College Football Rankings Week 10: B/R's Official Top 25
With another unbeaten biting the dust, we are down to two power-conference teams without a loss. As a result, figuring out the top two teams in the Bleacher Report Top 25 wasn't a tall task.
It's much tougher to sift through the growing list of quality one-loss teams to determine who should be third, fourth and beyond. And with the College Football Playoff selection committee releasing its first rankings Tuesday, this was the last chance to make an impression on those decision-makers.
The Bleacher Report Top 25 is voted on by 19 members of Bleacher Report's college football team: writers Keith Arnold, Ben Axelrod, Phil Callihan, Michael Felder, Justin Ferguson, Kyle Kensing, David Kenyon, Ben Kercheval, Adam Kramer, Brian Leigh, Brian Pedersen, Barrett Sallee, Brad Shepard, Erin Sorensen, Marc Torrence and Greg Wallace, as well as editors Eric Bowman, Hunter Mandel and Max Rausch.
Each voter submits their ballots based on observations made during the just-completed week's games. Teams receive 25 points for a first-place vote, all the way down to one point for being ranked 25th, and then the top 25 vote-getters are ranked in order of their point totals.
Check out Bleacher Report's Week 10 poll, then give us your thoughts in the comments section.
Others Receiving Votes
1 of 26
Stanford put together its best offensive output of the season in a 38-14 home win over Oregon State, rebounding from scoring just 10 points a week ago in a loss at Arizona State.
Behind 277 passing yards and three total touchdowns from quarterback Kevin Hogan, along with a 50-yard punt return TD from Ty Montgomery, the Cardinal set themselves up for next week's showdown at Oregon for the Pac-12 North title.
- UCLA (11)
- Colorado State (8)
- Boise State (6)
- Louisville (6)
- Missouri (5)
- Georgia Tech (3)
- Stanford (2)
- Wisconsin (2)
25. USC Trojans
2 of 26
Week 9 result: Lost, 24-21, at Utah
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 at Washington State
Poll points: 18
Last week's ranking: 19th
USC (5-3, 4-2 Pac-12) gave up a one-yard touchdown pass with eight seconds left to fall in Salt Lake City late Saturday night.
The Trojans got 264 passing yards and two touchdowns from Cody Kessler, while Javorius Allen ran for 101 yards. Adoree' Jackson had a 100-yard kickoff return, while Nelson Agholor had 10 catches for 110 yards.
24. Duke Blue Devils
3 of 26
Week 9 result: Bye
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 at Pittsburgh
Poll points: 36
Last week's ranking: 25th
Duke (6-1, 2-1 ACC) is all alone atop the Coastal Division after Pittsburgh and Virginia both lost at home on Saturday. But the Blue Devils' hold on that top spot might not last long, as they play their next two games on the road.
Duke entered the weekend ranked fifth in scoring defense, allowing 15.1 points per game.
23. Marshall Thundering Herd
4 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 35-16, vs. Florida Atlantic
Week 10 matchup: Bye
Poll points: 67
Last week's ranking: 21st
Marshall (8-0, 4-0 Conference USA) registered a season low in points but remained unbeaten thanks to a school-record 272 rushing yards and four touchdowns from running back Devon Johnson.
Johnson, who has run for 1,203 yards and 15 TD this season, had scoring runs of 62 and 66 yards. But it was quarterback Rakeem Cato's 21-yard TD pass to Tommy Shuler late in the third quarter that put the Thundering Herd up for good at 21-16.
It was the 40th straight game that Cato has thrown a TD pass, extending his own FBS record.
22. Clemson Tigers
5 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 16-6, vs. Syracuse
Week 10 matchup: Bye
Poll points: 77
Last week's ranking: 22nd
Clemson (6-2, 5-1 ACC) got three Ammon Lakip field goals and a fourth-quarter touchdown pass by Cole Stoudt to win its fifth straight in a defensive struggle.
The Tigers outgained Syracuse, 375-170, but only led, 9-6, until Stoudt found Stanton Seckinger on a 19-yard TD pass with 14:28 left in the fourth. Stoudt threw for 209 yards on 24-of-35 passing, with the TD and two interceptions.
Wayne Gallman added 101 rushing yards, and the Tigers intercepted Syracuse quarterback AJ Long twice.
21. West Virginia Mountaineers
6 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 34-10, at Oklahoma State
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 vs. TCU
Poll points: 117
Last week's ranking: 23rd
West Virginia (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, then used defense in the second half to pace a key conference road victory.
