2017 Couch Power 10, Week 3
We may only be a few weeks into this season, but the top teams in the country already appear to be separating themselves a little bit. With a number of front-loaded schedules, I suppose that's bound to be the case. This past week, the defending champs took the biggest step in improving their resume, becoming the first team this season to beat two Top 15 teams. Are we headed for Bama-Clemson part 3? It doesn't appear to be out of the question. Elsewhere, most of the ranked teams held steady in a relatively muted week:
1. Oklahoma
Oklahoma still has the best win of the season, and followed it up last week with a 42-point demolition of Tulane.
2. Clemson
If Clemson didn't look the part of national-title contender in their close win over Auburn, they looked it last week. Their front 7 harassed defending Heisman winner Lamar Jackson all night, and their largely rebuilt offense ran and threw all over the Cardinals' defense. Sure, 2017 Louisville might be steps behind 2016, but wins over Auburn and at Louisville back-to-back are a good way to show the country you haven't missed a beat.
3. Alabama
Alabama got a bit of a scare last week! At least by Tide standards. Sure, not a fan in the stadium was likely ever worried that Colorado State was going to walk away with the win, but it took longer than expected for Bama to pull away, in what amounted to a fairly unimpressive win.
4. USC
It's hard to know what to make of USC after a thrilling double OT victory against Texas. On the one hand, the fact that they were thisclose to losing at home to an unranked team (plus the fact that Stanford, their marquee victory to date, also lost to San Diego State last week) wouldn't seem to bode well. On the other hand, the grit it took for Sam Darnold and this team to rally the troops, both with 30 seconds left in the game, and in both overtimes, seems to show that this team has the toughness to match the talent. Every good season has a win or two that were closer than they should have been...this might just have been the case for the Trojans.
5. Mississippi State
Out of nowhere, the Bulldogs seem to be players in the SEC. Sure, it's early, but it wasn't just that Mississippi State rolls into Georgia unbeaten. It wasn't even just that they obliterated LSU. No, it was the fact of how lethal Nick Fitzgerald and that offense have looked, including against a top-notch defense. If they can score a win in Athens this weekend, they may solidify themselves as Bama's toughest conference opposition this year.
6a. Penn State
Another week, another 'eye-test' smashing success against an overmatched opponent (Georgia State).
6b. Oklahoma State
Another week, another 'eye-test' smashing success against an overmatched opponent, though a road win at Pittsburgh is eye-opening.
8. Michigan
Michigan continues to rely on big 4th quarters to close out somewhat ugly wins, but also continues to do so against decent opponents. Florida, Cincinnati, and Air Force might all not be as impressive as they have been, but it's an audacious non-conference schedule.
9. Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech stays in our Top 10, thanks to 57 unanswered points against East Carolina.
10. Wisconsin
We welcome the Badgers back into the Top 10, thanks to their dominant road win at BYU (which, speaking of audacious schedules...man alive. Poor Cougars).
Just missed: Georgia, Maryland, TCU, Washington State, North Carolina's injury bug