1
|
Oregon
|
Oregon proved itself more than worthy of the No. 1 ranking with a 38-9 shelling of Illinois. The Ducks scored touchdowns on five of their first six possessions to grab a 35-3 lead at halftime and coasted from there. The Ducks are on the flight path to step into the Big Ten Championship Game with an unblemished record, even with road trips to Michigan (this week) and Wisconsin remaining. Oregon doesn’t face another top-25 team the remainder of the season. More impressive? The Ducks seem to be improving week to week unlike some teams in the power rankings.
|
—
|
8-0
|
2
|
Georgia
|
Georgia was hoping for chaos during its bye week and nearly got it with Texas holding on against Vanderbilt, which would have been a bad result for the Bulldogs after their dominant performance in Austin. The Bulldogs travel to Jacksonville to face rival Florida this week. The Gators are playing much better with DJ Lagway at quarterback, and though many will project a double-digit win, Georgia could be in for a tougher challenge than expected.
|
—
|
6-1
|
3
|
Ohio State
|
Boy, that wasn’t pretty, Buckeyes. Ryan Day’s crew rushed for only 64 yards and leaned on the defense to stop Nebraska at the goal line earlier to help create enough space for a 21-17 win. Nebraska should be proud. Ohio State should be worried heading into a critical Big Ten road trip to Penn State this week.
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—
|
6-1
|
4
|
Miami (FL)
|
Cam Ward didn’t throw a touchdown for the first time in 14 games, but he did add a receiving touchdown to his Heisman highlight reel via a Philly Special late in a 36-14 win against Florida State. Damien Martinez carried the load with 148 yards and two touchdowns, his best game of the season. Duke comes to Hard Rock Stadium this week for a sneaky good matchup (and not just because Manny Diaz is returning to face his former program). The Blue Devils are tied for third nationally in turnover margin, forcing 19 turnovers through eight games.
|
—
|
8-0
|
5
|
Penn State
|
Is Drew Allar healthy? The quarterback sat out the second half against Wisconsin with an injured knee and his status is unknown for the gigantic showdown with Ohio State in Happy Valley this week. Backup Beau Pribula performed well enough on the road to lead the Badgers to a 28-13 win against the resurgent Badgers, who led the Nittany Lions at halftime. Pribula connected on his final 10 pass attempts and the defense returned an interception for a touchdown to secure the win. The top-five showdown encapsulates everything right and wrong with the James Franklin era: a big game with a huge opportunity, but can he upset the Buckeyes? Penn State is 1-22 against top five teams since 2000.
|
—
|
7-0
|
6
|
Texas
|
Texas escaped with a 27-24 win at Vanderbilt. It could have been much worse, so just shrug your shoulders and move on, Longhorns. Quinn Ewers was fine, throwing three touchdowns, and the Longhorns held on to win after building a 21-7 win on the road against the nationally ranked Commodores. Ewers has won nine straight road games since his first road start (a loss at Oklahoma State in 2022). Texas enters a bye week before facing Florida.
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—
|
7-1
|
7
|
Indiana
|
No Kurtis Rourke, no problem. Indiana’s historic season continued with a 31-17 win against Washington to move to 8-0 for the second time in school history. Indiana still hasn’t trailed in a game and has defeated every opponent by 14-plus points. Tayven Jackson completed 11 of 19 passes for 124 yards and one touchdown with one interception. He also rushed for a score. Will Rourke (hand) return to the lineup for the trip to Michigan State this week? The Hoosiers need him back sooner rather than later.
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—
|
8-0
|
8
|
Texas A&M
|
What a difference Marcel Reed makes. We’ve been preaching for him to remain the Aggies’ starter since the win at Florida in Week 3, and he delivered off the bench Saturday in the 38-23 comeback against LSU. Reed rushed for three touchdowns on his first three possessions in the second half. The win snapped LSU’s 104-game winning streak when leading by at least 10 points at halftime. The Aggies stand alone atop the SEC standings and are 5-0 in conference for the first time since the 1998 Big 12 season. A road trip to South Carolina is a fantastic matchup to watch as a spectator.
