What if I told you that Miami and SMU were tied atop the ACC standings? Or that BYU was alone leading the Big 12? And what about this nugget: Five SEC teams have one league loss atop the conference.
Saturday was a wild one. Five ranked teams lost to unranked foes: No. 10 Texas A&M (South Carolina), No. 11 Iowa State (Texas Tech), No. 11 Clemson (Louisville), No. 17 K-State (Houston) and No. 24 Illinois (Minnesota). Three unbeatens fell, including Penn State (Ohio State).
The upsets left us with some wacky and unexpected power conference standings. With A&M’s loss, the SEC has no undefeated teams in league play, and the Big 12 is down to just one unbeaten (BYU). In the ACC, the Hurricanes and Mustangs now just need to win out to meet in the ACC championship game (neither plays a ranked team the rest of the way and they don’t play one another). As for the Big Ten, it’s Oregon (expected) and Indiana (unexpected).
The Cyclones, Nittany Lions and Panthers all fell from the unbeaten ranks, leaving five perfect teams in the FBS: Oregon, Miami, BYU, Army (yes, Army) and Indiana (yes, Indiana).
And what of the Group of Five? Louisiana (Sun Belt), Boise State (Mountain West) and Tulane (American) all won weekday games to remain in the hunt for the CFP’s G5 access spot. On Saturday, Army joined them, keeping its dream season alive with a win over Air Force to move to 8-0. But Navy and Memphis likely catapulted themselves out of CFP contention with upset losses to Rice and UTSA, respectively.
Enough of this talk, though. Let’s get to the Top 10!
1. Oregon Ducks
This week: beat Michigan 38-17
Next week: vs. Maryland
You’ve had a good day offensively when your quarterback throws for 294 yards, your running back runs for 117 and your receiver catches 149 yards in passes. That’s what the Ducks had against a talented Michigan defense. Oregon has gotten better as the season goes. Dan Lanning’s team feels like the most complete in football right now.
2. Georgia Bulldogs
This week: beat Florida 34-20
Next week: at Ole Miss
Even with a third-string quarterback, the Gators exposed the Bulldogs. That is concerning. QB Carson Beck threw three interceptions, and Georgia needed a late interception to seal things. The game was tied with five minutes left! Still, Kirby Smart’s group has some of the best wins of the year (vs. Clemson, at Texas). And another opportunity for a quality victory comes next week in Oxford.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
This week: beat Penn State 20-13
Next week: vs. Purdue
On the shoulders of a stellar defensive performance — including a goal line stand — Ryan Day and the Buckeyes passed the Beaver Stadium test (again). QB Will Howard got his redemption against his home-state team too. It wasn’t pretty, but Howard “willed” Ohio State to a big win, he said. Day’s group failed in their first road top-five matchup of the season last month (at Oregon). That wasn’t the case Saturday.
4. Miami Hurricanes
This week: beat Duke 53-31
Next week: at Georgia Tech
The Blue Devils and former Miami coach Manny Diaz visited Hard Rock and led 28-17 midway through the third quarter. And then the Hurricanes blew through in a big way. They outscored Duke 36-3 the next quarter and a half, led by QB Cam Ward, who hit receivers for 66- and 49-yard touchdowns.
5. Indiana Hoosiers
This week: beat Michigan State 47-10
Next week: vs. Michigan
The Curt Cignetti Show’s ninth act included the Hoosiers’ first deficit of the season. Have no fear. Down 10-0, QB Kurtis Rourke and Co. ended the game on a 47-0 run. It was the seventh time in nine games that Indiana — now 9-0 — eclipsed the 40-point mark. Cignetti’s team will get their toughest two defensive tests the next two weeks: a home game against Michigan and a road duel at Ohio State.
6. Penn State Nittany Lions
This week: lost to Ohio State 20-13
Next week: vs. Washington
An 11th straight loss to an AP top-five team doesn’t keep the Nittany Lions out of the top 10. In fact, in hanging with the Buckeyes, they perhaps proved that they are playoff caliber. However, there are issues. Like, for instance, offensive weapons on the outside that aren’t named Tyler Warren. James Franklin needs to find more options for his QB as the season progresses.
7. BYU Cougars
This week: Bye
Next week: at Utah
The Holy War looms. But this battle isn’t shaping up to be the top-25 showdown many projected earlier this season. The Utes enter the game on a four-game losing streak, but there’s nothing like a good rivalry game to enliven them. How good would it feel for Utah to be the team to snap BYU’s unbeaten run? The Cougars have played with fire a bit this season, especially in a nailbiter against Oklahoma State.
8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This week: Bye
Next week: vs. Florida State
Nothing to see here. Just the Irish, in prime position to capture an at-large berth in the expanded playoff. Notre Dame has four games left and just one of those, Army, is ranked. Brace yourselves: An 11-1 Notre Dame team is getting an at-large spot into the playoff, and perhaps even hosting a game as a Nos. 5-8 seed. Remember, in the 12-team format, the Irish cannot earn one of the top four seeds and a first-round bye. Those are only reserved for conference champions.
9. Texas Longhorns
This week: Bye
Next week: vs. Florida
The Longhorns make their reappearance in our top 10 after this Saturday’s shakeup. Are they top-10 material? Texas’ best win might be at Vanderbilt. But they’ve got plenty of opportunities ahead, including that season-ending tangle with the Aggies. First up, a home game against a Gators team playing better.
10. SMU Mustangs
This week: beat Pitt 48-25
Next week: Bye
Surprised? Don’t be. The Mustangs have wins at Louisville, at Duke and just shellacked the previously unbeaten Panthers. They are real. Their only loss is a three-point home defeat to our No. 7 team, BYU. Rhett Lashlee’s team edged out Boise State for our last top-10 spot. We like the Broncos, too! It was close.
Dropped out: Clemson (6), Texas A&M (10)
