Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6: Crushing the Competition

College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6

Best weekend of college football this year.

There were multiple quality games and near upsets on at every time slot. College Football is the only sport that can show you what it’s like to simultaneously feel alive and like you want to die! That is why is it is by far the greatest sport there is! Before we get to College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6, you can reference the Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings for Week 5.

The two most frustrating parts of being a college football fan are the biased polls and the terrible non-conference schedules. I cannot change the schedules but I can rank the college football top 10 teams by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. Most polls including the College Football Playoff Committee give college blueblood teams a massive “benefit of the doubt.”  How else can you explain Georgia at #2 when they haven’t played anyone, or Wisconsin ranking above Cal and BYU before this week? I don’t believe in that. The best teams who play the best schedules will always be ranked highest. Only the games that have been played matter. I re-rank the top 10 every week from scratch. The previous week’s rankings do not factor into the next week. So, the rankings will change every week as more games are played.

1.  Alabama (5-0)

Alabama won a game with their starting quarterback Tua Tagoviloa only attempting 8 passes. I know it was only Louisianna, but that is still impressive. Teams typically move down in the College Football Top 10 Rankings when their schedule is not particularly impressive. But, Alabama combats their schedule with an unmatched dominance. It will be interesting to see how the 2018 Crimson Tide respond when someone puts up a fight. We may have to wait till November when they get LSU and Auburn.

2. Notre Dame (5-0)

A quarterback change has taken Notre Dame from a really good football team to a playoff contender. Brandon Wimbush could only beat you with his legs. Ian Book can beat you with arm and legs. Against Stanford, he regularly extended plays and escaped sacks to complete passes for 3rd down conversions. The Notre Dame defense is fast and extremely physical. This is not your typical Fighting Irish team that is overrated. Dominant wins over Michigan and Stanford make them an easy choice at #2 in the College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6.

3. LSU (5-0)

LSU keeps piling up wins. They didn’t beat Ole Miss as bad as Alabama did, but Joe Burrow and company still showed offensive dominance. Burrow threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns and added another 92 yards and a touchdown on the ground. I cannot remember the last time LSU had a dynamic passer at quarterback who could also hurt you with his legs. I am salivating thinking about their matchup against Georgia in two weeks. They are one of the few SEC teams that have played a quality schedule so far.

4. Ohio State (5-0)

Penn State had the game in sewed up, but Ohio State pried a victory from the jaws of defeat. Dwyane Haskins stats looked good again, but the truth is in the film. The majority of his 270 pass yards came off screens to backs and wide receivers. The Ohio State vs. Penn State game felt a lot like the Stanford vs. Oregon game last week. The team who dominated and looked better lost the game. However, there are no moral victories in sports. The Buckeyes won, so they reap the rewards in the College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 6.

5. Oklahoma (5-0)

Kyler Murray is the Black Doug Flutie. He is small, but he can play! He and Oklahoma bounced back from that narrow escape against Army with an offensive explosion. Murray finished with 432 yards passing and 8 total touchdowns (1rush) against Baylor. I truly believe Oklahoma’s offense is more explosive this year than last year with Baker Mayfield. Most people expect Murray to hang his cleats up and play in the MLB. Oklahoma has the best receiving corps in the country.  I would love to watch Alabama try and stop this offense.

6. Clemson (5-0)

The Tigers are breathing a sigh of relief. Kelly Bryant decides to transfer, and Trevor Lawrence gets hurt while they are down to Syracuse. All signs pointed to a loss for Clemson. But, Dabo Swinney cashed in all his good Karma from doing the right thing for Kelly Bryant, and they got the win. You are always rewarded in life for doing the right things. Every top team faces a couple of gut-check games each season, and this was one for Clemson.

This team is good, but they have not been nearly as dominant this season as I expected.

7. Washington (4-1)

The Huskies has the best defense in the nation not named Alabama. Washington has stepped up their game since their close week 1 loss to Auburn. This week the Huskies undressed BYU, who beat a highly regarded Wisconsin team. It was a dominant performance. Jake Browning is real close to shutting me up about his inconsistent play against good teams. Their matchup against Oregon in two weeks will be an epic showdown.

8. Georgia (5-0)

New week, weak opponent, Georgia Wins. Rinse. Repeat. Georgia has played no teams currently ranked in the top 25. Unless Georgia starts demonstrating some Alabama-like dominance, it will be tough to rank them as higher until they get to the heart of their schedule. Please don’t try to tell me the South Carolina game was a good game. They just got beat up by Kentucky. I believe the Bulldogs could be a playoff team, but they will need to get more production out of Fromm or Fields at quarterback.

9. Auburn (4-1)

It took Auburn all four quarters to put So. Miss away. They were only able to rush for 96 yards on 36 attempts. The win was extremely unimpressive. War Eagle needs to figure out how to get their running game on track, or they will get tripped up against Miss State, Ole Miss, or Texas A&M in the next month. The only way the Tigers make the College Football Playoffs is if they do so on the back of Jared Stidham.

10. West Virginia (4-0)

500 yards of total offense seems to be the norm for West Virginia in 2018. Will Grier will find himself a finalist for the Heisman if he keeps playing like this. We still don’t know a lot about the Mountaineers defense. Their schedule has been relatively light so far, but their dominance has them narrowly ahead of the teams Next Up. Dana Holgorsen has a shot to get West Virginia over the hump in the Big 12 this year.

Next Up:

Michigan, UCF, Texas, Oregon, Penn State

I know some of you are steaming mad right now because your team is ranked too low or is unranked. Take a breathe and realize that your fandom is causing irrational thoughts. Leave a comment or shoot an email: ImMad@unafraidshow.com… Yes, that is the real email address.

Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 5: Stanford Wants a Word

College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 5

College Football is the only sport that can show you what it’s like to simultaneously feel alive and like you want to die? That is why is it is by far the greatest sport there is! Before we get to College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 5, you can reference the Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings for Week 4.

The two most frustrating parts of being a college football fan are the biased polls and the terrible non-conference schedules. Last week the AP poll had BYU (2-1) ranked #25, but Cal (3-0) who beat BYU only received enough votes to be #30. And it had Wisconsin who lost to BYU but had played nobody ranked above both teams. These are the kinds of things that regularly happen in polls. I cannot change the schedules but I can rank the college football top 10 teams by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. Most polls including the College Football Playoff Committee give college blueblood teams a massive “benefit of the doubt.” I don’t believe in that. The best teams who play the best schedules will always be ranked highest. Only the games that have been played matter. I re-rank the top 10 every week from scratch. The previous week’s rankings do not factor into the next week. So, the rankings will change every week as more games are played.

1.  Alabama (4-0)

Alabama is so good that Nick Saban has asked the media to write about the things they don’t do well. He needs something to show his players, so they don’t get complacent. The only thing that can stop the Crimson Tide right now is complacency. Tua Tagoviloa is improving on his near perfect play at quarterback. This week against Texas A&M he threw for 387 yards and four touchdowns. Granted, his job is a lot less stressful knowing Alabama’s defense and running game always show up.

2. Notre Dame (4-0)

My biggest knock on Notre Dame was their inability to throw the ball with their quarterback Brandon Wimbush. Brian Kelly must have read the Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 4 because he replaced Wimbush with Ian Book. Book was impressive throwing the football against Wake Forest. I am extremely close calling Notre Dame a playoff team. Next week they get a test at home from Stanford.

3. LSU (4-0)

LSU only played Louisianna Tech this week, but they dominated. And the Tigers still have two quality wins over Miami and Auburn. LSU’s Achilles heel has not changed in nearly a decade. They do not have a dangerous passing attack. LSU will lose one or two games this season if Ed Orgeron cannot turn Joe Burrow and the passing attack into a real threat. The LSU defense continues to be stout. We will see what they are made of in a couple weeks when they play Georgia.

