D.S. Williamson
College Football Week 6 is here. The only big change on my Top 20 is USC falling out of the Top 10. The Trojans were the biggest team to suffer an upset in College Football Week 5. Read more about the Trojans loss to Washington State as well as what else happened last week in my College Football Top 20 Rankings Week 6.
2017 College Football Top 20 Rankings Week 6
1. Alabama Crimson Tide 5-0
Alabama pummeled Ole Miss 66 to 3 in College Football Week 5. The Crimson Tide didn’t go out to demolish the Rebels. But once Ole Miss garnered Bama coach Nick Saban’s ire by providing a dirty chop block, it was all over. Saban decided to have his fellas demolish Ole Miss. Alabama could have beaten the hapless Rebels by 80 points in this game. That’s how much better Alabama is than Ole Miss.
2. Oklahoma Sooners 4-0
Oklahoma got a week off. I saw no reason to drop the Sooners from 2, and I don’t believe Oklahoma is better than Alabama. I do believe Oklahoma could give Clemson and Penn State all that either one of those Top 5 teams could handle. Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield remains the favorite to win this year’s Heisman Trophy.
3. Clemson Tigers 5-0
Clemson faced a stiff test versus Virginia Tech in Blacksburg in Week 5. All the Tigers did was punish the Hokies 31 to 17. I’m not sure how good Virginia Tech is as a football team, though. Still, I put Clemson ahead of Penn State because the Tigers demolished a Top 15 team on the road while Penn State handled a rather pedestrian opponent in Week 5.
4. Penn State Nittany Lions 5-0
The Nittany Lions had no business not covering the spread versus the Indiana Hoosiers in College Football Week 5. Think about it. Penn State battled an Indiana team that had already lost 21 to 49 to Ohio State. The Lions got to battle that team at home. Did the Lions cover the spread? Sure, they did. They beat Indiana 45 to 14. But, like I wrote already, I’m not sure if it means much.
5. Washington Huskies 5-0
Washington decimated Oregon State 42 to 7. Since the Huskies were favored by 27 points, they covered the spread. Washington could have beaten Oregon State ala Alabama over Ole Miss. The reason they didn’t is because nobody on the Beavers did anything that made Washington coach Chris Petersen angry. There’s no team in the Pac 12 that should challenge Washington before they battle Washington State on Nov. 25.
6. Georgia Bulldogs 5-0
Time to eat a ton of crow. I’ve got crow coming out of my ears with Georgia. I thought Georgia might fail against Mississippi State in College Football Week 4. All the Bulldogs did was thump Miss State 31 to 3. I was sure that Tennessee would beat Georgia straight up in Week 5. All Georgia did was manhandle the rival Volunteers 41 to 0. The win wouldn’t have been nearly impressive if Georgia hadn’t throttled Tennessee in Knoxville.
Georgia is a good football team. The Bulldogs are at Vanderbilt, at Florida, at Auburn, and at Georgia Tech in 4 out of their final 7 games. I do believe Georgia loses at least 2 of their final 7 games. But for now? Like I wrote, crow coming out of my ears.
7. Michigan Wolverines 4-0
Michigan got the week off. Jim Harbaugh did say that for their Week 6 game versus the Michigan State Spartans, he’s going with senior QB John O’Korn as his starter. That could have a huge effect on the Wolverines’ offense. Michigan’s defense is loaded. If O’Korn helps the offense, Michigan might be the only team keeping Penn State from the Big Ten Championship.
8. TCU Horned Frogs 4-0
The Horned Frogs got the week off after their smashing 41 to 33 win over Oklahoma State in College Football Week 4. If TCU can shut down West Virginia’s offense this week, they’ll become a real threat to Oklahoma’s supremacy in the deep Big 12.
9. Wisconsin Badgers 4-0
Don’t sleep on Wisconsin’s 33 to 27 win over Northwestern. The Badgers allowed Northwestern to score 27 points against their defense. Northwestern always plays Wisconsin tough, though. Like they are every season, the Badgers are in the driver’s seat in the Big Ten West Division.
