1. Georgia
- Simple they have looked like the best team in the country thus far. The dominant defense will keep pretty much everyone off the board and the offense is good enough to win games comfortably. No one has looked so dominant, especially on the defensive side of the ball through the first eight weeks. Next week's game against Florida is another chance for the Bulldogs to flex against SEC competition, though the uncertainty at quarterback could loom large in the postseason.
2. Cincinnati
- They have been the other dominant team this year. Last week's lackluster performance against Navy may have raised some doubts, but they have looked the best throughout the year among the remaining undefeated teams. The margin for error has definitely shrunk for the Bearcats but with Penn State and Oklahoma State losing a playoff berth is looking more and more possible. To reassure the committee the Bearcats will have to dominate an underwhelming Tulane team next week.
3. Michigan
- If you traveled back to August of this year and said Michigan would be undefeated heading into Halloween weekend most people would not believe you in the slightest. But the defense continues to play at an elite level while the offense has been sufficient enough to get by. This Georgia-esque strategy has been enough for the Wolverines to get by so far, but starting next week Michigan gets into the meat of their Big Ten schedule with a meeting against their in-state rival on the day before Halloween.
4. Alabama
- After a slow start against Tennessee it looked like the Crismon Tide could suffer their second loss in three weeks. But as the offense got rolling the defense began to stiffen up as the Tide rolled to a four-touchdown win. The schedule softens up a little bit from here until back-to-back games against Arkansas and Auburn to close out the season. There are simply too many playmakers for most teams to slow down, let alone stop Alabama.
5. Michigan State
- The bye week gave Michigan State some time to rest up after disappointing outings against Indiana and Nebraska. Against the Wolverines, we will see an unstoppable force in Kenneth Walker against an immovable object in the Michigan defense. The rest of the MSU offense should not be forgotten either, averaging 9.2 yards per passing attempt. The winner of this game will not only cement themselves as a top-3 team but will be in the driver's seat for a trip to Indianapolis.
6. Oregon
- Some might think that having the Ducks at six is too high, especially after underwhelming performances against Stanford, Cal, and UCLA. However, that win against Ohio State in Columbus has to count for something, and as long as the Ducks keep winning they will remain a key part of the playoff picture. Kayvon Thibodeaux's impressive performance has anchored the Duck's defense which has been ravaged by injuries. If Oregon can avoid the slow starts that have plagued them this season they should be able to make it through the rest of Pac-12 play undefeated. Their matchup against Colorado provides them with a nice tune-up chance next week.
7. Ohio State
- The only reason they continue to be ranked this low is the fact that they lost to the Ducks. Ever since that loss, they have dominated in every game. However, the competition has been lacking as wins against Akron, Rutgers, Maryland, and Indiana are not all that impressive. CJ Stroud has certainly improved and finds himself as a dark-horse Heisman contender heading into the home stretch of the season. As long as the defense continues to improve it gives the Buckeyes a legitimate shot of making it back to the playoff.
8. Oklahoma
- Oklahoma is extremely lucky to have come out with a win against Kansas, if it wasn't for that 4th-down Caleb Williams touchdown not being blown dead OU would have likely been the victim of one of the largest upsets in college football history. Neither side of the ball was all that impressive for the Sooners and with games upcoming against Iowa State, Baylor, and Oklahoma State I find it highly unlikely that the Sooners make it out of the regular season unscathed.
9. Iowa
- The loss to Purdue really put a damper on the Hawkeyes' chances of a college football playoff berth. They also still have the meat of their Big Ten West schedule as well. The defense has been phenomenal but the offense certainly needs to improve. Spencer Petras needs to get the rest of the receiver group going, or there will be more games like the one they had against Purdue.
10. Ole Miss
- Yes Lane Kiffin has rebuilt Ole Miss into a competitive football team, and they've won three straight since their loss to Alabama. Matt Corral has been fantastic for the Rebels this season, and the defense continues to improve bit by bit. While their chances at the playoffs this season are extremely slim Ole Miss is set up for an exciting future.
11. Wake Forest
- Points! After putting up 70 points on Army the Deamon Deacons showed they can score at will. Sam Hartman has the potential to lead Wake Forest to an ACC title. However, the defense continues to be a major question for Wake Forest. Giving up 50+ points to Army, including 400+ yards on the ground, and allowing them to go 12 of 19 on third and fourth downs is also an issue. These issues make it hard to believe that Wake Forest will finish the season undefeated but they still remain the best chance for the ACC to grab a playoff berth.
