Every college football season plays out differently than the last, but as we approach the final few weeks of the regular season, there are peculiarities of 2018 that seem unusually odd. Perhaps it's the feeling of inevitability of the conclusion: that the Alabama Crimson Tide have assembled what may prove to be the most dominant team of all time, and that few other potential national championship contenders can conceivably challenge them and knock them down from that throne. Their 29-0 shutout of the LSU Tigers this past weekend was the biggest statement any team has made to date this year, and solidified for many (including this week's FEI ratings), that their exceptionally dominant offense and defense had not been firing on all cylinders merely due to the relative weaknesses of their opponents to date.