium
Next Game: vs. Florida Atlantic @ FAU Stadium
Best Win: 47-3 vs.Memphis @ ASU Stadium
Worst Loss: 26-7 vs. Virginia Tech @ Lane Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

6. Tennessee (3-5): Last week No. 5
The Vols’ offense continues to struggle in Tyler Bray’s absence, this time managing a measly 3 points against South Carolina. Tennessee is only averaging 22.4 points per game which is good for the third worse scoring offense in the SEC. In the three games since Bray’s injury Tennessee has scored a grand total of one touchdown and only 16 total points. Good thing for the Vols that TAM ranking bottom dweller MTSU is up next.
Last Game: L 14-3 vs. South Carolina @ Neyland Stadium
Next Game: vs. MTSU @ Neyland Stadium
Best Win: 45-23 vs. Cincinnati @ Neyland Stadium
Worst Loss: 37-6 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

7. Ole Miss (2-6): Last week No. 7
The loss to Auburn makes eleven straight conference losses for Houston Nutt’s Rebels. Bowl eligibility is slipping a way from Ole Miss and another loss will make them ineligible for a bowl for the second straight year. They get an equally bad Kentucky team this Saturday in a battle between the two worst teams in the SEC. This is the best chance Ole Miss has the rest of the season to beat an SEC opponent with their last two SEC games being against no.1 LSU and the Egg Bowl against Mississippi State.
Last Game: L 41-23 vs. Auburn @ Jordan-Hare Stadium
Next Game: vs. Kentucky @ Commonwealth Stadium
Best Win: 38-28 vs. Fresno State @ Bulldog Stadium
Worst Loss: 14-13 vs. BYU @ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 2 (Vanderbilt and Arkansas)

8. MTSU (2-5): Last week No. 8
The Blue Raiders we all know and love returned to true form on Saturday, losing in impressive fashion to Louisiana-Laffayette. MTSU held the Rajun Cajuns to just 188 passing yards, but Louisiana-Laffayette pounded the Blue Raider defense on the ground for 338 yards. Logan Kilgore led the offense to over 400 total yards, but with a defense that is among the worst in the nation MTSU might not win another game this season. Next up is a trip to Knoxville to take fellow TAM team Tennessee.
Last Game: L 45-20 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette @ Floyd Stadium
Next Game: vs. Tennessee @ Neyland Stadium
Best Win: 38-31 vs. Memphis @ Johnny Floyd Stadium
Worst Loss: 49-21 vs. Georgia Tech @ Johnny Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

9. Memphis (2-6): Last week No. 9
The Tiger’s conference losing streak started over Saturday at one, with a shut out loss to Central Florida. Memphis was dominated by the Black Knights’ defense, only gaining 134 total yards and 6 first downs in Saturday’s contest. Coach Porter has a bye week to try and fix the Tigers’ offensive woes before the “Battle for the Bones” against UAB. Former Memphis coach Tommy West is now a defensive coordinator for UAB and will return to the Liberty Bowl for the first time since his departure after the 2009 season.
Last Game: W 41-0 vs. Central Florida @ BH Networks Stadium
Next Game: vs. UAB @ Liberty Bowl
Best Win: 33-17 vs. Tulane @ Tulane Stadium
Worst Loss: 47-3 vs. Arkansas State @ ASU Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 3 (Miss St., Arkansas State, MTSU)

The Mid-South is full of fans with allegiances to different area college football programs. Which FBS program in the three states surrounding the Memphis area is the best? To help end some arguments and start others, every week MemphiSport ranks all the college football teams in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. We call it the TAMs Rankings.

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.

Filed Under: TAM Rankings, The Big Features Tagged With: Arkansas football, Arkansas State football, Coach Dan Mullin, Coach Franklin, Coach Freeze, Coach Houston Nutt, Coach Porter, Conference USA, Florida International, LSU, Memphis Football, Mississippi State football, MTSU football, Ole Miss, R+L Carriers New Orleanse Bowl, Southern Miss football, Sun Belt, TAM, Tennessee football, Tommy West, UAB, Vanderbilt football

