It’s back. I had some time to create a top 25 for the first week that the College Football Playoff Committee released its rankings. Mine look similar, but not the same as the CFP Top 25. I think they got the top four right, but I would swap 2 and 3 as you will see below. I have lots of college basketball coverage coming within the next few days, so stay tuned for that! Anyways, here’s my top 25:
- Tennessee (8-0) (PREV: 10)
It has been an incredible season for the Volunteers, especially with Heisman Trophy frontrunner quarterback Hendon Hooker leading the way. Tennessee was a team that was in the receiving votes area of the preseason AP Poll. Now, I think they are the best team in the country. They hold great wins over currently ranked Alabama and LSU, the latter being a 40-13 victory in Baton Rouge. While not ranked in the AP Poll currently, the Vols have wins over then-ranked Kentucky and Florida. They will travel to Athens for a mid-afternoon battle between the top two teams in the country.
- Georgia (8-0) (PREV: 1)
Georgia dominated Florida in their annual battle in Jacksonville. Since winning a close battle in Columbia against Missouri, the Bulldogs have dominated each opponent. Their best win is their first: a dominating 49-3 victory over Oregon in Atlanta. However, that stands as their only win over a team currently ranked in the top 25. That’s why they are No. 2 in my top 25. However, that could change Saturday night, with No. 1 Tennessee visiting Athens in possibly the biggest matchup of the season.
- Ohio State (8-0) (PREV: 3)
Ohio State has defeated every single opponent by more than one score so far, with their closest difference being an 11-point victory over then-ranked Notre Dame in Columbus. Their signature win was on the road this past weekend against Penn State. Quarterback C.J. Stroud is contending with Hooker for the betting favorite for this season’s Heisman Trophy. They will travel to Evanston, Illinois, to face a bad Northwestern team.
- Clemson (8-0) (PREV: 5)
Most would say the top four teams are Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State, and Michigan. However, based on their resumé, I would take Clemson as the No. 4 team in the country. They have three wins over currently ranked opponents, including Wake Forest (road), Syracuse, and NC State. They also edged Florida State in Tallahassee. They are the clear top team in the ACC. Running back Will Shipley has been the best running back since Travis Etienne. The Tigers travel to South Bend to take on Notre Dame under the lights.
- TCU (8-0) (PREV: N/A)
This will seem a little high, but I’m going based on their resumé. TCU, one of the few undefeated teams remaining, has had a terrific season, as they are the best team in the Big 12. Their best wins include a 43-40 victory over Oklahoma State and a ten-point win over Kansas State. They also pulled out a road win over Kansas and defeated then-18th-ranked Oklahoma. I love how Max Duggan has led this team. He’s my frontrunner for Big 12 Player of the Year. They will host Texas Tech with the Big Noon Saturday crew this week.
- Michigan (8-0) (PREV: 4)
I wouldn’t have been shocked if the College Football Playoff committee put Michigan in the top 4, but I think their schedule has been way too easy. Their toughest opponent was Penn State, who they blew out in the Big House. The following week, they did the same thing to their in-state rival Michigan State, 29-7. Michigan is beating up bad teams, and the next game I would circle on their schedule is November 19’s game against Illinois. Running back Blake Corum has been one of the best running backs in the country, making him a legitimate Heisman candidate. They will travel to Piscataway this weekend to take on Rutgers.
- Alabama (7-1) (PREV: 2)
I think this is the worst, at least worst-disciplined, team Nick Saban has had at Alabama in recent memory. They commit way too many penalties, shown especially in their Week 2 matchup against Texas. They came close to suffering a home loss, what would’ve been their first since losing to LSU in 2019, to Texas A&M. However, quarterback Bryce Young looked like the Heisman Trophy winner he was last year and brought the Tide to victory on a game-winning drive. However, they would lose the following week to Tennessee on a game-winning field goal that brought mayhem to Knoxville. The First Saturday of November rivalry against LSU is this weekend, a big road test for the Crimson Tide.
