Joel Klatt's top 5 college football teams in each power conference
Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke has led one of the nation's best offenses, throwing for 1,752 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via )
(3-3) There were seven teams I considered for this spot. Any of those seven teams could beat the other any given Saturday, so I went with my gut and put USC here. I know USC's placement at No. 5 might make some upset, but this team is far better than their record and is only three or four snaps away from being undefeated. They also have a win over a top-10 LSU team. They have led by at least seven points in each of their three losses. It really is right there. I look at the teams that aren't in the top five and thought each could easily lose to USC. Now, two of them actually beat USC (Michigan and Minnesota ), but I took that list of seven teams and boiled it down to four teams. The other three I thought about putting here were Iowa , Illinois and Nebraska . Any one of those teams could be at No. 5, and I like a lot of things those teams do. (6-0) I feel like this was pretty easy. No one has tested Texas, which has the No. 1 offense and defense in the country. You could argue that its defensive numbers are inflated, but I think that unit is really good. When you watch Texas' tape, you sense that this is certainly one of the best teams in the country, if not the best. The Longhorns have a great offense with a really good offensive line, too. They looked so dominant in the final three quarters of the Oklahoma game.Texas QB Quinn Ewers threw for just 199 yards, one touchdown and an interception in his return from injury, but it was enough to take down Oklahoma, 34-3. (Photo by Sam Hodde/)
(5-1) Overall, I still love Georgia, particularly quarterback Carson Beck's experience. But I have a couple of concerns. The Bulldogs haven't been able to run the football effectively. They have rushed the ball for fewer than 4 yards per carry in half of their games. So, Georgia has been relying on the passing game a bit more, but it doesn't have the talent it's had for pass catchers in recent years. Georgia is going to need to run the football better in order to slow down a pass rush or create easier opportunities for Beck. (5-1) This starts to get hard to rank around No. 3. I really like what quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has done, making big plays in the Ole Miss game on Saturday. Some of the throws he made in that game were tremendous. LSU has been on a roll since it lost to USC in the season opener. Now, LSU might have a pretty clear path to the SEC Championship Game as I think the winner of its matchup with Texas A&M might determine one of those spots. I know LSU has Alabama on its schedule, but I don't think the Crimson Tide will make it through the rest of the season unsathed. (5-1) Alabama's offense is clearly explosive, but the things I've said about its secondary remain true. If Alabama's offense struggles, it'll be in a dogfight. If Alabama is going up against a really good team, the offense will need to outscore them. The defense just hasn't been existent. This team has major issues with its structure and ability to cover down the field. They are allowing too many explosive plays. Jalen Milroe and Ryan Williams still present a major problem for all of their opponents, though.Alabama's Jalen Milroe has been one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation, scoring 23 total touchdowns this season. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/)
Texas A&M (5-1) I really love what I saw from Texas A&M in its blowout win over Missouri . I know I've said Missouri is overrated, but Texas A&M throttled the Tigers and has gotten better each game. Coach Mike Elko is an Aggie through and through, giving Texas A&M what it needs from a head coach. Collin Klein is a hell of an offensive coordinator. There was a lot of dirt thrown on Texas A&M after its Week 1 loss, but it keeps improving with quarterback Conner Weigman back in the fold. Big 12 Iowa State (6-0) I really love Matt Campbell. The Iowa State job requires him to go through peaks and valleys, forcing him to develop players and getting veteran players for the peak seasons. Iowa State is 6-0 for the first time since 1938. I really like how Rocco Becht is playing at quarterback. Receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins are really tearing it up on the outside. Its defense is also fifth in the nation in scoring. No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Highlights (6-0) I bounced back and forth putting BYU at No. 1 or No. 2. I trust Iowa State's offense just a touch more, but BYU's 6-0 start isn't a fluke. Its defense is opportunistic, coming up with timely turnovers and leading the conference in yards per play allowed. Defensive end Tyler Batty is a hell of a player. Its offense might need help in big games (it's third in the conference in scoring but 14th in yards), but it gets that from its defense.Kansas State (5-1) DJ Giddens is a rugged running back, just ask Colorado . He's running it well and has over 200 scrimmage yards in the last two games. Chris Klieman does