The Couch Power 10 Is Back
What's that? College football is back? Yes, it's true. You might have missed it amidst the writers' strike, the return of club soccer, the Republican Party's continued attempts to dismantle democracy, or the U.S. Open, or the carousel of senior moments from our elected officials, or the hurricanes, or... well, you get it. There's a lot going on, but we're in September, which means the three sweetest words can be uttered: it's football season.
The first week of this season was met with comparatively muted fanfare: where years past have held multiple big-name showdowns on the first weekend, this one had only one high-stakes matchup. And that matchup, a Top-10 meeting between Florida State and LSU, wasn't even on Saturday night. The first College Gameday of the season was in Charlotte for a neutral-site game between North and South Carolina, two teams that aren't exactly known for their footballing prowess. Still, that didn't mean college football didn't deliver. You want upsets? Thrillers? Comedies of errors? Heisman-level performances? Week 1 had each in ample supply.
Just a refresher, since it's been nary a year since you've heard from this ranking: this is not a definitive ranking on how good the teams are, or on who I think will be/deserves to be in the playoff at the end of the year. Rather, it's more of a "What if preseason rankings and bigwig bias didn't predetermine the top teams" kind of thing, an ideal ranking of the country's teams based on what they've actually proved on the field to date. Don't be mad cuz I'm doin' me better than you doin' you:
1. Florida State
With the largest amount of hype in some time also comes a bevy of skeptics... including yours truly. I'll admit it! Well, with all the eyes on them Sunday night, the Seminoles showed the preseason excitement was warranted. After a bit of a sloppy start, Jordan Travis took control of the high-powered offense, and a refurbished defense helped turn what was being billed as a "potential playoff preview" into a one-sided rout.
2. Washington
There was only one matchup between ranked teams last weekend, but there were a bevy of matchups that featured a ranked team against a team just outside the Top 25. Of that bevy, nobody had a more impressive win than Washington. The Huskies are a sleeper playoff contender this season after their Top 10 finish last season and in Game 1, looked every bit the part in dismantling perennial overachievers Boise State.
3. North Carolina
Yes, North Carolina were the ranked side and the slight favorite in the 'Carolina Bowl' Saturday night. But it was a tepid -2 line at kickoff, and between injury and NCAA-induced absences, and general ACC skepticism, South Carolina was a trendy pick to win this game. Plus, Tar Heel fans (I obviously among them) will be quick to tell you it's been eons since their football team delivered on a primetime stage. But boy, did they finally deliver this time. Right up until he threw two very uncharacteristic interceptions-- neither of which led to anything consequential -- Drake Maye looked the part of Heisman contender, and the Heels' beleaguered defense dominated the Gamecocks, to the tune of 9 sacks and a negative rushing output.
4. Colorado
The "Coach Prime" effect was already in full force this offseason, in the form of rendering Colorado, of all teams, the most talked-about team of the summer. As you can imagine, things have now ratcheted up to 100 on the heels of the Buffaloes' season-opening upset win. Just as cynics were a bit quick to write off Colorado's chances before this game, I think believers are getting themselves a little too hype in the aftermath; I'm not sure TCU will amount to much more than a just okay team this season. Still, take nothing away from the Buffs, who showcased talent across the field and won a big game on the road against one of just three ranked teams to lose last week.
5. Duke
Did I expect to have Duke football in the Couch Power 10 at all this season? No. No, I can't say I did. But Mike Elko and Duke's players talked all offseason about how they were for real, and give them credit: they looked for real. Yes, Clemson was their own worst enemy for much of Monday night's loss, but the Blue Devils did what good teams do and blew open an otherwise tight contest by winning the turnover battle. After securing possibly the biggest win in program history, there's a good chance Duke will win their next few games and head into their September 30 showdown with Notre Dame at 4-0. A win in that one would probably then become the biggest win in program history.
6. Utah
Last season, a favored Utah team allowed a raucous Swamp crowd to buoy Florida to a big win and launch a Gator hype train that proved premature. With hopes of avenging that loss this year, the Utes were dealt a hammer-blow with the news that QB Cam Rising would be out injured. No problem, as it turned out; the Utes' quarterback committee stepped up admirably, and they cruised against Florida, launching what should prove to be an epic Pac-12 race in perhaps the last year of the conference's existence.
7. Notre Dame
We're now getting into the tier of teams that didn't play anybody impressive yet, but still have looked pretty damn good. First among them is Notre Dame. Their Week 0 matchup in Ireland means they have actually played two games already, and though nobody will mistake Navy or Tennessee State for playoff contenders, winning those games by a combined score of 98-6 is a might noteworthy start for Marcus Freeman's men. The competition kicks up at least a little bit this weekend with a trip to Raleigh against NC State, a foe new quarterback Sam Hartman will know well from his time at Wake Forest. After all, Hartman was there for 17 years.
8. USC
Like their rivals Notre Dame before them, USC played their second game this past weekend thanks to a Week 0 game. And like them, they demolished both opponents, in their case San Jose State and Nevada. Again, the competition will kick up significantly, but starting off averaging 61 points a game isn't shabby.
9. Oklahoma
Arkansas State may be one of the worst teams in Division 1 this year, but a 73-0 scoreline is still absurd. Especially for a program that had such a mediocre year last year, they couldn't have asked for a better start.
10. Oregon
Portland State may not be a Division 1 team, but a 81-7 scoreline is still absurd. Especially for a program that blew their playoff chances down the stretch last year and want to get back to the top, they couldn't have asked for a better start.
Just missed: Tennessee, Penn State, Wyoming, Alabama, Ole Miss, Kaimon "The Butcher" Rucker
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