With the fall of the No. 2-ranked USC Trojans to Stanford this week comes yet another question of who will be the top non-SEC contender challenging for the national title.
With the Trojans 21-14 loss to Stanford the LSU Tigers moved up to the number 2 spot in the country. Making Alabama and LSU number 1 and number 2 in the country yet again.
Following those two is Oregon at number 3 and Florida State at number 4, two teams that could possibly challenge LSU or Alabama for a title. Both the Ducks and the Seminoles have loads of talent and could both make the claim as the most talented team in the country.
They both have extremely fast offenses that can score at a lightning fast pace. It is unclear at this point whether or not either of these offenses would be able to run up the points on an SEC defense the likes of Alabama or LSU, but no one can deny that they certainly have potential.
The Ducks had their chance two years ago when they went up against Auburn in the national title game and failed to deliver, not to mention that Auburn’s defense that year wasn’t even as good as either Alabama or LSU’s defense this year.
Oregon looks to be the fastest team in all of college football, but it is hard to imagine that they would have similar success against a top SEC defense.
So let’s say that Oregon doesn’t get another shot at the national title, maybe that they lose to USC later in the season and then they have no chance to go to the title game. What happens next?
How about the Seminoles of Florida State? They could also make the claim for the most talented team in college football. Watching their first three games where they won 69-3, 55-0 and 52-0, outscoring their opponents 176-3.
Now granted they have yet to play a good team this season, Wake Forrest was their toughest matchup and they dropped them 52-0.
So once they play a better team we will know much more about the Seminoles and will be able to determine whether or not they will be able to challenge Alabama or LSU for a title.
This week Florida State hosts the No. 10-ranked Clemson Tigers at 8 p.m. on ABC, this will be their first legit test of the season. If the Seminoles come out on top then the nation will give them more respect and see them more as a possible contender.
But let’s not forget that last season Florida State did the same thing. Defeating the small teams by huge margins only to be defeated by Oklahoma a few weeks later, if the Seminoles come out on top in a big way then they might have a better shot at competing for a title this season.
There is still a lot of football to be played, and it is way too early to determine if Florida State or Oregon will be around in the title chase late in the season.
But if they continue to win big, it will be difficult to keep them out of the title game.
Tyler Rollason is a Winder-Barrow High School graduate and mass communications major at the University of West Georgia. You can e-mail comments about this column to tyrollason@yahoo.com.