- Oregon (7-1) (PREV: 25)
Oregon has had quite the bounce-back. While I still do not trust Bo Nix, the Ducks have not lost since their Week 1 blowout loss to Georgia. While I think USC is a better team, Oregon has a better resumé, with wins over BYU and UCLA. They will travel this weekend to Boulder to face Colorado.
- USC (7-1) (PREV: 6)
While I think the Trojans need a quality victory, you cannot knock how talented they are. Their lone loss was a one-point loss to Utah in Salt Lake City, but they bounced back with a road win over Arizona. They don’t play anyone that is going to significantly improve their resumé until November 19 when they face cross-town rival UCLA. This Saturday they will host a night game against California.
- Ole Miss (8-1) (PREV: 23)
Ole Miss has impressed me, especially considering the fact they lost so much of their offense from last year, including quarterback Matt Corral. Their only loss comes on the road against LSU, and their best wins include at Texas A&M, and home wins against Auburn and Kentucky. They enter their bye week in preparation for their most difficult game of the season: Alabama. However, that game will be in Oxford, which gives the Rebels an advantage.
- UCLA (7-1) (PREV: N/A)
UCLA is off to another great start, with quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson leading the way. They have a signature win in a ten-point win over Utah at the Rose Bowl, but they suffered a road loss against Oregon by 15. They will travel to Tempe to face Arizona State for a night game on Saturday.
- Utah (6-2) (PREV: 17)
Utah was one of the top teams in the preseason rankings, but they have suffered two losses this season, both on the road: Florida and UCLA. Their signature win was against USC, 43-42, in Salt Lake City. Quarterback Cameron Rising, who has a QBR of 89.4 (5th in FBS), did not play in the win over Washington State. He should play in their night home game against Arizona.
- Illinois (7-1) (PREV: N/A)
Illinois has been the best team in the Big Ten West this season, which was very surprising considering they were predicted to finish sixth in the division. They have wins over Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, all in the same division. Brett Bielema has done an excellent job and their hardest matchup will be hosting Michigan State on Saturday.
- Penn State (6-2) (PREV: 21)
Penn State fell to Ohio State as the Buckeyes came from behind in the fourth quarter, but the Nittany Lions put up a great fight against one of the best teams in the country. Their two losses came against the two best Big Ten teams, the other loss being at Michigan in a blowout. They have road wins over Auburn and Purdue, with their best home win in the whiteout game against Minnesota. Their strength of schedule is great, but they don’t have a signature victory. They will travel to Bloomington on Saturday to take on Indiana.
- North Carolina (7-1) (PREV: N/A)
The Tar Heels have a great shot to get to Charlotte, as they are the best team in the ACC Coastal Division. Drake Maye could be the ACC Player of the Year, and their best win was at Miami (FL). Their only loss was at home against Notre Dame, but the toughest part of their schedule is coming up with games against Wake Forest and NC State. They defeated Pittsburgh this past weekend, 42-24.
- Kansas State (6-2) (PREV: N/A)
If the season ended today, Kansas State would be in the Big 12 Championship. Nebraska transfer Adrian Martinez has not thrown a pick so far this season, but the key player is running back Deuce Vaughn, who has rushed for 902 yards and five touchdowns so far this season. The Wildcats own the state of Oklahoma, defeating the Sooners and Cowboys this season. Their two losses come against Tulane (the best team in the Group of 5), and TCU. They will host Texas in a top-25 night game.
- Oklahoma State (6-2) (PREV: 13)
Oklahoma State is a good football team, but they’re not good enough to be the best like I thought they could be in the Big 12. The Cowboys suffered their second loss of the season this past weekend against Kansas State, where they were held to zero points scored. Their best win was in Stillwater, where they beat Texas by a touchdown. The other loss comes against the currently undefeated TCU Horned Frogs. Quarterback Spencer Sanders, so far, has passed for nearly 2200 yards and 15 touchdowns, with five interceptions. The Pokes will travel to Lawrence to face Kansas.