a great job with this team, situationally. I love this team's approach and play style. It retained the identity that it built when Bill Snyder was the head coach and I love that. (4-2) There are a bunch of teams you can put here. Colorado had a great chance to beat Kansas State while shorthanded on Saturday. That would've been a monumental win for Deion Sanders. It had a four-point lead late without Travis Hunter and others. There were some things Colorado did late in that game that I didn't agree with, but those can be cleaned up. Hunter is coming back this weekend, which obviously helps. Is Shedeur Sanders the best QB in college football?Texas Tech (5-1) I thought about Arizona State here, but ultimately put Texas Tech here. Its offense runs through Tahj Brooks , who's third in the nation in rushing yards per game (136). Joey McGuire has done a tremendous job with this program, which is 4-0 in one-score games this season. That's actually kind of why I'm a bit skeptical of Texas Tech compared to the other top teams in the conference. (5-1) If you actually watch the games from the last couple of weeks, it jumps off the tape: Clemson is the best team in the ACC. Its offense has been tremendous and has responded well since the loss to Georgia. You have to give Dabo Swinney a lot of credit. We all talked about his demise for not hitting the transfer portal, but he's retained a lot of great talent. The most important part about college football now is about the players you keep rather than the ones you get.QB Cade Klubnik has helped Clemson's offense score nearly 49 points per game since its Week 1 loss. (Photo by Grant Halverson/)
Miami (Fla.) (6-0) You still have to honor that the Hurricanes are undefeated and have the best player in the conference in Cam Ward . He's playing out of his mind. The defense is not. Ward is averaging 397 total yards per game, the best in the nation, with 23 total touchdowns. But he's had to put a cape on his back in the last two games, leading Miami to comeback wins over Virginia Tech and Cal . So, there are some things that are worrisome. (5-1) It's tough to separate a bunch of these teams, but SMU made a quarterback change early in the year as Kevin Jennings has sparked an incredible amount of energy for this team. He's averaging 394 total yards per game and is 3-0 as a starter, improving each week. He plays really well and is a traditional dual-threat quarterback. I really like SMU. (6-0) Similar to Texas Tech, Pitt has been winning close games. It's playing with fire as it's 3-0 in close games. But quarterback Eli Holstein has played pretty well for most of the season, throwing for at least three touchdowns in five of Pitt's first six games. It seems like it's going to take a very good effort to beat this team. (5-1) This is a belief in the quarterback ranking. Kyle McCord and head coach Fran Brown deserve credit as McCord is second in the nation in passing yards per game (360). Syracuse has impressive wins over Georgia Tech and UNLV . It has one of the easier schedules in the sport, but it's done well with it.Syracuse QB Kyle McCord has thrown for 2,160 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions this season. (Photo by Nicholas Faulkner/Icon Sportswire via )
Group of 5 and IndependentsNotre Dame (5-1) This is pretty obvious. However, Notre Dame is getting crushed by injuries, and it has some tough games down the stretch against USC, Navy and Army. Preseason All-American cornerback Benjamin Morrison just went down for the season. That's tough. We'll see what depth Notre Dame has, but Texas A&M's winning has really helped out the Fighting Irish .Boise State (5-1) Ashton Jeanty is still playing great football. He's still rushing for over 200 yards per game. As for the team, Boise State's résumé is looking really good with a blowout win over Washington State and close loss to Oregon. Ashton Jeanty & Jalen Milroe in Klatt's updated Heisman top 5 candidates Washington State (5-1) The Cougars have also built up a solid résumé, getting wins over Texas Tech and Washington. However, Washington State lost to Boise State, so it sits a spot behind. John Mateer is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, averaging 350 total yards per game (fourth-most in the nation). (6-0) Army hasn't played a tough schedule, but it's won every game by at least 17 points. It's winning with its defense, allowing less than 10 points per game (second-best mark in the nation). Sure, it's shortening the game with its offensive playstyle. However, quarterback Bryson Daily is rushing for over 120 yards per game, which is really effective. (6-0) Navy, meanwhile, is winning with its offense. This team has scored at least 34 points per game and is fifth in the nation in scoring. The Midshipmen are throwing the ball a bit more than you'd think, too, averaging almost 170 passing yards per game. So, it's not your traditional option team. If I had to wager it, I think Army and Navy will meet in the AAC Championship Game, which means that we'd get back-to-back weeks of Army-Navy. It also means that one of the teams could be in the College Football Playoff.Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily