Top Ten College Football Teams as of 9-11-2023

On to week three of the college football season and there is already movement in our top ten list. Georgia remains #1 but there are several teams that have closed the gap. Here is this week’s new Top Ten:

Top Ten as of 9-11-2023

#10. Utah 2-0 (+9000) - QB Cam Rising is nearing his return and the Utes showed their toughness this past week in a comeback win at Baylor. Next Up: vs. Weber State Last week’s Rank (Unranked)

#9. Washington 2-0 (+3500) - The Huskies rolled up another easy win this week and now travel to Michigan State this week in a tough road matchup against a team with an interim head coach. The Huskies could benefit from all the turmoil in Spartanville this week. Next Up: @ Michigan State Last week’s Rank (9)

#8. Penn State 2-0 (+1800) - In another easy win, this team over Delaware, the Nittany Lions featured a solid ground game. Next Up: vs. Delaware Last week’s Rank (8)

#7. Ohio State 2-0 (+1000) - The Buckeyes rolled to an easy win over Youngstown State this week but the offense still looks a bit out of sync. Next Up: vs. Western Kentucky Last week’s Rank (4)

#6. Notre Dame 3-0 (+2200) - The Irish avoided any talk of an upset at NC State in a weather-delayed win over the Wolfpack. QB Hartman has melded in seamlessly with the Irish and gives this team a puncher’s chance against anyone. Next Up: vs. Central Michigan Last week’s Rank (7)

#5. Texas 2-0 (+1000) - So much for the Longhorns’ lackluster effort in the opener against Rice. Texas dominated the Crimson Tide at the line of scrimmage on Saturday night and handed Alabama its first home loss in five seasons. Next Up: vs. Wyoming Last week’s Rank (10)

#4. Florida State 2-0 (+1000) - The Seminoles did an excellent job in the transfer portal this offseason and it has shown up on the field. Clemson’s early loss makes them the favorite in the ACC. Next Up: @ Boston College Last week’s Rank (5)

#3. USC 3-0 (+1400) - QB Williams is so good that the Trojans defense should have time to gel over the next several weeks. They will hit the road for the first time this season this week. Next Up: @ Arizona State Last week’s Rank (6)

#2. Michigan 1-0 (+500) - Harbaugh will return next week from the school’s self-imposed suspension. He should return to an undefeated team. QB McCarthy looks like a potential Heisman candidate early on. Next up: vs. Bowling Green Last week’s Rank (3)

#1. Georgia 2-0 (+240) - Ho hum, a 45-3 win over Ball State this week in the Bulldogs’ final game before SEC play. The Bulldogs stay home again this week and should move to 3-0. Next Up: vs. South Carolina; Last week’s Rank (1)

• In parenthesis, the odds of winning the National Title.

Upset Watch Week 3:

Things don’t always go according to plan in college football. Each week we will look at a possible upset against one of our top ten teams.

#9 Washington (-7.5) at Michigan State 5 PM on Saturday: The Huskies look like the best candidate to be upset in this week’s top Ten. There is turmoil at Michigan State this week with the suspension of head coach Tucker but teams can sometimes use this type of thing as motivation. Washington needs to come in ready to go against a desperate Spartans team.

The One That Got Away Week 1:

Each week we will look at a game from the previous week in which defeat was snatched away from the jaws of victory with a fateful play near the end of the game. We’ve all been there, why not painfully rehash it?

Utah at Baylor; Line: Utah -6.5

Word got out late in the week that Utah's star quarterback Cam Rising would be out yet again. The Utes were on the road against a very tough Baylor team and Baylor was getting 6.5 points. Time to beat the book and take the home dog this week.

By halftime, the Utes were looking disjointed on offense and incapable of putting together a long drive. Baylor was up 10-3 and, with an additional 6.5 points, this was looking like a winner. Even with their second-string quarterback, the Bears were doing just enough to keep the lead and relying heavily on their defense. The third quarter was another defensive struggle with only an exchange of field goals from each team. 13-6 Baylor heading into the fourth quarter with 6.5 points in your pocket. What could possibly go wrong?

The game was down to just several minutes left and remained 13-6 Baylor. Utah turned to redshirt freshman quarterback Nate Johnson to take all the snaps the rest of the way. The speedy quarterback raced in on a QB keeper with 1:59 left to tie the game. Ok, still have 6.5 points in our back pocket and Baylor has the ball with under two minutes to play. Just milk the clock and kick a game-winning field goal and everyone’s happy…that bet Baylor. Wait, this isn’t the starting quarterback! Don’t throw the…interception! Oh for the love of God! Fine, tie game at the Baylor 29-yard line. Utah can just pound the ball up the middle, use the clock, and set up for a game-winning field goal. That 6.5 points will carry us to victory. The only thing we don’t want is…an 11-yard rushing touchdown with 17 seconds left!! Take a knee and kick the field goal!! Darn you, college football! You are a cruel betting mistress!! Final Score: Utah 20 Baylor 13 Baylor (+6.5) - LOSS

*All odds courtesy of Draftkings.com