Who Needs A Blogpoll Week One: The Best Team In The Country Is Not The Defending Champs

Our first week is in the bag, and where do we stand?

Notes on the Top 10:

1. Alabama - Needs to show a true vertical passing game, shore up the man-to-man in non-blitz situations, as well as answer some questions on special teams. With Texas A&M and Notre Dame, one of the most impressive showings this week. No one is running on this team, and the tackling is as good as we've seen since 2011. Win the West, and this team makes the playoffs with a bullet.

2. Notre Dame - Zaire is the real deal, and the Irish return about one billion starters. The defense is smothering and active -- much better than the larger unit that carried ND to the 2012 BCSNCG. Injuries in the running game, and consistency, will be major questions going forward.

3. Ohio State - Ignore the four missing starters, the secondary still has questions and looks to be vulnerable. Playcalling misses Tom Herman. Cardale Jones makes some iffy decisions with the ball. The identity of this team is in flux, as Urban looks to placate his many QBs. Odd to say, but that may actually be the Bucks downfall. This is a physical offense with a much improved OL and, surprisingly for Meyer, OSU possesses very little will to line up and run it down opponents throats 55 times a game. Still, the sheer talent, coupled with a Baylor/TCU-esque schedule, should carry the Buckeyes to 11 or 12 regular season wins. There's almost no way this team doesn't make the playoffs.

4. USC Trojans - It's a bit of a down year for the PAC12. That's good news for the West Coast's party animal and all of that ridiculous talent. This team can outscore most of its schedule, no matter how badly Sark wants to screw up game management. UCLA and Oregon should be the only ones in the Trojans weight class.

5. Michigan State - The Spartans looked mortal in some pass situations, and Connor Cook had a mediocre outing. More troubling, the Spartans were a hot mess in kick coverage. The run defense and pass rush is again superb, but you wonder if Sparty can play keep-away versus pass-happy opponents as the secondary again had a few issues. This week's home game vs. Oregon will tell us a lot about both teams.

6. UCLA Bruins - Josh Rosen, the first freshman QB to start for the Bruins, looked like a Maxwell-worthy redshirt junior out there. An elite arm (and outside pursuit on defense) has been all that has separated this team from the contenders in the P12. Those questions seem to have been answered. A major player, and the USC/UCLA game could be for playoff spot.

7. Texas A&M Aggies - Some bumpy moments for the offense, to be sure. But Chief lived up to his reputation, taking some of the best raw talent in the nation and frustrating a national title contender en route to a three-score victory. If you're an Aggie fan, perhaps as positive as the defense was that Sumlin lived up to his promise to be more physical on offense. Tra Carson, who has show flashes the past two years, could be a very good one. Texas A&M with a defense and a power running game is terrifying. For my money, this team still represents the best chance for an Alabama loss in the regular season when the Tide travels to the Hate Barn.

8. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - Still loaded, still good, still physical. Virginia Tech is all that separates this team from another Coastal appearance in the ACCCG and a shot at the Clemson/FSU Atlantic winner. The Jackets attempted just five passes (which is sexy,) but the run defense needs some fine-tuning.

9. Clemson Tigers - Good quarterback, veteran salty defense, physical on both lines, balanced playcalling in a year where FSU seems to be "down" (i.e., maybe 2-3 losses.) 2015 is a possible bright year for the ever-underachieving Dabo Swinney. Chad Morris didn't seem to be missed very much.

10. Georgia Bulldogs - Passing is probably still the elephant in the room. We just simply didn't see too much this past week in the Dawgs' paycheck slaughter. Greyson Lambert had a solid debut, but, again, UL-M has really fallen out of even Sun Belt respectability. When your second team RB is the leading receiver, and Chubb had to fight to get close to Henry's numbers against War Damn, it's safe to say that the Dawgs are missing playmakers on the outside to frighten any defense.