The first week of college football is officially in the books, and that means it’s time to look at a potential playoff bracket.
If the four-team playoff happened tomorrow, these would be the best teams to fill out the bracket after the first week. (SLIDESHOW: Get College Football Started Right With These Top 25 Ranked Cheerleaders)
Houston:
HOUSTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 03: Greg Ward Jr. #1 of the Houston Cougars drops back to pass in the first half of their game against the Oklahoma Sooners during the Advocare Texas Kickoff on September 3, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
The 15th-ranked Houston Cougars upset third-ranked Oklahoma in stunning fashion. Quarterback Greg Ward torched the Sooners defense to the tune of 321 yards in the air and two touchdowns. Everything went right for the Cougars, and they will certainly shoot up the rankings.
Ohio State:
COLUMBUS, OH – SEPTEMBER 3: J.T. Barrett #16 of the Ohio State Buckeyes throws a pass during the second quarter of the game against the Bowling Green Falcons on September 3, 2016 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
Ohio State’s game against Bowling Green looked like a game between NFL players and middle school kids. The Buckeyes dropped an incredible 77 points against a Bowling Green team that is expected to be competitive in the MAC. Heisman contender J.T. Barrett threw for 349 yards and six touchdowns. Running back Mike Weber chipped in 136 yards on the ground. There is not a team in the country that wants to play OSU after seeing what they did on Saturday.
Alabama:
ARLINGTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 3: Jalen Hurts #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs for touchdown against the USC Trojans in the second half during the AdvoCare Classic at AT&T Stadium on September 3, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Alabama’s 52-6 slaughter of USC didn’t come as a surprise to anybody that watches college football. Nick Saban’s defenses usually have no trouble bottling up pro-style quarterbacks, and that killed the Trojans’ ability to move the ball. The Crimson Tide were very effective moving the ball on the ground throughout the game, and were able to complete some strikes through the air when necessary. Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts appears to be the best option under center for Alabama, but there are certainly questions lingering about if Alabama can attack a talented secondary. USC is not a good team and certainly not even close to being on par with Alabama. Alabama plays Ole Miss in two weeks, and that will give a clear indication of how good this team is.
Michigan:
ANN ARBOR, MI – SEPTEMBER 03: Head coach Jim Harbaugh prepares to lead his team onto the field to play the Hawaii Warriors on September 3, 2016 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Michigan throttled Hawaii, putting up huge numbers. However, Michigan is suffering from the same problem as Alabama at this point, and that is the fact it’s hard to judge a team when they play weak competition in the first week. Quarterback Wilton Speight was highly effective and tossed three touchdown passes. Running back Chris Evans brought the ground attack with 112 rushing yards. The most impressive part of the Wolverines was the defense that is absolutely stifling. Their first real test won’t come until they play Penn State.
Other teams in contention: Clemson, Florida State, Stanford and Texas.