Graphic by the Author and Google AI
Only two unbeaten teams remain, and they are ranked at the top of the Power Rankings in Week 10
1. Utah (9-0) (Last Week #2) (Ranked #2 in the CFP) (Ranked #3 and #4 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The winners of 15 straight games, the Utes are on top of the college football world right now. Above UCLA, above Notre Dame, above Miami. Utah has a sensational quarterback, a Heisman candidate, who guided them to a top-ten win at home against their rivals this week. Now we’ll have to see how Utah handles a potential letdown after a big win. It bit BYU, Ohio State, and Georgia all this year. Utah avoiding it on the road against a 7-2, top-25 Arizona team would really set them apart from the rest of the pack.
2. UCLA (9-0) (Last Week #3) (Ranked #4 in the CFP) (#5 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Not far behind the Utes is a former conference foe. A team that went 3-9 in 2025 is now 9-0. With Illinois, UM, and USC left, there’s a very real chance UCLA goes 12-0 and plays in the last Big Ten Championship game. What a way to end an era that would be for Chesney in year one in the Power 4.
3. Notre Dame (8-1) (Last Week #5) (Ranked #5 in the CFP) (Ranked #3 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Marcus Freeman and CJ Carr got a signature win for Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are solidifying their College Football Playoff resume, and Carr is entering into the Heisman race. With Boston College, Syracuse, and SMU left on their schedule, Notre Dame should finish at worst, 10-2, with 11-1 more likely. This season, 11-1 could get Notre Dame a first-round bye.
4. Indiana (8-1) (Last Week #6) (Ranked #9 in the CFP) (Ranked #6 and #5 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Hoosiers had their off week and will be back at home against USC on Saturday. The College Football Playoff rankings are idiotic in dropping them from #4 to #9 for having their bye.
5. Miami (8-1) (Last Week #1) (Ranked #7 in the CFP) (Ranked #5 and #6 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Miami shouldn’t fall far for a battle with another top-5 team in which they were missing Malachi Toney. There are only 11 teams left in the FBS with one or fewer losses, and Miami is one of them. That deserves some respect. The ‘Canes also lost on the road to a top-three team while missing one of their top-two players. Darian Mensah almost tied the game, too. Miami is still the heavy favorite to win the ACC, finish 12-1 and make the College Football Playoff for the second straight year.
6. Wake Forest (8-1) (Last Week #7) (Ranked #13 in the CFP) (#11 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Wake had a layup against an FCS school and rightly decided to rest starting quarterback Gio Lopez. They’re on their way to a rematch with Miami, but this time it would be in December and in the final ACC Championship game. With SMU and Duke still left on the schedule, Wake Forest doesn’t have an easy path to Charlotte, but the fact that they’re involved at all in mid-November is huge for the Demon Deacons.
7. Georgia (8-1) (Last Week #8) (Ranked #1 in the CFP) (Ranked #1 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The SEC’s circle of suck has me still doubting that conference. If they weren’t so constantly and disingenuously pushed by the press, maybe I’d buy that they’re the best. If polls and pundits were honest, Georgia would be behind teams like Utah, UCLA, Miami, and Notre Dame for losing to a 5-4 team with a first-year head coach. But because the SEC and ESPN are in bed together, they’re propped up as number one. Maybe they are the best; they just haven’t done anything to prove that yet. Beating a suspect Bama team and an Ole Miss team with no defense doesn’t make a team the best in the nation.
8. Texas Tech (8-1) (Last Week #10) (Ranked #12 in the CFP) (Ranked #10 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The good news for the Red Raiders is they’re finding some offense, and they control their own Big 12 and College Football Playoff destiny. The bad news is their defense has been showing some holes over their past three games, and they have to play two of the hottest offenses in the nation on the road in Oklahoma State and Baylor. Still, many teams would love to have their fate in their hands the way Texas Tech does.
9. Boise State (8-1) (Last Week #11) (Ranked #24 in the CFP) (Ranked #17 and #18 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Boise has won eight straight, and their offense is humming behind Dylan Riley. They’re hosting College Game Day this week against Oregon State and the Beavers’ high-powered offense. Jesse Legree and Riley should put on a good show that will impact the national stage this week on the Smurf Turf.
10. Liberty (8-1) (Last Week #12) (Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Another Group of Six team that is riding an eight-game winning streak is Liberty. Jamey Chadwell’s squad hosts Middle Tennessee this week in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty’s offense is averaging over 409 yards per game and has scored at least 30 points in six straight games.
11. New Mexico (8-1) (Last Week #13) (Unranked in the CFP) (#23 and #25 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Another dominant defensive performance powered the Lobos to victory over Nevada. New Mexico won on Friday night, 31-3, and are off to their best start in program history. They’re in position and battling for the Group of Six College Football Playoff berth. They need to win out and have a couple of other G6 teams lose, but the Lobos are just enjoying the historic season they’re having. That’s the smart move, as head coach Jason Eck will be sought after by Power Four teams that are looking for a new coach this off-season. They have a big game next week at home against UNLV in Albuquerque.
12. Texas (7-2) (Last Week #19) (Ranked #6 in the CFP) (#8 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Like many teams this year, Texas is walking the knife’s edge between a successful season and a meltdown of epic proportions. Some fans have been wondering if it has been the coaching that’s causing their offenses to struggle, not Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning. The Longhorns have to keep winning to keep that narrative quiet. They’ll have their toughest road game of the year this week at LSU.
