15. Alabama (6-2)
Alabama responded to its second loss of the season by handing Missouri a 34-0 beatdown. It wasn’t pretty for much of the first half as Graham Nicholson converted two field goals to account for the only points of the game through the first 26 minutes, but the offense found its stride before halftime. Jam Miller rushed for a score with 1:54 remaining in the half to extend the lead to 13-0, and the Tide would go on to score three touchdowns in the second half to build the lead. Defensively, the Tide completely stifled Missouri’s passing game — limiting Drew Pyne and Brady Cook to 72 total yards — and intercepted three passes (all by Pyne).
14. Kansas State (7-1)
If they win their final four games of the regular season, the Wildcats will play in the Big 12 Championship Game. Entering this weekend, K-State is in third place in the conference — trailing undefeated BYU and Iowa State, respectively. However, the Wildcats face Iowa State, on the road, in the last week of the season. K-State will be favored in its next three games, including this week’s tilt with Houston. The Cougars are 2-3 in conference play and all three losses have been blowouts. K-State should be able to win this game comfortably.
13. Iowa State (7-0)
Two teams in the Big 12 remain undefeated entering the weekend — Iowa State and BYU. The Cyclones were off last weekend after a tough win over UCF their last time on the field. This weekend, the Cyclones are hosting a Texas Tech team that has dropped two in a row. The Red Raiders surrendered a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost by one to TCU, but they remain capable of handing Iowa State its first loss. For the Cyclones, this should be their toughest game until they close the regular season with a showdown with Kansas State.
12. Boise State (6-1)
With Navy’s loss to Notre Dame, Boise State’s path to the College Football Playoff became a bit clearer. The Broncos own an impressive victory over Washington State (7-1) and their lone loss came at the buzzer to now-No. 1 Oregon. Boise’s win over UNLV last weekend was also a strong victory. Boise turned a 10-3 deficit into a 20-10 lead, and its touchdown in the fourth quarter was enough to top the 6-2 Rebels. Heisman frontrunner Ashton Jeanty rushed for 128 yards in the win — he is now up to 1,376 yards and 18 TDs.
11. Indiana (8-0)
Indiana will never be a football school, but this team is certainly giving the university something to cheer about. Playing without star quarterback Kurtis Rourke, the Hoosiers comfortably beat last year’s national runner-up Washington, 31-17. Backup quarterback Tayven Jackson accounted for two scores (one pass, one rush) and Justice Ellison rushed for 123 yards and one TD to lead the Hoosiers on the ground. Defensively, Indiana limited Will Rogers to 202 yards and picked him off twice. While the offense wasn’t nearly as explosive with Rourke sidelined, it was an encouraging performance for the Hoosiers moving forward.
10. Texas A&M (7-1)
The Aggies are one of the hottest teams in the country as we enter November. A season-opening loss to Notre Dame dampened expectations for the team, but now the College Football Playoff is firmly in play. A&M has won seven games in a row and two of its last three victories have come against teams that were ranked in the Top 10 — Missouri and LSU, respectively. The Aggies are currently atop the SEC as they are the only team without a loss in conference play.
9. BYU (8-0)
Before the season began, nobody predicted BYU would compete for the Big 12 Championship — let alone be a Top 10 team in the country entering November. The Cougars are coming off an impressive showing against UCF. Facing the Knights on the road, BYU began the game with 17 straight points and entered halftime with a 14-point lead. Jake Retzlaff’s second touchdown pass of the game and Will Ferrin’s second successful field goal built the lead to 34-10 entering the fourth quarter. BYU should be careful against its main rival, the Utah Utes, this weekend, but Utah is a very depleted team at the moment.
8. Tennessee (6-1)
The Vols enjoyed a week off after securing a huge win over Alabama. The extra time off came at a great time, as well. Tennessee’s offense was unstoppable the first three weeks of the season, but it has faltered at times in its last four games. Kentucky can certainly provide a tough test this weekend, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Vols find their footing on offense once again. The Wildcats have lost three in a row, although they have played well against their toughest opponents — they beat Ole Miss on the road and lost to Georgia by one point.
