CFTop 10 Week 8 Top 10 Teams

After a week of 'upsets' the dust begins to settle in college football. We are starting to see which teams are title contenders and which are not. Many teams to this point have not played strong enough teams to showcase themselves as contenders, and others are just now showing that the teams they played are indeed good teams. Here is the new Top 10.

1. Penn State
Why: They have showed tremendous explosiveness on the offense and have also displayed tremendous resilience on defense. They make good decisions and play with a high football IQ. So far they have shown the best overall balance on offense and defense of any team in the country.
Why Not: Not one team they have played so far has a winning record. They are all .500 or worse. Only time will tell if they truly are this good. They've shown it so far against some poor opponents. We'll know for sure in 2 weeks when they go against a very good defense in Ohio State.

2. Texas
Why: They continue to roll up great numbers on offense. They don't have a ton of star power, but that may change very quickly as some of their young talent begins to get some showtime. Colt McCoy is a lot tougher than he has been the last two years and is making much better decisions. He can spread the ball around and his mobility is fantastic. He allows his players to have a little more time to get open and can deliver the ball well enough on the run to open big plays.
Why Not: The Big12 does not play defense. The talk is all about their offenses being so great, but they don't talk about how bad the defenses are to allow the offenses to put up such impressive numbers. Defense wins championships and if Texas cannot stop other high powered offenses, they will not be able to win every shootout.

3. Alabama
Why: So far they have played pretty serious defense. They've been able to hold down their opponents long enough for their offense to come up with plays and get it into the endzone. They scheme very well and they are big up front on both sides of the line. They can play clock games with anyone and Nick Saban has a lot of young talent that will show itself over time.
Why Not: The Clemson win looks bad now. So does the Auburn win. Both teams were vastly overrated. Probably the most overrated teams preseason I've seen in a long time. They dominated Georgia at home which is why I still have them at the top, but they struggled mightily with Kentucky.

4. USC
Why: Defense. Defense. Defense. They have without a doubt the best defense in the country. They lead the nation in defensive scoring (9.4 points per game) and rank very high in sacks, total defense etc. Their offense has incredible big play ability. Their talent is unsurpassed on both sides of the ball. They are the ultimate plug and play team. Their overall depth is incredible. Pete Carroll has the highest win percentage amongst active coaches and has the best record against ranked opponents ever. Even with their one loss I think they are the best team in the country and could handle anyone ranked above them.
Why Not: USC still struggles with their offensive identity. It is becoming more and more clear that having too much talent can be a problem. They spread the ball around with the RB's and it takes them a little too long to decide who is the best fit for that day. They also have a serious tendancy to play down to their opponents. That is the Pete Carroll nice guy coming out. They don't carry the destroy all opponents mentality and allow teams to hang with them.

5. Oklahoma State
Why: They have a very versitile offense that can attack defenses at various different points. They have a solid running back and a QB that can make throws in the pocket and on the run. They defense is not stellar, but they play very hard. They have a gem at WR with Dez, a very tough player with tremendous potential. They are opportunistic and play with grit all over.
Why Not: It is hard to say whether or not they got up for one game or are a complete team. They've only played Mizzou and a handful of team that have losing records. Their kicking game is really really bad, and against tough opponents that will hurt them.

6. Oklahoma
Why: They have a great offense. Sam Bradford can really fling the ball around and make some plays. Their WR's get open and have good speed. They gameplan pretty well and Bob Stoops gets his guys to play with a killer mentality. They don't let up on people. He doesn't mind running up the score on inferior opponents and that carries over.
Why Not: Their defense stinks. Their scheme is pretty good, but they have gaping holes all over the field. They don't set themselves as a defense first team and are depending on their offense to outshoot anyone. Texas showed why that doesn't always work. In the Big12 this year, just scoring points isn't going to be enough to make it out alive. They have to make a stand more than once or twice a game.

7. Florida
Why: Their offense is very very good. They have a ton of legitimate weapons on offense and can score at will. Tim Tebow is such a strong kid that short yardage is almost a gimme for him. Their versatility on offense makes them a very dangerous team. Their defense is a lot better than last year and will get better as the season gets on.
Why Not: While Tebow is a very strong kid with a very strong arm, he has an extremely slow delivery. Against fast defenses he will really struggle to get the ball downfield in time for his guys to make a play on the ball. They will need to depend on his mobility and outlet routes to get them out of fixes. This opens him up to get hit. A lot. He's big enough that he can take a licking, but no QB can take it too many times without it effecting his throwing motion.

8. Missouri
Why: Still a very very good offense. Chase Daniel gets the ball around to so many people. They spread the defense out and he can pick apart the secondary if given enough time. Throws pretty well on the run and is tough as an ox for some one his size. Jmac is a tremendous talent and makes mismatches happen all over the field.
Why Not: Overrall I'm not sure they are really tough. JMac is a talent but is not very tough. He has been in and out of games all year. Tough defenders have a tendancy to push him around at the point of attack. Their defense is not a strong as originally thought. They lack speed on the outside and deep in the secondary. Their LB's are not particularly strong and get run over by lineman downfield.

9. BYU
Why: Great offensive balance. Ability to throw the ball all over the field and get very solid play from their backs. Best TE in the country in Collie. Max Hall does a great job of seeing the field and distributing the ball. Very disciplined team.
Why Not: Their schedule is pathetic. Although their conference has been able to beat the PAC10 this year, overrall I think this speaks more for how the PAC10 has overlooked their opponents early in the season than for how deep the MWC is.

10. Ohio State
Why: They defense is really really good. Jim Tressel is the master of ball control and clock management. He just knows how to win. Good, bad, pretty, ugly. It doesn't matter, he knows how to win. Their offense will continue to grow as Pryor learns how to play college ball. Wells is so strong that he offers some reprieve for the young QB. They have decent WR's and can work a team over by methodically moving the ball and then breaking something open.
Why Not: They cannot get into a shootout with some one. Falling behind is a big problem for their offense. It isn't designed to open up quickly right now. Against some powerful offenses they could struggle if they cannot put more than 16 points on the board.