4. Stanford (4-0)

I almost threw up at the end of this game. The bottom line is that despite being dominated by Oregon all game, Stanford made plays when it counted. The best player on Stanford’s team is not Bryce Love, it’s KJ Costello. David Shaw’s team is always run first. But he will need to use the pass to set up the run if the Cardinal hope to make the College Football Playoffs. Stanford is boring to watch, but they win and are tough to beat.

5. Oklahoma (4-0)

Oklahoma squeezed out an OT victory against Army. Army was 19 seconds shy of having three entire quarters of possession. Every top team faces a couple of gut-check games each season, and this was one for the Sooners. Ordinarily, a team could take a huge fall after a close game against an unranked non-power 5 opponent. However, any time you play a triple option service academy, you could be in for a dogfight. Kyler Murray and the Sooners still look great at the #5 spot.

6. Clemson (4-0)

It appears Dabo Swinney is going to turn the quarterback reigns over to Trevor Lawrence. Kelly Bryant is a good quarterback, but the situation at Clemson is the same as Alabama. There is an incumbent quarterback who has won a ton of games, but the young kid is just making the team undeniably better. When teams this good have a legit passer it makes them a clear top 10 team. After Virginia Tech lost to Old Dominion today, it doesn’t look like there will be much opposition for the Tigers in the ACC.

7. Ohio State (4-0)

Ohio State got Urban Meyer back from “suspension” and didn’t miss a beat. Dwyane Haskins feasted on Tulane for lunch. He is the best passing quarterback Urban Meyer has coached since Alex Smith at Utah (No Cam Newton doesn’t count for this discussion. The Buckeyes are extremely fast, strong, and athletic. Ohio State may be the only team in the country who can line up athlete for athlete with Alabama. The Michigan game may be the only time Ohio State is challenged for the rest of the season. That TCU win doesn’t look so hot after they got beat up by Texas this week.

8. Georgia (4-0)

Georgia is EXTREMELY talented, and I believe they are a good team, but the fact remains that their schedule has been extremely soft so far. Their best wins are against South Carolina and Missouri. Neither one of those teams has beat anyone of any significance. So, until Georgia gets some quality wins, they will rank way below where their potential lies. Jake Fromm and his wide receivers seem to be getting in a good grove. If he can continue to play at a high level, the Bulldogs will have a shot to knock off Bama in the SEC championship.

9. Washington (3-1)

Washington knocked off Arizona State who beat Michigan State. That looks like a solid win. The Washington vs. Stanford game in a few weeks will be for a spot in the College Football Playoffs. I still believe that Washington has the second-best defense in the country behind Alabama. They are fast and physical. The good news for the Huskies is that Jake Browning had a solid game. If he can occasionally be special against good teams, Washington will be in the conversation for a top 4 spot.

10. West Virginia (3-0)

Will Grier had a week off and only got stronger. The Mountaineers  Kansas State led by Grier’s 356 yards and five touchdowns. Their schedule provides many opportunities to move up the rankings. Next week West Virginia has a showdown with Texas Tech who opened up a can of whoop-ass on the #10 team from the Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings for Week 4, Oklahoma State.

Next Up:

Penn State, Texas, Michigan, Oregon (all need a quality win)

I know some of you are steaming mad right now because your team is ranked too low or is unranked. Take a breathe and realize that your fandom is causing irrational thoughts. Leave a comment or shoot an email: ImMad@unafraidshow.com… Yes, that is the real email address.

Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 4: Alabama or Bust

College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 4

College Football is by far the greatest sport there is! Before we start, you can reference the College Football Top 10 Rankings for Week 3.

The two most frustrating parts of being a college football fan are the biased polls and the terrible non-conference schedules. I cannot change the schedules but I can rank the college football top 10 teams by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. Most polls including the College Football Playoff Committee give college blueblood teams a massive “benefit of the doubt.” I don’t believe in that. The best teams who play the best schedules will always be ranked highest. Only the games that have been played matter. I re-rank the top 10 every week from scratch. The previous week’s rankings do not factor into the next week. So, the rankings will change every week as more games are played.

