Championship teams are constructed in a variety of ways. In 2023, Michigan relied on a smashmouth running game and defense. The Georgia national champions in 2021 and 2022 were stifling defensively.

Sure, the win at Kansas is really the only marquee victory Houston has so far this season, but a 13-game winning streak with 11 double-digit wins over that stretch earns Kelvin Sampson's team a place ...