In this day of advanced analytics in sports, I prefer to consider myself old school when it comes to evaluating teams and players and picking games. Sure, I'm all about history and trends but when it comes to evaluating teams, I like to use the most sure method — the eye test. The start of this season has been tricky for me in that I've attended five games in the first six weeks of the regular season and haven't been able to watch many full games because of that. What can I say, I'm an Arizona Wildcats diehard and can't help myself! But with them having a road game and bye week before facing USC, likely for the final time (ever?) at Arizona Stadium, I'll have a chance to hopefully tune up my evaluations.
In the meantime, here is how I view the top 10 teams in the nation via the what I've seen with the eye test:
1. Ohio State: Just dominant in all phases of the ball, including on defense. With 24 touchdown passes already, it's no wonder C.J. Stroud is the odds-on favorite for the Heisman Trophy right now.
2. Georgia: The Bulldogs showed cracks in the armor a few weeks ago but rebounded well against Auburn. It's hard to imagine they aren't in the College Football Playoff final four, though an undefeated regular season might be a surprise.