Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Daily Knight: A Look Back at the College Football Weekend

Two teams continue to be dominant at the top of the college football world. Who's the third best team in college football?

Author:
Brian Smith
Publish date:
Oct 3, 2021 11:09 AM EDT

Regardless of the college football team one roots for, there is a clear path to a decision regarding the top two programs in the country.

The divide in college football continues to grow. It's a two-team race for the national title until otherwise proven. Yes, Penn State, Iowa, Cincinnati, and Oklahoma can will continue to compete for a spot. So will Oregon, despite its overtime loss to Stanford.

None of it matters, however, as Georgia and Alabama are overwhelmingly better than any of those teams.

Statistics to Consider

**Alabama rushed for 210 yards versus Ole Miss during its 42-21 victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Even better, the Crimson Tide held Ole Miss to 78 rushing yards.

**Georgia erased any doubt that its defense is elite. Arkansas finished with just 162 total yards of offense. Yes, that's all. 75 rushing yards and 87 passing yards would be all the Razorbacks would gain for the afternoon in Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga.

**For Iowa, to get over the top and start competing with elite teams it needed to start at quarterback. Well, Spencer Petras went 21 of 30 for 259 yards and three touchdowns against Maryland. That's impressive.

To go along with a good rushing attack led by Tyler Goodson, the Hawkeyes might be the nation's No. 3 overall team because the defense is really good.

Iowa RB Tyler Goodson is one of the best running backs in the country.
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen

**Cincinnati was not dominant versus Notre Dame, but took advantage of Notre Dame's turnover-prone offense, as well as a second half muffed kickoff.

The Bearcats did play solid defense. It's a sound unit. Can they compete with Alabama and Georgia? Like Iowa, there's some positive moves in the proper direction, but more needs to be seen before placing the Cincinnati team any place near the likes of Alabama and Georgia.

The unfortunate aspect of the aforementioned teams not named Alabama and Georgia, they appear to be the teams most likely to reach the College Football Playoffs before being smashed by the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs.

Here's a look back at the college football weekend, with today's addition of The Daily Knight podcast:

For UCF insights, college football news, and recruiting information go to: The Daily Knight podcast. It will be found on iTunes and Spotify. For more UCF and recruiting information, go to Twitter: @fbscout_florida and @UCF_FanNation, as well as my YouTube Channel and Instagram page. Like and Subscribe!