Week 7 was highlighted by Purdue’s upset win over Iowa. Many other teams had big wins including Oklahoma State, Georgia, Baylor and Auburn. Outside of Georgia at number one, chaos has reigned supreme in college football. Here is how I sorted out the top FBS teams heading into Week 8.
1. Georgia (7-0, 5-0) ↔️
Georgia continues to pick up quality win after quality win. They have five top 50 wins on their resume. Their defense is the best in the nation by far which allows their offense to have some breathing room. This team is the favorite for the National Championship even with Stetson Bennett at quarterback.
2. Cincinnati (6-0, 2-0) ⬆️1
Cincinnati slides up a spot after Iowa’s loss. The Bearcats have dominated their two conference games against Temple & UCF. They need to win that late November game against SMU, who is the only remaining top 50 team on Cincy’s schedule.
3. Oklahoma (7-0, 4-0) ⬆️1
Oklahoma’s offense has experienced a renaissance with Caleb Williams under center. Their defense was exposed against Texas & they did give up 529 yards to TCU. The Sooners will really be tested in November when they play Baylor, Iowa State & Oklahoma State.
4. Michigan (6-0, 3-0) ⬆️1
Michigan moves up one spot due to Iowa’s loss. The Wolverines play Northwestern this week before they travel to East Lansing for a huge showdown with Michigan State.
5. Oklahoma State (6-0, 3-0) ⬆️9
Oklahoma State has really proved themselves in their past two wins over Baylor & Texas. The Cowboys have a great defense & a great running back in Jaylen Warren. All of their remaining games are winnable until they play Oklahoma in the final week of the season.
6. Michigan State (7-0, 4-0) ↔️
Michigan State had another sloppy win on Saturday. They do find a way to win every single week. However, the Spartans don’t have a win over a top 50 team. Four out of their five remaining games are against top 50 opponents.
7. Alabama (6-1, 3-1) ⬆️2
Alabama made a statement at Mississippi State this week. They have looked like the number two team in the country most of the season, but the loss to Texas A&M hurts them. The Tide have four straight home games until they play at Auburn in Week 13.
8. Penn State (5-1, 2-1) ↔️
The status of Sean Clifford is still unknown. Penn State’s season depends on his health. Luckily, they just had their bye week & will play Illinois this week. The Nittany Lions travel to Columbus the week after in a pivotal game.
9. Kentucky (6-1, 4-1) ⬇️2
Kentucky’s undefeated season came to end at Georgia on Saturday. However, they did score two touchdowns, which no other team can say. The Cats have a great defense & they have some offensive weapons. Don’t be shocked to see them end the year with only one loss.
10. Oregon (5-1, 2-1) ↔️
Oregon has not been winning pretty. They had to hold off Cal in the final minute to win. Their win against Ohio State still has them in the playoff picture. The Ducks have a tough game at UCLA this Saturday.
11. Ohio State (5-1, 3-0) ↔️
Ohio State has looked way better in their past few games. They have a tough schedule ahead with four out of their remaining six games against top 50 teams. The other two games are at Indiana & at Nebraska.
12. Ole Miss (5-1, 2-1) ↔️
Ole Miss somehow got out of Knoxville with a win. Sure, the refs had a big influence in the game, but winning on the road in the SEC is always tough. There is a very realistic chance that Ole Miss wins out. Their toughest games are at Auburn & vs Texas A&M.
13. Coastal Carolina (6-0, 2-0) ↔️
Coastal Carolina had a bye week this week. The Chants will have their toughest game of the season at Appalachian State on Wednesday.
14. Wake Forest (6-0, 4-0) ⬆️1
Wake Forest also had a bye week. The Demon Deacons have a trap game against a physical Army team on Saturday. They also have a tough month of November with games against North Carolina, NC State, Clemson & Boston College.
15. SMU (6-0, 2-0) ⬆️1
SMU is back in action on Thursday after their bye week. They will play an inconsistent but dangerous Tulane Green Wave. The Mustangs play two top 50 teams in Houston & Cincinnati later in the season.
16. Iowa (6-1, 3-1) ⬇️14
The Hawkeyes looked terrible on offense in their loss against Purdue. If their defense is having an off game, the offense is not good enough to put them in a position to win. However, they can still win the Big Ten West.
