We’ve moved into the month of October but the college football power rankings seem eerily similar to how last season finished off: the top two teams are the ones that played in the College Football Playoff championship game. Moreover, those two teams have been downright dominant to start the 2017 season while so many other contenders and hopefuls have proven to be phonies. The Alabama Crimson Tide earned yet another easy win but more impressive has been the Clemson Tigers.
The biggest drop this week is the USC Trojans, who fell to the Washington State Cougars last Thursday. They’re now down to ninth place. With that aside, let’s take a look at the weekly college football power rankings.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
Last Week: 1
National Championship Odds: +125
The Crimson Tide (5-0, 2-0 SEC) were up 35-3 by halftime and cruised to a 66-3 battering of Ole Miss at home, racking up 613 yards to 253 yards for the visitors. Jalen Hurts was 12-of-19 for 197 yards and two touchdowns, and he also ran 10 times for 101 yards and a score for the Crimson Tide, who held the ball for 36:37 and forced a couple turnovers. The Crimson Tide will head out on the road on Saturday to take on Texas A&M.
2. Clemson Tigers
Last Week: 2
National Championship Odds: +350
The Tigers (5-0, 3-0 ACC) held off Virginia Tech 31-17 on the road as Kelly Bryan was 12-of-21 for 186 yards and a touchdown, and he also had 19 carries for 94 yards. Clemson’s defense allowed 342 yards, but they also forced three turnovers to stay unbeaten. Clemson will be at home this week to host Wake Forest.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
Last Week: 5
National Championship Odds: +800
The Buckeyes (4-1, 2-0 Big Ten) rolled to a 35-0 halftime lead and rolled to a 56-0 shutout of Rutgers on the road. J.T. Barrett was 14-of-22 for 275 yards and three touchdowns, while Demario McCall ran 11 times for 103 yards for a score (Barrett added 10 carries for 89 yards) as the Buckeyes ran for 286 yards. The Buckeyes will aim to keep rolling on Saturday as they host Maryland as they can’t afford to stumble anymore in the tough Big Ten.
4. Oklahoma Sooners
Last Week: 3
National Championship Odds: +1000
The Sooners (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) had a bye this week and were leapfrogged by Ohio State, who lost at home to Oklahoma in the second week of the season. Still, the Sooners would likely be in the driver’s seat if they ran the table and won the Big 12 due to their win at Ohio State, and they’re back in action on Saturday at home as the Sooners host Iowa State.
5. Penn State Nittany Lions
Last Week: 6
National Championship Odds: +1200
The Nittany Lions (5-0, 2-0, Big Ten) raced out to a 28-0 first-quarter lead and won 45-14 at home over Indiana as Trace McSorley was 23-of-36 for 315 yards and two touchdowns, along with a pick. Saquon Barkley had 20 carries for just 56 yards, but he also threw a 16-yard touchdown for the Nittany Lions, who also got 122 yards and three scores on nine catches from DaeSean Hamilton. The Nittany Lions will be on the road this Saturday as they head to Northwestern.
6. Georgia Bulldogs
Last Week: 7
National Championship Odds: +1500
The Bulldogs (5-0, 2-0 SEC) took care of business in a 41-0 trouncing of Tennessee on the road as Jake Fromm was just 7-of-15 for 84 yards, a touchdown and a pick, but he also ran for two scores. Nick Chubb had 16 carries for 109 yards for the Bulldogs, who racked up 294 yards on the ground and on defense, they allowed 142 yards and forced four turnovers. The Bulldogs will travel on Saturday to face Vanderbilt.
7. Washington Huskies
Last Week: 9
National Championship Odds: +1500
The Huskies (5-0, 2-0 Pac-12) got off to a slow start, but a 21-0 third-quarter lead propelled them to a 42-7 win at Oregon State. Jake Browning went 26-of-34 for 293 yards, three touchdowns and an interception for the Huskies, who also got 113 yards and a score on 15 carries from Myles Gaskin, and 105 yards and three touchdowns on 12 catches from Dante Pettis. The Huskies return home on Saturday night to take on California, and they’re now likely in the driver’s seat in the Pac-12, at least for now. It’s interesting that head coach Chris Peterson has said that his team isn’t getting much love on a national level. That’s probably true when you consider that they still have longer odds to win it all compared to a team like Ohio State, who already has a loss on the schedule. Or even Penn State, who needed a last-second miracle to beat Iowa on the road two weeks ago.
8. Michigan Wolverines
Last Week: 8
National Championship Odds: +1500
The Wolverines (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) had a bye this week to stay stationary in the power rankings, but they’ll have a new quarterback as John O’Korn steps in for the injured Wilton Speight. That means the Wolverines will look to lean on a top-ranked defense and their ground game on Saturday night as they’re home to host their rivals from Michigan State in a huge Big-10 showdown.
9. USC Trojans
Last Week: 4
National Championship Odds: +1800
The Trojans (4-1 2-1 Pac-12) couldn’t find any late magic as they fell 30-27 on the road to Washington State. Sam Darnold was 15-of-29 for 164 yards and an interception, although he did run for two scores and Ronald Jones had 14 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown. USC had the ball for just 24:33 and converted just two of their 11 third-down attempts, and they also had a pair of turnovers along with nine penalties. The Trojans will now need a lot of help to win the Pac-12, starting on Saturday as they head home to host Oregon State on Saturday.
10. Wisconsin Badgers
Last Week: 10
National Championship Odds: +2000
The Badgers (4-0. 1-0 Big Ten) came off a bye to play their conference opener, and they had to fend off Northwestern for a 33-24 home win. Alex Hornibrook went 11-of-20 for 197 yards and a touchdown along with two interceptions, while Jonathan Taylor had 19 carries for 80 yards and a pair of scores for the Badgers, who had three turnovers, but they also forced a pair of turnovers and allowed 244 yards. The Badgers will definitely have to play much better than they did against Northwestern when they head out on the road on Saturday to take on Nebraska.
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