Bo Scarbrough of No. 1 Alabama (University of Alabama photo)

At Football Stories, we always wait until about mid-season before we issue our first rankings of college football teams but we’ll update them weekly from here on out (check footballstories.com to find the latest rankings). So without further ado here is the top 20 teams after week seven of the college season.

1. Alabama (7-0). The Crimson Tide has not really been tested and they figure to be pushed until the Iron Bowl at Auburn on November 25.
2. Penn State (6-0). The Nittany Lions have a difficult three-game stretch in three weeks (Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State) the last two of the three are on the road. If they navigate that they should have smooth sailing to the Big Ten Championship game.
3. Georgia (7-0). The Bulldogs edged Notre Dame 20-19 early in the season for a signature win. If they can get past Florida in a big rivalry game at the end of October, they should win the SEC East going away.
4. TCU (6-0). The Horned Frogs got through their own difficult three-game stretch in Big 12 play (winning on the road at Oklahoma State and Kansas State and beating West Virginia in between at home). However, Oklahoma looms in November.
5. Wisconsin (6-0). The Badgers haven’t played a tough schedule and they have a two game lead in the weak Big Ten West. Their hardest remaining games are late season matchups with Iowa and Michigan but both those games are at Camp Randall Stadium. If they don’t roll into the Big Ten title game there should be an investigation.
6. Ohio State (6-1). All the Buckeyes have to do to make the College Football Playoffs and overcome the early season loss to Oklahoma is beat Penn State, not slip up at Iowa or against Michigan State and Illinois. Then score a victory over arch rival Michigan and take the Big Ten Championship game (likely against Wisconsin). If they do all that, they’ll either be the toughest team in the tournament or dead men walking.
7. Clemson (6-1). The Tigers have no room for error after being upset by Syracuse if they hope to defend their National Championship. They also serve as a cautionary tale to those ranked above them, bring your best game every week or you easily find yourself on the outside looking in when it comes to the College Football Playoffs.
8. Oklahoma (5-1). The Sooners might have the best win of any team in the country with their victory over Ohio State but thanks to a loss to Iowa State it doesn’t matter that much right now.
9. Miami (5-0). Two last second wins, have propelled the Hurricanes back into national prominence.
10. Notre Dame (5-1). The Fighting Irish have a one-point loss to Georgia as their only blemish but the second half schedule is much tougher. They host USC and North Carolina State and travel to Miami and Stanford. Add Navy and Wake Forest and the 4-2 Demon Deacons are the closest thing to a gimme in that slate.
11. Oklahoma State (5-1)
12. USC (6-1)
13. Washington (6-1)
14. Virginia Tech (5-1)
15. North Carolina State (6-1)
16. Washington State (6-1)
17. Michigan State (5-1)
18. Michigan (5-1)
19. UCF (5-0)
20. USF (6-0)

Five to Watch – Auburn (5-2), Stanford (5-2), LSU (5-2), Texas A&M (5-2), Memphis (5-1).

Email Rock Hoffman at rock@footballstories.com