And now we are through September, and head to the first Saturday of October. This is the month that is the heart and soul of college football, and there are a slew of tremendous conference matchups this weekend. Alabama was the team of the week. You better be ready every week, especially in the SEC. Kentucky had one of the big wins of this past weekend, upsetting Ole Miss in Oxford. A reminder, my top four is represented by a team from each of the four major conferences, because that’s who gets the four byes in the College Football Playoff. Plus, No. 12 – unless they are ranked higher – is the predicted Group of Five representative, because those leagues get one of the 12 spots. Enjoy every weekend.

1. Alabama – The Crimson Tide jumped on Georgia 28-0 in Tuscaloosa and chalked up a big win over the Bulldogs in the first top five matchup of the year. It’s off to Nashville now to take on Vanderbilt, as Alabama tries to make it 5-0 and 2-0 in the SEC.

2. Ohio State – The Buckeyes took down Michigan State 38-7 to make it 4-0 on the year. Ohio State looks like the best team in the Big Ten. They are very good at the wide receiver and running back positions. Iowa heads to the Horseshoe Saturday.

3. BYU – The Cougars backed up their dominant win over Kansas State with a 34-28 victory over Baylor. The Big XII is wide open. BYU is off this week, enjoying 5-0. Then Arizona comes to Provo for a big conference showdown.

4. Miami – In one of the most exciting, entertaining and controversial games of the year, Miami survived and escaped south Florida on a replay overturn 38-34 win over Virginia Tech. The Hurricanes head west for an ACC game in Berkeley against Cal.

5. Texas – It was not easy for the Longhorns, favored by five touchdowns, but they took care of Mississippi State 35-13. Texas is 5-0 and off this week. Then comes the big Red River Shootout with arch rival Oklahoma in what is now a marquee SEC game.

6. Tennessee – The Volunteers certainly enjoyed their open date after Josh Heupel took Tennessee to Norman and soundly defeated the Sooners 25-15. It’s back to work now, and what could be a tricky game against Sam Pittman’s tough Arkansas Hogs.

7. Missouri – Eli Drinkwitz has done an excellent job in CoMo, and the Tigers are 4-0. Though they got quite a scare last time out from Vandy. Now comes a big battle against Texas A&M in College Station. Luther Burden III is a fantastic wide receiver.

8. Georgia – The Bulldogs fell behind by too much in Tuscaloosa, and the incredible 42-game regular season winning streak came to an end against the Crimson Tide. Now the attention turns to the ancient rival Auburn, as the Tigers visit Sanford Stadium.

9. Michigan – The Wolverines held off Minnesota for a tight 27-24 win at the Big House. Michigan jumped to a 21-0 lead but came out on top in a classic old Big Ten contest. Now comes another Big Ten game, an old Rose Bowl, against the Huskies in Seattle.

10. Southern Cal – The Trojans bounced back from a tough, tough loss at Michigan to beat Wisconsin 38-21, dominating the second half in Los Angeles. These two matchups, in this new world, felt like old Rose Bowls. Now it’s off to Minnesota Saturday.

11. Clemson – Since losing the season opener to Georgia in Atlanta, the Tigers have been cooking offensively. Clemson took down Stanford in an ACC game to make it 3-1. The Tigers are licking their chops heading to Tallahassee to take on Florida State.

12. James Madison – There was no letdown for the Dukes after the monumental win in Chapel Hill. James Madison flattened Ball State 63-7 to make it 4-0. Now it’s off to Lou Monroe as a heavy favorite again. This is a high octane offense at JMU.