College Football Rankings: Five Best Teams Heading Into Week 7
We're already six weeks into the college football season, but just exactly what do we really know at this point?
Considering most of the elite teams in the nation have only taken on one or two tough opponents, the answer is not very much.
Sure, we seem to have a good feel for which teams look like the most talented, but at this point it's all speculation as to who can put together a strong second half run and ultimately end up in the national championship game.
The defending champion Alabama Crimson Tide, the consensus No. 1 team heading into the weekend, fell hard to a game South Carolina squad on Saturday, leaving the door open for debate about who truly is the top team in college football.
The Tide are no doubt still one of the five best teams in the country, but their loss gives a few others the chance to make a name for themselves.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
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Quarterback Terrelle Pryor still has his fair share of doubters, but all the gifted junior has done so far is continue to prove them wrong.
Pryor, along with one of the top defenses in the country, has paced this extremely talented Buckeyes team to a 6-0 record, winning by an average of 30 points as they get ready for the thick of Big Ten play.
History hasn't been kind to Ohio State, as they've usually rolled through the regular season only to be outplayed by more talented teams in the postseason. But with Pryor at the helm, the Buckeyes look to have a different swagger.
They have some tough battles with Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan remaining, but this team has the talent to make a run at a perfect season and gain a berth in the big game.
2. Oregon Ducks
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There's no offense in the country that has displayed as much explosiveness as Oregon's so far this season. The Ducks have averaged 54 points in six games, and they don't look like they're about to slow up anytime soon.
Running back LaMichael James is one of the clear front runners for the Heisman Trophy. The sophomore has already rushed for nearly 850 yards on just 114 touches and scored 10 total touchdowns.
The Ducks showed in their win against Stanford that they have the ability to fight through some adversity and still come out on the winning end.
There are still a few Pac-10 roadblocks that this Oregon team has to get by, but with an offense as good as this one and a defense that is strong enough to make key stops, it seems like this is a team capable of making a really big run in the backstretch of the season.
3. Nebraska Cornhuskers
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It’s funny how a position that many perceived as a weakness coming into the season can so suddenly turn into a major strength.
Such is the case for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and their new quarterback sensation Taylor Martinez.
Martinez, or “T-Magic” as the kids like to call him these days, has been a one-man wrecking crew so far this year, rushing for over 700 yards and 12 TDs in five games.
If Martinez can keep playing this well, this Cornhuskers defense, which is ranked in the top 10 nationally, is good enough to shut down any Big 12 foe it goes up against.
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4. Auburn Tigers
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So this Cam Newton guy is pretty good, huh?
The 6'6", 250-lb. super-athlete has been the most dangerous weapon in the SEC so far this year. The junior quarterback has been slaughtering opponents with his arm and his legs, rushing for 672 yards on 104 carries while completing 65 percent of his passes.
Newton's 21 total touchdowns aren't the only reason the Tigers have been so successful. This Auburn defensive unit has been one of the stoutest run defenses in the country, and as Alabama showed last season, if you're able to stop the run, you can win a lot of games.
If Newton and the Auburn defense can keep playing at this level, it could set up one of the most anticipated Iron Bowls in quite a few years.
5. Alabama Crimson Tide
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Don't hit the panic button just yet.
Pretty much everyone expected that Alabama would slip up once or twice this season. The road was just too tough, and this defense was just too inexperienced.
There's no need to overreact and drop Alabama so far in the rankings like it seems everyone is doing.
This is still one of the most talented teams in the country and one capable of finishing the rest of its SEC slate undefeated. You can bet that coach Nick Saban will have this team regrouped and refocused.
In the long run, losing a game like this weekend's actually could have been the best thing for this team, as they now know they can't take any opponent for granted and will have their bring their A game week in and week out.
Ten Teams On The Cusp
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- Boise State Broncos
- Oklahoma Sooners
- TCU Horned Frogs
- Stanford Cardinal
- Michigan State Spartans
- Nevada Wolfpack
- South Carolina Gamecocks
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Arizona Wildcats
- LSU Tigers
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