Outkick's Top 10 For Week 7

If Michigan can field a punt, the Wolverines likely are playing Ohio State in the final week of the regular season for a trip to the Big Ten title game, followed by the playoff. Instead, the Wolverines Georgia'd the punt snap, Michigan State scored the most improbable win since the "Kick-six" and the Big Ten continues to have three unbeaten teams, the most of any major conference in college football. 

Now it's time for Outkick's top 10, the most reliable top 10 in the country. 

Remember that Outkick ranks teams entirely based on the games that have taken place on the field. So our top 10 fluctuates a great deal from one week to the next. Although, to be honest, that probably will stop being the case as we move into the final four or five weeks of the season. 

This week we have a new number one team. 

1. Baylor

Right now the Bears are the best team in college football. Their offense is better than any single part of any team in the country and I don't believe anyone is going to truly slow them down this year. So you'd better be able to score 45 or more to win.

Sure, Baylor's schedule hasn't been that hard yet, but the Bears have scored 56 or more every week this season.  

2. Utah

The Utes surged from behind in the fourth quarter to beat Arizona State, but I'm putting them on upset alert at USC this coming weekend. Lots of people are going to be stunned by how low the spread is considering USC is just 3-3. Don't be.

Plus, with the Michigan loss to Michigan State, Utah's résumé is just a little bit less impressive than it would be with a Wolverine team inside the top ten.  

3. LSU

The Bayou Bengals outlasted Florida thanks to a fake field goal touchdown — why wasn't Florida conceding the short field goal here and expecting the fake? — in a night game in the real Death Valley. Now the question is this, will LSU be ready for Western Kentucky next weekend or will the Tigers overlook the Toppers? This isn't an easy game.

It's hard to imagine that the Alabama game isn't for the SEC West title now. 

4. Clemson

Clemson handled Boston College 34-17 to run its record to 6-0. The truth of the matter is simple: The Tigers' season comes down to Florida State in Death Valley on Nov. 7. 

The only way I see an ACC team in the playoff is if the conference champ is undefeated. 

5. Alabama

I know the Tide lost to Ole Miss, but based on what we've seen from both teams since then it's fair to say that Alabama totally choked away that game. Much like, honestly, Texas A&M's Kyle Allen did on Saturday in College Station. The Tide returned three interceptions for touchdowns, which is an absurd stat. Do you know how hard it is to throw three touchdown passes to your own team in a single game? Much less an opposing team. 

Bama will be big favorites in every game remaining with the exception of LSU in Tuscaloosa on Nov. 7.

6. Stanford

I know, I know, it's blasphemy, I have two teams with losses ranked above undefeated teams!

That's because I'm advocating a new paradigm in polls: Just because you haven't lost a game doesn't mean you're better than a team that has lost. This is true in every sport but college football. 

Right now Stanford is playing lights-out football, winning every Pac 12 conference game by double digits. 

Fun stat, Stanford and Baylor are the only teams in the country to have won every conference game this season by double digits. 

7. Iowa

Go ahead and write this down: Iowa is going to be 12-0 and playing in the Big Ten title game. The Hawkeyes dominated Northwestern and now have this murderer's row of teams remaining on their regular season schedule: Maryland, at Indiana, Minnesota, Purdue, at Nebraska. 

See you in Indy. 

8. Michigan State

It seems absurd that Michigan State beat Michigan on a fumbled punt on the final play of the game, but it did. 

So here the Spartans are back in the top 10. 

9. Ohio State

The Buckeyes are infinitely better when J.T. Barrett is the quarterback. Somehow every single person in the country can see this except for Urban Meyer. Honestly, at this point I'm starting to wonder if Cardale Jones has the secret discipline record for Aaron Hernandez that Urban Meyer has hidden somewhere. 

10. Florida

The Gators lost by a touchdown on the road at night at LSU. On the positive side, Treon Harris looked pretty decent and now the Gators have two weeks to get ready for Georgia in the Cocktail Party. 

There's still a pretty decent chance the Gators are 10-1 with FSU coming to town to end the season.  

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Just missed the top 10 in no particular order: TCU, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Florida State