A week after shutting down Baylor, the Mountaineers held Oklahoma State scoreless over the final 38 minutes and forced two takeaways. One of those, an interception, was returned 52 yards by Dravon Henry for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Clint Trickett threw for 238 yards on 21-of-30 passing with two touchdown passes in the first quarter, including a 79-yard scoring strike to Mario Alford. Wendell Smallwood added 132 rushing yards, and Dreamius Smith scored on a 40-yard run in the fourth quarter.
20. East Carolina Pirates
7 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 31-21, vs. Connecticut
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 at Temple
Poll points: 125
Last week's ranking: 16th
East Carolina (6-1, 3-0 American) had a subpar effort in a Thursday-night home game against a team that's yet to beat an FBS opponent this season, getting just enough big plays from senior quarterback Shane Carden to avoid an embarrassing loss.
Carden threw for 445 yards and two touchdowns on 38-of-64 passing, with Justin Hardy catching 14 balls for 186 yards and a score to move into second place on the FBS all-time receptions list with 327. He's 22 behind former Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles for the record.
The Pirates led, 14-0, midway through the first quarter before seeing UConn tie it at 14 in the third quarter and 21 later in the frame. East Carolina then scored 10 points in the final 6:15 to hold on for the victory.
19. Oklahoma Sooners
8 of 26
Week 9 result: Bye
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 at Iowa State
Poll points: 130
Last week's ranking: 18th
Oklahoma (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) has dropped two of three games since a 4-0 start, falling by a point at home to Kansas State a week ago after normally reliable kicker Michael Hunnicutt missed two field goals (one late in the fourth quarter) and had an extra point blocked.
The Sooners have gotten 10 rushing touchdowns from freshman running back Samaje Perine, while quarterback Trevor Knight has managed only nine TD passes and a 59 percent completion rate. They travels to an upset-minded Iowa State this week before getting Baylor at home in a huge Big 12 clash on Nov. 8.
18. Utah Utes
9 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 24-21, vs. USC
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 at Arizona State
Poll points: 146
Last week's ranking: 20th
Utah (6-1, 3-1) got a one-yard touchdown catch by Kaelin Clay with eight seconds left to knock off USC in a back-and-forth game that featured defensive and special teams scores.
The Utes got near the goal line on the play before when quarterback Travis Wilson scrambled and dove for the end zone, but he was ruled out just before scoring. Wilson threw for 194 yards and a touchdown, adding 27 rushing yards.
Utah took an early 7-0 lead less than a minute into the game when Davion Orphey scooped up a fumble on what USC thought was an incomplete pass and returned it 53 yards for a score. The Utes also got a 24-yard touchdown run from Devontae Booker, who finished with 102 yards.
17. LSU Tigers
10 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 10-7, vs. Ole Miss
Week 10 matchup: Bye
Poll points: 159
Last week's ranking: Not ranked
LSU (7-2, 3-2 SEC) knocked Ole Miss from the ranks of the unbeatens with a defense-driven effort, intercepting Bo Wallace near the goal line with two seconds left after taking its only lead of the game just five minutes earlier.
Anthony Jennings hit Logan Stokes for a three-yard touchdown pass with 5:07 left, the final play of a 13-play, 95-yard drive on which every other play was a rush.
"Once again, crazy (stuff) happens in Les Miles games...it's like he casts a spell on his opponents sometimes," tweeted Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports.
The Tigers had 406 yards but committed four turnovers as they struggled to maintain drives against Ole Miss' Landsharks defense. That put huge pressure on their defense, which held the Rebels to 313 yards and limited Wallace to 176 yards and a TD on 14-of-33 passing.
LSU's defense made two major stops in the fourth quarter: the interception (when Ole Miss opted to run a play instead of attempting a 47-yard field goal), and with 1:44 left when Wallace was swarmed by tacklers on a sneak on 4th-and-1 at the LSU 47-yard line.
Leonard Fournette had 113 rushing yards, while Jennings was 8-of-16 for 142 yards with the TD and two interceptions.
16. Nebraska Cornhuskers
11 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 42-24, vs. Rutgers
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 vs. Purdue
Poll points: 182
Last week's ranking: 17th
Nebraska (7-1, 3-1 Big Ten) got another record-setting performance from Ameer Abdullah to move into a tie for first in the West Division (combined with Minnesota's loss at Illinois).
