Graphic by the Author and Google AI
1. Miami (6-0) (Last Week #4) (Ranked #1 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
I came very, very close to having BYU jump Miami, but I try to really hold off on a team that won being jumped. Miami played a very bitter rivalry game against a desperate foe, and it took them to double overtime. They won 43-35. They did nothing wrong, so I’m not having another team jump them. Maybe I would if, say, Miami had played Notre Dame too and beat them by fewer points, but maybe not even then. The Hurricanes, like the Cougars, have a Heisman candidate at quarterback. After last year’s postseason run, it looks like Miami may finally be back. Darien Mensah and Miami host Pitt this week in Florida.
2. BYU (6-0) (Last Week #5) (Ranked #2 and #3 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Notre Dame, I am convinced, is a very good team, so I place a lot of stock in BYU’s hard-fought victory over the Fighting Irish. BYU’s defense slowed an explosive offense with a sensational quarterback, enough for their own awesome quarterback to power them to a win. Bear Bachmeier had almost three hundred yards of offense and four touchdowns against a good defense. BYU is on the road at UCF this coming week as they try to navigate being this close to the top in college football.
3. Texas Tech (6-0) (Last Week #6) (Ranked #8 and #5 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
An undefeated playoff team from 2025 that everyone outside of the Big 12 footprint seems to have forgotten about. That’s who Texas Tech is. The Red Raiders have solid wins over Houston and Oregon State, but their schedule just hasn’t impressed too many people. I don’t think Texas Tech cares and will just be content to keep winning. They will be on the road this week in Cincinnati, Ohio, against the Bearcats.
4. Utah (6-0) (Last Week #7) (Ranked #10 and #9 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Utah struggled on the road at Colorado, only beating the Buffs 27-24. But a win is a win, and the Utes are one of only six undefeated teams remaining in the FBS. Their schedule meets its rough stretch beginning with Houston at home in Salt Lake City this week. They’ll follow that up with a trip to Cincy, then be back at home against rival BYU, and then back on the road against the underrated Arizona Wildcats.
5. UCLA (6-0) (Last Week #8) (#9 and #10 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The rematch of the 1999 Rose Bowl went in the Bruins’ favor. Even with a new quarterback, UCLA defeated Wisconsin, 17-7. Ty Dieffenbach is a veteran quarterback who had a very serviceable game against Wisconsin, throwing 264 yards and leading UCLA to 384 total yards as a team. UCLA will look to stay undefeated behind Dieffenbach and star running back Wayne Knight against Michigan State this week.
6. James Madison (7-0) (Last Week #9) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
JMU demolished Georgia State, 49-22. Between Billy Napier’s resurgence, Bob Chesney at UCLA, and Curt Cignetti at Indiana, college football coaches may want to start getting their water bottled around Harrisonburg, Virginia. On Thursday night this week, they’ll play one of the original giant killers when they play Appalachian State in Boone, North Carolina. James Madison is on track to be the first Group of Six team to ever make it into the College Football Playoff in back-to-back years.
7. Ohio State (6-1) (Last Week #11) (Ranked #3 and #2 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Despite some struggles, Ohio State suffered a tremendous blow with the loss of quarterback Julian Sayin. They have this week off to try to get one of two very young quarterbacks ready to try to fill his shoes. They’ll do that at USC on Halloween.
8. Notre Dame (6-1) (Last Week #2) (Ranked #4 and #8 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
No one likes to lose, and losing such a classic in a close fashion is heartbreaking. But Notre Dame can learn a lot from this loss without having to start over. CJ Carr and Jaden Greathouse were very good against a tough BYU pass defense. The Fighting Irish will have this week off, but will be back on Halloween against Navy, before their biggest game of the year at home against Miami. If the lessons learned from the loss to BYU lead to Notre Dame defeating Miami, they might happily accept it.
9. Indiana (6-1) (Last Week #1) (Ranked #6 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Like Notre Dame, Indiana did a lot right in their loss and has a strong chance to build on it. They were inches from beating the Buckeyes, and they may have a clearer path and better chance to get to the Big Ten championship than Ohio State does. That begins for Indiana on the road in Ann Arbor this week against UM.
10. Ole Miss (5-1) (Last Week #12) (Ranked #7 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
I’m not sold on the SEC. They have their ESPN propaganda working overtime, but most people aren’t buying it anymore and haven’t been since Nick Saban retired. I think there are going to be a boatload of 9-3 SEC teams at the end of the season, and that fact will be disgustingly used to justify a 24-team playoff that no one asked for. Despite their loss to Florida, Ole Miss is the best team in this conference, and it’s because they have the most proven quarterback in Trinidad Chambliss. Chambliss and Ole Miss will have to go on the road to try to give Texas their third straight loss.
