• Georgia leads the way: After destroying Florida without Brock Bowers, the Bulldogs earned the top spot in this ranking.
• Oklahoma falls: Following its first loss of the season, the Sooners drop to ninth in this ranking.
• James Madison continues its rise: The undefeated Dukes now place 16th in our rankings.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
We’re officially two-thirds of the way through the 2023 college football season. We’ve also reached the point of the year where the College Football Playoff selection committee will begin dropping its weekly top-25 rankings.
Before they do that, here’s a look at how we’d rank the top-25 teams in the country. Please note that this ranking is not the same as PFF’s power rankings.
1. Georgia Bulldogs (Record: 8-0)
Week 10 Matchup: vs. No. 14 Missouri Tigers
The Bulldogs passed their first test without Brock Bowers with flying colors. Georgia dominated Florida this past weekend, 43-20, in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
Even without his top target, quarterback Carson Beck continues to shine in his first year as the starter. The junior threw for 315 yards against the Gators and his 91.2 passing grade on the season trails only Michael Penix Jr. among FBS signal-callers. Georgia will need Beck to continue excelling this Saturday against a top-15 team in Missouri, the defending back-to-back champs’ toughest test yet.
2. Michigan Wolverines (Record: 8-0)
Week 10 Matchup: vs. Purdue Boilermakers
The dialogue surrounding the Wolverines has shifted off the field entirely as Michigan is in the midst of a sign-stealing investigation.
As that cloud looms over Ann Arbor, Jim Harbaugh’s squad will try to continue its undefeated season against Purdue this Saturday. While perfect, the Wolverines still haven’t played a top-25 opponent in PFF’s power rankings this season and the Boilermakers place just 74th in that same metric.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (Record: 8-0)
Week 10 Matchup: at Rutgers Scarlet Knights
It wasn’t always pretty, but Ohio State emerged victorious from its 24-10 slugfest with Wisconsin on Saturday.
After a relatively slow start to the season, Marvin Harrison Jr. is reminding everyone why he’s a generational wide receiver prospect. The junior’s 553 receiving yards over the last four weeks lead all receivers in the country while his five touchdowns in that span pace all Power Five ones.
4. Florida State Seminoles (Record: 8-0)
Week 10 Matchup: at Pittsburgh Panthers
Florida State continued to take care of business with a 41-16 thrashing of Wake Forest.
Trey Benson did it all for the Seminoles. The running back led the team in both rushing yards (55) and receiving yards (100) while also scoring a pair of touchdowns. Florida State is sitting pretty right now as it doesn’t have to face a currently-ranked team until at least the ACC Championship Game, where it’ll likely face Louisville. If the Seminoles can avoid any slip-ups, they’ll make the College Football Playoff.
5. Washington Huskies (Record: 8-0)
Week 10 Matchup: at No. 20 USC Trojans
Washington nearly had a slip-up of its own on Saturday by struggling to a 42-33 win over a Stanford team that’s now 2-6. It was a two-point game with under two minutes left before Dillon Johnson’s touchdown sealed the victory for the Huskies.
After winning its first four games by an average of 32.8 points, Washington has won its last four by just a 6.8-point average. It’ll need a better defensive performance on Saturday as it travels to No. 20 USC in a matchup that could be between last year’s Heisman Trophy winner (Caleb Williams) and this year’s (Michael Penix Jr.).
6. Texas Longhorns (Record: 7-1)
Week 10 Matchup: vs. No. 19 Kansas State Wildcats
Texas more than survived its first game without starting quarterback Quinn Ewers, beating BYU by a commanding 35-6 final score.
However, it was a shaky debut for Maalik Murphy, as he finished with just a 60.9 passing grade in the victory. If Ewers remains sidelined with his shoulder injury, the Longhorns will need Murphy to be sharper as they face a much tougher opponent in No. 19 Kansas State.
7. Alabama Crimson Tide (Record: 7-1)
Week 10 Matchup: vs. No. 13 LSU Tigers
Alabama was able to enjoy its bye week before a massive showdown with No. 13 LSU on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide will try to exact revenge on the Tigers after losing to them in a thrilling 32-31 overtime classic a year ago. Even after Alabama lost Bryce Young to the NFL, this year’s game features two of the hottest quarterbacks in the country. Jalen Milroe’s 10.5% big-time throw rate this season leads all Power Five quarterbacks while LSU’s Jayden Daniels’ 8.5% rate sits third.
8. Oregon Ducks (Record: 7-1)
Week 10 Matchup: vs. California Golden Bears
What was supposed to be the game of the week ended up being a beatdown. Oregon clobbered then-No. 13 Utah on Saturday 35-6.
The Ducks continue to look like one of the most complete teams in the country. They’re one of six Power Five schools that are in the top 20 for both offensive and defensive EPA per play.
9. Oklahoma Sooners (Record: 7-1)
Week 10 Matchup: at Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma’s luck finally ran out on Saturday, as it fell to Kansas 38-33. It was the Sooners’ third straight one-possession game after squeaking by Texas and UCF.
If Oklahoma wants to keep its slim playoff hopes alive, it’ll need a win on the road over a red-hot Oklahoma State team that’s won four straight, including two over currently top-25 teams in Kansas State and Kansas. The tensions between these two bitter rivals are only heightened by the fact that this is the final Bedlam game for the foreseeable future as Oklahoma departs for the SEC after this season.
10. Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 7-1)
Week 10 Matchup: vs. Texas A&M Aggies
Ole Miss was able to coast to a 33-7 win over Vanderbilt this past weekend after building a 26-0 lead going into halftime.
It only gets harder for the Rebels though. They face a top-30 team in PFF’s power rankings in Texas A&M this Saturday before traveling to top-ranked Georgia.
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