Abdullah compiled a school-record 341 all-purpose yards, which gave him 6,604 for his career to move into second on the Big Ten all-time list. The senior running back rushed for 225 yards and three touchdowns, including TD runs of 53 and 48 yards early in the second quarter to give the Cornhuskers a 21-7 lead.
"Every time I step on the field, whether practice or games, I'm always creating memories here," Abdullah told The Associated Press, h/t ESPN.com. "These are always things I'm going to remember, coming here and playing football for this great university."
Tommy Armstrong Jr. threw for 163 yards and two TD, adding a 16-yard TD run.
15. Arizona Wildcats
12 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 59-37, at Washington State
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 at UCLA
Poll points: 186
Last week's ranking: 15th
Arizona (6-1, 3-1 Pac-12) jumped out to a 31-0 lead and got five passing touchdowns from freshman quarterback Anu Solomon.
Solomon threw for 294 yards on 26-of-38 passing, hitting five different receivers for scores. Two of those receivers, DaVonte' Neal and Cayleb Jones, also scored touchdowns on special teams, with Neal returning a punt 81 yards for a score in the first quarter and Jones bringing back an attempted onside kick in the fourth quarter.
Terris Jones-Grigsby added 107 rushing yards, and the Wildcats intercepted two throws from Connor Halliday on a night when he threw for 489 yards and attempted 79 passes.
14. Arizona State Sun Devils
13 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 24-10, at Washington
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 vs. Utah
Poll points: 217
Last week's ranking: 14th
Arizona State (6-1, 4-1 Pac-12) blew a 10-0 halftime lead but got a seven-yard touchdown pass from Taylor Kelly to Gary Chambers with three minutes left for its third straight win.
Kelly, making his first start since suffering a foot injury in mid-September, threw for 180 yards and two touchdowns, but his lone interception was returned for a TD for Washington's only score. The Sun Devils only gained 285 yards, but their defense held Washington to 290 yards and intercepted Troy Williams twice.
The second pick, in the final minute of the game, was brought back 61 yards by Armand Perry for a game-icing TD.
13. Ohio State Buckeyes
14 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 31-24 (in 2 OT), at Penn State
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 vs. Illinois
Poll points: 258
Last week's ranking: 12th
Ohio State (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten) got two rushing touchdowns from quarterback J.T. Barrett in extra time, then sealed the road victory with Joey Bosa's second sack of Christian Hackenberg on fourth down in the second overtime.
The Buckeyes were up, 17-0, before seeing their lead evaporate when Penn State got a 31-yard field goal from Sam Ficken with nine seconds left. In the first OT, Barrett scored on a five-yard run to force a second extra session, then gave OSU the lead for good with a four-yard scoring run.
Barrett ran for 75 yards but only threw for 74 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions on 12-of-19 passing. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 109 yards and a TD, and OSU recorded five sacks and held Penn State to 16 rushing yards to post its fifth straight win.
12. Baylor Bears
15 of 26
Week 9 result: Bye
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 vs. Kansas
Poll points: 261
Last week's ranking: 13th
Baylor (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) is coming off its first loss of the season, a 14-point setback at West Virginia where its offense sputtered and its defense failed to slow down the opponent. The Bears still lead the nation in total offense (579 yards) and are second in scoring (49 points per game), but those numbers have been blunted by major penalty issues.
The Bears commit 10.9 penalties for 104.6 yards per game, both worst in the FBS, and at West Virginia, they committed a school-record 18 penalties for 215 yards.
11. Kansas State Wildcats
16 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 23-0, vs. Texas
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 vs. Oklahoma State
Poll points: 285
Last week's ranking: 11th
Kansas State (6-1, 4-0 Big 12) avoided a letdown after its big win at Oklahoma the week before, posting its fourth straight victory and first shutout in conference play in 11 years.
Jake Waters did not throw a touchdown pass, but his 224 yards on 19-of-30 passing balanced well with rushing touchdowns from DeMarcus Robinson and Charles Jones. The Wildcats also got three field goals from Matthew McCrane, who is 6-of-6 on kicks since taking over the job in late September.
K-State held Texas to 196 yards, handing the Longhorns their first shutout loss since 2004.
