Top 10 after Week 1

At last, college football is back, and with it comes the annual influx of overreactions and ambitious hot-takes from every sports writer and die-hard homer on the planet. I am not excluded from this list, however, and would like to present the world with my post-week-one top ten.

1. Clemson

Trevor Lawrence was less than stellar in his first game since dismantling the Crimson Tide in the national championship game; while throwing just 1 touchdown to 2 interceptions, and only completing 56% of his passes for 168 yards. But that should have absolutely zero impact on the preseason consensus number 1 overall ranking. Let’s not forget that Clemson is a legitimate dynasty, meaning that they have perennial talent across the board–it’s what happens when you recruit well. Travis Etienne is a stud at running back, posting 205 rush yards with only 12 carries. That’s good. Really good.

A rebuilding Georgia Tech team isn’t a great litmus test, and Lawrence should have posted better numbers, but Clemson still won handily with a score of 52-14. Don’t expect Lawrence to lay an egg every Saturday–we all know he is fully capable of lighting up any defense on any given week. Clemson should remain number 1 until they consistently look bad against lesser caliber teams or straight up beaten

2. Alabama

A shaky first half against the Blue Devils, where the offensive line struggled against the pass rush, and the running game struggled to get established, has many faithful fans worried. Nick Saban coached teams rarely struggle in season openers (if you want to call a 42-3 beatdown a “struggle”). Some may see the inexperience at linebacker coupled with some fundamentally-poor play along the offensive line as foreshadowing for future struggles, which is fair. However, Alabama does not play an opponent currently ranked in the top 25 until October 12^th, where they will face the 12^thranked Aggies in College Station; not to mention the fact that the Tide will be coming off a bye-week. That’s five full weeks to work out any kinks they may have.

Add in Heisman-worthy candidates in both Tua and Jerry Jeudy and there is absolutely zero doubt that the Tide are still well deserving of the number 2 overall ranking.

3. Oklahoma

Lincoln Riley is well on the way to establishing himself as one of the most dynamic and dominant offensive minds in college football history. Jalen Hurts put up over 500 yards of total offense (332 passing and 176 rushing) and 6 total touchdowns. That is simply incredible. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be in New York come December.

Oklahoma beat Huston 49-31 in a game that was never really in doubt. Huston still managed to put up 31 points and 408 yards of total offense. Not an ideal defensive performance for any team with playoff hopes. But let’s remember that Dana Holgerson teams are going to put up yards and points; regardless of the opponent. Watching the game, it did seem that the Oklahoma defense were more aggressive and confident compared to years past. It will be interesting to see how that defense progresses over the season. Even with the defensive struggles, I fully expect to see Oklahoma win the Big 12 outright and get another birth in this year’s playoff.

4. Georgia

There isn’t much to say about Georgia in week 1. They went out and handled business in Nashville. Jake Fromm did like Jake Fromm and put up his typical efficient and mistake-free game. D’Andre Swift is going to be a problem for all defenses this year, and it’ll be fun to watch. Georgia may be getting overlooked because lack of storylines and business-as-usual playing style. If I’m a Georgia fan, I’m exactly where I want to be.

5. LSU

Joe Burrow impressed me. Even if it was only Georgia Southern. 5 touchdowns and a QBR of 97.2 is impressive, regardless of opponent. It’ll be interesting to see if Burrow has really progressed over the offseason in the week 2 matchup against Texas. Even if Burrow is a little over hyped, that LSU defense certainly isn’t. Georgia Southern totaled only 98 yards of offense and managed to score just one field goal in garbage time. An efficient quarterback + top 5 defense = championship caliber team.

6. Ohio State

The 1^stquarter against Florida Atlantic was utter dominance. Justin Fields looked like the 5 star recruit that he was: 3 total touchdowns, 115 yards passing and 54 rushing. But his production dropped off in the 2^ndquarter and 2^ndhalf, managing only 119 yards passing and 7 yards rushing with only 1 touchdown. Lane Kiffin clearly made some in-game adjustments that stunted what was looking to be a complete blowout. I like Ohio State, they are still a really good team, but there is zero reason to fully trust head coach Ryan Day yet. I expect Ohio State to contend for a Big10 title this year, I just don’t see them as being a playoff caliber team.

7. Texas

Sam Ehlinger is the dude. The kid is a born winner, and what he lacks in style he makes up for in heart. Those guys always succeed, especially at the college level. Texas is right on the edge of being a serious contender. On Saturday, Louisiana Tech put up over 400 yards of offense but managed to only score 14 points. This is indicative of a bend-but-don’t-break defense. The kind which, when mixed with a born winner and leader (Ehlinger) can lead to a magical season. It’s happened before. This weekend’s matchup with LSU is set to be one of the best games of the season. I can’t wait.

8. Michigan

This is the make or break year for Jim Harbaugh. Entering his 5^thyear as head coach of the Wolverines, he has yet to beat Ohio State, and has largely failed to meet the expectations of the Wolverine faithful. Shea Patterson is supposed to be the quarterback that Harbaugh has been missing during his tenure at Michigan. Many expect Patterson to take the next step after a good 2018 campaign. Patterson was 17/29 passing for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns against Middle Tennessee. Definitely not a bad showing by any standard, but I need more from Patterson if Michigan wants to contend for the Big10 and a spot in the playoffs. After all, last year’s touted Michigan defense only returns 5 starters.

9. Texas A&M

Three things to note about the Aggies: 1) Jimbo Fisher is a really good coach and one of only 5 actives coaches that have won a national championship. Two of which are currently rebuilding programs that were in shambles prior to this year. 2) A&M has recruited well over the past 4 years, bringing in the 18^th, 9^th, 17^th, and 4^thrated recruiting classes (per 247 composite rankings). Any class inside the top 20 contains talent capable of winning a lot of football games. Especially when combined with a good coach. See point number one. 3) Kellen Mond is capable of winning and winning often. Thursday night, Mond made some absolutely incredible throws, and for that reason alone it takes A&M from a top 15 team to a top 10 team. The Aggies will have plenty of chances to upset some teams this year, and I’m betting they do.

• Notre Dame

For the love of college football, Notre Dame, grow up and join a conference. You’re no longer a perennial top dog and you shouldn’t be taken seriously until you join a conference. The only times you’ve been given a chance to prove you belong this decade have ended in complete mockery. You’re not special so stop acting like you’re the kings of college football.

That being said, I don’t expect Notre Dame to finish in the top 10 or even top 15. The outing against Louisville did nothing to impress me. No team in the top 15 should struggle to put away a Louisville team that went two and ten the previous season. The only reason I am ranking Notre Dame this highly is because I can make a case for Florida, Auburn, Washington, Penn State, and Utah to all be in the top 10. This is just my opportunity to bash Notre Dame, as they deserve.