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Brian Dunleavy's top 10 NCAA college football (CFB) rankings, from a fantasy football perspective, as of 10/1/18. His fantasy CFB rankings are updated weekly.
Sometimes, life tests our ability to multi-task.
This week, we've had a lot going on--off-the-field, so to speak--but we kept our eyes on the games across the country.
Some of our top 10 teams also had off-the-field issues this week--starters late to practice, disgruntled QBs transferring--and they overcame them as well. Here are our top teams after Week Five of the season (with won-loss records in parentheses), as of October 1, 2018:
NCAA College Football (CFB) Rankings
1. Alabama, (5-0)
This week, it didn't matter who was under center for the Crimson Tide. Receiver Jaylen Waddle (3 catches, 138 yards, 2 TDs) had a big week, and given the production 'Bama has gotten on offense to so far this season, he should continue to put up numbers.
2. Georgia, (5-0)
It's hard to believe an athletic apparel company made a mini-documentary about QB Jake Fromm's (16/22, 185 passing yards vs. Tennessee) "journey" to UGA. But what Fromm lacks in big splash, he makes up for with consistency. He can be counted on for roughly 200 passing yards week in and week out, even in the SEC.
3. Oklahoma, (5-0)
Sooners QB Kyler Murray (400-plus total yards, and 7 total TDs on Saturday) didn't start against Baylor--because he was late for practice on Friday. He missed less than a series. The Bears would have been happier with a stiffer punishment. It's likely he's fallen behind 'Bama's Tua Tagovailoa and WVU's Will Greer in the Heisman race, but he's easily the most exciting player in FBS.
4. Ohio State, (5-0)
Penn State's offensive players put up all the numbers on Saturday night. Ohio State's offense won the game. Seriously, if you weren't a Dwayne Haskins (22/39, 270 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) believer before, you better be now.
5. Clemson, (5-0)
The Tigers suddenly went from having two QBs to having none. Actually, that's not fair to freshman Chase Brice (you have to have a last name that's a first name to be a QB in Death Valley; it's a rule), who did what he needed to do to help Clemson hold off Syracuse. RB Travis Etienne (27 carries, 203 yards, 3 TDs) was a beast. What else is new?
6. LSU, (5-0)
Is LSU back? We're beginning to think so. QB Joe Burrow (292 passing yards, 96 rushing yards, 4 total TDs) is one that Ohio State let get away--and he looks like an emerging star, at least at the college level.
7. Washington, (4-1)
QB Jake Browning (23/25, 277 yards, 1 TD) made light work of BYU, which we think says more about Wisconsin than it does about the Huskies. But if Browning is on a role now, that's a good sign.
8. Notre Dame, (5-0)
For a while, we thought Stanford had the Irish right where they wanted them--ahead in the second half. But QB Ian Book (24/33, 278 yards, 4 TDs) and the Irish didn't collapse. They pulled away. Book looks like the answer in South Bend.
9. West Virginia, (4-0)
With Wisconsin idle, the Mountaineers move into our rankings for the first time this season. We mentioned Greer earlier, and a commentator referred to him on Saturday as a "pro playing college ball." We don't know about that, but the ex-Florida Gator threw for 370 and 3 TDs at Texas Tech.
10. Penn State, (4-1)
Home losses are tough to swallow--and overcome--even against the likes of Ohio State. QB Trace McSorley had 461 total yards versus the Buckeyes, but it was receiver K.J. Hamler (4 catches, 138 yards, 1 TD) that broke away from the pack--literally.
More NCAA Football Analysis