1.  Alabama (3-0)

Geez… It is just too easy for Alabama to score with Tua Tagoviloa at quarterback. He is accurate, has weapons, and can run when the play breaks down. he is the best signal caller that Nick Saban has ever had. They cannot be stopped, by anyone. Then there is the defense; they are fast, physical, and disciplined. Just hand Nick Saban another National Championship now if Tua stays healthy. Imagine how much he would be worth if the NCAA system wasn’t a joke and he could trade on his own name, likeness, and image.

2. LSU (3-0)

Huge wins for Coach O over Miami and Auburn. LSU has earned a huge jump into the Unafraid Show College Football Top 10. As usual, the Tigers have a good defense. They slowed Auburn’s offense which has given them fits over the last couple seasons. But, the most impressive part of LSU’s game this year has been their passing offense. Joe Burrow proved he can be trusted to throw the football a lot. If he can keep this up, the Tigers had a shot against Alabama. Not really, maybe they can keep it close though.

3. Oklahoma (3-0)

The Sooners are explosive. They lost their starting running back Rodney Anderson for the season last week, but the offense didn’t miss a beat. My next statement is not an exaggeration. Oklahoma’s offense may be more explosive with Kyler Murray at quarterback than last years’ Baker Mayfield led offense. As long as the Sooners stay focused they have a great shot at the College Football Playoffs top 4.

4. Ohio State (3-0)

Ohio State made it to the end of Urban Meyer’s “suspension” 3-0.  The Buckeyes were on the ropes against TCU but ended up winning with an extremely dominant second half. Ohio State has so much speed and athleticism at their skill positions. Every time the wide receivers or running backs touch the football they can score. Dwayne Haskins is the most accurate passer the Buckeyes have had in recent memory. This kid can spin it.  Did I mention that their defense is fast and physical too?

5. Notre Dame (3-0)

In general, I am a Brian Kelly doubter. However, this 2018 Notre Dame team appears to be different than the overhyped versions the past few seasons. Maybe they won’t fizzle out toward the end of the season. The Fighting Irish have been extremely physical on both sides of the ball through the first three games. The reality for Notre Dame is that they can run the ball against anybody, but will struggle if they are forced to pass it. That means as good as the Fighting Irish aren’t a real threat to the big dogs.

6. Clemson (3-0)

The Tigers deserve respect for handling their business in the face of adversity. Hurricane Florence is bearing down on many of their player’s families yet they won big. The only frustrating part about their win was that it was against Georgia Southern. Clemson got me all excited about them after beating Texas A&M, but again their schedule again let me down. Two of their three wins are against Furman and Georgia Southern. If Clemson is supposed to climb back up in the Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 they will need to dominate their upcoming ACC schedule.

7. Stanford (3-0)

Just like Clemson, Stanford played a cupcake which only makes teams fall in the rankings. Byrce Love didn’t even suit up for the Cardinal against UC Davis. Next week, Stanford will need all hands on deck as they head up to Eugene, Oregon to face the Ducks.

8. Georgia (3-0)

Georgia is EXTREMELY talented and I believe they are a good team, but the fact remains that their schedule has been extremely soft so far. Between Georgia, Clemson, and Stanford, Georgia has had the least impressive quality win. The Bulldogs beat South Carolina soundly, but we have no idea how good South Carolina is. They will opportunities to move up the Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 as they play some known quantities like LSU and Auburn.

9. Washington (2-1)

Washington got a quality win against Utah in week 3. The Huskies defense showed up big and shut the Utes down. Their defense is really really good. The only team I’ve seen with a better defense this season is Alabama. The only downside to this team is that if the Huskies defense ever struggles, they will lose the game. Jake Browning cannot win the game for Washington. They better hope it never comes to that, but it will.

10. Oklahoma State (3-0)

Welcome to the Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Cowboys. Hopefully, you can stay for a while.

*Newsflash – Oklahoma State has a defense. Yes, you read that correctly. Oklahoma State has a defense. They beat a really solid Boise State team. Taylor Cornelius is throwing the ball every bit as good as Mason Rudolph was last season. The Big XII has three quality teams that could make the playoff, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and TCU.

