After three weeks of football, the dominant teams have emerged and everything is clear.
Ok, I lied, every team has its weaknesses and there has yet to be a single team — let alone four of them — to set itself apart from the pack. All of these ranked teams are about to start playing each other, beating each other, and making it even more difficult to rank them.
But in any case, here’s Yellowhammer’s Top 10, a regular piece that will run every week. We’re just ranking the teams as they currently stand, and will continue to do so up until the playoff committee makes its final selections.
Oregon has done nothing but thrash teams. The Ducks struggled against Michigan State for a little while and somehow trailed Wyoming for the first quarter Saturday, but when Oregon is doing what they do best, I’m not sure they can be stopped.
Florida State had the most dominant win of the weekend, keeping them undefeated. Of course, they had a bye week but I’m sure Jameis Winston still threw for a couple hundred yards.
Oklahoma and Bob Stoops dropped another SEC opponent on Saturday, but instead of Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, it was Tennessee. The Sooners struggled against the Vols, and haven’t played the toughest opponents on the schedule yet, but this win keeps them rolling along and keeps Stoops’ SEC disdain at its current peak.
Texas A&M has the offense that anyone would want, but the defense of a team that is still learning. It appears to be better than last year, and who knows how good the season-opening win over South Carolina looks now, but the Aggies will really have to earn this spot in the poll in their upcoming games against the SEC West.
Alabama, like college football in general this season, is somewhat of an unknown entity. Obviously the offense is better this year as far as yardage goes — Lane Kiffin’s offense has over 500 yards in each game — and the quarterback debate seems to have been settled. The run defense seems to be there this season but opponents with the ability to move the ball downfield in a hurry will continue to be a challenge.
Auburn had a week off to prepare for its potentially interesting and weird trip this Thursday to Kansas State. Gus Malzahn and his team are an offensive laser light show, using the bespectacled sweater vest enthusiast’s mind to outthink and out-offense the opposition. The defense is still a huge question mark for the Tigers, but if they can score enough points it won’t matter.
Like Auburn, Baylor’s offense is a fireworks stand being lit aflame every weekend by a cerebral Texan. Art Briles and his team haven’t actually played anyone worthwhile yet, but they will very soon.
No one knows who LSU is yet, all we know is that they have talented individuals who play for a skilled head coach in a maniacal home environment. Can’t be all that bad.
Ole Miss is trying to avoid being a placeholder on this list with games against Alabama and Auburn coming up on the horizon. The Rebels are an upset alert team for some and deserve this ranking right now, but being ranked ninth on this list still has them fifth in the SEC West.
Notre Dame has its quarterback and its coach. It made this list only because UCLA almost lost to Texas and nobody knows how good the Sakerlina Gamecocks or Georgia are at this point.
Follow Jonathan on Twitter @Jonathan_Biles
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