College Football Rankings 2014: Week 10 Standings and Top 25 Team Records
If you look at the college football rankings heading into Week 10, there is a feeling of inevitable controversy that creeps in.
After all, there are 16 power-five conference teams (including Notre Dame) that are ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 with a single loss. Even if you work under the assumption that the undefeated Florida State Seminoles and Mississippi State Bulldogs will be in the College Football Playoff field, the selection committee still has to pick two more squads.
Then there is undefeated Marshall, who won’t get in the playoffs but is still racking together win after win.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
With that in mind, here is a look at the Week 10 rankings. The official Bleacher Report poll can be found here.
| 1 | Mississippi State Bulldogs (7-0) | Mississippi State Bulldogs | Mississippi State Bulldogs |
| 2 | Florida State Seminoles (7-0) | Florida State Seminoles | Florida State Seminoles |
| 3 | Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1) | Alabama Crimson Tide | Alabama Crimson Tide |
| 4 | Auburn Tigers (6-1) | Auburn Tigers | Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
| 5 | Oregon Ducks (7-1) | Michigan State Spartans | Auburn Tigers |
| 6 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-1) | Oregon Ducks | Oregon Ducks |
| 7 | Ole Miss Rebels (7-1) | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | Michigan State Spartans |
| 8 | Michigan State Spartans (7-1) | Georgia Bulldogs | Ole Miss Rebels |
| 9 | Georgia Bulldogs (6-1) | Ole Miss Rebels | Georgia Bulldogs |
| 10 | TCU Horned Frogs (6-1) | TCU Horned Frogs | TCU Horned Frogs |
| 11 | Kansas State Wildcats (6-1) | Kansas State Wildcats | Kansas State Wildcats |
| 12 | Baylor Bears (6-1) | Baylor Bears | Baylor Bears |
| 13 | Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1) | Ohio State Buckeyes | Ohio State Buckeyes |
| 14 | Arizona Wildcats (6-1) | Arizona State Sun Devils | Arizona State Sun Devils |
| 15 | Arizona State Sun Devils (6-1) | Arizona Wildcats | Arizona Wildcats |
| 16 | LSU Tigers (7-2) | Nebraska Cornhuskers | Nebraska Cornhuskers |
| 17 | Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-1) | LSU Tigers | LSU Tigers |
| 18 | Utah Utes (6-1) | Utah Utes | Utah Utes |
| 19 | Oklahoma Sooners (5-2) | East Carolina Pirates | Oklahoma Sooners |
| 20 | West Virginia Mountaineers (6-2) | Oklahoma Sooners | East Carolina Pirates |
| 21 | East Carolina Pirates (6-1) | Clemson Tigers | West Virginia Mountaineers |
| 22 | Clemson Tigers (6-2) | West Virginia Mountaineers | Clemson Tigers |
| 23 | Marshall Thundering Herd (8-0) | Marshall Thundering Herd | Marshall Thundering Herd |
| 24 | Duke Blue Devils (6-1) | Duke Blue Devils | Duke Blue Devils |
| 25 | UCLA Bruins (6-2) | UCLA Bruins | USC Trojans |
Week 10 Under-the-Radar Game to Watch: Florida State at Louisville
The Thursday night showdown between Florida State and Louisville may not be the marquee matchup on paper that the games featuring Ole Miss against Auburn, TCU against West Virginia, Utah against Arizona State and Arizona against UCLA are in Week 10, but don’t be surprised when the Cardinals keep it close.
Stranger things have happened on Thursday nights in college football, and the home crowd will be absolutely rocking throughout the game.
This is about more than just the home-field advantage, though. The Louisville defense is fourth in the nation in scoring at 14.6 points allowed per game, No. 1 nationally in total defense, No. 1 against the run and No. 10 against the pass. Louisville has won four of its last five games and has not given up more than 23 points in a single contest all year.
In fact, the Cardinals have held their six ACC opponents below their scoring average every time out.
The Florida State offense is going to have its hands full trying to reach the end zone.
Louisville is so efficient defensively because it has so many impressive individual talents. Gerod Holliman, James Sample and Charles Gaines are all in the top 11 in the ACC in passes defended, and Lorenzo Mauldin, Sheldon Rankins and Keith Kelsey are all in the top 11 in the ACC in sacks.
That combination of ruthless pass-rushers and talented secondary members allows Louisville to get pressure when it only rushes four. That makes life particularly difficult on the wide receivers trying to get open when there is safety help and only a couple of seconds until the quarterback gets hit.
Louisville defensive coordinator Todd Grantham discussed his unit, via Andrea Adelson of ESPN.com:
"I felt we had individuals who could be really good at their positions, so we talk about that as winning your one-on-one matchups. As you go through the day and you work, try to be the best at your position and if you’re the best at your position, and we can get you in one-on-one situations, you’re going to affect the game, which is good for our team. We’ve been able to get some matchups that are positive for us and those guys have made some plays.
"
The Cardinals are fresh off a 30-18 win over North Carolina State. The transitive property is too simple to apply to college football, but it still has to be mentioned that it was the same Wolfpack team that dropped 41 points on Florida State.
Brendan Sonnone of the Orlando Sentinel shared his thoughts on the defense Florida State will face on Thursday, as well as a quote from head coach Jimbo Fisher:
Considering Florida State has not scored less than 30 points this year with Winston under center and Louisville has not given up 30, something has to give.
This is also Florida State’s first game since the Notre Dame nail-biter, and clashes with Miami and Florida are waiting down the road. Between any lingering sense of relief from the Seminoles after the offensive pass interference call against the Fighting Irish and the anticipation of those upcoming rivalry games, Florida State could overlook this one.
While the majority of the focus heading into the showdown will be on the Louisville defense against the defending Heisman Trophy winner Winston and the Florida State offense, the difference in this game may be the Cardinals’ ability (or inability) to score against the Seminoles.
Louisville ranks 72nd nationally in passing yards per game and 90th in rushing yards per game, and Florida State is 29th in the country in scoring defense and has plenty of potential NFL talent on that side of the ball. Yes, the Seminoles have struggled at times defensively, but they will find a way to keep the Cardinals from scoring too often on Thursday night.
Winston will have a difficult test against the Louisville defense, but if he finds the end zone three times, that will be enough because his defense will thrive in this matchup against a middle-of-the-road Louisville offense.
Winston will do just enough to get his team yet another victory.
Prediction: Florida State 27, Louisville 20
Follow me on Twitter:
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
