1 – Ohio State 7-0 – Outside of week one, the Buckeyes have dominated every game. QB Julian Sayin is getting more and more comfortable in the offense, and Ryan Day is opening up the playbook for him week by week. The defense for the Buckeyes has been impressive, ranking second and allowing 216 yards per game, while their offense is putting up 450 yards per game.
2 – Indiana 7-0 – Curt Cignetti should be the model for what every university is looking for in a head coach, aside from age. Cignetti has done nothing but win since being the head coach at JMU and now at Indiana. When talking about how he recruits top-level talent, he said, “I win, Google me.” Their defense is giving up 11 points per game while scoring 45 per game. While there is still concern with how good the Hoosiers are, due to their only notable win being Oregon in a stinker from Dan Lanning’s team, you cannot deny he wins the games he is supposed to in dominant fashion.
3 – Alabama 6-1 – Kalen DeBoer has ‘Bama looking like true title contenders. He was given heavy flack for some of the losses under his tenure following Nick Saban. Losing to Florida State in week one has done nothing but make the Tide play like juggernauts. QB Ty Simpson is a Heisman candidate due to his elite play, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards, 18 touchdowns and one interception. Alabama’s top-10 defense has some flaws with stopping big run plays, but when they get in the red zone, their defense doesn’t allow touchdowns. Opposing teams only score 64.7% of the time they are in the red zone.
4 – Texas A&M 7-0 – Some believe this may be too low for A&M due to their undefeated record, however their schedule has been easy compared to other top-10 teams. Their best win came in a 41-40 game against Notre Dame; however, they have a good chance to go undefeated with only two semi-hard games left against LSU and Texas. Similar to Alabama, they have an elite red-zone defense, allowing a score only 64.7% of the time when teams reach the red zone. While the defense is elite, the offense is middle-of-the-pack in national rankings, especially in rushing and efficiency, which could struggle in high-pressure games.
5 – Georgia 6-1 – Coming off a win against Ole Miss, Gunnar Stockton looked like a future NFL-caliber QB, hitting timely throws and using his legs to convert on key downs. Stockton had an 83% completion percentage and four touchdowns with no turnovers. While the offense for the Bulldogs is very good, their defense suffers from occasional lapses, unlike other Kirby Smart defenses. The Bulldogs will need to continue what they’re doing at a high level because the remaining schedule is brutal, with two ranked teams left to play and two more SEC games.
6 – Oregon 6-1 – Aside from their bizarre loss to Indiana, they have looked like a powerhouse and should probably be ranked higher. Dante Moore has over 1,600 yards with 19 touchdowns and four interceptions (two versus Indiana). Oregon is the No. 1-ranked defense, giving up only 151 yards per game, and the offense is top 10 with over 500 yards per game, averaging 42 points per game. Dan Lanning will have the rest of the season to show why his team should be ranked higher, with no games outside of fringe top-25 team USC.
7 – Ole Miss 6-1 – Lane Kiffin is one of the best coaches in all of football; however, his team struggled in the second half versus Georgia after dominating offensively. Trinidad Chambliss has done a good job at QB for Ole Miss, but his Division II experience has shown up in the last two games versus Washington State and Georgia. However, Chambliss overall has helped this offense be explosive, averaging 515 yards per game and scoring swiftly with big pass plays. Ole Miss averages 6.9 yards per play, a big sign of how swift the offense has been.
8 – Miami 5-1 – Miami is coming off an embarrassing loss to Louisville. Carson Beck, who had been amazing all season, threw four interceptions and came out postgame blaming his teammates. They were ranked so highly due to the two ranked wins versus South Florida and Notre Dame, who seem to have lost to a lot of teams this year. “Unproven” is a word you can use to describe the Hurricanes. Head coach Mario Cristobal has a tendency for his teams to fade at the midpoint of the season. Last season, the Hurricanes with Cam Ward started 9-0 and then lost three of the last four games, including a bowl game.
9 – Vanderbilt 6-1 – Vanderbilt is 6-1 for the first time since 1950. For the longest time, Vanderbilt was considered the easiest game of the season for SEC teams. Nick Saban famously mentioned that Vanderbilt is the only place in the SEC that isn’t hard to play. Ironically, the Vanderbilt football program seemed to change that after beating Alabama in 2024. Since then, they have a little bit of swagger, starting with QB Diego Pavia. The pathway to the College Football Playoffs only gets harder for Vanderbilt, as there are three ranked opponents left: Texas, Missouri and Tennessee.
10 – Texas Tech 6-1 – You can attribute the success to their NIL funds. Tech turned their football program into a top-15 team in college football this past offseason, reportedly spending around $28 million on their roster. Tech has been dominant this season, but I am not fully sold on them. However, they have an easy path to the CFP if they win out.
11 – Georgia Tech 7-0 – Yes, they are ranked lower than teams with one loss; that is due to their strength of schedule. The best win for Tech came against Clemson, who are not a good football team. The only noteworthy game left is against Georgia. Even if Tech goes 11-1 with their schedule, their argument to be in the CFP will be a hard one to make.
