Graphic by the College Football Playoff
Week 10 CFB Top 25 Rankings
Regarding Michigan
First, I want lay the blame for this where it really is and that’s at the feet of the NCAA. There is no reason whatsoever that all of the FBS and likely all the FCS can’t have in-helmet communication from the coaches to a player on the field on offense and defense. If that weak and spineless institution had made that change long ago when it was needed this mess with Michigan wouldn’t have been possible.
I’ve had the Wolverines ranked #1 all season. You can check my rankings before this week. But in light of what’s going on there, I’m removing them from my rankings and postseason projections for the foreseeable future. If this turns out to be nothing and they keep winning then they’ll be back at the top.
The way things currently look taints their success of the last two seasons and of this one. And no, not everyone does it. While trying to decipher signs from the sideline and game film is allowed, recording opposing sidelines from the stands over extensive periods of time so they can be systematically exploited is a big deal. It’s basically like the Houston Astros. That’s why they aren’t here. There is something going on there that affects the integrity of the game.
Onto the rankings. You can find my criteria here in previous weeks’ rankings or at the bottom of this article.
1. Georgia (8-0) (Last Week #2. CFP Ranking #2) (Ranked #1 in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
Georgia crushed the Gators in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Georgia just looks like the juggernaut that they’ve been for the last three seasons. Not flashy but solid enough to beat a bitter rival by over 20 points. That’s just how Kirby Smart and the Georgia faithful like it. Up next for the Dawgs they welcome 7-1 Missouri to Athens.
2. Ohio State (8-0) (Last Week #3. CFP Ranking #1) (Ranked #3 in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Buckeyes are hard to get a bead on. The defense is playing at a very elite level. So are Marvin Harrison Jr. and TreVeyon Henderson on offense. Those to mask a lot of the warts this offense has when they get on track. They got on track in a big way in the win against Wisconsin. They should lead the way past a solid Rutgers team on the road next.
3. Florida State (8-0) (Last Week #5. CFP Ranking #4) (Ranked #4 in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Seminoles did what was expected and beat Wake Forest 41-16. Next up for them is a trip to Pitt before closing the season with rival Miami, North Alabama, and rival Florida. Jordan Travis, Trey Benson and FSU is firmly in place to go 4-0 in November and finish the regular season 12-0.
4. Washington (8-0) (Last Week #6. CFP Ranking #5) (Ranked #5 in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
Washington got back on track against Stanford. Michael Penix had over 300 yards and four touchdowns to resume his march toward the Heisman. The team to beat in the Pac-12, the Dawgs of the west visit Los Angeles to play Caleb Williams and an old west coast shootout could ensue.
5. Air Force (8-0) (Last Week #7. CFP Ranking #25) (Ranked #17 in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Falcons are 8-0 for the first time since 1985. I can’t think of a better G5 team to get to a New Years’ Six game. I only wish it was the year of the 12-team playoff because they would be a problem for someone in the first round. But I can’t get ahead of things for the Falcons, next for them is rival Army and a win would get them the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.
6. Liberty (8-0) (Last Week #8. Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
Like so many good match ups early in the year (Oklahoma-Texas, Washington-Oregon) Liberty and Western Kentucky could see each other in December for their conference crown. Liberty should be 12-0 when that potential rematch for the Conference USA Championship would occur in December. And Coach Jamey Chadwell had one of the best social media posts by an active head coach I have ever seen.
7. James Madison (8-0) (Last Week #9. Unranked in the CFP) (Ranked #23 and #24 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Dukes crack the top 25 and I’m glad folks are seeing what I’ve been saying all along and that’s that this team should be able to compete for the Sun Belt Championship and play a bowl game. They have a great defense got a big win over in-state foe Old Dominion. Next for James Madison is a trip to Georgia State.
8. Oregon (7-1) (Last Week #12. CFP Ranking #6) (Ranked #6 and #7 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Ducks dominated the Utes. They crushed whatever momentum beating USC created for Utah, in their house. Bo Nix kept his Heisman hopes alive but more importantly Oregon’s Pac-12 title, and playoff hopes alive. The Ducks have no room for error, and they played like it in Salt Lake City. Up next for them is Cal at home
9. Oklahoma (7-1) (Last Week #4. CFP Ranking #9) (Ranked #10 and #11 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Tough loss for the Sooners. The good news is they still have everything in front of them and under their control. Win out and you win the Big 12 and a playoff spot. Even Dillon Gabriel’s Heisman hopes aren’t dead. But the Sooners no longer have a margin for error. Next up for them is archrival Oklahoma State, on the road in Stillwater in the last edition of Bedlam for the foreseeable future, and the Cowboys are a hot team right now.
10. Texas (7-1) (Last Week #10. CFP Ranking #7) (Ranked #7 and #6 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Texas couldn’t have asked for a better team on their schedule for a new quarterback to start against. BYU’s defense is good enough to test Maalik Murphy and the Longhorns running game and the BYU offense has been porous enough to never really threaten Texas. Murphy was clearly in his first game but had much more good than bad and should give Texas fans hope depending on how long Quinn Ewers is out. Up next for the Horns is a tough Kansas State team at home.
11. Alabama (7-1) (Last Week #11. CFP Ranking #8) (Ranked #8 in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
Alabama was idle this weekend ahead of their rivalry game against LSU in Tuscaloosa.
12. Ole Miss (7-1) (Last Week #15. CFP Ranking #11) (Ranked #11 and #10 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Ole Miss is just doing what they need to and keep on winning. They host Texas A&M this weekend before their big road trip to Georgia. They’ll be rooting for LSU in their showdown with Alabama this weekend too.
