Facts and stats about each of the AP top 10 teams:
#1 Alabama has eleven non-offensive touchdowns this year, which is more than Buffalo and South Carolina have scored on offense. Seven defensive starters have scored at least one non-offensive touchdown.
#2 Ohio State is first in the nation in red zone defense. Opponents have had 16 red zone attempts against the Buckeyes, and have only scored points ten times. Only four of those are touchdowns.
#3 Michigan leads the nation in several defensive categories, but perhaps the most impressive is their 3rd down conversion percentage allowed. Opposing offenses are only converting 12.2% of the time against the Wolverines.
#4 Clemson has a bunch of ballhawks. The Tigers are fifth in the country in pass efficiency defense and interceptions. With their 16 turnovers gained overall, they are just two off of the national lead in that department.
#5 Washington has the best pass completion percentage in the country: 72.7% of the Huskies’ passes are caught. This contributes to their #1 passing efficiency offense. They also take care of the ball: they’re #1 nationally in turnover margin.
#6 Texas A&M gets big chunks on the ground – they have two players in the top four in the country in rushing yards per carry. Trayveon Williams is #2 at 8.59 yards per carry, and Trevor Knight is fourth at 7.72 yards per carry.
#7 Louisville has Lamar Jackson – almost enough said right there – but one of his really eye-popping stats is that he is responsible for 30 points per game, or more than 61 FBS teams average per game.
#8 Nebraska receiver Alonzo Moore averages over a quarter of the football field gained every time he catches the ball (25.83 yards per reception) – good for third in the country.
#9 Baylor has a solid offensive line, no matter how you want to advance the ball. The Bears are both #5 in the country in rushing offense (282.8 ypg) and sacks allowed (0.67 per game).
#10 Wisconsin will not beat themselves. The Badgers are #2 in the country in fewest penalties (just 22 so far this season), are first in kickoff return defense (14.69 yards per return), and haven’t allowed a blocked kick or punt.
In small-school news, it’s time for the annual Mount Union report! This year finds the Purple Raiders 6-0 thus far, with the average game a 47-9 win, and the closest margin of victory a 17-point win over Ada (38-21). As the defending Division 3 national champions, Mount Union is currently riding a 21-game winning streak, which seems (and of course, is) really good but is old hat to a program that has reeled off separate 55-game and 54-game winning streaks in the past. Not surprisingly, Mount Union is also the winningest team in Division 3 history, with 763 wins as of this writing.
Congratulations to G8RbamaLover, who wins week seven with 213 points! Barner4Life was second with 211, and bamaken took third with 208.
Standings after seven weeks:
| 1st | maestro | 1354 |
| T-2nd | Crimson Gator | 1337 |
| T-2nd | AllySun | 1337 |
| 4th | JagRag | 1333 |
| 5th | bamaken | 1331 |
| 6th | AUBrian | 1328 |
| 7th | Shame! Shame! | 1327 |
| 8th | JagAL | 1323 |
| 9th | Ralphie | 1321 |
| 10th | In Accord | 1318 |
It’s hard to believe that the season is already halfway through! Several ranked teams get byes this week, so the slate of games is a little smaller than normal. However, no less than three SEC West top-25 matchups highlight the list, so it’s going to be important to get your games correct! The first game this week is BYU at Boise State, Thursday, October 20 @ 10:15 PM ET, so make sure to get your picks in by then!