College News & Analysis

College Football Week 10: Top 25 Rankings

University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) calls out a play during the first half of the NCAA Division I football game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch Ncaa Football Ohio State Buckeyes At Penn State Nittany Lions

Ohio State: The Buckeyes are at the top after beating No. 13 Penn State.

Georgia and Tennessee: They sit at second and third, respectively, setting up for the biggest game of the year this weekend.

Oregon: The Ducks crack the top 10 thanks to quarterback Bo Nix making a massive improvement from last season.

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Week 10 promises the biggest game of the year between top-ranked Georgia and No. 2 Tennessee, although neither takes the top spot in these latest rankings. 

Please note this ranking is not the same as PFF’s power rankings.


1. Ohio State Buckeyes (Record: 8-0, AP Ranking: 2nd)

Week 10 Matchup: at Northwestern Wildcats

Ohio State needed superhuman performances from a pair of sophomores to escape an upset from then-No. 13 Penn State.

Marvin Harrison Jr. caught 10 of his 12 targets for 185 yards and 10 first downs against the Nittany Lions, accounting for 52% of Ohio State’s passing game. 

Edge defender J.T. Tuimoloau had two interceptions (one of which was a pick-six), a strip-sack (that he recovered), a batted pass (that was intercepted) and a tackle for loss. That otherworldly performance earned him a 93.6 overall grade for the game, the highest in his career by 13 points. 

2. Georgia Bulldogs (Record: 8-0, AP Ranking: 1st)

Week 10 Matchup: vs. No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers

The Bulldogs took care of business in their rivalry game, beating Florida 42-20. 

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party serves as a mere appetizer for what should be the biggest game of the year this weekend. Top-ranked Georgia hosts No. 2 Tennessee, only the third time in the past 15 years that No. 1 faced No. 2 in the regular season.

Regular season meetings between top-ranked teams since 2007
Date #1 Team #2 Team Result
11/05/2011 LSU Alabama LSU 9-6 (OT)
11/09/2019 LSU Alabama LSU 46-41
11/05/2022 Georgia Tennessee ?

3. Tennessee Volunteers (Record: 8-0, AP Ranking: 2nd)

Week 10 Matchup: at No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs

The other half of the game of the year, Tennessee continues to look like an absolute buzzsaw.

The Volunteers destroyed No. 19 Kentucky, 44-6, for their fifth win over a ranked team, more than anyone else in the country. If Tennessee can secure a sixth this weekend, it should sit at the top of the next ranking. That hasn’t happened since 1998, the last time the Volunteers were national champions.

4. Michigan Wolverines (Record: 8-0, AP Ranking: 4th)

Week 10 Matchup: at Rutgers Scarlet Knights

There doesn’t seem to be anyone in the country who can stop Blake Corum right now. The junior’s 93.3 grade beats out all other FBS running backs right now. Against rival Michigan State, he picked up 177 rushing yards and two total touchdowns with 118 yards after contact.

The Doak Walker Award favorite will try to keep it rolling against Rutgers, which has allowed the 11th-lowest EPA per run among Power Five defenses. 


5. Clemson Tigers (Record: 8-0, AP Ranking: 5th)

Week 10 Matchup: at Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Clemson was off this past weekend but has a massive road test this week against Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish come in at No. 20 in this ranking despite being unranked in the latest AP poll, thanks to a convincing 41-24 road win over then-No. 16 Syracuse. Notre Dame is currently the seventh-best team in PFF’s power rankings, pointing to a potential upset on Saturday night.

6. Alabama Crimson Tide (Record: 7-1, AP Ranking: 6th)

Week 10 Matchup: at No. 15 LSU Tigers

Like Clemson, Alabama is coming off its bye week and has a big game on the road this weekend.

No. 15 LSU is also coming off a bye but did put together a  massive win over then-No. 7 Ole Miss a couple of weeks ago, 45-20. In that game, quarterback Jayden Daniels scored five total touchdowns and finished with an 87.6 grade for the week. The Crimson Tide will need to contain him to avoid being potentially knocked out of playoff contention for good.

7. TCU Horned Frogs (Record: 8-0, AP Ranking: 7th)

Week 10 Matchup: vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders

TCU is likely the Big 12’s final hope to make the College Football Playoff. The Horned Frogs are the only team in the conference without two or more losses. In the playoff’s eight-year history, a two-loss team has never been invited.

Leading TCU to its best start in seven years is an elite connection between Max Duggan and Quentin Johnston. Duggan is the Big 12’s highest-graded quarterback so far (86.3), while Johnston is currently the top receiver on PFF’s 2023 NFL Draft big board

8. Oregon Ducks (Record: 7-1, AP Ranking: 8th)

Week 10 Matchup: at Colorado Buffaloes

The Ducks looked dead in the water after their season-opening 49-3 loss to Georgia, but they’ve managed to keep swimming with seven straight wins.

Bo Nix has finally shown why he was a five-star quarterback recruit. In his first three years at Auburn, he had just a 74.5 grade. This season, he sits at an 88.1 mark. 

9. USC Trojans (Record: 7-1, AP Ranking: 9th)

Week 10 Matchup: vs. California Golden Bears

USC endured a nailbiter over Arizona, winning 45-37 in what should’ve been a blowout. Heading into this week, the Wildcats were the sixth-worst Power Five team in PFF’s power rankings.

Much like his time at Oklahoma, head coach Lincoln Riley has the offense to compete for a national championship. In fact, one can argue that the Trojans' offense is the best in the country right now. However, the defense is another story.

Comparing USC’s offense to USC’s defense
Unit EPA/play FBS Rank
USC offense 0.320 1st/131
USC defense 0.039 97th/131

USC’s playoff dreams are still alive because of its offense, but the defense will need to step up if those dreams will come to fruition. 

10. Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 8-1, AP Ranking: 11th)

Week 10 Matchup: Bye

Quinshon Judkins is the best true freshman in America right now. 

His 87.4 grade is the highest among Power Five true freshmen by four points. His 59 forced missed tackles are the third-most by an FBS running back, behind only Bijan Robinson and Chase Brown

11. Illinois Fighting Illini (Record: 7-1, AP Ranking: 14th)

12. Penn State Nittany Lions (Record: 6-2, AP Ranking: 16th)

13. UCLA Bruins (Record: 7-1, AP Ranking: 10th)

14. Utah Utes (Record: 6-2, AP Ranking: 12th)

15. Kansas State Wildcats (Record: 6-2, AP Ranking: 13th)

16. LSU Tigers (Record: 6-2, AP Ranking: 15th)

17. Oklahoma State Cowboys (Record: 6-2, AP Ranking: 18th)

18. North Carolina Tar Heels (Record: 7-1, AP Ranking: 17th)

19. Texas Longhorns (Record: 5-3, AP Ranking: NR)

20. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Record: 5-3, AP Ranking: NR)

21. Arkansas Razorbacks (Record: 5-3, AP Ranking: NR)

22. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Record: 6-2, AP Ranking: 20th)

23. Mississippi State Bulldogs (Record: 5-3, AP Ranking: NR)

24. Tulane Green Wave (Record: 7-1, AP Ranking: 19th)

25. Syracuse Orange (Record: 6-2, AP Ranking: 22nd)

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