Easily one of the most interesting stories so far, Oklahoma rocketed in the rankings with Top 25 victories over Michigan and Auburn. Transfer QB John Mateer tremendously elevated the offense, and OU’s defense held all four opponents below 300 yards in September. Mateer’s hand surgery has thrown a wrench into the Sooners’ outlook, though his absence might end up being a strange blip on the radar if he manages to return in time to play Texas.
4. Ole Miss: Entertaining
Sitting at 5-0 overall with a 3-0 mark in SEC action, Ole Miss has positioned itself beautifully to finally make the College Football Playoff. But, whew, the Rebels have not made it easy on their supporters. Ole Miss beat Kentucky, Arkansas and LSU by seven, six and five points, respectively. Adding to the drama, backup QB Trinidad Chambliss has been one of the nation’s most fun players to watch.
That word is, ironically, the polar opposite of how Miami has played. Led by a physical offensive line and fierce defensive front, the Hurricanes are 4-0 with quality wins over Notre Dame, South Florida and Florida. That hot start combined with Clemson’s implosion has made Miami the ACC favorite as October begins.
Oregon won three nonconference games by 34-plus points and built a 34-0 lead before Northwestern scored twice deep into garbage time. With the stakes raised last weekend, the Ducks outlasted Penn State. Oregon has a chance to solidify itself as Ohio State’s top competition when Indiana comes to town in Week 7.
1. Ohio State: Workmanlike
Armed with a rock-solid defense, OSU has calmly ascended to 4-0. The unit limited Texas to seven points, shut down Grambling and Ohio as expected and held Washington to six. More will be required of Julian Sayin in the future, but the reliability of, well, everyone else has allowed the Buckeyes to control every game.
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