- LSU (6-2) (PREV: N/A)
The College Football Playoff Committee over ranked LSU so that Alabama-LSU could be a top-10 matchup. They’re not a top-10 team. Their best win came this weekend as they defeated Ole Miss, 45-20. They also have wins over Auburn, Florida, and Mississippi State. Their two losses come against Florida State and Tennessee. Quarterback Jayden Daniels leads the team in passing and rushing. However, that means I cannot trust the Tigers to be as good as the CFP Committee believes they are. Brian Kelly needs to prove that his team is worth their top-10 ranking on Saturday against Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide.
- Tulane (7-1) (PREV: N/A)
The Green Wave are the top team in the Group of 5. No one expected that sentence to be true, especially when their only loss is bad: to Southern Miss. Their best win was at Kansas State, but they also have wins over Houston and Memphis. They are in first place in the American Athletic Conference, which no one expected. Tulane will have the toughest part of the schedule, which includes games against UCF and Cincinnati. However, this weekend they will travel to Tulsa to take on the Golden Hurricane.
- Wake Forest (6-2) (PREV: 14)
Wake Forest looks like last year’s team: strong offense, weak defense. That won’t get them to Charlotte, especially with Clemson in full control in the Atlantic Division now. They have wins over Liberty and Florida State, but their most recent game was a bad, blowout loss to Louisville. The question that needs to be asked is: will the Demon Deacons bounce back against NC State in Raleigh? They lost to them last year, but the Wolfpack are now without quarterback Devin Leary. With three straight matchups against ranked opponents, Wake Forest faces the most difficult part of the schedule. The other loss came in a close battle with Clemson, who’s currently No. 4 in the CFP ranking.
- Syracuse (6-2) (PREV: N/A)
While Syracuse is in second place in the ACC Atlantic Division, I believe they are just behind Wake Forest overall. They have key wins over Purdue and NC State, but they have slowed down after beginning the season 2-0. The Orange have lost back-to-back games now against Clemson and Notre Dame. Quarterback Garrett Shrader has been a strong quarterback in the ACC this season, passing for 1636 yards, 14 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. However, the real star is the normally-pleased running back Sean Tucker, who has rushed for 758 yards and seven scores so far this season. Syracuse will travel to Steel City to take on Pittsburgh, desperate to get back into the win column.
- NC State (6-2) (PREV: 18)
The Wolfpack are without preseason ACC Player of the Year Devin Leary, which is a major loss for NC State. Their best wins have come against Texas Tech and Florida State, but that’s not enough for them to be more respected. NC State has Wake Forest in Raleigh on Saturday night, with North Carolina at the end of the season as their two remaining big matchups.
- Oregon State (6-2) (PREV: N/A)
I’m still sitting here questioning how Oregon State is a top-25 team when they are 5th in the Pac-12. The Conference of Champions, as UCLA legend Bill Walton loves to say, has been full of great teams this season, and Oregon State has been the biggest surprise. Their two losses come against USC and Utah, two teams that could be in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Their best win is against Washington State, but they could change that Friday night as they travel to Seattle to take on Washington.
- Texas (5-3) (PREV: 20)
Texas is a more talented team than their record shows, with Quinn Ewers at quarterback, Bijan Robinson as one of the top running backs in America, and wide receiver Xavier Worthy. All three of their losses were tough challenges: Alabama, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma State. They shut out Oklahoma in Dallas, which is a rarity in the great rivalry. They will travel to Manhattan on Saturday. Not the borough in New York, but Manhattan, Kansas, to take on Kansas State. The Longhorns can improve their resumé if they win out. They also have games against TCU, Kansas, and Baylor remaining.
- UCF (6-2) (PREV: N/A)
UCF is the best team in Florida, and they proved that statement with a key home victory over Cincinnati. If conference championships were this week, the Knights would travel to New Orleans to take on Tulane, as they are second in the American Athletic Conference standings. UCF has losses against Louisville and East Carolina but also has wins over Georgia Tech and SMU. They will travel to Memphis to take on the Tigers, but the key matchup in the conference is on November 12, when UCF faces Tulane in Louisiana.
Calhoun's Corner 