The 2023 College Football season is 11 weeks old, and the Coastal Athletic Conference has seen its fair share of nail-biters, blowouts and even upsets.
The top teams are beginning to gear up for the playoffs and the bottom organizations are starting to look forward to 2024.
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 12 of the college football season.
15th Place: Stony Brook (0-10) (-)
Stony Brook’s season of struggles continued in week 11 when the Seawolves fell to UAlbany, 38-20, on Saturday.
Stony Brook’s worst ranked offense and defense in the CAA have contributed to the winless record, and the Seawolves’ season is now over. They will now reflect and rebuild for 2024.
14th Place: North Carolina A&T (1-9) (-)
NC A&T compiled a terrific effort to attempt and play the spoilers in their trip to Kingston on Saturday, but inevitably fell to Rhode Island 31-24.
The Aggies’ rushing defense is by far their biggest flaw, and as a result the Rams were able to run for 286 yards. NC A&T will host Campbell to conclude their season on Saturday.
13th Place: Maine (2-8) (-)
Maine finally reached their bye week, and after three straight losses, the break came at a perfect time.
Maine will travel south to New Hampshire on Saturday where they will finish their 2023 campaign, hopefully with a win.
12th Place: Towson (4-6) (-1)
Towson’s 33-10 loss to Villanova this past weekend was expected, as Villanova is a nationally-ranked program.
Towson’s plight of inconsistency has been their Achilles’ heel this year, and they hope to end their 2023 season with a win versus Rhode Island on Saturday.
11th Place: Monmouth (4-6) (+1)
Monmouth’s second-ranked offense in the CAA could not take down the top offensive unit in the conference when the Hawks dropped their week 11 matchup to New Hampshire, 31-24.
Monmouth will travel to UAlbany in the final week of the season, hoping to put a dampening on the Great Danes playoff seeding on Saturday.
10th Place: Campbell (4-6) (-1)
Campbell’s offense, which at one point was a tyrant of offensive firepower, was wilted by Delaware last weekend when they lost 45-7.
The outing marked the third straight contest in which the Fighting Camels failed to eclipse 14 points, which as a result has contributed to three straight losses. Campbell will attempt to break the streak in their final game of the year against NC A&T on Saturday.
9th Place: Hampton (5-5) (-1)
Hampton’s 31-10 loss to William and Mary on Saturday saw their lofty playoff hopes extinguished, bringing them back down to .500 and out of the running for a hail mary spot in the postseason.
The Pirates will travel to Elon for the final game of the season, where they will combat with an opponent in the same position as they are in.
8th Place: New Hampshire (5-5) (+2)
New Hampshire’s 31-24 victory over Monmouth was a prime example of too little, too late. The victory snapped a two-game losing skid, however the Wildcats are still out of playoff contention.
New Hampshire’s final game of the campaign will see them host Maine on Saturday, hoping to finish the season over .500.
7th Place: Rhode Island (6-4) (-)
Rhode Island’s outside hopes of a playoff berth are technically still alive. However, a 31-24 win over NC A&T that was forecasted to be a blowout left a red mark on Rhody’s resumé.
Rhode Island will attempt a final plea for a postseason spot on Saturday when they take on Towson on the road.
6th Place: Elon (5-5) (-1)
Elon’s 38-24 loss to Richmond saw the Phoenix’s playoff hopes dim all the way to black. Elon is ironically in the same position as their upcoming opponent though.
New Hampshire also dropped to .500 in their week 11 matchup. Therefore, the season finale for both squads surprisingly means nothing in everything, and the groups will both try to avoid dipping to a losing record.
5th Place: William and Mary (6-4) (+1)
William and Mary kept their season alive with a 31-10 win over Hampton on Saturday. Once a top-five team in the nation, this season is not how the Tribe imagined it going.
However, William and Mary has one more attempt to wow the voting board for the postseason with a home contest against Richmond on Saturday.
4th Place: Richmond (7-3) (-)
After their 38-24 win over Elon, Richmond’s path to the postseason is very simple. A win more than likely sees them in the playoffs and a loss makes a trip to future football all but bleak.
That matchup will see them on the road against William and Mary, a tough contest that will surely see either side clawing for a spot in the playoffs.
3rd Place: #12 UAlbany (8-3) (-1)
UAlbany’s 38-20 win over Stony Brook was not the most dominant win we have seen in the CAA this season. However, the victory got them their coveted eighth win, and a trip to the postseason is now very likely for the Great Danes.
Their final outing of the regular season will have UAlbany host Monmouth in a game that will more than likely just be played for seeding.
2nd Place: #10 Villanova (8-2) (+1)
Villanova’s 33-10 win over Towson also got them their eighth win, nearly confirming what most fans saw coming, the Wildcats in the playoffs.
Villanova will have to play their toughest game of the season in the final week though, they take on Delaware on the road on Saturday.
1st Place: #7 Delaware (8-2) (-)
Delaware is the top-team in the CAA, and their 45-7 win over Campbell nearly solidified that claim. However, the Fightin’ Blue Hens still have one more hill to climb before the postseason.
The bout with Villanova is not just an ordinary week 12 matchup. Seeding, bragging rights and the CAA regular season title are all on the line. Kickoff is set for the biggest game of the year in Newark, Delaware at 1 p.m. on Saturday.