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Loaded schedule should cure AP poll gridlock

By WTOP Staff

RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer

Breaking down the ballots for the AP Top 25 and wrapping up college football’s fourth weekend.

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SORT ‘EM OUT SATURDAY

The cure for poll gridlock is next Saturday’s schedule.

Six games will match ranked teams, including three Southeastern Conference showdowns involving six West division rivals.

Here’s the lineup:

— No. 3 Alabama at No. 11 Mississippi

— No. 4 Oklahoma at No. 25 TCU

— No. 15 LSU at No. 5 Auburn

— No. 6 Texas A&M at No. 12 Mississippi State

— No. 14 Stanford at No. 9 Notre Dame

— No. 19 Nebraska at No. 10 Michigan State

Note: No. 2 Oregon hosts unbeaten Arizona on Thursday night.

The last two weeks have been highlighted by close calls involving some of the nation’s best teams, with Florida State pulling two great escapes. The latest Seminoles rally resulted in a 56-41 victory at North Carolina State on Saturday. The Seminoles fell behind 24-7 in the first quarter before storming back behind Jameis Winston, who returned from his one-game suspension.

Florida State held the top spot in The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday, though support for the Seminoles continues to wane. Florida State is down to 27 first-place votes, after starting the season with 57, and its lead on No. 2 Oregon is 11 points. Oregon received 13. No. 3 Alabama got 13, too, and Oklahoma had seven first-place votes.

The margin between Nos. 1 and 2 is the smallest in the AP poll since the final regular-season poll of 2010, when Auburn was 11 points ahead of Oregon heading into the BCS title game.

As for the current rankings, the top seven teams in the poll were unchanged for a second straight week, and there was little movement throughout.

Florida State did drop to No. 2 behind Alabama in the USA Today coaches.

The Seminoles have looked nothing like the dominant team that routed its way to the BCS championship game in 2013. A rebuilt defense, limited by injuries, has been porous. And an experienced offensive line has been spotty. But it should be noted that Florida State’s early season schedule has been as good — or better — than any highly ranked team. The three FBS opponents Florida State has played (No. 21 Oklahoma State, Clemson and N.C. State) are a combined 9-1 in games not against FSU.

As Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said Sunday after the ninth-ranked Fighting Irish beat Syracuse 31-15 in a performance that was good in many ways but sloppy in many others (five turnovers): “Winning is hard in college football, especially against power five teams.”

The Seminoles will have a chance to slip into the background next week, playing Wake Forest at home while the other top-ranked teams have spotlight games.

By next Sunday, we’ll get to sort out many of these contenders into two piles: Those still in control of their playoff hopes and those who’ll need some help to get back into the national championship chase.

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WAY OUT

Poor Minnesota. The Gophers beat Michigan for the Little Brown Jug for the first time since 2005, pounding the Wolverines 30-14 in the Big House, and didn’t even get a vote in the AP poll.

That’s how far Michigan (2-3) has fallen under coach Brady Hoke. The Wolverines have lost three games in September for the first time in the 135-year history of one of college football’s most famous programs.

Hoke is also receiving heat for putting Shane Morris back in the game after the quarterback took a hit that knocked him wobbly.

And fans seem to be just as aggravated with athletic director Dave Brandon, who hired Hoke.

Fans are angry, and growing apathetic about coming to the Big House and staying for the entire game.

“We know their frustrations and we share their frustrations,” Hoke said after the loss to Minnesota. “I would also tell them as a team we all take accountability for it and we also are all going to work together to rectify it.”

The atmosphere has been bad enough that the possibility of Hoke being fired during his fourth season doesn’t seem far-fetched. There will probably be more talk about whether the Wolverines can lure former Michigan quarterback and 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh back to Ann Arbor this week than about the game Saturday at Rutgers.

Kansas became the first FBS program to fire its head coach, cutting Charlie Weis loose four games into his third season on Sunday. How many more ugly losses can Michigan endure before a similar situation plays out in Ann Arbor?

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IN AND OUT

A week after falling out of the rankings, No. 24 Missouri moved back in. No. 25 TCU made its season debut in the Top 25.

Missouri rallied to win 21-20 at South Carolina. That dropped the Gamecocks out of the rankings for the first time this season and signaled that the SEC East race could get messy. Missouri, which lost at home to Indiana last week, is the only team in the division without a conference loss.

Also falling out was Arizona State, which was blown out 62-27 at home by No. 8 UCLA. The Sun Devils will likely face another ranked team, No. 16 Southern California, this week with Mike Bercovici subbing for starting quarterback Taylor Kelly.

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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