Next Up:

Virginia Tech, Penn State, Auburn

I know some of you are steaming mad right now because your team is ranked too low or is unranked. Take a breathe and realize that your fandom is causing irrational thoughts. leave a comment or shoot an email: ImMad@unafraidshow.com… Yes, that is the real email address.

Unafraid Show’s College Football Top 10 Rankings Week 3

College Football Top 10

The two most frustrating parts of being a college football fan are the biased polls and the terrible non-conference schedules. I cannot change the schedules but I can rank the college football top 10 teams by the correct criteria: quality wins, schedule played, and dominance. Most polls including the College Football Playoff Committee give college blueblood teams a massive “benefit of the doubt.” I don’t believe in that. The best teams who play the best schedules will always be ranked highest. Only the games that have been played matter. I re-rank the top 10 every week from scratch. The previous week’s rankings do not factor into the next week. So, the rankings will change every week as more games are played.

1. Alabama

The Crimson Tide have looked good in every area in their first two games, so they sit on top of the top 10. Tua Tagoviloa at QB makes Alabama seem to be unbeatable at this point. Their schedule has not been extremely tough with wins against Louisville and Arkansas State, but they have dominated.

2. Ohio State

Ohio State gets a lot of credit because they have played two Power 5 teams. Neither of them was any good, but the Buckeyes bludgeoned them. The Ohio State is off to a hot start, but we will see what they are made of against TCU in week 3. Urban Myer can make the game plan, but can’t help them on the sideline as he serves the last game of his “suspension.”

3. Clemson

Great win against Texas A&M. Clemson has the second best win of the season. They battled the weather and a hostile environment in College Station. Clemson has the same caviar problem Alabama has. They have two QBs who can win games for them.

4. Auburn

The best win of the season so far is Auburn over Washington. This week they had a bye, but that win is still carrying a ton of weight. And the Tigers do the unthinkable; they play back to back tough games. The rubber will meet the road in Week 3 when LSU rolls into town.

5. Oklahoma

WOW. Oklahoma’s offense looked unstoppable against both FAU and UCLA. Many People expected a dropoff after Baker Mayfield departed for the NFL, but that has not happened. Kyler Murray has been lighting it up. The OU wide receivers are the best group in college football.

6. Stanford

Stanford has done exactly what Stanford has always done, WIN! They have already knocked off USC and SDSU. No team in college football can claim to have two better wins. Most teams have only played one quality opponent. Stanford has something special in their quarterback KJ Costello. Bryce Love is no longer their biggest weapon.

7. Notre Dame

Notre Dame’s win over Michigan in week 1 looked even better after week 2. The Fighting Irish shut Michigan’s offense down so bad that we thought Michigan sucked. However, The Wolverines bounced back in we two, so there’s that.

I still don’t believe in Brian Kelly’s team yet. They are limited in the passing game with Brandon Wimbush at quarterback which will cost them games this season.

8. Georgia

Georgia beat South Carolina and Austin Peay. We have no idea how good South Carolina is because they played Coastal Carolina in week 1. I couldn’t be more frustrated by Georgia. My eyes tell me this is a good football team, but we only get to see them against quality competition a hand full of times all season.

9. West Virginia

West Virginia’s win over Tennessee is just a notch below Georgia’s win over South Carolina. I’m not even going to try and compare their victories over Austin Peay and Youngstown State.

Will Grier and the Mountaineers offense is showing out right now. West Virginia is in full “win Will Grier the Heisman” mode.

10. Virginia Tech

The Hokie’s took Florida State behind the woodshed in week 1. But beating FSU doesn’t look so hot when FSU narrowly escape Sanford in week 2. Yes, Sanford. Justin Fuente seems to be building something special in Blacksburg. The Hokie’s have a legit show of making the ACC championship game.

Next Up:

Wisconsin (haven’t played anybody), Washington (needs a quality win)

I know some of you are steaming mad right now because your team is ranked too low or is unranked. Take a breathe and realize that your fandom is causing irrational thoughts.

leave a comment or shoot an email: ImMad@unafraidshow.com… Yes, that is the real email address.