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

September 6, 2012 by 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:

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.

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

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Harsh Reality of SEC Football: 2012 Schedule Breakdown

January 1, 2012 by 4 Comments

Watching reality TV is becoming one of America’s favorite pastimes.  We all do it.  From Jersey Shore to American Idol, everybody has at least one reality TV show that they enjoy watching.  So needless to say I was actually watching my favorite reality show (Billy the Exterminator) when news broke that the SEC had released its 2012 conference football schedule.  Immediately questions began racing through my mind like “Who has the toughest conference schedule?”, and “Which poor teams get to travel to Missouri to play in November?” just to name a few.  However, the question that made me laugh was “Which reality TV shows would I use to describe our TAM teams SEC schedule?”, and that got me to thinking.  Here are the results from that burning question.

Ole Miss: Tabatha’s Hair Salon Takeover
Here is a brief breakdown of this reality TV show for those of you who have never had to sit through an episode.  Basically there is a hair salon on the brink of going out of business and Tabatha Coffey comes in, gives the owners new rules and guidelines to follow and saves the salon.  If Ole Miss football was a hair salon, it would no doubt be on the verge of shutting down.  The Rebels have missed a bowl for two straight years, and they are riding a 14 game SEC losing streak.  However, here comes Tabatha in the form of new head coach Hugh Freeze.  Coach Freeze turned a struggling Arkansas State program around this past season, and he is looking forward to doing the same thing at Ole Miss.  The schedule is anything but easy for the Rebels.  They play all four of the best teams in the SEC on the road with trips to Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, and LSU.  Fans are going to have to be patient in Coach Freeze’s first year as conference wins are going to be hard to come by.   Yet you can expect Coach Freeze to save Ole Miss football, just like Tabatha saves salons.

Tennessee: The First 48
We all know about this particular reality show because it was based out of Memphis for a while. The show’s premise stems from the fact that if detectives do not get a lead on a murder case in the first 48 hours (or two days) their chances of solving the case gets cut in half.  IfTennessee wants to return to a place of prominence in the SEC then they better win their first two conference games on the schedule.  Otherwise, the Volunteers’ case of the missing SEC championship will remain open for another year.  They play two important eastern division games against Florida and Georgia right off the bat, and if they do not show up in their first two Saturdays of SEC play, their chances for an SEC east championship will too be cut in half.  After the season the Vols had last year, starting 0-2 in conference play will place Coach Dooley squarely on the hot seat.

Vanderbilt: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
This is one of those feel good reality TV shows that helps less fortunate families and communities by renovating their house or school, turning it into a splendid spectacle for all to behold.  No school in SEC football has been less fortunate than Vanderbilt, as the Commodores have only gone to five bowls (including this year’s Liberty Bowl) in their 121 year history.  However, the Commodores fortunes appear to be changing.  They have a very manageable conference schedule in 2012 with no games against Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama, or Arkansas.  So Vandy might get a chance to go to back to back bowls for the first time ever.  Thanks to Coach Franklin and a favorable conference schedule, the house of Vanderbilt is getting some serious renovations and is beginning to look like a solid program.

Arkansas: Big Brother
The Razorback’s schedule reminds me of the TV show where contestants are confined to house with cameras everywhere, facing random evictions, and the winner gets a fabulous prize.  No prize is more precious than an SEC championship and a trip to a BCS bowl forArkansas.  Cameras will be all around the Razorbacks next season, who will face lofty expectations after coming off of a 10-2 season and finishing the regular season ranked in the top 10 of the BCS.  The schedule shapes up nicely for the Razorbacks who avoid the best teams in the east (Florida,Georgia, andSouth Carolina), while playing their most difficult divisional games at home (Texas A&M, LSU, andAlabama).  They should also bring back the best quarterback in the SEC (and the TAM player of the year) Tyler Wilson to lead yet another explosive offense under Coach Petrino. Arkansas must avoid being eliminated from the BCS house early on when they faceAlabama, but the Razorbacks should be position for an SEC west championship by the end of the year.

