College Football will forever be a mystery, navigating the different conferences to the Power Five to the Group of Five. So, with the centralization of the AP rankings, it’s nice to have some sort of center. But, that would be too easy, which is why everyone reacts to these college football rankings with their own take! The top five this week has been relatively the same for the past couple of years, and this return to form is a breath of fresh air for college football. Nature is healing.
As was previously stated, the AP college football rankings are a nice center, but even they are arguably wrong at times. However, I’d say this week’s rankings stand on solid footing.
It seems that everyone and their mothers have been clamoring for both Kansas schools to join the rankings, and those wishes were granted this week. But, while some might want them higher, I do agree with their rankings as is. Georgia and Alabama share another toss at the one and two spot. Safe to say we can chalk it up to Georgia’s ability to look mortal in two consecutive weeks, whereas Alabama continues to dominate opponents (besides Texas).
Below, I will break down the college football rankings for each school:
Breaking Down the Top 25 College Football Rankings
1. Alabama
Breaking News: water is wet.
2. Georgia
I think everyone needs to see Georgia quit drinking their own Kool-aid when it comes to playing “lesser” programs.
3. Ohio State
Ryan Day continues to lead the top program in the Big Ten. Until someone knocks them off, they will always be the top team in the conference.
4. Michigan
Cue the high ranking of Michigan just for them to choke when it matters. Is this college football ranking normal for them? Yes. Do I agree with it? No.
5. Clemson
The top team in the ACC for sure, but I think that race is a lot closer than other people think.
6. USC
The Lincoln Riley effect has been magical for them. Granted, they play in the Pac-12, which is currently in shambles, and their hardest opponent was Oregon State. Take this with a massive grain of salt.
7. Oklahoma State
It appears the “little brothers” in Oklahoma have finally grown up. Okie State’s dominating performances week after week alongside Oklahoma’s degradation have made for interesting conference play in the Big 12.
8. Tennessee
Finally! Tennessee has had top recruiting classes for a while now, and it seems that its investments have finally paid off. There is finally a sigh of relief for Vols fans everywhere as success has returned to this program… for now.
9. Ole Miss
Peyton and Eli must crack jokes with each other over this week’s college football rankings. While Peyton might have the last laugh (for now), there is certainly room for Ole Miss to swing back and over the Volunteers.
10. Penn State
Penn State rounds out the top three of the Big Ten, and for good reason too. They are the only program to consistently compete with their companions like Ohio State and Michigan. But then again, if Michigan consistently chokes, does that make Penn State all that? Yes, yes it does.
11. Utah
They gave Florida a close game to start the season, but their next “real” opponents will come over the next two weeks as they face UCLA and USC, who is ranked the 18th and 6th, respectively. If they survive against them, then this ranking is justified.
12. Oregon
They beat BYU in Week 3 of this year, but other than that, have won against teams they should be winning against. Does that mean I think they are the 12th-ranked team? Absolutely not. It is way too high, in my opinion. I fully expect them to come back to reality after facing stronger conference foes.
13. Kentucky
This is just about the only time I believe in a “quality loss”. Their loss last week to ninth-ranked Ole Miss was a tough defeat to swallow. However, the SEC is called the best conference in college football for a reason. Additionally, their quarterback’s injury and fumbling should be a cause for concern for the team.
14. NC State
The Wolfpack just got handed their first loss at the hands of Clemson this past week. Their previous victories were over Connecticut, Texas Tech, East Carolina, and Charleston So… do what you will with that information.
15. Wake Forest
The fact they lost to Clemson, in overtime, shows that this team can compete. Besides having the coolest name in college football, the Demon Deacons can also walk the walk. I fully expect this team to rise in the rankings going forward.
16. BYU
For being an independent team (At the moment), they still manage to find a slew of worthy adversaries to bout against each year. For that reason, I can safely say that BYU fits the bill to be a ranked team, despite some quality losses to other ranked teams, or teams that consistently compete to fit into this category.
17. TCU
The heat is on in Fort Worth, currently undefeated and playing in the complicated Big 12, they have a hot matchup against Kansas this week. However, even though they knocked off Oklahoma last week, their schedule only gets harder from here on out.
18. UCLA
Entering the college football rankings for the first time this season, UCLA is currently undefeated. The team’s stock is soaring after beating Washington last week. While Washington falls in the rankings, UCLA rises. But, let’s see how long this lasts.
19. Kansas
Kansas, is now a football school? The Jayhawks are undefeated at the moment and want to keep it that way. They have a critical matchup against fellow Big 12 cohort, TCU, this weekend that should decide their fate in the rankings moving forward.
20. Kansas State
Is Kansas, the state, a football state now? Kansas is ranked and now Kansas State is ranked too. You read that right, my friends. Momentum is on their side as they have defeated quality teams in Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Missouri. The Wildcats aren’t playing like the wildcard anymore.
21. Washington
The fall from grace has been frustrating, to say the least. Debuting in the rankings at 18 in Week 4, the Huskies moved up to 15 in Week 5. However, after losing to UCLA last week, they slip to 21. The Pac-12 is wide open this year (for the number two spot), and I’d love for Washington to take advantage of that.
22. Syracuse
A pleasant surprise, to be sure, but a welcomed one nonetheless. Honestly, it is a breath of fresh air for the ACC to have another contender.
23. Mississippi State
In my eyes, Mike Leach can do no wrong. After toppling Texas A&M, the Bulldogs find themselves ranked, and their only loss was to fellow “rankee,” LSU. As they enter conference play, it’ll be interesting to see if they manage to stay in the polls.
24. Cincinnati
The Bearcats are back in the rankings after starting the season as the 23rd-ranked team. The Bearcats struggle from the AP’s bias towards Power-5 teams, as the Bearcats even made it to College Football Playoffs last year. However, while consistent success is hard to maintain year to year, the Bearcats have only one loss to their name this season.
25. LSU
It was not long ago that the Tigers were atop the college football rankings and holding the championship trophy. Since then, the fall was expected, but their recovery is reassuring to fans everywhere. Jayden Daniels has been fun to watch as the team is starting to build its identity in the post-championship era.
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