They aren’t the No. 1 team in the AP Poll but Kirk Herbstreit thinks the Ohio State Buckeyes are the best team in college football after five weeks.
Alabama moved up one spot to take the No. 1 ranking in the latest AP Poll after Clemson survived a scare at North Carolina and dropped out of the top spot. But if ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit was in charge, he’d have the Ohio State Buckeyes at No. 1.
Herbstreit, a former Ohio State quarterback, isn’t being biased when he says Ohio State is the top team in college football. He’s spitting hard truths and facts about the on-field product after five weeks.
If not for preseason rankings which are full of preconceived notions, biases and largely based on assumptions and educated guesses, Ohio State has been more impressive on both sides of the ball than Alabama who has not had a vintage Alabama defense and any other team in the nation.
“If you’ve watched every week and didn’t have any preconceived thoughts about these teams, which is what the polls should be about, they’ve played some inferior opponents but they’ve taken care of business,” Herbstreit told me while promoting Goodyear’s Headed to the Hall sweepstakes.
Ohio State is averaging 52.4 points per game, which ranks third in the nation, behind LSU and Oklahoma, respectively. Transfer quarterback Justin Fields has been as advertised since arriving from Georgia and is in the thick of the Heisman conversation. However, what’s been most impressive from Ohio State is the play of the defense.
The Buckeyes defense ranks fourth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing a paltry 8.6 points per game, which trails a trio of Big Ten teams, Wisconsin, Penn State and Iowa, respectively.
Offensively and defensively, Ohio State is the best team in the nation and that’s why Herbstreit has them atop the unofficial Herbie power rankings.
“No one has executed better on both sides of the ball, Herbstreit said. The challenge will be tougher down the road but five weeks in, they’ve been the most consistent team through five weeks.”
Ohio State will have tests beginning this Saturday with Michigan State coming to Columbus. Later this month, the Buckeyes will host Wisconsin which may be a preview of the Big Ten Championship Game. Then, in the final two weeks of the regular season, Penn State comes to the Shoe and then the Buckeyes travel to Ann Arbor to take on the rival Michigan Wolverines.
So yes, the schedule will get tougher, but the personnel on both sides and the coaching from Ryan Day will have Ohio State squarely in the mix to return to the College Football Playoff.
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