Mississippi State: Punk’d
This MTV hit takes me back to my younger days, when watching pranks being pulled on unsuspecting people made me happy (wait it still does!). The recipe for a great prank is to get the person being pranked to believe that everything is going better than it should, and then you pull the rug from under them, crushing their world with a series of mishaps and traumatic experiences. Mississippi State has an easy first three games in conference play facing off againstAuburn,Tennessee, andKentucky.  The Bulldogs could very well be 3-0 in conference play, and feel comfortable talking about an SEC West championship.  However, be warned Bulldog fans, Ashton Kutcher might not be in his van waiting to hop out and laugh at you for being foolish enough to believe that Mississippi State can win a SEC championship next year, but I am. After a relatively easy first three games in SEC play, the Bulldogs next four games will be against some of the best teams in the SEC, when they take on Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, and Texas A&M.  I warn Mississippi State fans now do not believe the hype until after their October 27 game against Alabama when we should see what the Bulldogs are really made of.  If you choose not to heed this warning Bulldog fans, you should get prepared to sit on a metaphorical whoopee cushion by the end of the season.

Click here for the 2011 College Football TAMs Awards

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.

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

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The 2011 College Football TAMs Awards

December 17, 2011 by 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.

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.

 

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Arkansas remains No. 1 in the TAMs Rankings

October 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment

It was a thrilling Saturday of college football, especially for our TAMs teams. The two teams in Arkansas are putting together special seasons. Arkansas State is in contention for their second ever Sun Belt championship after a win against conference rival Louisiana-Monroe. The Razorbacks wowed everyone with an impressive 38-14 win over Auburn. The best team in Mississippi is neither Ole Miss nor Mississippi State, and every team in the state of Tennessee lost on Saturday. This week’s most disappointing team is MTSU who after winning their first game of the year last week against Memphis found a way to lose to lowly Western Kentucky in double overtime 33-36. Without further ado here is the TAMs Poll for the week of October 12, 2011…

Rankings compiled by MemphiSport. Updated every Wednesday.

1.  Arkansas (5-1): Last week No. 1

Arkansas remains first in the TAMs much to the delight of my man Big Red.  The Razorbacks also kept their SEC West championship hopes alive after a big time victory over Auburn on Saturday.  We all know about Tyler Wilson and the potent Razorback offense, but what about their defense who in the last six quarters has only given up 17 points and held Auburn scoreless in the final three quarters of the Saturday’s contest.  If the defense continues to play the like this, Arkansas might be able to sneak into a BCS bowl this season.  Next up for the Razorbacks is a bye week, and then they play fellow TAMs team Ole Miss.

Last Game: W 38-14 vs. Auburn @ Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
Next Game:  vs. Ole Miss @ Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
Best Win:  42-38 vs. Texas A&M @ Cowboy Stadium
Worst Loss:  38-14 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

 

2.  Southern Mississippi (5-1):  Last week No. 4

Mississippi might not belong to Mississippi State like the billboards say. The Golden Eagles keep on winning and are beginning to look like the best team in Mississippi.  Southern Miss kept on rolling Saturday against Navy as they exploded offensively for 584 total yards and 63 points in their route of the Midshipmen.  However, if Southern Miss is going to make it to the C-USA championship game they need to win out with Marshall losing one more conference game.  All eyes will be on their November 12 matchup against Central Florida as that game could decide who will represent the East in the C-USA championship.  They only play one TAMs team and that team is Memphis at the end of the season. If the Golden Eagles win the C-USA championship we might get to see them take on Mississippi State in the Liberty Bowl and finally figure out who owns the state of Mississippi this season.

Last Game:  W 63-35 vs. Navy @ Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Next Game: vs. SMU @ 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
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

 

3.  Tennessee (3-2): Last week No. 2

The Vols have been jumped in this week’s poll thanks in large part to injuries and their shaky rushing attack.  They started their tough four game stretch off with a loss to Georgia on Saturday and will have to make due without super sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray who left the game with a broken thumb.  A one dimensional Tennessee offense managed a mere  -20 rushing yards against Georgia on Saturday, and in their two SEC games this season they have a pitiful   -29 yards rushing.  The schedule does not get any easier for Tennessee as they play the no. 1 and no. 2 ranked teams in the nation in consecutive weeks.  To make matters worse Tyler Bray is out four weeks due to a broken thumb.  He is scheduled to return just in time to take on fellow TAMs teams MTSU, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt in November.

