Nick Shepkowski’s College Football Top 10 following Week 7
While we’re all gathered here can I take a moment to pitch for October 15 to be a national holiday each year?
Back in 1988 it was the Catholics vs. Convicts that produced perhaps the most-known t-shirt in college football history before delivering an all-time epic game.
2005 saw the day feature absolutely insane finishes between Michigan and Penn State, Louisville and West Virginia, and the Bush Push Notre Dame-USC classic all on the same afternoon.
Then 2022 just saw another one of the all-time great Saturdays in the history of the sport that won’t soon be forgotten after Tennessee’s thrilling upset of Alabama, Oklahoma State and TCU’s double-overtime dandy, and Utah’s gutsy decision to go for two and beat previously unbeaten USC.
With the excitement of Saturday fresh in our minds, here is my first college football top 10 team rankings.
Oregon
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
No. 10: Oregon (5-1)
In one sentence: After getting embarrassed by Georgia to open the year the Ducks have rebounded nicely winning five-straight and have a chance to enter College Football Playoff discussions if they’re able to end UCLA’s unbeaten start to 2022 next week.
Ole Miss
Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
No. 9: Ole Miss (7-0)
In one sentence: Ole Miss continues to roll after easily disposing of Auburn on Saturday and with favorable matchups against LSU and Texas A&M the next two weeks and a bye week before Alabama, could we be talking about a trip to Atlanta setting up for Kiffin and company?
TCU
Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports
No. 8 TCU (6-0)
In one sentence: TCU has not just remained unbeaten the last two weeks but has taken out previously unbeaten opponents the last two weeks after coming back to stun Oklahoma State in double-overtime Saturday as Sonny Dykes already has the Horned Frogs past their 2021 win total, and is building a real case for national coach of the year.
UCLA
Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports
No. 7: UCLA (6-0)
In a sentence: The Bruins were off in Week 7 after shocking Utah a week ago and now head to Oregon where Chip Kelly won so many games before and will now look to do so as the opposition.
Alabama
USA TODAY Sports
No. 6: Alabama (6-1)
In a sentence: Yes, Alabama was on the wrong side of a 52-49 instant classic that won’t soon be forgotten but when is the last time you saw a Nick Saban led team as seemingly rattled by the big moment as the Tide were Saturday as they were called for 17 penalties totaling 130 yards.
Clemson
Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports
No. 5 Clemson (7-0):
In a sentence: They haven’t done it in the sexiest of ways this season but here we are halfway through October and Dabo Swinney has Clemson unbeaten and in the midst of another College Football Playoff chase headed by a great defense and an offense that continues to get just a little better each week.
Michigan
Detroit Free Press
No. 4 Michigan (7-0):
In a sentence: For a minute drop their lack of a non-conference schedule from the discussion and realize this team just took a top 10 opponent in Penn State behind the proverbial woodshed Saturday in a 41-17 rout that was nowhere near as close as the scoreboard indicated, no matter what James Franklin claims.
Ohio State
The Columbus Dispatch
No. 3 Ohio State (6-0):
In a sentence: One of the nation’s best teams had the week off before they host Iowa next week in a game that couldn’t possible feature two more different offenses.
Georgia
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
No. 2 Georgia (7-0):
In a sentence: October started with a scare as the Dawgs needed a fourth quarter rally to win at Missouri but don’t let that blind you from the fact Georgia outscored a pair of SEC opponents by a combined score of 97-10 in the two weeks since.
Tennessee
The Knoxville News Sentinel
No. 1 Tennessee (6-0):
In a sentence: There isn’t a better team resume to be found out there than Tennessee’s and it’s easy to get caught up in their incredible offense and how couldn’t you, but the Vols also bring a top 10 run defense nationally to the table and are primed to take dead-aim at ending Georgia’s run of terror in the SEC East.
Nick Shepkowski is the managing editor of Fighting Irish Wire and can be followed on Twitter @NickShepkowski.
