The college football season officially reached the midway mark this past weekend with little movement at the top. A lot can change over the next couple of months but we certainly have a strong enough sample size at this point that we can narrow down our list of the best programs in the country. Here is a look at the top five teams in college football right now.
#1 Alabama Crimson Tide (7-0)
The Tide is rolling following seven straight wins to open the season so we certainly won’t hear anybody doubting Alabama’s potential to successfully defend its title as national champions. There is no doubt that Nick Saban’s program is the best in the country and after taking down USC, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Tennessee it’s hard to imagine them stumbling the rest of the way. Alabama will have to survive a tough clash versus Texas A&M this weekend before travelling to face LSU two weeks later but neither of those opponents has lived up to expectations so far this season. The biggest question right now is can anybody stop the Tide?
#2 Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0)
Ohio State extended its win streak to six with a 30-23 win at Wisconsin last week as they rallied twice to beat a very good team on the road. The Buckeyes defense is starting to make a habit out of making big plays and the offense has shown flashes of its overall potential. The key will be achieving a little more consistency on both sides of the football with the toughest portion of Ohio State’s schedule still ahead of them with games at Michigan State and then at Michigan to wrap up the regular season. The Buckeyes have proven they are worthy of this slot to this point but those final two games of the regular season will likely determine where they finish.
#3 Michigan Wolverines (6-0)
The Wolverines have lived up to all expectations so far this season with six straight wins including victories over Colorado, Penn State and Wisconsin that stand out on paper. And remember that Colorado has spent some time in the Top 25 and is 5-2. They’re no joke.
Michigan is coming off its most lopsided victory of the year after blowing away Rutgers 78-0 and it’s scary to think that this team still hasn’t reached its peak potential. They should cruise to another easy win this week as they host an Illinois team that is 2-4 on the season. They should be undefeated the rest of the way until they face off with their biggest rival in the final game of the season.
The Wolverines and Buckeyes have a much tougher road to the College Football Playoff playing out of the Big Ten and the fact that two of the top three teams in the country play in the same division is pretty crazy.
#4 Clemson Tigers (7-0)
Clemson might not be blowing opponents away the same way that Michigan has but what they have done is take down one of the top teams in the country in Louisville will also clinching key wins over a pair of decent opponents in Auburn and NC State. The Tigers have also been battled tested in close wins over the Cardinals and Wolfpack and the fact that they have overcome the type of adversity that a number of teams haven’t even faced yet puts them ahead of schedule. Clemson will face its toughest test of the season next weekend on the road at Florida State and that crucial ACC matchup will have a major impact on their outlook moving forward in to November.
#5 Washington Huskies (6-0)
The Huskies are on everybody’s radar following six straight wins in which they have outscored their opponents by an average margin of 35 points per game. Jake Browning has emerged as an absolute stud at the quarterback position while Myles Gaskin has the potential to do some serious damage at the running back position every single game. Washington’s toughest tests of the season are still ahead with games at Utah, at Cal and at home against USC and Arizona State but right now they look like the obvious favorite to win the Pac-12 and challenge for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
