NCAA Football Top 10 Poll - Week 10

 

 

1. Ohio St

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the best team in college football. Entering Week 9, the Buckeyes had the highest Football Power Index in the nation, putting them over Michigan and Georgia by a fairly significant margin. The Buckeyes avoided a hangover one week after beating Penn State, winning at Wisconsin by two touchdowns. Plus, the Buckeyes’ offense has been producing through injuries to key players. Quarterback Kyle McCord wasn’t great, although wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. was. And the Ohio State defense was once again tremendous, which has been the case all year. Victories over Notre Dame – on the road – and against Penn State further demonstrate why Ohio State has earned the No. 1 spot in our college football rankings for the last three weeks.

2. Michigan

I dropped Michigan from the No. 1 spot because of their popcorn schedule. It’s totally embarrassing. The Michigan Wolverines don’t have a win over a ranked opponent this season, but they are continuing to dominate in the midst of the biggest scandal in college football this season. Fortunately for Jim Harbaugh and J.J. McCarthy, they can cross off that last remaining hole on their resume in Week 11 with a victory against Penn State. Next week, the Wolverines play Purdue before taking a fascinating road trip to Penn State. While the Nittany Lions are at home, we’ll always bet on Harbaugh and McCarthy against a James Franklin-coached team.

3. Georgia

The Georgia Bulldogs aren’t the same without Brock Bowers, but Kirby Smart and Co. have proven countless times they can overcome injury. Life without tight end Brock Bowers started off on the right foot. Georgia clobbered Florida 43-20, moving to 8-0. On Saturday, Georgia’s offense did just that. Carson Beck racked up over 300 yards through the air, with Ladd McConkey stepping up for a huge performance. Between that and a strong ground game with a defense still playing at a high level, Georgia has equaled Michigan in our eyes when comparing the top teams in the nation. The Bulldogs enter a fascinating stretch of games, starting with a home matchup against Missouri. The following week, Georgia plays Ole Miss before taking a road trip to Tennessee.

4. Washington
 
 For the second week, Washington struggled mightily against lesser competition. This is it for the Washington Huskies. Led by Michael Penix Jr., head coach Kalen DeBoer’s program has won 15 consecutive games since October 15, 2023. It’s been all thanks to one of the best offenses in college football over the last two years. Penix remains a frontrunner according to the latest Heisman odds. The Huskies are unbeaten, although the signs are concerning. Now, the Huskies head into their most challenging stretch with matchups against the USC Trojans, Utah Utes and Oregon State Beavers.
 
5. Florida St

Florida State made quick work of Wake Forest, cruising to a 41-16 win. The Florida State Seminoles offense put on a clinic this Saturday against Wake Forest. Travis, one of the leading Heisman candidates, had one of his best performances through the air in 2023 with Trey Benson and Keon Coleman coming through with big performances. Plus, the Seminoles’ defense played well. For the Seminoles, everything is still in front of them. They’ll play at Pittsburgh next, and they’ll be a favorite in every remaining game. With two quality wins on the year already, Florida State can now go for style points as it controls its destiny in the CFP race.

6. Alabama
 
 Nick Saban has had much better teams, but this one has heart and spunk. The bye week came at the perfect time for the Alabama Crimson Tide, providing a banged-up team with much-needed rest. Plus, Alabama’s offense showed a lot more life in its Week 8 victory over Tennessee and that second-half performance provided a lot to build from. LSU’s high-power offense is coming to town, and the environment promises to be one of the best we get all season. This is a yearly ritual and a massive football game all at once. As long as the Crimson Tide’s offensive line holds up against LSU’s pass rush, the Crimson Tide should roll to victory in Week 10.
 
7. Oregon

The Oregon Ducks needed a signature win on Saturday to sustain any slim hope of sneaking into the CFP picture. The Ducks traveled to Utah, and they responded with an emphatic win that showcased their talent and depth on both sides of the ball. In a tough spot on the road against the Utah Utes, the Ducks came through in emphatic fashion thanks to Bo Nix. With Texas missing Quinn Ewers, the Ducks move up a few spots. There are meaningful games still to come, but there’s only one road game remaining. This team feels like a real threat at the moment.
The path to even making the top five is difficult, but the Ducks can at least have a shot if they head into the Civil War (Nov. 24) with a 10-1 record.

8. Ole Miss

The victories are rarely pretty for the Ole Miss Rebels, but they do have wins over two ranked opponents this season and entered Saturday 13th in FPI. The next two games will tell us plenty. Ole Miss plays Texas A&M and at Georgia, which will ultimately swing this ranking up or down. The Rebels are rarely going to win in dominating fashion and that likely includes next Saturday’s matchup at home against Texas A&M. If Lane Kiffin’s program wants more national recognition, it will need to pull off a stunner in Georgia on Nov. 11. We wouldn’t count on that happening, but Quinshon Judkins at least gives Ole Miss a shot.

9. Oklahoma

The effort we saw last Saturday in a two-point victory over Central Florida carried over into Week 9. And after beating Texas just a few short weeks ago, the team was rocked. There will be a lot of finger-pointing in Norman after Saturday, with quarterback Dillon Gabriel shouldering some if not most of the responsibility. Our biggest takeaway, though, is Brent Venables’ reputation as a brilliant defensive mind has not translated to much on-field success by his defense in recent weeks. It doesn’t get immediately easier. Oklahoma heads to Oklahoma State for a massive rivalry game. The Sooners’ playoff hopes are effectively toast.

10. Texas
 
The Texas Longhorns should be favored in every remaining game on their regular-season schedule and victories will keep them in the top 10. When stacking up the best teams in college football, though, that’s where the Quinn Ewers injury really hurts.
Despite playing without its starting QB, Texas destroyed BYU. Backup QB Maalik Murphy wasn’t perfect, but he did account for two touchdowns. While he’s not out for the season, starting a very inexperienced quarterback always significantly reduces a team’s margin for error in each game and that puts Texas at risk of an upset loss. In a massive week of games, Texas has a doozy. The Longhorns welcome surging Kansas State to town, and a win will not be easy.