If you've been putting up with my ramblings over the years, you might remember my "High 5." It was my unofficial ranking of the Top 5 MIAA teams I would put out each (or most) week beginning at about this point in the season and lasting through the release of Regional Rankings.

This year, I'm switching it up a little bit and will rank each and every team in the conference. The 12 teams will all land somewhere in the TANQB, the Top, the Almosts, the Not-Quites and the Basement.

I will preface my rankings much like I have over the last several years and say this: These have nothing to do with history, tradition, how many playoff games you've won in the past or what is "going" to happen later in this year. It is my attempt to offer a completely objective look at the MIAA teams to date THIS YEAR. Things will change; Teams will lose and others will win.

But here we go.

My preseason rankings are listed in parentheses. For a look at those rankings, CLICK HERE.

THE TOP

1. Pittsburg State 2-0 (2) - I don't talk a lot about defense, so when I do, you know a team is doing something right (or terribly wrong). The defensive starters for the Gorillas are still pitching a shutout (a Lindenwood TD late in the game against the back of the bench is the only score allowed so far by Pitt). QB Anthony Abenoja became the storied program's all-time leading passer last week, has yet to throw a pick on the season and ranks 2nd or 3rd in completion percentage, passing yards and passing TDs.

2. Northwest Missouri 2-0 (1) - Not a whole lot wrong with the Bearcats this year, and their fall from the top of the TANQB isn't an indictment on them as much as it is a praise of the Gorillas. Northwest has been an average first-half team, letting both UNK and MSSU hang around, but much like they have time-and-time again over the years, they're turning it on in the second half. Brady Bolles appears just as competent as his national-championship-winning brother under center and running back Phil Jackson's 5 TDs have been a big reason for NWMSU's second-half dominance.

3. Central Oklahoma 2-0 (10) - We all saw this coming, right? Let's be honest. NOBODY outside of Edmond was expecting a 2-0 start out of the Bronchos. I've been hearing grumblings this and last year about how the MIAA Newbies are 'getting better" and/or "almost there," but there's been little done to prove it. I admittedly didn't take much stock in their season-opening win in Hays, but their Week 2 defeat of Western - even if the Griffs are plummeting - is worth a spike in the polls. Redshirt freshman Chas Stallard (I get it - it's only been 2 weeks) looks like about as good as a dual-threat QB the MIAA has seen in recent years. I don't have an update yet on WR Marquez Clark's status. The senior NFL prospect went down last week in the fourth quarter with an injury - making the come-from-behind win over MoWest even more impressive.

THE ALMOSTS

4. Central Missouri 1-1 (5) - Never have I seen a single player dominate a game like LaVance Taylor did in UCM's impressive victory over Emporia last Thursday. CLICK HERE for more on his record-setting day. And yeah, the team I called "lame" last week is all-of-a-sudden right back in the thick of things. ESU put up some pretty big numbers on their defense (namely Brent Wilson's 40 completions and 489 passing yards), but the Mules did a good job of limiting playmaker WR Austin Willis' impact on the game after halftime - when Taylor turned it on.

5. Emporia State 1-1 (3) - Wilson and Willis have looked good, but the defense is going to need to improve on the bottom-tier numbers they've put up so far. RB Antonio Brown has shown a little flare, but was (in my opinion) over-utilized in the "dink-and-dunk" passing game last week at Central.

6. Lindenwood 1-1 (8) - They looked BAD against Pittsburg State, but I'm getting the feeling a few more teams will too this year. The Week 1 victory at Washburn was good enough to get this team into the top-half of the conference so far.

THE NOT-QUITES

7. Washburn 1-1 (4) - I'm giving the 'Bods a mulligan on the Kearney fiasco because of the weather, and because they squeaked out a win anyway.

8. Missouri Western 1-1 (6) - It's funny. This team is "this close" (you can't see my fingers) to being 2-0 OR 0-2. I feel like they're a lot closer to 0-2 though, and if they can't figure themselves out at QB, the Griffs are in serious trouble.

9. Fort Hays State 1-1 (9) - The first team in the rankings to stay right where they were before the season. And that might end up being only because they got to play Northeastern State early on.

THE BASEMENT

10. Missouri Southern 0-2 (7) - Hanging around through the first half of two games is nice, but only gets you to the top of the cellar steps.

11. Nebraska-Kearney 0-2 (11) - This is one of those teams I keep hearing is "on the brink" of becoming a player in the MIAA. Not yet, Lopers.

12. Northeastern State - Nine turnovers in 2 games. They've been outscored 85-13. 'Nuff said.

Sound off!!!

What do you think of my conference rankings? Which teams would you move up or down?

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