1. Georgia (9-0)
No debate here. I said that Georgia should have been number one last week going into the Tennessee game and they really proved it. Both offensive and defensively, the Bulldogs have looked like the nation’s best team and I don’t think they’re slowing down.
2. Ohio State (9-0)
There is an argument to be made that Ohio State is the best team in the nation. I’m not making that argument, but it can be made. With CJ Stroud at the helm and the nations highest scoring offense, everything is gearing up for when they play Michigan. As of right now, I have them ahead of their rivals up North.
3. Michigan (9-0)
As for the rival up North, they’re having a very good season off the back of Blake Corum. With only one ranked win, though, I have to keep their big brother Ohio State above them. Like I mentioned prior, it all comes down to the Michigan-Ohio State game.
4. TCU (9-0)
HOW BOUT THEM HORNED FROGS BABY. With four wins against ranked opponents this season and an undefeated record, they deserve this number four spot. If they run the table and win the Big 12, they’ll punch their ticket to the playoffs. Max Duggan has played better than anyone could have expected and is paving the way to the promise land.
5. Tennessee (8-1)
Losing always hurts you in the rankings. Losing in the fashion that Tennessee did hurts even more because they got beat down. With them essentially being out of contention for the SEC title game, I don’t think they’ll make the CFP and other teams ahead of them have better resumes.
6. LSU (7-2)
I hate to give Brian Kelly his flowers, but after losing to Florida State Week One, he has the Tigers on the right path. With wins over Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Alabama, they’re in contention to win the SEC. They have a favorable remaining three games and Jayden Daniels and the Tigers are rolling.
7. Oregon (8-1)
Had Oregon not shellacked been in week one by Georgia, I’d have them higher. Since getting run though by the Bulldogs, Oregon has rattled off wins against BYU, Washington State, and UCLA. Bo Nix is playing at a high level and everything is gearing up for a PAC-12 championship between the Ducks and Trojans.
8. USC (8-1)
Oregon and USC are both ramping up to play one another, but USC has one more tough task in the way vs UCLA. What puts Oregon ahead of them for me is that USC has no impressive wins. Oregon has at least beaten UCLA.
9. Ole Miss (8-1)
I’d really like to have Ole Miss higher, but their loss to LSU is still fresh. If they do beat Alabama this week, then they’ll shoot up the rankings, but a loss to the Crimson Tide kills their SEC Title chances. They don’t really have any impressive wins thus far other than Kentucky so I can’t have them over USC and Oregon.
10. UCLA (8-1)
UCLA’s loss to Oregon hurts them in the rankings, but they’re still a top ten team in my eyes. With wins over Utah and Washington, they are very much alive in the PAC-12 Championship race. Having DTR and Chip Kelly running the show gives me immense confidence in them as the season winds down with a game against USC.
11. Alabama (7-2)
Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Alabama outside the top ten. It’s a pretty glorious site, but I can’t have them in the top ten after two conference losses. Sabans squad could find their way back in the top ten with a win over Ole Miss, but I think their SEC Championship hopes are deader than disco.
12. Clemson (8-1)
Rarely does one loss drop a team this far down the rankings, but the way in which Clemson lost to Notre Dame takes them completely out of the top ten. They were beaten down by Drew Pyne and a Notre Dame team that’s currently turning up the heat after a slow start. With three weaker games remaining, their only playoff hopes are winning the ACC and a lot of teams losing.
13. North Carolina (8-1)
Notre Dame owns the ACC. The conferences top two contenders have been romped by the Irish by a score of 80-46. Even when you factor in their loss to Notre Dame, the Tar Heels haven’t been overly impressive. Three point wins over Duke, Virginia, and Miami along with a two point with over App State don’t help the resume. A win is a win though, and UNC has eight of them.
14. Penn State (7-2)
Penn State’s having a typical year. Good enough to beat the decent and bad BIG-10 teams, not good enough to beat the big dogs. When you look at their resume, no win jumps out at you and makes you say “WOW”. They remind me a lot of UNC as they have a lot of wins, but none that build a case to have them higher.
15. Utah (7-2)
At this point of the season, the Utes can act as an agent of chaos. They don’t have a chance to make the playoffs and are close to being eliminated from PAC-12 contention. What they could do, however, is obliterate the PAC-12’s playoff chances by beating Oregon in two weeks.
16. Liberty (8-1)
The Flames are the hottest (pun intended) under the radar squad in America. An 8-1 record and wins over Arkansas, BYU, and Southern Miss propel them in the top twenty. One grim reaper team stands in their way. A matchup against a UConn team looking to go bowling could implode the Flames Cinderella season.
17. Tulane (8-1)
Liberty may be the hottest, but Tulane is the most consistent under-the-radar team. With an average margin of victory of 32.9-16.9, the Green Wave is drowning opponents. They’re currently 8-1 with wins against Kansas State, Memphis, and Houston this season. A matchup this week against UCF is make or break for Willie Fritz and company.
18. Illinois (7-2)
Illinois was winning over the hearts of Americans until they lost to Michigan State. While they have the same record as Penn State, their losses are much worse. The Nittany Lions have fallen to Michigan and Ohio State, while Illinois has lost to Michigan State and Indiana.
19. North Carolina State (7-2)
At no point this season has NC State looked sharp or sound. They barely beat East Carolina and Virginia Tech and failed to step up to the plate against Clemson and Syracuse. I had high hopes for this team this season and they’ve been lackluster to say the least.
20. Notre Dame (6-3)
“Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame, Wake up the echoes cheering her name, Send a volley cheer on high, Shake down the thunder from the sky.” How bout those Irish? Losing to Marshall and Stanford could have easily made them fold, but the past two weeks they’ve dominated the ACC. They trounced Syracuse and throttled Clemson and have earned a top twenty spot.
21. Texas (6-3)
Texas has been a chaotic and evil team this season. They pushed Alabama to the edge and could thwart TCUs undefeated season. They’ve also lost to Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. When I look at a healthy Longhorns team with Ewers and Robinson, they do strike some fear in my heart.
22. Kansas State (6-3)
Kansas State is a weird team. Their losses have been amplified vs TCU, Tulane, and Texas, but their wins over teams like Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have been muted. With how strong the Big-12 has been this year, they’re sitting in the middle of the pack.
23. Washington (7-2)
The Huskies started the season strong smacking around Michigan State and Stanford. They then fell off with losses vs UCLA and Arizona State. Since then, they’ve rattled off three straight wins and are back on their horse. A matchup with Oregon stands in their way this week and they could be like Utah and be an agent of chaos.
24. Central Florida (7-2)
I am beyond excited for Tulane vs UCF this week. Whoever wins this game will most likely be the winner of the AAC. UCF doesn’t have wins as impressive as the Green Wave, but when they win, they blow teams out of the water like a 70-13 win over Temple and a 41-19 win over SMU.
25. Coastal Carolina (8-1)
Coastal has been one of the most enjoyable teams to watch this season. Their shotgun triple option on offense is part of the reason they’re 8-1, but they have challenges in the final few weeks with Southern Miss and James Madison. If they can finish 11-1, Coastal will find themselves in the top twenty.