10. TCU Horned Frogs
17 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 82-27, vs. Texas Tech
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 at West Virginia
Poll points: 311
Last week's ranking: 10th
TCU (6-1, 3-1 Big 12) had its best offensive performance in school history, getting seven touchdown passes from Trevone Boykin as part of a 785-yard team effort.
The Horned Frogs scored the most points against an FBS team since Wisconsin had 83 in a 2010 win over Indiana. TCU turned a 31-20 lead midway through the second quarter into a 61-20 advantage with 7:51 left in the third after Ty Slanina scored on a 57-yard TD pass from Boykin. Boykin finished with 433 yards on 22-of-39 passing.
Josh Docston and Deante' Gray each caught two TD passes, with Gray hauling in a 92-yard score. TCU added 305 rushing yards, getting 105 apiece from Aaron Green and Trevorris Johnson.
9. Georgia Bulldogs
18 of 26
Week 9 result: Bye
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 vs. Florida (in Jacksonville)
Poll points: 322
Last week's ranking: 9th
Georgia (6-1, 4-1 SEC) had a bye that came after two very impressive road wins, claiming victories at Missouri and Arkansas despite not having leading rusher Todd Gurley because of an indefinite suspension for alleged NCAA violations.
Freshman Nick Chubb ran for 345 yards and three touchdowns in Gurley's place. With the school having applied for Gurley's reinstatement during the break, the Bulldogs could have a two-headed monster in the backfield for the annual World's Largest Cocktail Party game against Florida.
Also showing great play of late has been Georgia's defense, which has two shutouts this season and ranks 16th nationally in total defense.
8. Ole Miss Rebels
19 of 26
Week 9 result: Lost, 10-7, at LSU
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 vs. Auburn
Poll points: 327
Last week's ranking: 3rd
Ole Miss (7-1, 4-1 SEC) put the ball in its senior quarterback's hands, hoping to get within range for a potential game-tying field goal or a winning touchdown. Instead, Bo Wallace fell back into his old pattern of ill-timed throws, and as a result, the Rebels are no longer undefeated.
Wallace was picked off near the goal line with two seconds left, throwing into double coverage on a play that was called by coach Hugh Freeze instead of giving kicker Gary Wunderlich a try at a 47-yard field goal that could have forced overtime.
The Rebels were held to only 313 yards, and after Wallace's first-quarter touchdown pass to Cody Core, they punted on seven straight possessions. Ole Miss then turned it over on downs with 1:44 left, when Wallace was stuffed on a 4th-and-1 near midfield. After getting it back with 1:19 remaining, Wallace was picked off.
Wallace was 14-of-33 for 176 yards with the TD and interception, while Ole Miss allowed 406 yards, including 264 on the ground.
7. Michigan State Spartans
20 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 35-11, vs. Michigan
Week 10 matchup: Bye
Poll points: 371
Last week's ranking: 7th
Michigan State (7-1, 4-0 Big Ten) once again dominated Michigan, retaining Paul Bunyan's Axe thanks to three rushing touchdowns from Jeremy Langford and a punishing defense.
Langford had 177 yards on 35 carries, scoring on runs of two, one and five. The last came in the final minute of play, a dagger in the hearts of the Spartans' rival that prompted complaints of running up the score from Michigan fans, according to Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports.
"Michigan fans upset that State didn't show mercy and take a knee may be the program's lowest moment," Wetzel tweeted.
Connor Cook threw for 227 yards and a 70-yard touchdown pass to Tony Lippett, while RJ Williamson scored on a 29-yard interception return. The Spartans held Michigan to 186 yards overall and just 65 on the ground, a year after holding the Wolverines to minus-48 rushing yards in a 29-6 win.
6. Oregon Ducks
21 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 59-41, at California
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 vs. Stanford
Poll points: 390
Last week's ranking: 8th
Oregon (7-1, 4-1 Pac-12) won a track meet on Friday night in a game played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, topping 50 points for the first time since its season opener.
The Ducks had 590 yards of total offense, with Marcus Mariota accounting for 362 yards and five touchdowns. Though he threw his first interception of the season, it had little bearing on his overall game as he threw for 326 yards and five TD. Mariota threw two touchdowns apiece to Dwayne Stanford and Pharaoh Brown, with Stanford's 24-yard TD catch in the final minute of the first half giving Oregon a 38-28 lead.
Royce Freeman added 112 rushing yards and two scores, and Charles Nelson scored on a 58-yard punt return.
