1. Oklahoma Sooners– Right now, this is the best team in the country. Nothing has changed as far as the results on the field with Bob Stoops stepping down and Lincoln Riley taking the job. They have the best “statement win” of the year after going into the shoe and defeating Ohio State in Columbus after losing to the Buckeyes last year. They also have the best player in college football right now and Baker Mayfield is destroying defenses left and right. He racked up another 331 yards passing, threw four more touchdown passes and led the Sooners to another win, their 13th in a row which is the longest active winning streak in the nation. Now, it’s time for conference play where things will get very entertaining. November 4th can’t get here soon enough. #Bedlam
2. Alabama Crimson Tide– They only moved a spot down and of course, they’ll still be an elite group within the nation. I think all the questions that Nick Saban would have to answer about Jalen Hurts throwing the football down the field are on the shelf for the time being. In their win against Colorado State, he shredded their defense and threw for 248 yards and also ran for 103 yards in a win as Alabama won their 67th straight game over a ranked opponent. I still want to see if Hurts can throw the football from the pocket more consistently and if he does, this could be a very scary offense for defenses to prepare for because he’s always considered dangerous as a runner, now you possibly throw the arm into the mix and it keeps defenses on their toes.
3. Clemson Tigers– This is a complete win of the season for the defending champions. In their first two games, the defense stood out and coming into Louisville last weekend, they knew the offense had to step it up and handle their business and they did just that. Kelly Bryant had quite the night against that Louisville defense and the defense, of course, took care of business and gave Lamar Jackson fits. Don’t be surprised if they are further up in the rankings within the next few weeks. Right now, they’re in the driver’s seat in the ACC and the conference still runs through them. This was another one of those statement wins. A true freshman quarterback leads the defending champs into a hostile environment and winning a true road game within the conference which happens to be your first road win? Now, let’s see what the champs do from here on out.
4. Penn State Nittany Lions– Another week, another win and they made quick work of Georgia State. Their offense accounted for 500 yards in that victory and had just over 21 minutes of possession. What I’ve been impressed with is how Saquon Barkley has still had an impact in the game, but as a receiver. He had only 42 rushing yards but recorded 142 as a receiver. Trace McSorley threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns, and the defense forced five Georgia State turnovers. It’s time for Big Ten play and this is a game they can not take lightly. This has trap game written all over it in Iowa.
5. Oklahoma State Cowboys– I had seen highlights from a few of their games over the years, but on Saturday, I was finally able to sit down and watch them and how they operate and I was amazed at what I saw. We mention Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Lamar Jackson, now we need to mention Mason Rudolph within those conversations because he’s just as good as those names I mentioned. He made it look like a pitch and catch against Pittsburgh on Saturday. He completed 20 of 28 passes, threw for 423 yards passing and five touchdowns (all of which came in the first half) and what made it stand out, even more, was how five of the Cowboys wide receivers accounted for over 100 yards receiving. Now, it’s onto the Horned Frogs of TCU.