13. Tennessee (7-2) (Last Week #15) (Ranked #8 in the CFP) (Ranked #9 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
DeSean Bishop is carrying Rocky Top on his back and running over SEC defenses for the Vols. He’s had at least 100 yards and a touchdown for five straight games for Tennessee. The Vols leave Tennessee for the final time this season when they play at Texas A&M this week. Tennessee had better take the Aggies seriously because any slip-ups in their final three games could keep Tennessee out of the College Football Playoff when they are poised to make it for the second time in three seasons.
14. Houston (7-2) (Last Week #16) (Ranked #14 in the CFP) (Ranked #14 and #16 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Houston finds themselves in the logjam in the Big 12, hoping Texas Tech will lose and chaos will ensue, and open a pathway for them to get into the conference title game. They had a good win at home over UC. The problem for Houston is that with Colorado, West Virginia, and Baylor left on their schedule, they need help in addition to taking care of business themselves.
15. USC (7-2) (Last Week #17) (Ranked #18 in the CFP) (Ranked #15 and #14 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Trojans had a bye this week as they prepare for their biggest game of the season next Saturday when they travel to Bloomington to take on the Indiana Hoosiers.
16. Alabama (7-2) (Last Week #18) (Ranked #3 in the CFP) (#7 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
I don’t think we’re going to know what to make of Alabama until sometime in December. They lost to the two best teams they played, but they’ve beaten everyone else pretty soundly. With only Vandy, their Chicken Bowl, and Auburn left, there’s not much you can learn about them in those games unless they were to lose one.
17. Iowa (7-2) (Last Week #21) (Ranked #15 in the CFP) (Ranked #16 and #15 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
There are plenty of places in college football where 7-2 is underachieving. Yet, in Iowa City, that’s overachieving a little with the conservative brand of football the Hawkeyes play. Iowa needs some help, but they are still in the thick of the conversation about the Big Ten title and a College Football Playoff berth. After beating Northwestern, they should finish the season at worst 10-2. That would have them in conversations they have not been in for a very long time.
18. BYU (7-2) (Last Week #4) (Ranked #10 in the CFP) (Ranked #12 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
It’s been a very rough three weeks for BYU. They joined Georgia and Ohio State as teams to get into the top two after a huge win, only to drop the next game in heartbreaking fashion. Now, they’ve lost to their bitterest rival in a game they’d give anything to have back. The good news for the Cougars is there’s still a chance for a Big 12 title, where they get a rematch with rival Utah, and a shot at the College Football Playoff. BYU has to keep trusting their young quarterback despite the mistakes and beat a very dangerous Baylor team this week in Provo.
19. Arizona (7-2) (Last Week #23) (Ranked #23 in the CFP) (Ranked #22 and #21 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
By the skin of their teeth and with some luck, Arizona managed to get an important win on Friday night over TCU. In one of the wildest finishes of the year, Arizona found a way to win! Trailing 28-20 late in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats scored with 1:45 left in the game to cut the lead to 28-26. The game looked over when Arizona’s two-point attempt to tie the game failed. The Wildcats went with an unconventional kickoff in an attempt to get the ball back, and it worked! Arizona would make the go-ahead field goal with 0:38 left in the game. A subsequent interception by their defense would seal their wild comeback and improve their record to 7-2 for the season. Arizona hosts undefeated Utah in Tucson this week, with their final chance to maybe play themselves into the Big 12 title picture on the line.
20. Kentucky (7-2) (Last Week #9) (Ranked #11 in the CFP) (Ranked #13 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Losing to one of your biggest rivals by 28 stings. The good news is there’s plenty of time for Will Stein, Kenny Minchey, and Kentucky to bounce back and make a run for the playoff. If UK can take care of Florida, Missouri, and Louisville, they’ll be 10-2 and have an almost guaranteed College Football Playoff at-large berth. The worry then would be about losing Will Stein to a bigger football school like Florida State, but it’s a problem they’d love to have in Lexington.
21. North Dakota State (7-2) (Last Week #24) (Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
NDSU had their bye this week. They’ll return to action on November 14th in Honolulu, Hawaii.
22. Air Force (6-2) (Last Week #25) (Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Mountain West is one of the strongest Group of Six conferences this year, and Air Force one of their strongest competitors. They brought home the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy this week and their season finale game against New Mexico will be a huge game for both teams.
23. SMU (7-2) (Unranked Last Week) (Unranked in the CFP) (Ranked #25 and #23 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Mustangs had a dominant win over Virginia Tech in Dallas on Friday night. Rhett Lashlee and Kevin Jennings got a measure of payback against James Franklin for their 2024 College Football Playoff loss. Jennings had 350 yards and four touchdown passes in the 51-28 victory. SMU has a huge game next week against Wake Forest that will help decide who plays in the ACC Championship game in December. SMU gets Wake Forest at home in Dallas on Saturday.
24. Duke (7-2) (Unranked Last Week) (Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Duke is in a unique position to strongly affect the college football world in their final three games. They get 8-1 Miami this week, 6-3 Clemson the following week, and finish with 8-1 Wake Forest. Win, and you’re in the ACC title game and well on your way to a playoff berth. They got a superstar in Nate Shepherd to spearhead their push, too. First, they have to battle their former quarterback, Darian Mensah, in Miami.
25. Memphis (7-2) (Unranked Last Week) (Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Tigers had a bye this week. They’ll return to action on Thursday night against South Florida on the road in Tampa.
Playoff Projection
First Four Out: BYU (10-2), Houston (10-2), New Mexico (12-1), Liberty (12-1)
