Saturday featured some of the best college football action all year. Lots was figured out about each and every team. In this week’s ranking, there are some massive shakeups and several new faces who have entered into the conversation.
Check out last week’s edition of the College Football Top 25 here.
1. Alabama (5-0) (2-0 SEC)
Last week: vs Ole Miss (W 42-21) | This week: at Texas A&M (3-2)
The college football world was prepared for a show when these two teams took the field. Instead, they got a classic, Alabama beat down. The Tide controlled the game from start to finish against one of the best teams in the country, and continue to hold onto their No. 1 spot.
2. Georgia (5-0) (3-0 SEC)
Last week: vs Arkansas (W 37-0) | This week: at Auburn (4-1)
The Dogs established themselves as the team with the best defense in the nation on Saturday, and widened the gap between the top two teams in the country, and the rest of the pack. Arkansas is another very good team that got blown out, and we can probably expect another big performance from Georgia against Auburn.
3. Iowa (5-0) (2-0 Big 10)
Last week: vs Maryland (W 51-14) | This week: Penn State (5-0)
There were shouts for Maryland to be a top-25 team coming into last weekend. However, Iowa silenced those voices immediately. The defense was dominant, forcing five interceptions, and the offense capitalized on Maryland’s mistakes. This is a team that is rolling, and thus, looking like the No. 3 squad in the country.
4. Cincinnati (4-0) (0-0 AAC)
Last week: at Notre Dame (W 24-13) | This week: vs Temple (3-2)
Cincinnati nabbed a much-needed signature win with their victory over Notre Dame last week. Desmond Ridder was electric, and now the country’s eyes are on the Bearcats. There will be calls for this team to be ranked below Penn State but the response to that is simple: Penn State does not have a quality victory yet quite like Cincinnati does. Sure, they beat Auburn. But the Tigers are on the fringe of even being a top-25 team, unlike Notre Dame.
5. Penn State (5-0) (2-0 Big 10)
Last week: vs Indiana (W 24-0) | This week: at Iowa (5-0)
The Nittany Lions looked solid against the Hoosiers, but probably could’ve put up a lot more offense. This week’s game against Iowa, however, is one of the most intriguing we’ll see all year. Two clear-cut top five teams will go head-to-head and the winner can boost their resumé significantly.
6. Michigan (5-0) (2-0 Big 10)
Last week: at Wisconsin (W 38-17) | This week: at Nebraska (3-3)
Last week’s win in Madison was one of the best road wins of Jim Harbaugh’s career. They dominated the Badgers on all three sides of the ball and spread out their offensive attack a bit more. This was a really nice bounce-back game for the Wolverines, after a subpar performance against Rutgers two weeks ago.
7. Oklahoma (5-0) (2-0 Big 12)
Last week: at Kansas State (W 37-31) | This week: vs Texas (4-1)
The Sooners shoot back into the top 10 after falling out in Week 5. They still have yet to have that decisive victory yet, but this game’s scoreline probably should have been a bit more in favor of Oklahoma. The Red River Rivalry will tell us everything we need to know about this team, though, and it will be one of the best games to watch this week.
8. Michigan State (5-0) (2-0 Big 10)
Last week: vs Western Kentucky (W 48-31) | This week: at Rutgers (3-2)
Michigan State stuck to their game plan and beat up on the Hilltoppers. Its defense had a poor showing but this is another scoreline that goes more in Michigan State’s favor, with Western Kentucky scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter, mostly in garbage time.
9. Oregon (4-1) (1-1 Pac 12)
Last week: at Stanford (L 24-31 OT) | This week: vs California (1-4)
Oregon put up an A-tier choke job against Stanford. They had the game firmly in hand and just gave it all away. They still figure to be the favorites in the conference, but last week’s game was unacceptable for a team that is looking to make the playoffs.
10. Ohio State (4-1) (2-0 Big 10)
Last week: at Rutgers (W 52-13) | This week: vs Maryland (4-1)
That was the game that C.J. Stroud and the Buckeyes needed to prove to us that they are not actually a bad team. They blew out Rutgers in style, and it looks like they’re really starting to hit their stride, especially in regards to the run game.
11. Oklahoma State (5-0) (2-0 Big 12)
Last week: vs Baylor (W 24-14) | This week: BYE
Oklahoma State continues to knock down quality opponents. They are one of the most underrated teams in the nation, and need to continue to earn their recognition. While the Cowboys do have a bye this week, they’ll go up against a Texas team in two weeks that could either be red-hot or looking for revenge after a loss to Oklahoma.
12. Kentucky (5-0) (3-0 SEC)
Last week: vs Florida (W 20-13) | This week: vs LSU (3-2)
Kentucky football is back. The similarities between this team, and the one that was ranked in 2018 are uncanny. Both were put on the map when they upset Florida, and this time the Wildcats were able to do it at home. Now, they look to carry their momentum into the upcoming weeks, as the SEC doesn’t get any easier for a team that has some newfound experience winning big games.