13. Missouri (7-1) (Last Week #16. CFP Ranking #12) (Ranked #14 in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
Mizzou was idle this week. Up next for them is a trip to Athens, Georgia. The Tigers have a tough stretch with Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, and Arkansas this November.
14. Penn State (7-1) (Last Week #17. CFP Ranking #11) (Ranked #9 in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
After a bit of an Ohio State hangover the Nittany Lions came alive late to put away an Indiana team that always seems to play Penn State tough. Next up for Penn State is a reeling border rival Maryland who is desperate to end their three-game losing streak.
15. Louisville (7-1) (Last Week #18. CFP Ranking #13) (Ranked #15 in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Cards shutout the Blue Devils 23-0. They are in second place in the ACC behind Florida State who Louisville would only see in the ACC Championship game. The same goes for the team that is tied for second with them, the North Carolina Tar Heels. Big Ten fans like myself would have told you Jeff Brohm would do good things at his alma matter but even I didn’t think he’d have Louisville this good, this quickly.
16. Notre Dame (7-2) (Last Week #20. CFP Ranking #15) (Ranked #12 in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
Notre Dame is still the best two-loss team in the nation and they stomped Pittsburgh just like they should. But 51 is impressive to even me. It’s tough to rank the Irish right now. Because they have two losses but they’re to two top 15 teams. Next, they travel to a wounded, desperate, and 4-4 Clemson team that they upset last year. They only have reeling teams in Wake Forest and Stanford left after that. They could really use a conference to get into a conference championship game and have one more game for them to prove themselves it. As it is, they should get to 10-2 and be much higher in the final top 25 of 2023.
17. Tulane (7-1) (Last Week #19. CFP Ranking #24) (Ranked #21 in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
Tulane faced a tough test against a scrappy Rice team in Houston. Next they play struggling East Carolina. The Green Wave are likely to finish the regular season 11-1 and play for a second straight AAC Championship. With how good the Group of Five teams have been this year, even a 12-1 record might not be enough to get Tulane back to second straight New Years’ Six Bowl.
18. LSU (6-2) (Last Week #21. CFP Ranking #14) (Ranked #13 in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Tigers were idle this week before they’re pivotal, crucial matchup against Alabama next week. It’s a do-or-die game for LSU. They have to win for their SEC, Heisman, and Playoff hopes to stay alive.
19. Toledo (7-1) (Last Week #22. Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
Toledo was idle this week and will take on the Buffalo Bulls in some mid-week MACtion on Halloween the night these rankings come out.
20. Fresno State (7-1) (Last Week Unranked. Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Bulldogs welcome Boise State to the valley this weekend as they try to stay on track to play Air Force for the Mountain West title in December.
21. Kansas (6-2) Last Week Unranked. CFP Ranking #21) (Ranked #22 and #23 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
Kansas is one bad day against OK State from being in first place in the Big 12. That conference is wide open, even in the last year of Texas and Oklahoma. It’s a deep league and the Jayhawks are proof of that.
22. Tennessee (6-2) (Last Week Unranked. CFP Ranking #17) (Ranked #19 and #16 in the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Vols got a much-needed win over a rival by beating Kentucky. They have a couple of easier games against UConn and Vandy but still have to take on Missouri and Georgia to close out there season.
23. UCLA (6-2) Last Week Unranked. CFP Ranking #19) (Ranked #20 in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Bruins are quietly a good and contending Pac-12 team. And they’re doing it on both sides of the ball. They next travel to Tucson to take on a resurgent Arizona.
24. Kansas State (6-2) (Last Week Unranked. CFP Ranking #23) (Ranked #25 in the AP and Unranked in the Coaches Polls)
K-State looked written off after their loss to Missouri but they’re in a five-way tie for first in the Big 12 and travel Austin to take on one of the other four in Texas this weekend.
25. Miami (6-2) (Last Week Unranked. Unranked in the CFP) (Unranked in both the AP and Coaches Polls)
The Canes have a rough stretch to close 2023. First 5-3 N.C. State, then 8-0 Florida State, then 5-3 Boston College and finally 7-1 Louisville. Any further wins for the U will be earned the hardest of ways.
Game of the Week
Oklahoma at Kansas
Memphis at North Texas
Rose Bowl (Semi-Final) – Ohio State vs. Florida State
Sugar Bowl (Semi-Final) – Georgia vs. Washington
Cotton Bowl – Alabama vs. Oregon
Orange Bowl – Oklahoma vs. Penn State
Fiesta Bowl – Texas vs. Notre Dame
Peach Bowl – Louisville vs. Air Force
National Championship Georgia over Ohio State
Two-loss teams on the radar
Oklahoma State 6-2
Iowa 6-2
Jacksonville State 7-2
SMU 6-2
Troy 6-2
Rutgers 6-2
Memphis 6-2
Miami (OH) 7-2
Georgia Southern 6-2
The rankings are if the season ended today. But the bowl projections are how I think the future will shake out the rest of the season. In my rankings, wins, and losses count. I will try my best to be consistent about this and never rank a team with two losses above a team with one loss, unless head-to-head results say otherwise.
These rankings are how well a team is playing and how well they have played. Things like being undefeated count and will count all year. Plenty of one-loss teams who are top ten in talent and where they will finish aren’t here. There are certainly teams ranked that would lose to them, but those teams at the moment are having better seasons by having won all their games.
Here are the complete College Football Playoff Rankings.