Last Game:  L 20-12 vs. Georgia @ Neyland Stadium
Next Game:  vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Best Win: 45-23 vs. Cincinnati @ Neyland Stadium
Worst Loss:  33-23 vs. Florida @ Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Wins Against TAMs Teams: 0
Losses Against TAMs Teams: 0

 

4.  Mississippi State (3-3):  Last week No. 5

The Bulldogs disappointing season continued Saturday as they struggled against UAB for three quarters before pulling away in the fourth.  UAB was ahead at halftime 3-0 which was their first time all season leading a game going into the half.  The decision to bench Chris Relf in favor of Tyler Russell in the second half worked out well for Coach Mullin, but it has created a quarterback controversy and a distraction that a struggling Bulldog team can ill afford to have.  Next up for the Bulldogs is No. 15 South Carolina, and then they get a bye week to try and work through their quarterback struggles. 

Last Game: W 21-3 vs. UAB @ Legion Field
Next Game:  vs. South Carolina @ 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.  Vanderbilt (3-2):  Last week No. 3

I do not know what to say about the Commodores.  Last week they were the third best team in the TAMs Poll, but after failing to score in seven consecutive quarters I am beginning to wonder if they can score against the Memphis Tiger defense.  Even though Vanderbilt looks awful right now they still have a chance to get six wins and be bowl eligible for the first time since 2008.  However, Vanderbilt might not win another game this season if Coach Franklin does not find a way to get more production out of his offense.

Last Game:  L 34-0 vs. Alabama @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Next Game: vs. Georgia @ 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

 

6.  Arkansas State (4-2): Last week No. 6

Coach Freeze has Arkansas State fans fired up over this year’s squad.  The Red Wolves have one of the best quarterbacks in the nation, are just two wins away from bowl eligibility, and are in contention for their second ever Sun Belt championship.  Arkansas State is coming off of a bye week and Coach Freeze is looking to carry the momentum from the first half of the season over into the second half.  Ryan Aplin and the Red Wolves are going to have to step up as they have a tough game on Saturday against last year’s conference co-champion Florida International.  If Arkansas State can win this game things set up nicely for them to win the Sun Belt championship.

Last Game:  W 24-19 vs. Louisianna-Monroe @ Malone Stadium
Next Game:  vs. Florida International @ 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 (2-3):  Last week No. 7

The Rebels will return to action this Saturday after a much needed bye week.  Houston Nutt has planted himself firmly on the hot seat and if Ole Miss does not start winning soon they will fail to make a bowl for consecutive years and Coach Nutt will be gone. Their next opponent is an Alabama team that leads the nation in scoring defense, giving up less than ten points per game. After Alabama Ole Miss gets to try and slow down the top ranked TAMs poll team Arkansas who averages over 460 total yards and close to 40 points per game . 

Last Game: W 38-28 vs. Fresno State @ Bulldog Stadium
Next Game: vs. Alabama @ Vaught-Hemmingway 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: 1 (Vanderbilt)

 

8.  MTSU (1-4): Last week No. 8

The Blue Raiders are only two losses away from not being bowl eligible after a heartbreaking double overtime defeat to Western Kentucky on Saturday.  Logan Kilgore and the MTSU offense is not the problem as they are averaging 30 points per game and are the No. 20 team in the nation in total yards per game.  The problem is teams are scoring at will against the pitiful Blue Raiders D.  They are 108th in the nation in total defense and 112th in the nation in points against.  Next up for MTSU is a bye week then they will try for win number two against a Florida Atlantic team who has not won a game all season.

Last Game:  L 33-36 vs. Western Kentucky @ Johnny Floyd Stadium
Next Game:   vs. Florida Atlantic @ FAU Football 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 (1-4):  Last week No. 9

Another blowout loss to yet another conference opponent does not bode well for Coach Porter’s future.  Fans have begun clamoring for his resignation and with a talented East Carolina squad coming to town this Saturday those clamors could become shouts by the end of the second quarter.  Memphis still cannot move the ball offensively or score averaging only 13.5 points per game.  The defense is taking some small steps forward as they forced 3 turnovers and sacked the quarterback 5 times last game against Rice.  Their next and final TAMs opponent is Southern Mississippi at the end of the season.

Last Game: L 28-6 vs. Rice @ Rice Stadium
Next Game:  vs. East Carolina @ Liberty Bowl
Best Win: 27-6 vs. Austin Peay @ Liberty Bowl
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.

 

 

 

 

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