13. Ole Miss (3-1) (0-1 SEC)
Last week: at Alabama (L 21-42) | This week: vs Arkansas (4-1)
Ole Miss got blown out against Alabama. There’s no way around that. But this team is still super talented, and should get right back on their feet. The Arkansas game this week will tell us everything we need to know about this squad, and they need to win to have any hope in the SEC.
14. BYU (5-0)
Last week: at Utah State (W 34-20) | This week: vs Boise State (3-2)
BYU stays hovering in this mid-teens area, after another solid win against a lower-tier program. It’s hard to see this team really shooting up the rankings because of how bad their schedule is, but if teams start to fall, they should be set up for a nice run.
15. Arkansas (4-1) (1-1 SEC)
Last week: at Georgia (L 0-37) | This week: at Ole Miss (3-1)
Like their opponent this week, Ole Miss, the Razorbacks were blasted by the arguable best team in the country. They have a ton to work on after failing to score, giving up points on special teams, and getting scorched by Stetson Bennett. With this Ole Miss game, we’ll see one team shoot up the rankings, and another slouch behind.
16. Coastal Carolina (5-0) (1-0 Sun Belt)
Last week: vs ULM (W 59-6) | This week: (1-4)
Another week, another blowout for Coastal Carolina. Like BYU, this is a team that we really can’t see going far in the ranks because their schedule is miserable. However, if they win-out then who knows what could really happen with how crazy this season has been.
17. Wake Forest (5-0) (3-0 ACC)
Last week: vs Louisville (W 37-34) | This week: at Syracuse (3-2)
Wake Forest won a thriller against a good Louisville team on Saturday. They remain, shockingly, the top team in the ACC. It seems everyone in the country is rooting for this team, as we wait and see how far they can truly get, but it already looks like they have enough to win this conference.
18. Notre Dame (4-1)
Last week: vs Cincinnati (L 13-24) | This week: at Virginia Tech (3-1)
What a weird season it’s been for Notre Dame. We are still wondering, really, what to make of this team. With three not-so-satisfying wins, a beatdown of a horrid Wisconsin team, and now a loss to a very good Cincinnati team, it’s quite hard to rank this squad. This week’s matchup against the Hokies should be one to watch out for to see how well they can bounce back.
19. Texas (4-1) (2-0 Big 12)
Last week: at TCU (W 32-27) | This week: vs Oklahoma (5-0)
After dropping 70 points on Texas Tech in Week 5, the Longhorns did not look as strong last week. However, TCU is not a bad team and has been playing everybody close all year long. The matchup with Oklahoma is huge in terms of implications on the Big 12. If Texas can upset the Sooners, this conference will get messy.
20. SMU (5-0) (1-0 AAC)
Last week: vs USF (W 41-17) | This week: at Navy (1-3)
Tanner Mordecai and the Mustangs stay scoring and stay winning with a comfortable victory over USF to kick off AAC play. If this team can win out by the time they face Cincinnati on November 20, we will be looking at a game of the year candidate, one in which this team has the capability of competing in.
21. Arizona State (4-1) (2-0 Pac 12)
Last week: at UCLA (W 42-23) | This week: vs Stanford (3-2)
Whatever this team did to mix things up after losing to BYU in Week 4 is working. At that time, we didn’t know how good BYU really was, so the loss isn’t even that bad looking on the Sun Devils. They went on to blowout two solid teams in Colorado and UCLA, and as of now, this Arizona State team looks to be the main threat to Oregon in the conference.
22. NC State (4-1) (1-0 ACC)
Last week: vs LA Tech (W 34-27) | This week: at Boston College (4-1)
Following their upset win over Clemson, the Wolfpack held on to a one-touchdown win against LA Tech. It wasn’t too impressive, but their overall play so far has warranted them a spot in these rankings. As they get deeper into conference play, we’ll learn more about this team, especially how well they play away from home.
23. Auburn (4-1) (1-0 SEC)
Last week: at LSU (W 24-19) | This week: vs Georgia (5-0)
Auburn enters the top-25 this week, still without a signature win. Sure, it was exciting to see them win in Death Valley, but this LSU team is obviously not one of the best they’ve had. However, the Tigers have played some good football and bounced back nicely from their loss against Penn State.
24. Florida (3-2) (1-2)
Last week: at Kentucky (L 13-20) | This week: vs Vanderbilt (2-3)
Florida’s weaknesses were exposed last week and the offense could not get going at all. They’ll get to bounce back nicely and blow out Vanderbilt this week, but questions about the Gators still remain. Florida is probably out of SEC contention, but can still try to climb back up the ranks with some victories in the coming weeks before they square off against Georgia.
25. Baylor (4-1) (2-1 Big 12)
Last week: at Oklahoma State (L 14-24) | This week: vs West Virginia (2-3)
Choosing this final spot was very difficult. However, Baylor was ranked at No. 14 last week before slipping up against Oklahoma State, and for good reason. They need to jump back on the horse and continue to rack up quality wins verse Big 12 opponents. The Bears still have a fighting chance in a conference that is very wide open at the moment.
Outside looking in: Oregon State, San Diego State, Clemson, UTSA, Virginia Tech
New teams: Kentucky (12), Arizona State (21), NC State (22), Auburn (23)
Dropped out: Texas A&M, UCLA, Boston College, Fresno State
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