17. Notre Dame (5-1) ↔️
Notre Dame will take on USC on Saturday coming off of their bye week. They still have a quarterback competition, so hopefully they used the bye week to figure out who the quarterback will be.
18. Auburn (5-2, 2-1) ⬆️3
Auburn picked up a great win on the road at Arkansas. Bo Nix has really improved week to week. The Tigers also have two great running backs. They should be able to keep putting up points. Also, their only two losses are against top 10 teams in Georgia & Penn State.
19. NC State (5-1, 2-0) ⬆️3
NC State picked up a great road win in a tough environment at Boston College. The Wolfpack control their own destiny in the ACC Atlantic. Their matchup against Wake Forest on November 13th is a must win.
20. UTSA (7-0, 3-0) ⬆️3
UTSA dominated Rice on Saturday. The Roadrunners keep winning football games. Their next two games against Louisiana Tech and one loss UTEP will show us who UTSA really is.
21. Baylor (6-1, 3-1) ⬆️9
Baylor picked up a really good win against BYU on Saturday. Their offense has looked great in their last two games. Dave Aranda has done a great job in just his 2nd season with the Bears.
22. Pitt (5-1, 2-0) ⬆️7
Pitt had a solid road win over Virginia Tech this week. Kenny Pickett is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation & he is in the Heisman conversation. These Panthers are definitely the favorite in the ACC Coastal.
23. Clemson (4-2, 3-1) ⬆️2
Clemson survived in the Carrier Dome. The Tigers only two losses are to a solid NC State team & the best team in the nation in Georgia. They only lost to the Dawgs by a touchdown as well.
24. San Diego State (6-0, 2-0) ⬆️7
The Aztecs had an unexpected tough battle at San Jose State on Friday. They needed double overtime to take down the Spartans. SDSU has a huge game at Air Force this week.
25. BYU (5-2) ⬇️6
BYU lost their 2nd straight game this week to Baylor. They are still in the top 25 because of their two top 50 wins over Utah & Arizona State. BYU will have another chance to beat a Pac 12 opponent this week at Washington State.
26. Utah (4-2, 3-0) ⬆️22
Utah bolts up the top 50 after their huge win over Arizona State. The Utes are now in firm control of the Pac 12 South. They will play another top 50 opponent this week when they travel to Corvallis.
27. Arizona State (5-2, 3-1) ⬇️7
Arizona State completely fell apart in the 2nd half against Utah. The Sun Devils have a solid win over UCLA & their only two losses are to Utah & BYU. They have a lot of winnable games left.
28. Arkansas (4-3, 1-3) ⬇️10
That 1-3 conference record looks bad on paper, but the Hogs lost to Georgia, Ole Miss & Auburn. Those three teams are all in the top 20. Arkansas also has a quality win over Texas A&M. The schedule does get easier from here on out.
29. Texas A&M (5-2, 2-2) ⬆️3
The Aggies backed up their win over Alabama with a dominant victory at Missouri. Spiller & Achane both had over 100 yards. Texas A&M has another winnable game against South Carolina this week.
30. Air Force (6-1, 3-1) ⬆️10
Air Force had a big win at Boise State on Saturday. The Falcons have a tough game at home against San Diego State on Saturday. That game should be one of the best games in Week 8.
31. Purdue (4-2, 2-1) ⬆️20
Purdue had the best win of the weekend as they traveled to Kinnick Stadium & beat the number two team handily. The Boilermakers also own a top 50 win over Oregon State. Purdue does still have to play Michigan State & Ohio State from the Big Ten East.
32. Nevada (5-1, 2-0) ⬆️1
Nevada is currently on a three game win streak after they beat Hawaii. The Wolf Pack have a number of tough games remaining. That includes Fresno State, San Diego State & Air Force.
33. Houston (5-1, 3-0) ⬆️1
Houston is one of the hottest teams in the country. They will take their five game winning streak into their game at home against East Carolina on Saturday. After that, they will have a critical game against SMU on October 30th.