|
1
|
7-1
|
9
|
Clemson
|
Clemson sat at home and rested last week as it prepared to face Louisville. The Tigers have been on a great run since the lopsided loss to Georgia in the season opener, but no win has come against a ranked team. Their first opportunity might not arrive until Nov. 16 with a trip to Pitt. Clemson’s offense ranks in the top five in scoring (42 ppg) and yardage (490.4 ypg), and the turnover margin has proven incredibly beneficial toward the average margin of victory (27) during the six-game winning streak. Louisville is the most difficult matchup since Week 1.
|
1
|
6-1
|
10
|
Iowa State
|
Iowa State is still in driver’s seat in the Big 12 and on a collision course with Kansas State in the season finale. The Cyclones were off last week following a 38-35 win against UCF. The Cyclones are a solid, veteran team led by a gamer at quarterback (Rocco Becht). The defense is incredible, leading the nation in pass efficiency defense while allowing only 14.4 points per game. Three of the Cyclones final five games are at home, starting this week with Texas Tech.
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—
|
7-0
|
11
|
Notre Dame
|
Navy didn’t lose a fumble all season until it faced Notre Dame, which forced five in a decisive 51-14 victory, the largest margin of victory by Notre Dame against a ranked opponent since 1992. The Irish’s loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2 seems like it happened decades ago. Marcus Freeman’s team has won its last six games (the longest winning streak in his career) by an average of 31.3 points. Notre Dame looks like a playoff team, and its seeding can improve with games against Army and USC remaining.
|
1
|
7-1
|
12
|
Tennessee
|
Tennessee gets two weeks to work out the kinks on offense before traveling to Georgia. The Vols still rank in the top 15 in most categories offensively, but it’s the defense that has carried them since late September. Kentucky and Mississippi State come to Neyland Stadium as the perfect opponents to spark the offense. The Wildcats’ defense is solid and MSU’s offense can – or could – score points to make the Volunteers respond. Either way, the Vols should stay in the top 12 until Nov. 16.
|
1
|
6-1
|
13
|
Alabama
|
First, let’s be real for a moment. Mizzou is not a top-25 team and has been sliding down the rankings most of the season. The loss of quarterback Brady Cook only made the Tigers worse. Still, Alabama blew past Mizzou 34-0 for their first shutout win against a “ranked” team since 2018. Jalen Milroe threw for 215 yards and scored but did not throw a touchdown pass for the first time this season. The Tide still have what it takes to be a playoff team. The trip to LSU in two weeks is a de facto elimination game for playoff consideration.
|
1
|
6-2
|
14
|
BYU
|
If you were just flipping among games Saturday and tuned into BYU, you likely never saw the Cougars on defense. BYU held the ball for an incredible 40-plus minutes in a 37-24 win at UCF, rushing for 250-plus yards for the second straight game. BYU is 8-0 for the fifth time in school history, and with the easy schedule that remains, an undefeated regular season is not out of the question. The trip to Arizona State on Nov. 23 might be the most challenging game before the Big 12 title tilt.
|
1
|
8-0
|
15
|
Boise State
|
Ashton Jeanty rested this week as Boise State had a bye week ahead of a gigantic showdown against UNLV in Las Vegas. At stake is the national ranking and the top spot in the Mountain West. Can Jeanty record his fourth (!) 200-yard performance of the season against UNLV? We think so. The Rebels’ strength on defense is in the secondary. The Friday night game provides Jeanty an incredible national showcase to secure his spot atop the Heisman Trophy charts, where he sits today with 1,248 yards and 17 touchdowns.
|
1
|
6-1
|
16
|
Kansas State
|
Kansas State is lucky to still be ranked, but a win is a win, especially in crazy rivalry games. Kansas’ Jalon Daniels fumbled the game away in the final minutes, giving Kansas State the ball and an opportunity to kick the game-winning field goal, a 51-yarder with 1:42 remaining. Kansas State held on 29-27 as Kansas’ four possessions in the fourth quarter ended with punts or turnovers. K-State quarterback Avery Johnson had a career-high 320 yards and improved to 8-1 as the starter.