10. Washington State Cougars 5-0
The 5 and 0 Cougars took it straight to the USC Trojans in Week 5. Washington State beat USC 30 to 27. What was interesting is how the Cougars’ defense won the game via a sack and fumble on USC QB Sam Darnold. Washington State has always had a great offense. If the defense has caught up some, the Cougars are a real threat to the Washington Huskies’ Pac 12 dominance.
11. Auburn Tigers 4-1
I’ve never been an Auburn fan. Even I must admit that the Tigers looked fantastic when thumping Mississippi State 49 to 10 this past Saturday. Old Auburn teams might have folded against a strong squad like Mississippi State. Auburn’s legit. They also have the best loss of the season. Clemson beat Auburn 14 to 6. That’s not bad at all considering that Clemson is garnering #1 votes in both the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.
12. Miami Hurricanes 3-0
The Canes are now 3 and 0 after beating the heck out of Duke 31 to 6. Miami looks like the best team in the ACC Coastal Division. It’s difficult to tell because the 3 teams that the Canes have so far beaten are Boston College, Toledo, and Duke. A win over Florida State on Oct. 7 could send the Canes into my Top 10 because the battle against the Seminoles is in Tallahassee.
13. Ohio State Buckeyes 4-1
The 4 and 1 Buckeyes can easily climb back into the Top 5. All they must do is win out. What I like about Ohio State is how they came back guns blazing after the 16 to 31 loss to Oklahoma in Week 2. Sure, Ohio State hasn’t battled any teams of note. But, they’ve demolished teams including beating Rutgers 56 to 0 on the road this past Saturday.
14. USC Trojans 4-1
The Trojans losing to Washington State isn’t that big of a deal. Although many believed USC was (is?) good enough to win the National Championship, the truth is that the Trojans have a young, and now banged up, offensive line. It’s impossible to go undefeated, or to even win a Big 5 Conference, with an inexperienced offensive line.
USC’s offensive line could soon gel. If it does, and USC wins out including beating an undefeated Top 4 ranked team like Washington in the Pac 12 Championship, the Trojans might still get into the CFP. That’s a big if, but there’s still a chance, Trojan fans.
15. South Florida Bulls 5-0
South Florida is undefeated. They also keep improving. The biggest issue for the Bulls moving up is that they face only a single Top 25 team this season, the UCF Knights. Who even knows if Central Florida is going to be ranked when South Florida battles the Knights? The game doesn’t take place until Nov. 24.
Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention South Florida’s 61 to 31 win over East Carolina in Week 5. Impressive? Not really.
16. Notre Dame Irish 4-1
As Georgia goes, so should Notre Dame. The Irish had the Bulldogs on the ropes before Georgia pulled out a slim 21 to 19 win. That game was way back in Week 2. Both Georgia and Notre Dame have impressed since then. Week 6 is too early to start humming the Irish fight song. There are 3 ranked teams left on Notre Dame’s schedule, though. So, ND fans might not have to wait too long before humming.
17. Florida Gators 4-1
On the AP Poll both Notre Dame and Florida are ranked 21. I like both teams a lot, and I think Florida lost to an excellent Michigan team in Week 1. I believe Notre Dame lost to a great Georgia team in Week 2. Florida has gotten better week to week. The Gators must keep winning. That could be harder to do than it looks.
18. Oklahoma State Cowboys 4-1
Oklahoma State did nothing to impress in their 41 to 34 win over Texas Tech in College Football Week 5. The Cowboys lone shot at making it back to the CFP discussion is to dominate West Virginia on the road and Oklahoma at home. Those are the only 2 teams left on the Cowboys’ schedule ranked in the Top 25.
19. San Diego State Aztecs 5-0
The Aztecs beat a gritty Northern Illinois team 34 to 28 this past Saturday. It wasn’t an impressive win. Still, it was a win. SDSU must be much more impressive in their victories from here on out. They don’t battle a single ranked opponent.
20. Utah Utes 4-0
Utah is 4 and 0. That’s why they’re in my Top 20. I don’t expect Utah to stay in my Top 20 much longer. Starting with this Saturday, the Utes battle Stanford, at USC, battle ASU, and are at Oregon. Utah should lose 2 of those 4 games.