7. Notre Dame (7-1)
An early loss to Northern Illinois looked like it could derail Notre Dame’s season. Instead, the Irish have rattled off six wins in a row and have dominated all but one opponent — a 31-24 win over then-No. 15 Louisville. Last weekend, the Irish ended Navy’s dream of reaching the College Football Playoff by dismantling the Midshipmen, 51-14. The Irish led 31-7 at the break and didn’t ease up following the intermission. Impressively, the Irish forced six turnovers — five fumbles and one interception — while committing zero of their own.
6. Miami (8-0)
As a Hurricane, it always feels good to beat Florida State. The game didn’t have its typical hype due to the current state of the Seminoles, but Miami took care of business as expected. Heisman candidate Cam Ward was surprisingly kept in check — 208 yards and zero touchdowns — but fellow transfer Damien Martinez had his best game of the season. The former Oregon State star rushed for 148 yards and two TDs on 15 carries. Entering the game, Martinez hadn’t topped 100 yards on the ground for the Canes. Last year, Martinez rushed for 100+ yards six times. If Martinez continues to run well, the Canes will be very tough to stop.
5. Texas (7-1)
How would Texas respond to its first loss of the season? That was the big question entering last week following Georgia’s convincing win over the Longhorns. The answer? Pretty well. The Horns hit the road to face a good Vanderbilt team. After falling behind 7-0 in the first few minutes of the game, Texas rattled off 21 unanswered points to seize control. All three scores came via Quinn Ewers’ arm, but the Heisman hopeful wasn’t great overall. Ewers threw two interceptions — including on the opening drive of the game — and led the team to just six points in the second half. Following this week’s Bye, Texas will host Florida on November 9.
4. Ohio State (6-1)
The Buckeyes knew that two games would likely decide their fate in the Big Ten this season. Of course, they came up short against Oregon in their first big test, and now they are faced with another Top 5 showdown. To remain in contention to reach the Big Ten Championship, the Buckeyes must defeat Penn State. The Buckeyes are arguably the most talented team in the country, but they haven’t quite lived up to the hype. A win this weekend would go a long way in shaping the rest of the season for Ryan Day’s team. If they lose, they may need some help to reach the CFP.
3. Penn State (7-0)
We will find out what Penn State is made of this weekend. The Nittany Lions have a nice win over Illinois but have no other signature wins. Their comeback victory over USC was impressive — however, the Trojans are a very mediocre team. Now, Ohio State is coming to town for a massive showdown. It remains unknown who will be suiting up at quarterback for Penn State. Drew Allar injured his knee last week and is said to be a game-time decision. If he can’t go, sophomore Beau Pribula will be tasked with leading the offense. Penn State will likely rely on its running backs to control the contest, but Allar’s potential absence looms large.
2. Georgia (6-1)
Georgia will find itself back in the College Football Playoff following last year’s letdown. Before last week’s Bye, the Bulldogs walked into Austin, Texas and manhandled the Longhorns. Carson Beck threw three interceptions, which allowed Texas to stay relatively close, but the defense stifled the Horns for 60 minutes. Georgia built a 23-0 lead after forcing three turnovers in the first half, and its fourth forced turnover iced the game in the fourth quarter.
1. Oregon (8-0)
The top team in the nation is the Oregon Ducks. After an underwhelming start to the season raised some alarm bells within the team and across the country, Oregon has found its footing and is now playing as well as anybody in the country. Last week, the Ducks obliterated No. 20 Illinois 38-9. Dillon Gabriel tossed three touchdown passes in the first half en route to a 35-3 lead. The team took its foot off the gas in the second half, but Illinois was never going to pose a threat following Oregon’s start.
