College Football Top 25- Week 5

Forgive me for the late post (technical difficulties), but I am back! What a great week of football. This season has been absolutely incredible so far. Through four weeks, 25 ranked teams have fallen, the most in that time span since 1936. With that being said, it’s time to look at who is still in the running for the College Football Playoff.

College Football Playoff Hopefuls:

#1 Georgia: This is easily the team to beat so far. Last week they beat Vanderbilt 62-0 and only allowed 77 yards from the Commodores. This team is cruising, and it has all been done without star tight end Darnell Washington and defensive back Tykee Smith, both of whom are expected to make their return this week against Arkansas. I love their offense, but their strength is on the other side of the ball. This is a defense that has SCORED more points than it has ALLOWED. Let that sink in. How are they going to lose? The AP Poll favors Alabama, but that is much more about name recognition than actual talent. The Bulldogs are at the top, easily.

#2 Alabama: This team is obviously incredibly talented, but I do think their close win against Florida showed some real weaknesses. Their defensive front is talented, but they played young against the Gators. I think QB Bryce Young is really talented and Josh Metchie is one of the most underrated receivers in the country, but sometimes I don’t see the offensive flow we are used to. These are problems that will be fixed with more games, but as of right now this Crimson Tide team is not as invincible as we are used to them being.

#3 Oregon: Many people will say Oregon is overrated, but who would you put ahead of them right now? Ohio State is not having their best season, but Oregon looked nearly flawless in their win over them a couple weeks ago. The Ducks also have a quality win over #16 Fresno State in the season opener. Running back CJ Verdall looks like one of the best runners in the country, and while the defense has struggled without potential #1 overall pick Kayvon Thibodeaux, he is expected to make his return this week. Is Oregon vulnerable? Yes. But who is going to beat them? Their hardest test on their schedule is UCLA, who I was high on early before they started to fizzle out. Oregon controls their fate. If they don’t make any mistakes against poor teams, they’ll be in.

#4 Iowa: I love this team, but I hate this offense. Yes, they looked good last night against Maryland, but the Terps have no pass rush and horrible play from their linebackers. Spencer Petras is good but not great, and to be in the CFP, you need to be great. This is a team that is here now, and they might be able to hang on if their defense continues to play at an elite level, but in such a loaded Big 10 conference, I do not anticipate seeing the Hawkeyes here at the end of the season.

#5 Cincinnati: Finally, a Group of 5 team gets in. If you read every week you know how much I love this team, but I suspect I’ll have much more support after Cincinnati beats Notre Dame this week. This is the first Group of 5 team to have the combination of talent and big game scheduling. Everybody knows what Cincinnati can do, but the question is whether or not they can do it against top tier talent. If the Bearcats win today and then crush the rest of their schedule, they have to be in. If not, the College Football Playoff is invalid.

#6 Oklahoma: Spencer Rattler needs to get it together, and quickly. Oklahoma has on 3 out of 4 games by only one score, and they haven’t exactly played top competition. The defense hasn’t been the problem, as they have only allowed 29 points over the last two games, but where is this offense? We have seen multiple quarterbacks excel in Lincoln Riley’s offenses in Norman, including two Heisman winners, but Spencer Rattler just seems incapable of replicating that success. Part of that might be due to a lack of a threat in their run game, but whatever it is, they need to figure it out quickly. If Oklahoma even drops one bad game, it is likely they are out.

#?: The Big 10 Champion: Who is this going to be? Ohio State looks vulnerable, Penn State is riding a hot streak but looks beatable, Wisconsin has a surprising losing record, Michigan looks good but inconsistent, and Michigan State has been riding a strong run game that is unsustainable. This conference is wide open for anybody to take over, and whoever does so is almost guaranteed to make it into the top 4. I don’t have a real guess at this point, but I would lean towards Ohio State. I think despite the issues they’ve had, they will make the right adjustments. However, how interesting is it that Ryan Day’s first real struggles happen while his buddy Urban Meyer is busy down in Jacksonville? It is possible we are finally seeing the result of Ryan Day 100% in control, and perhaps he isn’t the prodigy the Buckeyes hoped he would be. Either way, this is going to be a fun race to watch.

There are a ton of great games today, including (with Saloon Takes Ranks):

- 6 Arkansas @ 1 Georgia

- 5 Cincinnati @ 18 Notre Dame

- 10 Ole Miss @ 2 Alabama

- 23 Baylor @ 24 Oklahoma State

So, buckle up for big time football, sign up for my newsletter, and come back next week, as things are sure to shake up significantly!