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Brian Dunleavy's top 10 NCAA college football (CFB) rankings, from a fantasy football perspective, as of 9/26/16. His fantasy CFB rankings are updated weekly.
The English majors among us will know the Charles Dickens classic A Tale of Two Cities.
For us college football junkies, however, we suggest a more appropriate title: A Tale of Two Halves.
Ole Miss had cornered the market for second-half collapses until Week 4, when the likes of Florida and Notre Dame joined them, and several others including West Virginia, Stanford and Virginia nearly followed.
But close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Here are our CFB rankings after Week 4, from our usual fantasy perspective (won-loss records in parentheses).
NCAA College Football (CBB) Rankings
1. Alabama, 4-0
The Crimson Tide didn't face much of a test in head coach Nick Saban's alma mater, Kent State, but they were supposed to win, and did so in convincing fashion. We're still waiting for an offensive star to emerge in Tuscaloosa but, for now, keep an eye on freshman running back Joshua Jacobs, who may be the next big 'Bama back to graduate to the NFL.
2. Clemson, 4-0
The Tigers did what they needed to do in winning at Georgia Tech, but not much more. The defense remains stout, but Dabo Swinney's offense has yet to get in the zone. We say that, and yet Deshaun Watson threw for 300 yards in Atlanta. A high bar has been set...
3. Ohio State, 3-0
The Buckeyes had a bye, and with Rutgers on the schedule this week, they might as well have another one. We won't really know how good Urban Meyer's team is until it gets into the meat of the Big 10 schedule.
4. Michigan, 4-0
Penn State didn't put up much of a fight on Saturday at the Big House, but "Mr. Everything" Jabril Peppers continues to impress. It's too bad coaches lose their sense of adventure once they make it to the NFL. In the pros, they'll make Peppers pick a position. Until then, enjoy...
5. Houston, 4-0
Houston, uh, didn't have a problem at Texas State, as expected. If there's a concern, it's a minor one: QB Greg Ward Jr. is the only Cougar putting up big numbers. Paging (wide receiver) Steven Dunbar...
6. Stanford, 3-0
Stanford struggled early at the Rose Bowl before pulling away from UCLA late. Running back Christian McCaffrey--another player whose game will likely be made more one-dimensional in the NFL--had "only" 138 yards rushing, on 26 carries, and 13 receiving yards on two catches. Speaking of high standards. Anyway, coach David Shaw will have to figure out how to get him more touches this week against Washington.
7. Louisville, 4-0
Louisville is another top team that stepped away from its conference schedule on Saturday, but playing at Marshall is never easy--even if the Thundering Herd aren't at their best. Somehow, Lamar Jackson made it look easy, though, with 417 yards passing and 62 yards on the ground--and seven TDs. We'll see if he can repeat that performance against Clemson's defense.
8. Washington, 4-0
In a way, we were rooting for Arizona State to win in overtime on Saturday, just so we could change up our Top 10. Senior running back Lavon Coleman had a career day, with 181 yards on just 11 carries. The Huskies' game, at home, against Stanford, will make or break their season.
9. Boise State, 3-0
We said the Broncos had to win at Oregon State. Check. Now, they'll have to win out to stay in our Top 10. They host Utah State this weekend, and the Aggies have given them fits.
10. Tennessee, 4-0
We'll admit that we've held off on putting the Vols in our rankings because we don't like head coach Butch Jones. But after a 4-0 start, and three big comebacks, we're believers. Some people question QB Josh Dobbs' arm strength. We're not among them.
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