Last week, the AL.com Top 25 began with me saying that nobody in college football is good. I will admit the hyperbolic stance, but it was also a challenge to see who will emerge as September transitions into October.

And wouldn’t you know, someone unexpected may have answered the call. If you took the rankings away and just watched teams over the course of the season so far, you could make a case that the Washington Huskies are playing some of the best football in the country. More than Michigan and Georgia.

Late Saturday night, the Huskies blasted Cal 59-32 at Husky Stadium.

Huskies QB Michael Penix Jr. is arguably your Heisman front runner (and likely winner) at this point in the season. Through four games, Penix Jr. has over 1,600 yards passing with 16 touchdowns.

From start to finish, Washington isn’t playing like a USC, Ohio State, or even Florida State. They aren’t “playing with their food” when it comes to beating the teams you should beat. They show up, kick butt and move on to the next week.

All signs point to the Oct. 14 showdown between Oregon and Washington that may not only impact the Pac-12 race, but the race for the College Football Playoff as well.

Before all of that, how does the Top 25 look after a wild college football Saturday?

No. 25 Florida (3-1): The Florida Gators have a chance over the next few weeks to turn the SEC East race into a two-team race with the Georgia Bulldogs.

No. 24 Oregon State (3-1): Dropping the Pac-12 opener to Washington State isn’t the worst thing to happen to the Beavers, but the margin for error in the Pac-12 (especially this season) just got a tad bit thinner.

No. 23 Fresno State (4-0): It’s been a few weeks since we’ve seen a G5 school in the rankings. This Fresno State team might have staying power, so get used to it.

No. 22 Colorado (3-1): Reality showed up to in the form of the Oregon Ducks on Saturday. Bad news, things might get worse with USC coming to town.

No. 21 Miami (4-0): Mark your calendar, Oct. 14: Miami at North Carolina. Huge ACC game.

No. 20 Duke (4-0): Duke hosts Notre Dame in perhaps the most anticipated game in the history of Duke football. I’m dead serious.

No. 19 Washington State (4-0): The Cougars have this week off, but we will learn a lot more about them with a trip to UCLA coming off the bye.

No. 18 Kansas (4-0): So, who had Kansas vs. Texas as the first important game of the Big 12 slate? Anybody?

No. 17 Kansas State (3-1): The Wildcats are off this week but will be tested with Oklahoma State and Texas Tech coming off the bye.

No. 16 North Carolina (4-0): Heels QB Drake Maye playing his way into the Heisman race, as expected.

No. 15 Notre Dame (4-1): The Fighting Irish were a few seconds, a yard, and a player short from being in a much better spot this week.

No. 14 Oklahoma (4-0): I know it’s just Cincinnati, but Oklahoma might have turned things around following the nightmare of 2022.

No. 13 Tennessee (3-1): A very good bounce back from their loss to Florida by slapping around a decent UTSA squad.

No. 12 Oregon (4-0): I think it’s safe to say that Oregon proved it’s point vs. Colorado, some may say it was…personal.

No. 11 Utah (4-0): Bless UCLA’s heart, they tried to “Utah” their way to a win vs. Utah and failed.

No. 10 LSU (3-1): The loser of this week’s Ole Miss-LSU clash is in big trouble. That’s must-see TV.

No. 9 Alabama (3-1): By no means, is Alabama one of the four best teams in the country as of this writing, but they may be playing their way into that role over the next few weeks.

No. 8 Penn State (4-0): The Big Ten East will come down to the last team standing in the Penn State/Ohio State/Michigan battle royal…and you’d have to fancy the chances of the Nittany Lions.

No. 7 Ohio State (4-0): Even after their escape in South Bend, it’s hard to put Ohio State as one of the five best teams in the country.

No. 6 USC (4-0): At this point of the season, USC is not going to change their stripes. They’re gonna score a bunch of points and allow nearly just as many. How long can they keep getting away with it? Time will tell.

No. 5. Washington (4-0): If there was no preseason poll and you made a guess as to who has played the best since the season began, chances are you’d say it’s Washington.

No. 4 Texas (4-0): Previous Texas squads may have stumbled into a potential upset trap vs. Baylor this past weekend. Nope, not Texas. The Longhorns continue to validate their lofty playoff hopes.

No. 3 Florida State (4-0): The Noles survive Clemson, and now they’ve got a very favorable schedule up until Nov. 11 when they face Miami.

No. 2 Michigan (4-0): Now that Jim Harbaugh has served his time in NCAA jail, he can go back to running the football with enthusiasm unknown to mankind.

No. 1 Georgia (4-0): After nearly a month of home cooking, the Bulldogs hit the road for the first time this season to face the Auburn Tigers. That game could get really weird, couldn’t it?

What does next season’s 12-team playoff look like in 2023?

Projected 12-team CFP seedings and matchups (The Rose Bowl and Sugar Bowl are the semifinal sites this season)

No. 12 Fresno State (highest ranked G5) at No. 5 Washington

No. 11 Utah at No. 6 USC

No. 10 LSU at No. 7 Ohio State

No. 9 Alabama at No. 8 Penn State

Projected CFP Quarterfinals

Peach Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 vs. No. 9 winner

Fiesta Bowl: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 6 vs. No. 11 winner

Orange Bowl: No. 3 Florida State vs. No. 7 vs. No. 10 winner

Cotton Bowl: No. 4 Texas vs. No. 5 vs. No. 12 winner