Justin Fields, Ohio State |
The Four
1 Alabama Crimson Tide
Even though the Tide don't own a real signature win at this juncture in the season, this still looks like a convincing national favorite. They have perhaps the scariest offense in the country, a budding defense, and the best coach in the sport. The defense will have to answer some questions after recent struggles, but there is still time to correct. A win over Texas A&M would serve as a nice resume boost before a breezy remaining October stretch.
2 Ohio State Buckeyes
A resounding victory over Michigan State this Saturday was the latest in a long stretch of impressive Buckeye victories. The offense continues to hum along behind Justin Fields and J.K. Dobbins, while the defense has taken major strides. While Ohio State looks like the favorite in the Big Ten, they have three major remaining tests in Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan. There is also the history of losing to inferior opponents over the last few years, with trap games against Northwestern and Maryland.
3 Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia owns one of the strongest wins in college football right now, beating Notre Dame at home. A blowout victory of Tennessee over the weekend further helped out the Bulldogs, and UGA possesses a favorable remaining schedule. Beyond a road trek to Auburn, games against Florida and Texas A&M seem manageable. With that being said, life as an SEC favorite is no breeze, and the Georgia defense is still incredibly youthful.
4. Clemson Tigers
A squeaky close win over North Carolina in Week 5 might have kept Clemson perfect, but it exposed some serious flaws the reigning National Champs. The offense is loaded with talent, but is still trying to find their rhythm. Trevor Lawrence especially has struggled at times, but we will give this team some time before panicking. They are still a Playoff favorite, and their tough remaining foe is probably Wake Forest in mid-November.
First Four Out
5 LSU Tigers
The Tigers own a very impressive victory themselves, beating a very strong Texas team on the road. The new look offense has been a smashing success, with Joe Burrow asserting himself as a legitimate Heisman contender. It will be interesting to see if that productivity is able to continue through remaining tests against Florida, Auburn and Alabama. This still looks like a good enough team to be a Playoff contender, but handling that schedule is a tall order. LSU will remain right on the cusp until they work through it.
6 Florida Gators
Dan Mullen's second team in Gainesville looks incredibly resilient, overcoming the loss of starting QB Feleipe Franks and continuing to win. They sit at 6-0 and have two of their toughest opponents over the next three games, in LSU and Georgia. The offense is going to have to be creative moving the ball against some of these elite SEC defenses, particularly with Kyle Trask taking a beating this past weekend. Yet, the Gator defense is ferocious, and keeps them in the thick of things in the Playoff chase.
7 Oklahoma Sooners
The Sooners are another team who is rolling right now, with five wins where they all crossed the 40-point threshold. Jalen Hurts has been a key addition for the offense, while wide out CeeDee Lamb and running back Trey Sermon add plenty of firepower around him. The defense has also seemed to make some strides, although they haven't faced super quality competition. We'll learn about just how truly good this OU team is this weekend when they square off against arch-rival Texas. A strong showing there and they could start to climb quickly.
8 Wisconsin Badgers
The best defense in the nation currently resides in Madison, where the Badgers are holding opponents to just 5.8 PPG and 179 yards per game. They also own a quality victory, with a fantastic showing against Michigan earlier in the year. They're set up pretty nicely as a Playoff threat, with a trip to Columbus possibly deciding the season. One thing is for certain: Wisconsin surely looks like the team to beat in the Big Ten West until further notice.
Just Missed the Cut
Oregon Ducks
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Auburn Tigers
Texas Longhorns
Penn State Nittany Lions
Michigan Wolverines
Boise State Broncos
Iowa Hawkeyes
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