5. Auburn Tigers
22 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 42-35, vs. South Carolina
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 at Ole Miss
Poll points: 395
Last week's ranking: 5th
Auburn (6-1, 3-1 SEC) won a back-and-forth battle at home, getting the go-ahead score on a Nick Marshall nine-yard run with 11:22 left to avoid losing two straight.
Marshall scored three rushing touchdowns, part of his 89 yards on the ground, while completing 12-of-14 passes for 139 yards and a TD. Cameron Artis-Payne rushed for 167 yards and a score, while Ricardo Louis scored on a 75-yard run. All told, the Tigers ran for 395 yards.
Auburn's defense was torched for 402 passing yards by South Carolina's Dylan Thompson, who tossed five TD passes. The Tigers trailed or were tied for all of the first half, but after going into halftime knotted at 21, they opened the third quarter with a four-yard Nick Marshall TD run and never fell behind again.
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
23 of 26
Week 9 result: Bye
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 vs. Navy (in Washington, D.C.)
Poll points: 401
Last week's ranking: 6th
Notre Dame (6-1) continues a stretch of three games on the road after a home-heavy first half of the season, facing a Navy team that's back at full strength after dealing with injuries earlier this year.
The Fighting Irish were an offensive penalty away from beating defending champ Florida State on the road last week, but even in the loss showed a lot of fight and garnered much praise from across the country. But Everett Golson was both lauded for his playmaking and criticized for his continued mistakes, as the quarterback has turned the ball over 11 times in his last four games.
Notre Dame's defense will get a major test from Navy's rushing attack, but so far, it's fared well on the ground, ranking 12th nationally in rushing defense.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide
24 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 34-20, at Tennessee
Week 10 matchup: Bye
Poll points: 422
Last week's ranking: 4th
Alabama (7-1, 4-1 SEC) jumped out to a 27-0 lead after 18 minutes, as Amari Cooper set the single-game school record for receiving yards with a monster first quarter.
Cooper, who finished with 224 yards and two touchdowns on nine receptions, had 185 yards and both of his scores in the opening quarter thanks to 80- and 41-yard TD passes from Blake Sims. Sims finished with 286 yards on 14-of-24 passing.
Derrick Henry and T.J. Yeldon each scored a rushing TD for the Crimson Tide, who now have a week off before their annual clash with LSU. Henry's 28-yard scoring run with 13 seconds left in the third quarter gave Alabama a 34-17 lead.
2. Florida State Seminoles
25 of 26
Week 9 result: Bye
Week 10 matchup: Oct. 30 at Louisville
Poll points: 458 (six first-place votes)
Last week's ranking: 2nd
Florida State (7-0, 4-0 ACC) got a much-deserved rest after its thrilling win over Notre Dame the week before, but now the Seminoles head out on one of their toughest remaining road trips with a Thursday visit to a strong Louisville team.
FSU has won 23 straight games, though this season it has three wins by six points or less. Quarterback Jameis Winston has been putting up big numbers, having to do so without much of a run game to work with. The Seminoles defense is allowing 93 more yards per game than in 2013.
If FSU gets past Louisville, its remaining slate looks very beatable. A likely undermanned opponent in the ACC title game would almost ensure it makes the national semifinals.
1. Mississippi State Bulldogs
26 of 26
Week 9 result: Won, 45-31, at Kentucky
Week 10 matchup: Nov. 1 vs. Arkansas
Poll points: 469 (13 first-place votes)
Last week's ranking: 1st
Mississippi State (7-0, 4-0 SEC) held serve in its first game since being ranked No. 1, never trailing but never leading by more than 14 points.
It was more of the same for the Bulldogs, with Dak Prescott gaining 304 yards of total offense with three touchdowns, and bowling-ball-style running back Josh Robinson grinding out 198 rushing yards and two scores. MSU gained 542 yards but allowed Kentucky to amass 504, the third game this season it has yielded more than 500.
Dan Wolken of USA Today said the Bulldogs defense might become a liability as the season moves on:
"One school of thought has been that Mississippi State's defensive numbers were skewed because the Bulldogs had been up big in so any games that opponents just abandoned their gameplans and started chucking it all over the field. But in this game, which was more closely contested, Kentucky racked up 504 total yards and had touchdown plays of 67 and 58 yards.
"
MSU's lead was cut to 38-31 with 2:31 left, but then Christian Holmes returned what was meant to be an onside kick 61 yards for a clinching touchdown.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
