An incredibly exciting weekend of college football is officially over, which means it’s time for the latest college football power rankings.
Ohio State suffered a shocking loss to Penn State this week while Alabama continued to roll. If the playoffs started today, there are only five realistic teams with a shot and these are those five teams.
1) Michigan:
The Wolverines are now in the top spot after Ohio State was stunned by Penn State. Michigan throttled a below average Illinois team to the tune of 41-8. Harbaugh’s squad threw for 291 yards with another 270 yards on the ground. Right now Michigan is without a doubt the best team in the Big Ten and has a resume as impressive as anybody in college football.
ANN ARBOR, MI – OCTOBER 22: Head coach Jim Harbaugh of the Michigan Wolverines talks with a referee while playing the Illinois Fighting Illini on October 22, 2016 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 41-8. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
2) Alabama:
The Crimson Tide looked incredible in the second half against Texas A&M. The offense was firing as they beat the Aggies 33-14. Alabama dominated the ground attack while stopping Trevor Knight from repeating what he did to Saban while he was Oklahoma’s quarterback. Nobody in the SEC can match Alabama and few teams nationally could either. Their final tough test of the season will be on Saturday against LSU on the road. If they win that game go ahead and pencil Alabama into the playoffs. Unfortunately for Alabama their two most impressive wins against Ole Miss and Arkansas look far less impressive after Arkansas beat Ole Miss and then was blown out by Auburn, while Ole Miss went on to lose to LSU.
TUSCALOOSA, AL – OCTOBER 22: Jalen Hurts #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs the offense against the Texas A&M Aggies at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 22, 2016 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
3) Clemson:
Clemson and head coach Dabo Swinney had a bye week this week. The Tigers have looked great in some weeks and sub-par in other games. Quarterback Deshaun Watson is an elite talent, but the team around him remains unproven.
4) Washington:
It’s hard to believe how dominant the Huskies have been this season. This week they blew out Oregon State 41-17, and quarterback Jake Browning threw for almost three hundred yards and tossed three touchdowns with no interceptions. Washington will likely remain untested until the PAC-12 championship and they’re primed for a playoff spot.
5) Nebraska:
The Cornhuskers have been one of the biggest surprises of college football this season. They have won games they weren’t even expected to be in. This week they struggled early against Purdue but eventually pulled out a 27-14 win. Nebraska has to go onto the road next against Wisconsin and a victory in that game will have them in perfect position to make the Big Ten title game.
LINCOLN, NE – OCTOBER 22: Wide receiver Alonzo Moore #82 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers scores ahead of defensive end Evan Panfil #95 of the Purdue Boilermakers and safety C.J. Parker #26 at Memorial Stadium on October 22, 2016 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Nebraska defeated Purdue 27-14. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
Check back next week for the latest rankings.