34. Boston College (4-2, 0-2) ⬇️8
Boston College was disappointing in their home loss to NC State. They were not very competitive in the 2nd half. The Eagles need a win & they have plenty of opportunities coming up against Louisville, Syracuse, Virginia Tech & many others.
35. Fresno State (5-2, 2-1) ⬆️2
Fresno State had a dominant shutout win over Wyoming this past weekend. They also own a win over UCLA. The Bulldogs have a tough game against Nevada on Saturday. That is one of the more underrated games on the slate.
36. UCLA (5-2, 3-1) ⬆️5
UCLA picked up a solid road win over Washington. However, they are 0-2 against top 50 teams with those losses coming against Fresno State & Arizona State. The Bruins have a chance to change that when they host Oregon on Saturday.
37. Texas (4-3, 2-2) ⬇️13
Texas lost their 2nd straight game on Saturday. Luckily for them, they still have a quality win over Louisiana. The Longhorns have a chance to pick up another solid win at Baylor on October 30th after their bye week.
38. Louisiana (5-1, 3-0) ⬆️4
Louisiana had a huge win on Tuesday over Appalachian State. They were dominant that whole game. The Ragin Cajuns will take their five game win streak into Arkansas State on Thursday night.
39. Texas Tech (5-2, 2-2) ↔️
Texas Tech beat Kansas with ease on Saturday. The Red Raiders own a top 50 win over Houston from Week 1. They still have the toughest part of their schedule in front of them with games against Oklahoma, Oklahoma State & Baylor.
40. Iowa State (4-2, 2-1) ⬆️11
Iowa State picked up a great road win at Kansas State on Saturday. They will have a chance at beating a top 10 opponent this week when they host Oklahoma State. We will really know who they are after this week.
41. UTEP (6-1, 3-0) ⬆️9
UTEP keeps winning football games. Dana Dimel has done a great job in a tough place to be successful. They host undefeated UTSA on November 6th. Keep your eye on the Miners.
42. Virginia (5-2, 3-2) ⬆️4
The Cavaliers shut out Duke 48-0 on Saturday. They are on a three game win streak & have a tough stretch ahead. Virginia still has to play BYU, Notre Dame & Pitt, who are all top 50 teams.
43. Florida (4-3, 2-3) ⬇️15
Florida had an embarrassing defensive display at LSU over the weekend. They need to consider making coaching changes for next season. The Gators have a bye week before they play Georgia in Jacksonville.
44. Tennessee (4-3, 2-2) ⬇️9
Tennessee showed that they could hang with a top 15 team in Ole Miss. The Vols have a tough three game stretch starting this Saturday at Alabama. They have to travel to Lexington to play Kentucky & then they are at home against Georgia.
45. Liberty (5-2) ⬇️18
Liberty probably had the most embarrassing loss of the weekend. They were 32.5 point favorites against UL Monroe & lost by 3. Malik Willis took himself out of the Heisman race after he threw three picks. The Flames play at North Texas this week.
46. UAB (5-2, 3-0) ⬆️3
UAB is one of three undefeated teams in the CUSA West. They shut out Southern Miss this past week. The Blazers have another winnable game against Rice this week before they enter a tough November schedule.
47. Oregon State (4-2, 2-1) ↔️
The Beavers had a bye week to recuperate after their loss to Washington State. Oregon State has a tough home game against an inspired Utah team this week. If they win, that would be their first top 50 win of the year.
48. Minnesota (4-2, 2-1) ⬆️3
Minnesota picked up a solid win over Nebraska, who gave Michigan & Michigan State trouble. That loss to Bowling Green still hurts their ranking, but the Golden Gophers win over Purdue is looking better.
49. Appalachian State (4-2, 1-1) ⬇️13
Appalachian State were completely dominated by Louisiana last Tuesday. They need to bounce back because they have a shot at a big win over Coastal Carolina on Wednesday night.
50. Northern Illinois (5-2, 3-0) ⬆️1
Northern Illinois is the only team in the MAC without a conference loss. The Huskies also beat Georgia Tech in Week 1. NIU has a visit to Mt. Pleasant on Saturday to take on a tough Central Michigan team.
On the Horizon
Western Michigan
LSU
Maryland
North Carolina
Utah State
Army
Washington State