We are getting closer and closer to the first college football playoff ranking in just about a week. Ohio State seems to be sitting in a good spot, but a road test with Penn State awaits this week.
As he does each week, Kirk Herbstreit has ranked the top four teams he sees as the best in the country and the first two that would be out of the playoffs if the season ended today.
Herbie still likes the Buckeyes, despite a slow start against Iowa. But maybe it was the fact that even though the offense seemed to be out of sync early, the defense was able to carry the load. It’s been a while since we’ve seen that out of the OSU defense, and it was refreshing.
Let’s take a look and see where Herbstreit ranks his top six.
No. 6 - Clemson Tigers
What we say
Uh-oh. … Is there a quarterback controversy brewing in Clemson? The Tigers struggled against Syracuse over the weekend leading to second-string QB Cade Klubnick coming into the game to lead the team to victory. The Clemson defense is elite, but outside of Will Shipley, the offense seems very average.
No. 5 - Alabama Crimson Tide
What we say
Alabama got back to looking like its normal dominant self. The defense kept Mike Leach’s club off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter after the game was well in hand. The Crimson Tide is still a dangerous team and controls its own destiny.
No. 4 - Michigan Wolverines
What we say
Michigan was idle this week, but the fan base had plenty to say about Ohio State’s struggles against Iowa in the first half. They weren’t so vocal in the second half. Everything suggests the Wolverines are on a collision course with the Buckeyes for the Big Ten East championship.
No. 3 - Georgia Bulldogs
What we say
Georgia was also on a bye week this past Saturday. It remains to be seen if the Bulldogs have played to the level of their competition or if they are legit title contenders. We’ll find out in two weeks when No. 3 Tennessee visits Athens.
No. 2 - Tennessee Volunteers
What we say
Tennessee did exactly what it was supposed to do and destroyed UT Martin on Saturday. Technically, the Vols’ next test comes against No. 19 Kentucky this weekend, but the real test will be when they go on the road to play Georgia in two weeks.
No. 1 - Ohio State Buckeyes
What we say
Say what you will about the offensive struggles early in the game, the fact is that adjustments were made at halftime, and Ohio State put up 54 points on one of the best defenses in the country. More importantly, it was nice to see the Buckeye defense carry the weight until the offense got things figured out.
Kirk Herbstreit's rankings and Twitter thread
My top 4 after WEEK 8
1-@OhioStateFB
2-@Vol_Football
3-@GeorgiaFootball
4-@UMichFootball
Next 2@AlabamaFTBL @ClemsonFB— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) October 23, 2022
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