At the time of this article’s publishing, the college football regular season is now about halfway over. With seven weeks to go in the regular season, teams are gearing up for the home stretch, ready to make the last push and prove they deserve consideration for the top bowl games and FBS playoffs. 

SEC: As has been the case for the past few years, many of the top teams in college football hail from the SEC. We of course must begin with Alabama. They are in the middle of one of the most dominant dynasties in all of sports history, winning the SEC for the past six seasons. This year, Nick Saban’s squad is looking for more of the same, posting an 8–0 record and dominating their opponents. Louisiana State University, the University of Georgia, the University of Florida and upstart Kentucky have all been making noise, but only one of them (if that) will join the University of Alabama in the college football championship. 

ACC: ACC football has not had the same clout as the SEC over the past decade, but one team has kept the conference on the map of football relevance. The Clemson Tigers have had a fairly easy time leading the division; no real challenger has yet emerged from within the ACC. Usually, teams like Florida State and Louisville will at least keep them honest, but those programs have faltered and Clemson remains unbeaten at the top. If things continue to go as planned, they should make it to the heralded FBS playoffs to represent the ACC. They could prove a worthy challenge to Alabama.

Big Ten: One of the nations most pervasive conferences, the Big Ten is consistently competitive in both football and basketball. Year after year, we can count on the Big Ten to produce top-level talent. Even when some teams have off years, there is enough coaching talent and there are enough name-brand schools to draw top athletes to the conference. This year, the conference runs through Ann Arbor. After an opening week loss to Notre Dame University, the University of Michigan has been on a tear, winning their last seven including a big win last week against crosstown rival Michigan State. Following them in the conference is perhaps their most deep-seated rival, the Ohio State University. The conference has two more teams currently in the top 25, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Wisconsin, and plenty more peeking over the fence, ready to replace any team that falters. Expect the Big Ten to make some noise in bowl games and the FBS championship. 

Big 12: The Big 12 conference has also been making some noise this season. They don’t currently have any teams in the top four and will likely miss out on competing for the championship, but they hold a prime position to participate in the some of the higher-profile bowl games. Just like in the Big Ten, the conference’s top two teams are historic football rivals. Both the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma are teetering on greatness and have been consistently ranked in the top 10. They met each other earlier this month in what will stand as one of the defining games of the season; Texas won the shootout 48–45. West Virginia has also been making some noise in the conference and is currently ranked 14th overall. 

Honorable Mentions: We cannot talk about this college football season without mentioning Notre Dame, the school without a conference. They have been absolutely dominant and will more than likely have a shot at winning the FBS national championship in January if they continue to play at this level. They are currently ranked third, and it will be very difficult to unseat them. 

That’s how this season has gone so far in the college football world. The second half should bring just as much if not more excitement, close games and memories. 

— Zach Kaufman