MORE ASK FARRELL: Which teams have surprised so far? | Did Michigan enter the season overrated?
CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals100 | Position | Team | State
We are basically two weeks into the season and some teams have clearly separated themselves from the rest of the pack.
Clemson and Alabama could be the two best teams in the country. Georgia has looked unstoppable as well. There are others who have been excellent in the early weeks as well.
LSU went to Texas this past weekend and beat the Longhorns as quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 471 yards and four touchdowns. Those are the top four teams in the rankings.
Fifth and sixth are Oklahoma and Ohio State and both have looked dominant as well. The Sooners have obliterated Houston and South Dakota behind transfer quarterback Jalen Hurts, and the Buckeyes have done the same to FAU and Cincinnati behind former five-star transfer QB Justin Fields.
Notre Dame, Auburn, Florida and Michigan round out the top 10 and all of them are undefeated. Utah, Penn State, Wisconsin and possibly others should be in the discussion as well.
There is so much football left to be played, but it’s clear some programs have separated themselves on the national scene and others could be pretenders who will fade as the season continues through the fall.
FARRELL'S TAKE
We ask Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell which programs he sees as the contenders and which ones could be the pretenders, especially in the top 10 as we keep churning through the schedule.
"Right now the ones that stand out to me in the top 10 as pretenders are Auburn and Michigan and probably Florida, although I have a little more faith in the Gators than I do in the Tigers or Wolverines. Auburn has some talent, for sure, and I like quarterback Bo Nix but I can't really expect the Tigers to be a playoff contender unless he's the next Trevor Lawrence.
"As for Michigan, I have been disappointed in what I have seen so far, as I expected the offense to really open up and for Shea Patterson to take the next step. It's early, but I don't like what I have seen so far. As for Florida, Feleipe Franks needs to take that next step and he hasn't shown that yet, but the Gators have a ton of talent on both sides of the ball so they might be able to give Georgia some trouble.
"Everyone else in the top 10 looks legit to me so far. Clemson and Alabama look like the two best teams but don't count out Georgia or Oklahoma, especially."
