For my college football rankings I am going to be judging teams more on how they perform than how many wins or losses they have on the schedule. A 5-2 team might be ranked higher than a 7-0 team if I think they would win in a head-to-head matchup. It's bound to be somewhat controversial, but that's the beauty of it being my opinion! Also, feel free to tell me your top ten teams in the comments.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

It’s nice to know that I can type this next sentence without being accused of being a homer and ruining what credibility I have to rank football teams. Alabama is undoubtedly the best football team in the country this year. I can’t imagine anyone arguing against that statement for the time being. The injury to Eddie Jackson is a big one on the defensive side, but should not be serious enough to derail the Tide’s hopes of back-to-back titles.

2. Michigan Wolverines

I feel that we will be seeing Michigan and Ohio State back in the top 10 rankings together for years to come. It’s impressive how quickly Jim Harbaugh managed to get the program turned around. While Jabril Peppers Heisman hopes may be all but gone, national championship hopes are starting to become a reality. All eyes are on the Wolverines to stay undefeated until the regular season finale against the Buckeyes.

3. Louisville Cardinals

This is where the rankings turn controversial. I think that Lamar Jackson is unquestionably the best player in college football this year. The loss to Clemson on the road was tough and if the game was played again I believe Louisville would win. However, that’s not reality so it doesn’t matter. What does matter is Louisville winning out in case either Clemson or Washington fumble away their playoff chances.

4. Clemson Tigers

Yes, I realize Clemson is undefeated. Yes, I realize they beat Louisville. No, I do not think that Clemson is a better team than Louisville. However, Clemson has played more like a championship caliber team the past few weeks, so we will see if the upward trend continues. The Tigers are currently in the driver’s seat for the ACC with a challenging game this week against Florida State.

5. Washington Huskies

Putting Washington at number five is more so a reflection on the state of the Pac 12 than the Huskies. The conference has seen a drastic decline this year with perennial contenders like Stanford and Oregon underperforming. Washington has a big opportunity to make a national impression this week as ESPN’s College Gameday is covering their matchup with Utah.

6. Ohio State Buckeyes

The loss to Penn State definitely raised some flags for the Buckeyes, but they are by no means out of playoff contention. JT Barrett is still one of the five best QBs in the country and Urban Meyer will have his team ready to bounce back. The matchup between Ohio State and Michigan is still likely to be a play in game for the playoff.

7. Texas A&M Aggies

This spot seems fitting for the Aggies. They are a good football team with a much-improved defense and multiple offensive playmakers. However, I can’t imagine Texas A&M beating any of the teams ahead of them in this ranking. They simply don’t have the talent that the elite programs possess.

8. West Virginia Mountaineers

The Mountaineers get to play their two toughest remaining games (Oklahoma and Baylor) at home. Finishing the season 12-0, and potentially sneaking into the playoff, is not all that hard to imagine…

9. Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin has two losses, but they’re both 7-point losses to the number six and number two teams in my rankings. Plus, they still boast an impressive season-opening win against an LSU team that has started to look like a top ten caliber team lately. The Badgers have a good shot at returning to the Big 10 title game if they can take care of an undefeated Nebraska team this week.

10. Auburn Tigers

This spot was somewhat of a toss up. Baylor and Nebraska are both undefeated still, but there is no way that either team will finish the season that way. So Auburn gets the final spot based on their impressive dismantling of the Razorbacks and the fact that they have no bad losses. Auburn could potentially roll into Tuscaloosa at 9-2.