12 – BYU 7-0 – True freshman QB Bear Bachmeier has been the best true freshman QB in a while, throwing for nearly 1,700 yards and posting a 3:1 touchdown/interception ratio. BYU only has two ranked games left, versus Texas Tech and Cincinnati, which are must-win if they want to make the CFP.
13 – Oklahoma 6-1 – The only stain thus far for the Sooners is losing the Red Rivalry game, a game in which John Mateer was rushed back and played like a guy with an injured hand, throwing three interceptions. They bounced back, however, beating South Carolina 26-7. The Sooners should focus on the 2026 season. The remaining five games for Oklahoma are all ranked SEC teams: Ole Miss, Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri and LSU.
14 – Notre Dame 5-2 – After getting blown out by Ohio State in the CFP championship game, Marcus Freeman has had an issue getting his team back to dominating. Sitting at 5-2, the margin for error is thin for playoff hopes. The Fighting Irish have a cakewalk for the rest of the season. They will need to dominate the rest of the season if they want to have any chance for postseason play.
15 – Missouri 6-1 – Eliah Drinkwitz has won 50 games and only lost 25 since taking over as head coach at Missouri. Although they are not one of the powerhouses in the SEC year in and year out, they are among the better SEC teams. The Tigers have a top-eight scoring offense, averaging 41 points per game, along with a top-30 scoring defense allowing 19 points a game. Three of the last five games for the Tigers are against highly ranked teams: A&M, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt.
16 – Tennessee 5-2 – While the Volunteers have not been quite as good as last season, there are not 16 teams in college football that can beat them. They’ve lost to both Georgia and Alabama, who are top-five ranked teams. Aside from the Alabama game, they have looked good, only losing by three to Georgia, a game they would’ve won if their kicker was clutch. While playoffs are out of the picture for them, a big-time bowl game is in the cards if they can find a way to win out.
17 – Virginia 6-1 – Coming off a win that should’ve been a loss to Washington State, Virginia did not look like a top-25 team, but their record and some of the wins have kept them in. The Cavaliers have a run-first approach, with over 1,400 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns thus far. The pathway to the playoffs is for Georgia Tech to lose one game, Virginia to win out, and win the ACC championship for a bid into the CFP.
18 – LSU 5-2 – While the belief Brian Kelly should be fired is smart, LSU is still a top SEC team struggling to find its identity. With three games against Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas A&M, and having already lost to Vanderbilt and Ole Miss, a strong finish to the season will be tough and make it impossible for LSU to make the playoffs.
19 – Texas 5-2 – Texas should be in the top 10, but they aren’t due to their explosive offense being wildly inconsistent thus far. Most blame third-year QB Arch Manning, but I don’t. I think he is a good QB but has been put in tough spots. With no dominant running game and no real weapons on the outside, it is hard for a QB to play well, especially when your last name is Manning and Heisman-level numbers are expected.
20 – South Florida 6-1 – South Florida has been one of the biggest surprises of the 2025 season, starting 6-1 behind a high-powered offense that averages over 38 points per game. Quarterback Byrum Brown has been electric both through the air and on the ground, giving the Bulls a dual-threat element few defenses can handle. Their only loss came in a close battle against Miami, and with a manageable schedule ahead, USF could realistically finish with double-digit wins for the first time in over a decade.
21 – Louisville 5-1 – Louisville’s lone loss to Virginia kept them from being in the top 15, but make no mistake, this team is talented. Head coach Jeff Brohm’s offense is once again among the ACC’s best, averaging nearly 40 points a game with a balanced passing attack. The defense still struggles with consistency, but if Louisville can clean up its secondary play, they could challenge for a top bowl game spot.
22 – Arizona State 5-2 – Over the last two years, head coach Kenny Dillingham has changed what Arizona State is. Last season, going into the CFP, they were a top-four team. This season has not been nearly as good, but injuries, including star QB Sam Leavitt, have impacted them heavily. The Sun Devils’ defense has been aggressive, ranking top 25 nationally in sacks and turnovers forced, while the offense has relied on short, efficient passing.
23 – Illinois 5-2 – Illinois has turned into one of the more physical teams in the Big Ten, built around a dominant rushing attack and a defense that thrives in the trenches. Bret Bielema’s team isn’t flashy but wins with discipline, time of possession, and a hard-hitting front seven. The Illini have a chance to make real noise in the conference if they can pull off upsets against Penn State or Michigan later this season.
24 – Cincinnati 6-1 – In their third year in the Big 12, Cincinnati has made a big leap forward with improved quarterback play and a much more explosive offense. The Bearcats have won three straight since their lone loss to BYU and boast one of the top-scoring defenses in the conference. They’ll get their shot to prove legitimacy soon with an upcoming game against Texas Tech. A win will do wonders for their playoff hopes.
25 – USC 5-2 – USC has had an up-and-down season under Lincoln Riley, with flashes of elite offensive talent but a defense that continues to struggle. Quarterback Jayden Maiava has thrown for over 2,100 yards with 15 touchdowns, while the Trojans’ offense ranks second nationally in points per game at 42.4. The defense allows 23 points per game, keeping them from being a true playoff contender. Key wins, like over Michigan, show their potential, but close losses, such as to Illinois, highlight inconsistency. Their path to a top-tier bowl remains realistic, but the playoffs are out of reach.
