#1 Alabama
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| #93 Jonathan Allen is one of the best players in college football. (photo creds to WalterFootball.com |
No debate here. Bama is head and shoulders above everybody else in College Football. The Tide have an elite defense and an offense that is good enough to compliment it. Jalen Hurts has proven himself as a solid QB as a true freshman, while studs like Jonathan Allen, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Marlon Humphry are just a few of the stars on the other side of the ball. The Tide are the best, and until they are challenged, there is no reason to believe that anybody can challenge them.
The road ahead: Nothing too complicated. The next two weeks, Alabama should romp over Mississippi State and Chattanooga, and although Auburn will be a tough out, I think the fact that Alabama is at home will make a big difference in this years "Iron Bowl." In the SEC Championship game, Bama will likely take on Florida, and we all saw how that turned out in 2015. In short, the Tide are virtually a lock for the playoff.
#2 Michigan
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| #5 Jabril Peppers can do anything he wants to on a football field, and that's why he is a heisman canadite (photo creds to Bleacher Reports) |
Again, there is little debate as to who the second best team in the country is. Say what you will about Jim Harbaugh, but he has put Michigan back where they belong. Statistically, Michigan is the most dominant team in the country. The Wolverines offense, led by the most underrated quarterback in college football, Wilton Speight, averages 47.8 Points per game, good for 3rd in the nation. As good as the Michigan offense is, defense is what makes this team unique. Anchored by Jabril Peppers (he plays safety and linebacker too), Jordan Lewis, who might be the best cornerback in the country, and a defensive line anchored by big bois Chirs Wormley and Mathew Godin, Michigan allows just 10.8 PPG, which is the very best in America.
#3 Clemson
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| QB DeShaun Watson may not be the heisman frontrunner, but he is still capable of leading his Tigers to the promised land |
The Tigers are flying under the radar in my opinion. Maybe it's just me, but it seems like Clemson doesn't get talked about as much as Alabama, Michigan or even Ohio State. Whether they are underlooked or not, this Clemson team is every bit as good as the one that came within six points of winning a national title just ten months ago. Sure, they've had some close calls (see Troy, NC State), but it looks like the Tigers are coming on at the right time. DeShaun Watson might not be the Heisman favorite that he was at this point last season, but he is still electric, and his core of receivers is as good as any in America. The Tigers are still here, and you better believe they could win their first national title in 35 years.
The road ahead: Clemson will finish the regular season 12-0. Their next three games (vs. Pitt, at Wake Forest and vs. South Carolina), all should be wins. That will likely set up a date with Virgina Tech in the ACC Title game. The Hokies are no pushovers, but Clemson is finding their stroke, so I don't see anybody in the ACC stopping the Tigers from making the top 4.
#4 Washington
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| #1 John Ross is one of the more talented receivers anywhere (Photo creds to CBS Seattle) |
Are they the best team in the country? No. But regarding teams to watch and be entertained by, there is no team in college football that I'd pay more money to see than the Washington Huskies. The Huskies offense is a powdered keg. It all starts with the quarterback, Jake Browning, who might be the Heisman frontrunner as we speak if not for the greatness of Lamar Jackson. The Huskies also have one of the nation's best runningbacks in Myles Gaskin, who will make one NFL team happy soon. Gaskin and Browning will get most of the hype, but a player on the Huskies that has become one of my favorites in all of college football is wide receiver John Ross. Any receiver who can run a 4.29 is a beast, and Ross also knows how to catch the ball. Simply put, John Ross needs to be looked at seriously by NFL scouts.
On defense, corners Kevin King and Sydney Jones lead one of college football's best secondaries, while Vea Vita and Elijah Qualls anchor the D-Line. Overall, the Huskies are an excellent team, but the Pac-12 ain't what it once was. The Huskies have beaten but one team currently ranked in the top 25, and Chirs Peterson's squad still has something to prove for the nation to buy in fully.
The road ahead: The Huskies have a big one on Saturday, as they are taking on a top 20 team in USC. Washington is a better football team than SC is, and they are playing at home, so the Huskies should be able to handle the "Men of Troy." After that is a cakewalk in Arizona State, followed by the "Apple Cup" with Washington State, which will be anything but easy. Luke Falk is one hell of a quarterback, and I just have a feeling that the Cougars will pull a 2014 Ole Miss and ruin the season of their rivals. I could be wrong, but I doubt it.