TAMs Teams go 5-2 this week, Arkansas remains No. 1

October 27, 2011 by C.J. Hurt Leave a Comment

It was another exciting week for our TAM teams as they went a combined 5-2 with the two losses belonging to Ole Miss who played fellow TAM team Arkansas and Tennessee who lost to the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide. Southern Miss is now bowl eligible and in control of their destiny in C-USA thanks to another conference loss by Marshall. Vandy won big over Army keeping their bowl hopes alive. Mississippi State is coming off a bye week and hopefully the Bulldogs have fixed their offensive issues. Both TAM ranking bottom dwellers won this week with Memphis beating Tulane and MTSU beating Florida Atlantic. This week’s most disappointing team is Tennessee who has lost three straight games and is 0-4 in SEC play so far this season. Without further ado, the TAMs Rankings for the week of October 26, 2011…

Rankings compiled by MemphiSport. Updated every Wednesday.

1. Arkansas (6-1): Last week No. 1
The Razorbacks survived a scare against fellow TAM team Ole Miss this Saturday to improve to 6-1 on the year and become bowl eligible. They remain a unanimous number one selection by the voters of the TAM rankings and the No. 10 team in the BCS. Should Arkansas win out they will be in a BCS bowl, but that means beating one of the best teams in the nation and archrival LSU. Coach Petrino is 2-1 against LSU in his tenure at Arkansas and another win against the Bayou Bengals will make Arkansas a BCS at-large selection for the second consecutive year. Arkansas plays fellow TAM team Vanderbilt on Saturday and then they play the No. 13 Gamecocks.

Last Game: W 29-25 vs. Ole Miss @ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Next Game: vs. Vanderbilt @Vanderbilt Stadium
Best Win: 42-38 vs. Texas A&M @ Cowboy Stadium
Worst Loss: 38-14 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Ole Miss)
Losses Against TAMs Teams:0

2. Southern Mississippi (6-1): Last week No. 2
Southern Miss throttled SMU on Saturday holding the Mustang offense to just four first downs and three points. With Central Florida losing to lowly UAB and Marshall losing again in C-USA play the Golden Eagles are in the drivers seat in the eastern half of the conference. Their next game is on the road against a UTEP squad that is on a two game winning streak. Nothing is guaranteed in college football, but Southern Miss should win out and represent the East in the C-USA championship game.

Last Game: W 27-3 vs. SMU @ M.M. Roberts Stadium
Next Game: vs. UTEP @ Sun Bowl Stadium
Best Win: 30-24 vs. Virginia @ Scott Stadium
Worst Loss: 26-20 vs. Marshall @ Joan C. Edwards Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

3. Mississippi State (3-4): Last week No. 3
Mississippi State is coming off of a bye week and looking for their first SEC win of the year against a struggling Kentucky team that has the fourth worst passing attack in the nation and averages less than 7 points per game in conference play. The Bulldog defense is looking to be the latest SEC defense to shut down the Wildcats as Mississippi State is only giving up 19 points per game and has allowed more than 24 points just once this season. A win against Kentucky will go a long way towards making Mississippi State bowl eligible, but if the Bulldogs are going to turn their season around Coach Mullin is going to have to beat an SEC West foe not named Ole Miss, something he has not done since becoming head coach in 2008.

Last Game: L 14-12 vs. South Carolina @ Davis Wade Stadium
Next Game: vs. Kentucky @ Commonwealth Stadium
Best Win: 59-14 vs. Memphis @ Liberty Bowl
Worst Loss: 24-10 vs. Georgia @ Sanford Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

4. Vanderbilt (4-3): Last week No. 6
The Commodores moved up two spots this week after snapping a three game losing streak Saturday against Army to improve to 3-0 out of conference. Vanderbilt’s SEC record on the other hand is a woeful 1-3 and this Saturday’s contest is against conference foe and fellow TAM team Arkansas. If Vanderbilt is going to stand a chance of winning the game they must continue to force turnovers and find a way to move the ball through the air. Their schedule the rest of the season is very manageable and Vandy should be bowl eligible when it is all said and done.

