2018 Couch Power 10, Week 5
College Football is rolling along, and it simultaneously feels like a lot is happening and nothing is happening. Here's what I think the conundrum is: there have been no shortage of great games. I mean, seriously, I think every primetime, College Gameday-centered game has been a thriller so far. There also have been some wild upsets. Yet, when the dust settles each weekend, we're basically looking at the same 4 teams in the playoff every time that we were at the start of the season. So games like Clemson-Syracuse and Ohio State-Penn State (for the neutral fan) are a ton of fun, but unfortunately (for the neutral fan) end up doing really nothing to move the playoff needle.
In addition to that angst, and my Tar Heel angst, and my "long-distance girlfriend" angst, I was so disgusted to see that Alabama was playing Louisiana-Lafayette in Week 5 of the College Football season, that I decided we were going to go in a different direction with this week's Power 10. Even if the eventual 2018 Playoff teams end up being a very different sampling of teams, this week we're going back to a good ol' meritocracy: rewarding the teams that have actually proven themselves this year.
Tier I: The Resumé Champions
In this tier, we reward the teams that really have a lot to brag about at this point; the ones who have faced more than one quality opponent, and live, undefeated, to tell the story.
1a. LSU (LW: #2)
Everybody seems to still be sleeping on them, probably because they're not the highest-ranked Tigers (Clemson), nor the highest-ranked team in their division (Alabama), nor even the 2nd-highest ranked team in their conference (Georgia). But nobody has done more to date than 5-0 LSU, whose neutral/road wins over Miami and Auburn are more impressive than any other feat. And by the way, their win over Louisiana Tech wasn't so shabby, either, seeing as the latter is now the highest-ranked Conference USA team in the Sagarin ratings.
1b. Ohio State (LW: #3)
Not far behind, though, are the neutral/road wins Ohio State has notched, namely over TCU and Penn State. The Buckeyes spent about 3 and a half quarters being the inferior team on Saturday, and yet, it mattered not. Their dominant defensive line and speedy receivers did just enough to somehow crawl out of Happy Valley with a win. We already knew this team looked good on paper; they're starting to walk the walk as well.
1c. Notre Dame (LW: #7)
Sure, they've played all but one game at home, but Michigan and Stanford are no wins to sneeze at, home-field advantage be goshdarned (I gotchu, Catholics). What's more, last week's win over the likely Pac-12 champions ended up looking as easy as the previous week's win over Wake Forest. That's the sign of a team rounding into scary form.
Tier II: The Eye Test Winners
This is the bunch that have every bit looked the part, but just need to freaking play somebody so we can gauge how great they truly are.
4a. Alabama (LW: #1)
Alabama's clearly the best team in the country. I'm 100% positive they will win the national title again. They're loaded on defense, per usual, and now have one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Heck, they might be one of the best teams in modern history. Which is why it's so frustrating to see them playing Louisville, Arkansas State, UL-Lafayette, and The Citadel out of conference. You're gonna make a claim to be one of the greatest programs? Freaking play somebody!
4b. West Virginia (LW: #9)
The 'Neers have looked quite good, and to be fair, their victory at Texas Tech last week was a road win over a ranked team, which is no small potatoes. Still, thanks in no small part to the NC State game cancellation, they are yet to play a high enough quality opponent for us to see whether Will Grier and co. actually have the goods to end Oklahoma's Big XII reign.
4c. Georgia (LW: #4)
For being the #2 team in the country, the Dwags have also been pretty low-key so far this season. It's probably the Alabama effect. Or it might be because...they need to freaking play somebody.
Tier III: The....Rest Of The Unbeatens
This last bunch deserves to be recognized for being the rest of the undefeated teams in college, but either has no notable wins to speak of, hasn't looked the part of an elite team, or some mixture of the two.
7a. Clemson (LW: #5)
Clemson's week from hell nearly got much worse. After the saga surrounding demoted QB Kelly Bryant's transfer dominated the week's headlines, young star Trevor Lawrence left the game with an injury, amidst a sputtering performance from the Tigers. Out of nowhere, 3rd-string QB Chase Brice (with enormous assistance from RB Travis Etienne) was able to rally them to victory over an underrated Syracuse team. It was no small feat, but questions still surround this Clemson team, considering how close they have come to losing against the only two decent opponents they've faced.
7b. Kentucky (LW: #8)
Kentucky probably deserves better than to be in this crew, because 3 straight wins over Florida, Mississippi State, and now South Carolina is quite impressive. It's not the slate that the top tier have faced, but it's a good indication of the Wildcats' staying power in the SEC East this year.
7c. Oklahoma (LW: NR)
One week after coming dangerously close to a humiliating loss to Army, the Sooners bounced back, taking out their wrath on poor Baylor. As good as OU has looked (sans last week), they still are yet to play any team that even sniffs the rankings. That will change this weekend against Texas.
7d. Central Florida (LW: NR)
All hail the defending champs, in the Couch Power 10 for the first time this season. UCF has not even come close to losing, but they also have not even come close to playing a quality opponent this year. Their quality is unmistakable, but until the closing stretch of Navy, Cincinnati, and South Florida, we won't really be able to get a sense of just how far above their peers they are.
Just missed: Auburn, Penn State, Washington, Michigan, Miami, Chazz Surratt...'s running ability