#5 Lousiville
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| Lamar Jackson may not be a lock for the Heisman Trophy, but he's pretty damn close. |
This is the first occasion in which my ranking is different from the playoffs ranking. To clarify, I feel that Ohio State has a better shot of making it to the playoff than Lamar Jackson and company do. If Ohio State wins out, sorry Lousiville. However, I feel that Lousiville has done more to deserve a top 5 ranking than the Buckeyes have.
What separates these two teams in my view is comparing their losses. Both teams have lost one game. Lousiville lost to the Clemson Tigers, who will likely be in the College Football Playoff, by six points on the road. Ohio State, on the other hand, lost to my Penn State Nittany Lions in a game in which they were heavy favorites. In my view, that is the tiebreaker.
The Road Ahead: Lousiville needs Washington and Ohio State to lose, or else they have no shot at getting in. Their early season loss to Clemson means that they likely will be shut out of the ACC Title game, so the Cards won't be able to boost their stock in a conference title game the way other teams will. None of Lousiville's next three games (Vs. Wake Forest, at Houston and vs. Kentucky), are great resume builders. In short, if we want to see Lamar Jackson in the playoff, the Cardinals need some help. They do not control their destiny.
#6 Ohio State
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| From New Castle, PA, saftey Malik Hooker is one of the anchors of the Buckeye defense. |
Fear not, Buckeye fans. Win out, and you're in the playoff. By that, I mean beat Michigan, and you're in the playoff. Although the Buckeyes would still have to win the Big 10 Championship game should they win "The Game", I have no reason to believe that the team that is this year's winner of the greatest rivalry in college sports will be shut out from the third annual College Football Playoff.
The Buckeyes appear to be waking up. They've struggled at times this season (and no, I'm not just talking about the Penn State game), but if last Saturday's 62-3 victory over then #11 Nebraska is any indication, college football should be on alert. Knowing the history of Urban Meyer's past teams, that night in Happy Valley might be the best thing that could have happened to this Buckeye squad.
#7 Wisconsin
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| The Badgers offense is inconsistent, but #6 Corey Clement has been a bright spot |
Yes, the Big 10 is well represented in this Top 10. I urge all of you reading not to sleep on Wisconsin sneaking into the playoffs. Is it a long shot? Yes. Is it going to happen? Probably not. But is Bucky can win it's last three games, which they should, they will win the Big 10 West. Then, they will likely meet Michigan or Ohio State in the Big 10 championship game. If they win that, and either Washington or Lousiville loses along the way, Bucky could be in. As we speak, The Big 10 has three teams that have at least some sort of shot to make it to the college football playoff. Pretty impressive, eh?
#8 Auburn
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| #36 Kamryn Pettway is off to the races |
How about the job Gus Malzahn has done with these Tigers? Ole Gus was likely one average year away from getting the ax, and instead, the once average Tigers have become great again. One of the main reasons for this is Kamryn Pettaway, who is one of the best running backs in college football. The Tigers have won six in a row, and both of their losses have come against worthy foes in Clemson and Texas A&M. If the Iron Bowl were at Jordan-Hare Stadium this year, I would feel that Auburn has a decent chance of an upset. But, it is in Tuscaloosa, so, good luck Gus.
The road ahead: Similar to Wisconsin, Auburn needs to defeat a top 4 team in Alabama. If Auburn is somehow able to get an Iron Bowl victory and win the SEC title game, they will still need some help from the teams ahead of them. It's a long shot, but as with Wisconsin, there is a chance that we see Auburn in the College Football Playoff. Not a good chance, but a chance nonetheless.
#9 Oklahoma
Houston Cougars. Those are two words that every Oklahoma Sooner fan should dread. Had Oklahoma defeated Tom Herman's team Week 1, they could be right in the thick of things. Instead, the were shredded by Houston's QB, Greg Ward Jr., and now it will take a lot of madness to happen for the Sooners to get into the College Playoff, not to mention that they have two tough teams in West Virgina and Oklahoma State remaining on the schedule. It will take a lot for Bob Stoops to make his second consecutive CFB Playoff appearance, and I just don't think it's in the cards for Boomer this season.
#10 Penn State
Yes, my Nittany Lions have made it big. I am proud to say that Penn State is in the top 10, and I never thought that James Franklin would improve his team this quickly. I have a seperate post dedicated to Penn State lined up soon, so stay tuned.
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