Last Game: W 44-21 vs. Army @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Next Game: vs. Arkansas@ Vanderbilt Stadium
Best Win: 30-7 vs. Ole Miss @ Vanderbilt Stadium
Worst Loss: 34-0 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Ole Miss)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

5. Tennessee (3-4): Last week No. 4
Tennessee was tied with the Crimson Tide at the end of the first half on Saturday6-6 and apparently thopught the game was over. Alabama on the other hand, reminded the Vols that there are two halves to a football game and scored 31 unanswered second half points to absolutely demolish the Vols by a score of 31-6. This season is one Vol fans are anxious to forget as they have lost to all three of their major rivals (Florida, Alabama, and Georgia) and are in danger of not being bowl eligible. The Vols play No. 13 South Carolina this weekend followed by three consecutive weeks of TAM opponents starting with MTSU.

Last Game: L 37-6 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Next Game: vs. South Carolina @ Neyland Stadium
Best Win: 45-23 vs. Cincinnati @ Neyland Stadium
Worst Loss: 37-6 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

6. Arkansas State (5-2): Last week No. 5
Since Arkansas State played a Tuesday night game they were off on Saturday, but the Red Wolves will be back in action this Saturday against a North Texas team that is giving up 32.5 points per game. The Red Wolves remain undefeated in Sun Belt play and need only one more win to be bowl eligible. Arkansas State is riding a four game winning streak and has cemented themselves as the best team in the Sun Belt. You can never overlook an opponent in college football, but a trip to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl might be on the line on November 12 when they play Louisiana- Lafayette.

Last Game: W 34-16 vs.Florida International @ ASU Stadium
Next Game: vs. North Texas @ ASU Stadium
Best Win: 47-3 vs.Memphis @ ASU Stadium
Worst Loss: 26-7 vs. Virginia Tech @ Lane Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

7. Ole Miss (2-5): Last week No. 7
Ole Miss lost a heartbreaker toArkansas Saturday, a game that they led going into halftime before allowing 19 unanswered points in the third quarter. That loss makes ten straight losses for Ole Miss against SEC opponents and Coach Nutt’s seat continues to get hotter with every passing week. Things do not get any easier for the Rebels as they go on the road to take on the defending BCS champion Auburn Tigers on Saturday. The Rebels are two more losses away from not being bowl eligible which would be the second straight year Ole Miss has not gone to a bowl.

Last Game: L 29-24 vs. Arkansas @ Vaught-Hemmingway Stadium
Next Game: vs. Auburn @ Jordan-Hare Stadium
Best Win: 38-28 vs. Fresno State @ Bulldog Stadium
Worst Loss: 14-13 vs. BYU @ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 2 (Vanderbilt and Arkansas)

8. MTSU (2-4): Last week No. 8
MTSU won their first conference game of the season against a Florida Atlantic team that is one of two teams in the FBS to still not have a win. The Blue Raiders play Louisiana-Lafayette and then it is a showdown with fellow TAM team Tennessee who will be desperate for a win. Logan Kilgore is still lighting opponents up through the air, but unless he gets some help on the defensive side of the ball MTSU can kiss any hopes of making a bowl goodbye.

Last Game: W 38-14 vs. Florida Atlantic @ FAU Football Stadium
Next Game: vs. Louisiana-Lafayette @ Floyd Stadium
Best Win: 38-31 vs. Memphis @ Johnny Floyd Stadium
Worst Loss: 49-21 vs. Georgia Tech @ Johnny Floyd Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 1 (Memphis)
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

9. Memphis (2-6): Last week No. 9
The Tiger’s 16 game conference losing streak was snapped on Saturday as Memphis knocked off Tulane 33-17. Memphis has now doubled their win total from last year and gets to play a Central Florida group who just lost to UAB, the worst team in C-USA. After their game against UCF Memphis will get to take on UAB in a game that is sure to be a battle of futility, but should the Tigers beat UAB Coach Porter will have tripled his win total from the year prior.

Last Game: W 33-17 vs. Tulane @ Tulane Stadium
Next Game: vs. Central Florida @ BH Networks Stadium
Best Win: 33-17 vs. Tulane @ Tulane Stadium
Worst Loss: 47-3 vs. Arkansas State @ ASU Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 3 (Miss St., Arkansas State, MTSU)

The Mid-South is full of fans with allegiances to different area college football programs. Which FBS program in the three states surrounding the Memphis area is the best? To help end some arguments and start others, every week MemphiSport ranks all the college football teams in Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. We call it the TAMs Rankings.

CJ Hurt covers college football for MemphiSport. Follow him @churtj09 for live tweets from games.