My Top 10 teams, plus Week 9 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 column identifying the Top 10 teams in the country, I'll explain why I made an adjustment as well as break down significant games for each team that week.

1. Alabama (99, LW 98.5): Alabama gets a bye before heading to Baton Rouge in Week 10. The Crimson Tide keep impressing -- and covering -- during this very difficult schedule stretch. Decisive road wins at Arkansas and Tennessee made me a believer anyway, then they took care of business at home against a strong Texas A&M team that I anticipate will be favored in every game the rest of the season and finish with just one loss.

2. Ohio State (93, LW 93): You might have expected a drop in my power rating for the Buckeyes after a loss to Penn State last Saturday but they remain No. 2 for now. I warn against reacting to a one-game sample size, and in this case the market closing lined up with my personal number, so I didn't see any reason to make an adjustment. The Nittany Lions blocked kicks and scored touchdowns late to win the game, and they deserve credit for that, but they were still outgained 413 to 276 and only had the ball for 22 minutes. Ohio State did a great job on third down as well, limiting Penn State to 2 of 13 (0-1 on fourth down) and winning the turnover battle. While I do anticipate problems offensively for the Buckeyes when JT Barrett has to throw 40-plus times, their defense is still one of the best and we've already seen what Urban Meyer can do multiple times. Winning out will certainly give Ohio State a spot in the College Football Playoff.

3. Louisville (93, LW 91): The Cardinals put a beatdown on NC State in Week 8. They led 44-0 at halftime before taking their foot off the gas. I understand the Wolfpack were in a bad spot coming off their overtime game at Clemson. We bet Louisville early in the week at the short number with that in mind, but I never expected a performance like that. I bumped 'Ville up in my power ratings and expect to adjust it yet again if the Week 9 number against UVA closes around the current 31.5-point spread.

4. Clemson (91, LW 91): No adjustment for the Tigers off of their bye, but I am surprised to see the line at Florida State this week has climbed to 4.5/5. While I don't think Deshaun Watson and company have anything to prove at this point, I've seen people calling for a "respond or bust" performance after narrowly escaping at home against NC State in Week 7. I imagine they are treating this as a play-in game to the College Football Playoff. The Tigers' season comes down to Week 9, but I won't pay a premium on an inflated number to back them in this spot.

5. Michigan (91, LW 90): I know that Michigan State has been awful all season long, and I understand the Wolverines want revenge on the blocked punt for a touchdown as time expired from a year ago, but this number is getting out of control. I'm going to continue waiting to see if 24 becomes more widely available, but Mark Dantonio at home in a rivalry game getting over three touchdowns is going to be a bet either way. Michigan has looked fantastic to this point, but remember they were tied 7-7 at home versus Wisconsin in the middle of the fourth quarter (and the Badgers were driving inside Michigan territory). Alex Hornibrook threw his third interception of the game, and the Wolverines responded with a touchdown to win 14-7. Wisconsin has clearly been a better team than Sparty, but 24 points for the home team is just way too many. Only Alabama should be favored by that many for me in East Lansing.

6. Washington (90.5, LW 88.5): I boosted Washington in my power ratings despite betting against them last week with Oregon State. The Beavers actually covered quite easily, but I was shocked to see the line stay above 35. My number was 31, and I liked the particular Xs and Os of the matchup, but I need to respect the market closing number some and bump the Huskies a couple points. Washington plays in Salt Lake City this Saturday night and is currently a10-point favorite. I still think the Utes are pretty fraudulent (see BYU, USC, and UCLA games) and my number is 11.5, so if this gets under double digits I will probably have some interest in the Huskies.

7. LSU (89, LW 87): Another week goes by and we have another impressive game under Ed Orgeron's belt. I've seen people asking if he deserves to be offered the official head coaching gig if they the Tigers beat Alabama next week; I think he's earned it even if they lose. The Tigers have long had the talent, but he has helped them play to an elite level again. I was surprised to see LSU close over 7 against Ole Miss in Week 8. My number was 4.5, so I made an adjustment bumping LSU up and I also downgraded the Rebels' power rating as well.

8. Oklahoma (88.5, LW 88.5): It took every ounce of strength in me not to kill the Sooners for letting Texas Tech set NCAAF records against them. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 734 yards and rushed for another 85. He set the NCAAF record for total yards in a single game. They still lost. As bad as Oklahoma's defense was, the offense was able to keep up and get their team the win. If you dig a little deeper you see that TTU actually faced 25 different third downs in the game (also a record). They converted 20 of them, which seems ridiculously bad. They were even 12/12 on third and long! I think it was more of an anomaly though. For the Sooners to even force 25 third downs means they were really good on first and second down. I decided to chalk it up to some weird variance that the Red Raiders converted so often on third down only. Oklahoma faces Kansas at home in Week 9 so I don't see the Sooners moving much this week or next.

9. Florida State (86.5, LW 86.5): The Seminoles are coming off a bye as well to face Clemson. They have a chance to play spoiler, and I wouldn't count Jimbo Fisher out. I mentioned in the Clemson breakdown that the number is getting a little high. I don’t expect it to reach the 6-7 range, but if it did I would look at backing FSU. I also will be looking at an Under play if the total keeps climbing. I like that each defense has had two weeks to prepare and my raw number projects 56.5 points.

10. Texas A&M (86, LW 86): No shame in losing a road game to the best team in the world. The Aggies were actually leading in the third-quarter! They get a nice spot in Week 9 to go nuts on New Mexico State in a non-conference matchup. The 43.5 is actually a few points high, but I won't be getting involved. I don't think a 70-3 final would surprise anybody.