11. Iowa (5-1) (Last Week #14) (Ranked #15 and #14 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Hawkeyes had a bye this week and will be back in action against Minnesota this coming week in Minneapolis.
12. Northwestern (5-1) (Last Week #15) (#24 and #23 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Winning the Pat Fitzgerald-Aidan Chiles Bowl at Michigan State was big for David Braun and Northwestern. The Wildcats upset the Spartans in East Lansing on a field goal at the gun, 24-21. Northwestern is back home this week against Rutgers, hoping to get to bowl eligibility in only seven games.
13. Wake Forest (6-1) (Last Week #16) (#17 and #19 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Jake Dickert has done a great job in his second season at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are 6-1, with their lone loss being against top-ranked Miami. They’ve won on the road against Purdue, Louisville, NC State, and Cal. Wake Forest has a legit star in quarterback Gio Lopez. They’ll have their bye this week before a home game against Virginia.
14. Houston (6-1) (Last Week #17) (Ranked #14 and #16 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Houston got an important win at home this week when they beat Oklahoma State, 35-32 in a ranked matchup. Connor Weigman had over three hundred yards passing and five touchdowns for the Cougars. Houston has played well in every game this season, even their loss at Texas Tech. They’ll have another opportunity in a ranked matchup this week, this time out in Salt Lake City against the Utah Utes.
15. SMU (5-1) (Last Week #18) (Ranked #23 and #20 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
SMU has been winning, but their competition hasn’t looked its best. They defeated Virginia this past week, 23-13. Their remaining schedule doesn’t look too daunting outside of Wake Forest and a November trip to South Bend, Indiana, to take on Notre Dame. This week they’ll host Cal at home in Dallas.
16. Arizona (5-1) (Last Week #21) (Ranked #25 and Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Wildcats have their bye this week but will be back at home next week hosting Iowa State.
17. Tennessee (6-1) (Last Week #23) (Ranked #11 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Like so many teams (especially in the SEC) this year, you can start to believe they’re a good team until you just can’t by a head-scratching loss. While the Vols’ wins over Auburn and Alabama are looking good, their loss to Texas and barely surviving Arkansas are definitely not. Tennessee almost assuredly controls their own destiny as far as the SEC is concerned. They’ll have a road trip to South Carolina this week to try and stay near the top of the conference standings.
18. Georgia (6-1) (Last Week #3) (Ranked #5 and #4 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
A huge win for Auburn is another bump in the road for Georgia. Every time it seems like Kirby Smart and his Dawgs are ready to pick up where Nick Saban left off, they have a game like this. Over the past three years, it has led to some late-season upsets that ended Georgia’s promising years prematurely. The Dawgs have this week off and will be poised to bounce back against Florida on Halloween.
19. USC (6-1) (Last Week #24) (Ranked #16 and #15 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
SC has a bye this week. When they return on October 24th, it will be in Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium.
20. Kentucky (6-1) (Unranked Last Week) (Ranked #12 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
21. Boise State (5-1) (Unranked Last Week) (Ranked #21 and #22 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Boise State is currently one of the best Group of Six teams this season. They had a bye this past week and will have a game on Saturday at Washington State.
22. Liberty (5-1) (Unranked Last Week) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Liberty has won five in a row since falling to 7-0 James Madison 20-13 in the season opener. Jamey Chadwell’s no-huddle spread offense is improving week to week. After a bye this past week they’ll play a Weekday Conference USA game on Thursday night at Kennesaw State.
23. NDSU (6-1) (Unranked Last Week) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
North Dakota State has looked pretty solid in all six of their wins, and outside of their trip to Las Vegas, they have been nearly flawless in year one of their transition from the FCS to the FBS. They have wins over 5-2 Jacksonville State, 5-1 Air Force, and 4-3 Wyoming. Not bad for year one for this Mountain West school. They have another chance at a decent win when they hit the road to play 5-1 New Mexico this week.
24. Air Force (5-1) (Unranked Last Week) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Their only loss to the NDSU Bison, Air Force is off to a great start, too. They got a big win over UNLV this week. Their 41-31 victory gave UNLV their first conference loss of the season. The Falcons will take a short road trip up I-25 and I-80 to play at Wyoming, who is 4-3. Air Force and Cowboys will battle this Friday night in Laramie.
25. New Mexico (5-1) (Unranked Last Week) (Unranked in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Lobos are 5-1 and are really, really regretting their close loss to Oklahoma. Outside that game, their offense has been solid. They defeated Hawaii on the road this past week, 21-10. Still, like most teams this season, New Mexico is still an unknown. We’ll learn more about them when they host North Dakota State on Saturday.
On the Radar: UTSA, Western Michigan, Alabama, Florida, Texas, and LSU
Playoff Projection
