A recurring theme in
Sports Illustrated’s power rankings to this juncture is the ongoing struggle to negotiate what we thought about each team heading into the season compared with the results on the field. At what point is there enough evidence to mistrust our preconceptions? When does fluke become reality? And how do we confront the terrifying notion that maybe, just maybe, we’ve been getting something wrong all along? The whole endeavor can start to feel like an existential crisis.
Well, friends, a time for reflection has come. We’ve reached a turning point, a fork stuck in the road, if you will: the (approximate) first quarter of the 2021 season has reached its end.