12. Kentucky
- Kentucky gets a well-timed bye after being beaten down by Georgia. Luckily for the Wildcats the toughest opponent remaining on their schedule is at home against Tennessee, and if they win that game Kentucky has an excellent opportunity to finish 11-1.
13. Oklahoma State
- The loss to Iowa State puts a huge dent in Oklahoma State's playoff chances, as they now have to win out and hope for a bit of chaos. While this is not impossible they still need to beat Oklahoma then win the Big 12 championship game as well. The defense continues to be one of the nation's elite but the offense continues to underperform.
14. Baylor
- The Bears continue to be one of the major surprises this year in college football. While Oklahoma State's defense has been the one getting the most media attention, Dave Aranda's unit has also been a top-10 unit nationally. But like Oklahoma State, the offense needs to shape up before its big match-up against Oklahoma on November 13th.
15. Notre Dame
- The Irish have not looked all that impressive this year, but they remain in the hunt for a NY6 bowl with a 6-1 record. The schedule continues to ease up for Notre Dame so finishing 11-1 is certainly not out of the realm of possibility. However, star safety Kyle Hamilton left the game against USC with a leg injury, and if he were to remain out it would be a significant blow to the Notre Dame defense.
16. Pitt
- Pitt is likely a bad loss away from pushing for a top-10 ranking within the polls, but that loss to Western Michigan lingers over this team's postseason ceiling. Kenny Pickett has been phenomenal for the Panthers this year and continues to push for to mantle as the best QB in the ACC after his performance against a stout Clemson defense. Pitt remains in the drivers seat in the ACC Coastal division and a chance for an Orange Bowl appearance.
17. Texas A&M
- It only took the Aggies six weeks but it looks like it has finally turned into the team that we were promised. After their win against Alabama they have dominated in the past two weeks as both the offense and defense have finally come together. The bye week almost comes at the wrong time for A&M and they are on a roll right now. Their matchup with Auburn in two weeks looms large if they want to stay in the race for the SEC West and/or a NY6 bowl.
18. SMU
- SMU rolled to a victory on Thursday night over Tulane. While their date with Cincinnati on 11/20 looms large they cannot afford to overlook their matchup with Houston this upcoming weekend. Tanner Mordecai continues to impress and he may be the bers G5 quarterback in the nation this year.
19. Auburn
- Auburn caught a bye week a the right time as they have a massive matchup with Ole Miss this weekend, which is a must-win for the Tigers if they want a chance at making the SEC title game. Bo Nix has taken some steps forward this year, and while his performance against Arkansas was phenomenal, there is still plenty that is left to be desired.
20. San Diego State
- While it wasn't the prettiest victory San Diego State was able to get the job done against a quality Air Force team, pulling out a 20-14 victory. The defense continues to be a dominant force for the Aztecs but they will need the offense to be more explosive next week against a Fresno State squad that can put up plenty of points.
21. Iowa State
- The victory against Oklahoma State was enormous for the Cyclones, as if kept them alive in the Big 12 title race. Brock Purdy, who threw for over 300 yards and 2 TDs, was able to make up for a pedestrian performance by Bree Hall. ISU has one of the softer schedules left in the Big 12, with their only remaining ranked matchup being on the road against Oklahoma.
22. UTSA
- UTSA continues to march on, hammering Louisiana Tech on the road 45-16. Their matchup against UTEP looms large in the C-USA West race as both teams are undefeated within conference play. As long as UTSA continues to play strong defense and complimentary football on offense 12-0 is not out of sight.
23. Penn State
- The 9OT loss to Illinois was bad. The offense look poor as Sean Clifford posted a mediocre performance in his return from injury and the Nittany Lions only managed 62 yards on the ground. The schedule only gets more difficult as well with Ohio State looming on the horizon next Saturday.
24. Virginia
- Despite early losses to Wake Forest and North Carolina, Virginia has won four straight in the ACC and sits behind Pitt in the Coastal standings. UVA might have one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the country in Brennan Armstrong, who sits atop the nation's leaderboard in passing. While the defense has been underwhelming the Cavaliers can outscore almost anyone in the nation. The next three games against BYU, Notre Dame, and Pitt will prove to be a difficult stretch, and a real indication of how good this team actually is.
25. Arkansas
- The schedule as of recently has not been kind to the Razorbacks, dropping three of their last four. However, in their wins they have been dominant, and that is including their win over their opponent this past week. KJ Jefferson had a nice bounceback performance this past week in their victory as well.
Photo Credit: Dale Zanine USA Today Sports
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