An argument can be made for undefeated Ohio State. Indiana, also without a loss, owns the best win of the season, an impressive victory at Oregon.

But nobody is playing better right now than Alabama. Nobody has a more impressive list of victories than the Crimson Tide. At the moment, Kalen DeBoer’s team is at least one of the favorites to win the national championship.

It’s almost as surprising as Indiana sitting near the top of the national rankings, considering how this year began in Tuscaloosa.

Expectations weren’t as through-the-roof high as usual, coming off a disappointing 9-4 campaign in DeBoer’s first season. Then, Alabama laid an egg in the opener, overwhelmed 31-17 by what has turned into a mediocre Florida State team.