Fresh from calling Ohio State’s dismantling of Wisconsin, Kirk Herbstreit has updated his top six teams. This is Herbie’s opinion of the top four teams and the first two out of the playoffs if the season ended today.
Now, clearly this could all change, and there’s still a lot of season to go, so we’ll continue to keep an eye on what the former Buckeye quarterback thinks.
With some upsets and near misses in the top 10, Herbstreit’s rankings look slightly different than a week ago. Who’s in? Who’s out? And do you agree with the long-time ESPN college football analyst? Let’s find out how Herbstreit ranks the best of the best.
Starting at No. 6…
6
USC Trojans
What we say
The USC Trojans have looked good, but not necessarily dominating so far this year. The No. 6 Trojans picked up a quality win at Oregon State this past weekend over a better-than-advertised Beaver team. Let’s see what they do in mid-October when they face Washington State and Utah in back-to-back weeks.
5
Clemson Tigers
What we say:
Clemson makes its way back into the discussion after a double-overtime win over No. 22 Wake Forest. While the win showed some grit, we’re still not buying the Tigers. The defensive secondary looks bad, and outside of Will Shipley, the offense seems out of sync. No. 10 NC State comes to town next week. Maybe then we’ll get a clearer picture.
4
Michigan Wolverines
What we say:
Michigan seemed to struggle with Maryland on Saturday. If not for an interception that should have been overturned, the Wolverines might be 3-1 instead of 4-0. But give Michigan credit: After playing a poor nonconference schedule, the maize and blue took care of business in its Big Ten opener.
3
Alabama Crimson Tide
What we say:
Alabama took care of SEC bottom dweller Vanderbilt on Saturday. The Tide did what they were supposed to do but not enough to keep them in Herbie’s No. 2 spot. Now comes three straight weeks of ranked opponents ending with No. 8 Tennessee.
2
Ohio State Buckeyes
What we say:
After a thorough beat down of Wisconsin, Ohio State moved up in Herbie’s rankings. We say there’s reason for the Buckeyes to be even higher after steamrolling a pretty good defense and shutting down a strong running game for the most part.
1
Georgia Bulldogs
What we say:
Georgia was not its dominant self when it faced Kent State from the Mid-American Conference. Maybe it was a case of playing to the level of its opponent. Whatever the reason, the less-than-stellar performance wasn’t enough to drop the Bulldogs. They will not face another ranked opponent until early November.
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