The 2023 College Football season is six weeks old, and the Coastal Athletic Conference has seen its fair share of nail-biters, blowouts, and even some upsets.
The heavy favorites are beginning to be more apparent, and teams that are towards the bottom of the standings are running out of time to make a comeback.
The Good Five Cent Cigar Sports Staff will judge all 15 CAA teams every week to find these frontrunners and provide a power ranking list to show which teams could be featured in December and even in January.
Here are the results going into week seven of the college football season.
15th Place: Stony Brook (0-5) (-)
Due to unforeseen circumstances on the campus of Morgan State Wednesday night, Stony Brook’s game against the Bears was canceled. For this reason, Stony Brook will not move from their last place spot this week.
14th Place: North Carolina A&T (1-4) (-)
Another loss for North Carolina A&T was a driving reason for the Aggies to remain towards the bottom of the power rankings this week.
A 37-14 loss to Villanova on Saturday was a deafening blow to the Aggies’ confidence after they gained their first win of the season in week five. Now walking into a matchup with Delaware, the Aggies have a continued uphill climb for their second win.
13th Place: Maine (1-5) (-)
A 42-31 loss to an inconsistent Richmond team was a disappointment to Maine in an effort to continue in their winning ways after topping Stony Brook in week five.
The Black Bears’ 14th ranked defense in the CAA came as the difference on Saturday when Maine allowed 40 or more points for the third time this season. With a struggling Long Island University opponent coming up, Maine will have another chance at a victory next week. However, their defense will need to perform at a higher standard this time around.
12th Place: Towson (2-4) (-1)
After a thrilling 54-51 victory in overtime against New Hampshire in week five, Towson’s struggles continued when they dropped a close contest with Albany, 24-17.
The Tigers have dwelled in the basement of the CAA all season, with an 11th ranked offense and a 13th ranked defense. Towson has their toughest test of the season coming up in William and Mary and will need all the help they can get to surpass the 11th ranked team in the country.
11th Place: Richmond (3-3) (+1)
Richmond’s 42-31 win over Maine was not a testament of strength but rather a regrouping performance from a slipping Spiders team.
Richmond’s defense allowed an uncharacteristic amount of points to a poor Maine offense. However, Richmond’s offense, who has had issues in the past, was able to compile their first 40-point performance of the season. Despite this, Richmond will have to top Rhode Island this week to cross the .500 mark.
10th Place: Hampton (3-2) (-3)
Hampton became yet another victim of Campbell’s high powered offense on Saturday, when they lost 30-27.
The Pirates are the biggest fallers in the rankings this week. Hampton simply just had a bad showing this past weekend. They can easily bump back up in the rankings with a win over Monmouth.
9th Place: Monmouth (2-3) (-1)
Monmouth’s 49-7 win over Lehigh this past weekend also served as the largest margin of victory this season.
The Hawks’ offense has been productive all season, but the low allowance from the defense came as a shock to fans. If Monmouth’s defense can keep up the solid effort, the Hawks could win a statement game against Hampton this weekend.
8th Place: Campbell (3-3) (+2)
After two straight losses, Campbell was able to get back into the win column with a 30-27 win over Hampton.
The Fighting Camels’ offense remains a top-producer in the league, and that was no difference against the Pirates. Campbell’s offense has yet another opportunity to run up the score on a struggling Maine defense this coming Saturday.
7th Place: New Hampshire (2-3) (+2)
New Hampshire’s bye week has given them plenty of time to reset and rest after a grueling 54-51 loss in overtime on Saturday.
The Wildcats’ top offense in the CAA has a chance to stop their two game skid this coming weekend when they take on #24 Albany.
6th Place: #24 UAlbany (4-2) (-)
Albany’s three-game winning streak is the longest in the CAA and they are undefeated in the FCS after defeating Towson 24-17.
Their talent was masked by facing two FBS opponents in the first two weeks, but now Albany has a chance to truly show their ability against New Hampshire in week seven.
5th Place: Elon (3-3) (-2)
After taking down the top team in the CAA in William and Mary in week five, a 34-23 loss to NC Central wiped away any momentum gained from the upset win.
Elon has another tough battle upcoming with Villanova, who has the third-best defense in the conference.
4th Place: Rhode Island (4-2) (-)
Rhode Island completed their sweep of in-state rivals this past weekend when the Rams took down Brown University 34-30.
The Rams have displayed bouts of inconsistency in the past few weeks and will need to iron out any kinks before they face Richmond this coming week, who has shown the ability to rack up points on several occasions.
3rd Place: Villanova (4-2) (+2)
Villanova’s 37-14 win over NC A&T this past weekend was not one that is published on the front page, but one that placed Villanova back in the win column.
Villanova has to host Elon this coming weekend, who is known to upset opponents, so the Wildcats have to bring their A-game for their week seven matchup.
2nd Place: #11 William and Mary (4-2) (-)
William and Mary picked up their second straight loss in week six to FBS opponent Virginia, a 27-13 final.
The Tribe is slipping in the national rankings, but they have an opportunity to jump back into the top-10 with a win over Towson this week.
1st Place: #8 Delaware (4-1) (-)
Delaware’s 43-17 crushing of Duquesne on Saturday was plenty of evidence to keep Delaware in the top spot of the power rankings.
Delaware is set to maintain this top position if they can just keep winning.