Breakdown of Week 4’s Top 10 (Pt. 1)
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As we head into week 4, it's becoming clearer who's legit and who's not. With a lot of football to be played, the current top 10 has a few teams that might stick around for a while. Unlike last season, there have been plenty of out-of-conference matchups that help the CFP committee pinpoint their rankings better. For now, we only have the Coaches Poll and the AP rankings that are point-based so we will have to wait for the CFP rankings. For now, let's go through the current AP top 10 and ask: why they're here and will they be here long?
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#1 Alabama Crimson Tide
Nick Saban and company had a strong showing early on against Miami and Mercer. They showed the nation why that even losing over half a dozen starters, they are still the best football program in the land. Bryce Young has looked incredible as he has led his team to 3 straight wins with 10 passing touchdowns, 811 Yards passing, and a whopping 0 interceptions. Alabama's previous game against #11 Florida is very telling of what this team can do in the future.
Why are they here? :
With 2 wins over top 15 teams in Miami and Florida on the road, this team has proven to be stout and able to withstand pressure. Their dynasty resume helps. After all, they are indeed the defending champs regardless of losing key starters.
Will they be here long? :
The Tide are here to stay. If they can beat down on A&M as they usually do and take care of business in the Iron Bowl against Auburn, they can very well win back to back championships.
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#2 Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia is taking care of business so far. They seem to be keeping the SEC optimistic as far as getting 2 teams into the Playoff. With a huge win over #3 Clemson out the gate, all they have to do now is keep winning and winning convincingly against their lesser opponents. Starting quarterback J.T. Daniels has looked promising so far but he missed week 2 against UAB due to an injury. If his play continues to improve along with the Bulldog defense doing what they do best, you shouldn't be surprised to see this team on New Year's Eve.
Why are they here? :
Their success in turning things around last year and ending up winning a Peach Bowl over an undefeated Cincinnati has a lot to do with it. They return many of their starters from that team. This year though, they had an opening week victory over #3 Clemson as mentioned. It does not matter how well a team performs in a win over a top 5 team in the opening week, it’s just a matter of winning or losing. Rightfully so, the Bulldogs sit at #2.
Will they be here long? :
Most likely. Their path to the playoff is a little easier than Alabama's from here on out. Big games to watch for are out-of-state rival Florida Gators and an away game against the Auburn Tigers who just gave #6 Penn State a run for their money. If these Bulldogs can continue to cross these big hurdles, the rest of the country better watch out.
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#3 Oregon Ducks
The Ducks have been superb so far. With two big wins over Fresno State at home and Ohio State on the road, it seems that Coach Cristobal made the right call to schedule a tough first 2 games. Credit is due for this team's defense, they held Ohio State to less than 30 points at home which is no easy task, especially early on in the season. If running backs CJ Verdell and Travis Dye can continue to dominate in the running game with the defense performing the same if not better against Ohio State, this might be the best team to come out of the PAC-12.
Why are they here? :
With grace from the voters at the Associated Press, their rank was high enough to get them deep into the top 10 after beating Ohio State. A road win over a team of Ohio State's caliber is impossible to go unnoticed.
Will they be here long? :
Possibly. Their schedule from here is doable. The scary part is if they lose a conference game against the teams ahead, the CFP committee might not be too gracious and the Ducks might miss out on a Playoff bid. As of now though, they control their destiny as far as playing on New Years Eve.
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#4 Oklahoma Sooners
Lincoln Riley and his Sooners had high expectations going into this season. They were pre ranked at #2 and their QB1 Spencer Rattler was seen as a Heisman frontrunner. They do indeed stand undefeated at the #4 spot in the current polls, but the way they have been winning has been concerning. Their 23-16 win over Nebraska was only a little bit concerning, after all the Cornhuskers are a power 5 team. However, their slim win over Tulane was worrisome. They won 40-35 while Tulane had the chance on the last possession of the game to go up. All being said, the Sooners might be undefeated, but they have a lot of questions to answer as they begin conference play this upcoming weekend.
Why are they here? :
With their strong finish last year after a rough start winning a Big 12 Championship and the Cotton Bowl had the media thinking this team was going to be one of the best. It seems that the media is losing hype over the Sooners so far which is why they have fallen 2 ranks despite being undefeated.
Will they be here long? :
It's very likely that the Sooners will not be here long. If history repeats itself, they will lose a conference game this season but still end up in the conference championship game. They may not be here long, but they can always come back as we have seen in the past like in 2018 and 2019.
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#5 Iowa Hawkeyes
The Hawkeyes have come out soaring. With their first 2 wins being over top 20 opponents, this team seems to be ahead of the curve as far as their conference goes. Their running back Ryan Goodson has been great with 307 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns through 3 games, but their defense has been incredible. Their secondary is 2nd in the nation in interceptions at 6 on the year. The Hawkeyes have looked spectacular so far, but they have a long way to go. Things are going well now, though tougher tests are ahead in conference play #18 Wisconsin and #6 Penn State.
Why are they here? :
The Hawkeyes started the year ranked at #18 in the preseason poll and have glid into the top 10 due to a dominant win over #17 Indiana in week 1 and a convincing win over their in-state rival #9 Iowa State. They have had early and difficult tests so far, and they have exceeded expectations in the eye test.
Will they be here long? :
They very well can be here for the long run. Even if they lose to #6 Penn State down the road, they might fall back a few ranks, but all can be redeemed if they take care of business in their division in the Big 10.
Teams ranked #6-#10 coming on Thursday, stay tuned!