CFB: My Top 10 teams, plus Week 8 ATS leans

Rating teams each week and making adjustments to their power ratings isn't anything like you see in media polls. In my weekly Top 10, I explain why I made an adjustment as well as break down significant upcoming games for each team that week.

Here's a look at my new Top 10, along with some spread leans for this weekend's games:

1. Alabama (98.5, LW 95): This is starting to look like one of the best -- if not the best -- Alabama football team we have seen under Nick Saban. My number for its Week 7 game at Tennessee was -9, which is where it opened, but we saw it close -13.5 before the absolute beat down the Tide put on the Vols. I made a major adjustment. Their defense is as dominant as ever, but to put just how prolific their offense has been this year into perspective, the national championship squad from last season ranked 46th in offensive efficiency. So far in Lane Kiffin’s third season calling the plays for the Crimson Tide, they are the No. 8 offense in the country. I mentioned last week I wouldn’t be backing Tennessee but that I could see the home matchup against Texas A&M being their flat spot before they travel to Baton Rouge to play LSU. It will be tough to play at the current 16.5 because it lines up exactly with my number, but I will be keeping an eye on it in case this number climbs throughout the week as well.

2. Ohio State (93, LW 93): No adjustment here for the Buckeyes power rating after closing 10-point favorites, which was right where I expected them to be. They pulled out a tough win in overtime at Wisconsin and now have an easier game at Penn State in Week 8. Two seasons ago, however, when the Buckeyes won their last national championship, the Nittany Lions took them to overtime at home. I don’t expect Urban Meyer and company to take the matchup lightly this time around. My number for the game is 17.5, but I would likely need more than 21 before I got interested in backing Penn State.

3. Clemson (91, LW 91): The Clemson Tigers were tested to the brink on Saturday and were extremely fortunate that NC State kicker Kyle Bambard missed a 30-yard field goal at the end of regulation that would have won the game for the Wolfpack. It’s a good time for a bye week, as I expect coach Dabo Swinney will regroup and prepare Clemson for their road game at Florida State in Week 9. I won’t be changing my power rating in the meantime after their poor showing against NC State. Remember, what we see any given Saturday is a one-game sample. The Tigers were actually steamed up last week from 17-point favorites to 21. The market close is as good a predictor as we have, and in this case it would actually tell us my rating for Tigers is a tad short. I’m fine with keeping them here until we see how they respond in Week 9 against the Seminoles.

4. Louisville (91, LW 90.5): Despite betting against the Cardinals with Duke last week getting 35.5 points, I have bumped their power rating to 91. My number on the game was 29 and, while it did come down through 35 to 34.5, I expected it to close even lower. Same lesson to be learned here as Clemson; we need to respect the market close. Louisville had a poor showing against the Blue Devils, but it was just one game. This Saturday, they get the same NC State team that almost upset the Tigers on the road. It's a pretty good spot to back the Cardinals, but the number has flown since it opened Sunday and at 20/20.5, I wouldn’t recommend getting involved.

5. Michigan (90, LW 90): Michigan is coming off its bye week and host Illinois this Saturday. There are a couple shops dealing a 35.5-point spread, but the majority of them are waiting on the quarterback situation for the Illini. Wes Lunt is currently questionable, but by the looks of the current line it makes me think oddsmakers aren’t expecting him to play. Depending on the news of his availability, I won’t be surprised if the line fluctuates a bit (especially if Lunt is cleared to play). Either way, this likely won't be a game I take a position in.

6. Washington (88.5, LW 88.5): We have a similar situation to Michigan here with the Huskies as well. Not only are they coming off of a bye and currently favored by five touchdowns, but their opponent Oregon State also has some question marks at quarterback . The Beavers are down to their third-string quarterback in Marcus McMaryion after starter Darell Garretson broke his ankle and back-up Conor Blount injured his knee. Garretson was a whopping 4 for 20 through the air against Utah on Saturday for 24 yards, so I'm not sure how much of a downgrade McMaryion could be at this point. In fact, McMaryion completed 5 of his 9 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown against the Utes. Oregon State has one of the best pass defenses in the country, and the Huskies have one of their toughest games left on their schedule at Utah on deck, so I won’t be surprised if Oregon State keeps it within the 35.5 points despite being forced to start McMaryion under center.

7. Oklahoma (88, LW 87.5): The Sooners had an impressive 21-point win over Kansas State in Week 7 to keep their undefeated Big 12 campaign alive. They shouldn't have any issues this week either when they face a Texas Tech defense that ranks No. 120 in the country. I bumped their power rating up a half-point based on my number last week and the market close, but nothing substantial going on one way or the other for this Oklahoma team. The Sooners were the favorite to win the conference entering the 2016 season, and despite losses to Houston and Ohio State in non-conference play, they absolutely deserve to be in the driver’s seat for the conference title.

8. LSU (87, LW 86): The Tigers are now 2-0 without Les Miles, combining for 87 points and allowing only 17. They have two true tests in Weeks 8 and 9 coming up as they host Ole Miss and Alabama. I think we will learn a lot about how well the LSU players have responded to the coaching change. I've said repeatedly that the talent has always been here in Baton Rouge and Miles was underachieving drastically. If they can get wins in these two spots, LSU could be in first place in the SEC West. I’ll be staying away during these two games unless the numbers get out of control. For Week 8 against the Rebels, -5.5 is about right.

9. Florida State (86.5, LW 86.5): The Seminoles get a much-deserved bye week after a fairly difficult seven-week stretch to begin the year. Despite losses to Louisville and North Carolina, it has been evident these past two weeks that Florida State wasn’t just going to mail the season in. With a home matchup against Clemson in Week 9 on the docket and an extra week to prepare, we should see one of the best games of the year in Tallahassee as FSU tries to play spoiler on Clemson's hopes at a return to the College Football Playoff. My look-ahead line for that game is Clemson -3.

10. Texas A&M (86, LW 86): The Aggies had a bye week to prepare for the program's biggest game in recent years. They travel to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama as 16.5-point underdogs. It feels like the right spot to back Texas A&M and fade this steaming Crimson Tide train, but I don't know if I have it in me. Despite getting the win against Tennessee, the Aggies’ defense gave up 684 yards and needed to force seven turnovers to even have a chance in overtime to get the victory. That same Vols offense only managed 163 yards at home to Alabama (and they only turned it over once). The Crimson Tide could be all-time good this season, and two more statement wins over the Aggies and LSU could solidify it. I don’t see myself getting in front of Nick Saban on a mission.