|
1
|
7-1
|
17
|
Pittsburgh
|
Thanks for the help, Syracuse. Pitt returned three interceptions for touchdowns in the first half and cruised to a 41-13 win in an unexpected laugher against the Orange. Alabama transfer Eli Holstein only needed to pass the ball 15 times in the blowout to become the first Pitt quarterback since Dan Marino (1980) to win their first seven starts. Meanwhile, Kyle McCord threw five picks, the most in Syracuse history. Next up for Pitt is the game of the week in the ACC at SMU. Pitt has an opportunity to take control of the ACC in the next few weeks with games against SMU and at home against Clemson.
|
1
|
7-0
|
18
|
LSU
|
LSU led Texas A&M 17-7 and seemed to have the matchup advantages everywhere on the field, particularly at quarterback. But then the Aggies subbed in Reed – and Garrett Nussmeier suddenly forgot how to play the position. Nussmier threw a career-high three interceptions in the second half, and Reed scored rushing touchdowns on his first three possessions to lead the Aggies back to a 35-23 win. LSU’s streak of 104 straight wins when leading by at least 10 at halftime was snapped. The Tigers are still in the playoff race but hosting Alabama in two weeks is an elimination game.
|
7
|
6-2
|
19
|
SMU
|
SMU did the improbable Saturday night, beating Duke in overtime despite losing the turnover battle 6-0. SMU is only the second team to win with a six-turnover deficit in the last 20 years, and the first since 2011 (Marshall over Memphis). SMU didn’t deserve to win but held Duke to zero points off those turnovers and also blocked a field goal at the end of regulation to force overtime in the 28-27 win. It was a spectacular finish, if not ugly, but it keeps the Mustangs alive in the ACC race and makes the showdown with Pitt in Dallas this week the biggest game yet in the ACC this season.
|
—
|
7-1
|
20
|
Army West Point
|
And then there was one. Army is the nation’s lone undefeated team from the Group of Five following losses by Navy and Liberty last week. The Black Knights should stay undefeated this week when it hosts one-win Air Force. Army hasn’t trailed this season and owns the nation’s longest winning streak (11).
|
2
|
7-0
|
21
|
Ole Miss
|
Ole Miss sacked Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold nine times and rallied to beat the Sooners 26-14 after trailing at halftime. The Rebels’ defense remains No. 1 in scoring (11 ppg) and rushing (76.6 ypg) thanks to the sacks, but they did give up 125 rushing yards in the first half. The Rebels travel to Arkansas this week and must remain perfect the rest of the season to stay in the playoff hunt.
|
2
|
6-2
|
22
|
Colorado
|
Welcome aboard, Colorado. You know the Buffaloes are experiencing success when they’re not garnering a lot of attention. Winning is boring for the casual fans who hate-watch the reality show that is Colorado football. The Buffs are bowl eligible with six wins for the first time since 2016 and still in the hunt for a Big 12 title following a 34-23 win against resurgent Cincinnati. Travis Hunter was again incredible, recording a season-high 153 receiving yards and two touchdowns at receiver in addition to four pass breakups at cornerback as his snaps increased to 132 plays after two weeks of limited action because of injury. His absurd performance should lift him back into the Heisman Trophy race.
|
NR
|
6-2
|
23
|
Illinois
|
Illinois ran into a buzzsaw in the Pacific Northwest, losing 38-9 at No. 1 Oregon. Illinois still co-leads the nation with three wins against ranked teams, so the Illini don’t fall too hard in the power rankings, especially after a loss to the nation’s top team. Up next is a dangerous matchup against Minnesota.
|
3
|
6-2
|
24
|
Washington State
|
Washington State makes its first appearance in the power rankings on the strength of a 15-point rally to beat San Diego State on the road. The Cougars’ only loss is to Boise State. Wazzu has been solid all season with quarterback John Mateer, who replaced the incomparable Cam Ward. He threw for 257 yards late Saturday night on the road.
|
NR
|
7-1
|
25
|
Memphis
|
Memphis sneaks into the top 25 after sneaking out a 33-28 win against Charlotte. Seth Henigan threw a 24-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds remaining to rally the Tigers. The pass also made him the school’s all-time leader in touchdown passes (91). Memphis’ lone loss is to Navy, which exited the power rankings this week after its 37-point loss to Notre Dame.
|
NR
|
7-1
|
