NCAA Football Rankings 2016: Week 10 Standings and Analysis for Latest Polls

After a slew of upsets and tight games within the Top 25, the Week 10 Associated Press and Amway Coaches polls were certainly shaken up as several undefeated teams finally fell last weekend.

Baylor, Boise State, Nebraska and West Virginia each experienced its first loss of the season, with all three other than the Cornhuskers falling to teams that were unranked at the time. Meanwhile, the four schools at the top of each poll are now seemingly established as the cream of the crop in college football this season.

With that in mind, let us take a look at and analyze the Week 10 rankings. The full standings for each conference can also be found at NCAA.com.

It is not yet clear how synonymous the polls will be compared to the 2016 College Football Playoff standings, as the first rankings are set to be released on Tuesday. Yet, there looks to be little debate as to who the top four teams are right now as October draws to a close.

Alabama is already known as likely the best team in the nation, but Clemson, Michigan and Washington further established themselves as elite this season, and it is reflected by these four being atop both polls.

Clemson notched its second road win of the year over a top team, as the Tigers held on to beat Florida State in a roller-coaster 37-34 contest. The team also opened up the season with a win at Auburn, which is now surging as one of the best teams in the nation. 

Michigan also took down rival Michigan State on the road, while Washington earned a quality road win at Utah. With the Wolverines' top-ranked defense and the Huskies' nation-leading plus-13 turnover margin, these teams join Alabama and Clemson as four of the top five teams in terms of record strength, per Sharon Katz of ESPN Stats & Info:

However, several other teams are creeping up the polls with a chance to become possible players in the national conversation at season's end.

Auburn won its fifth straight game on Saturday, beating Mississippi 40-29 to move to 6-2 after starting the season 1-2. The Tigers controlled the line of scrimmage, as they rushed for over 300 yards for the second straight week while also wreaking havoc with their defensive front. ESPN's Danny Kanell took notice:

Head coach Gus Malzahn's team boasts a sensational rushing attack, as Kamryn Pettway leads the SEC in rushing despite taking over for the dynamic Kerryon Johnson, who missed a few weeks with an ankle injury but is now healthy. Quarterback Sean White is also playing efficiently while completing at least 68 percent of his throws four times during Auburn's current winning streak. 

Alabama has struggled with Auburn's style in recent years, as the Tigers are averaging 30.3 points per game in the pair's last three meetings. Auburn can spread the field while also pounding the rock between the tackles, which negates the Crimson Tide's ability to use their linebackers to stay inside and play off the traffic created by their defensive line and make tackles. This will be an intriguing matchup on Nov. 26, and the SEC West title could be on the line if both teams continue to win.

Florida and Oklahoma are also rising after early-season losses. The Gators are in the Top 10 of both polls, while the Sooners reside in the Top 12. At 4-1 in conference, Florida controls its own destiny in the SEC East, and it could contend for the playoff if it pulls an upset over the SEC West champion. However, the Gators have yet to notch a quality win this season, so there is no reason to believe they can accomplish that at this point.

Oklahoma is in a similar boat. Even though the Sooners are dominating in Big 12 play, the conference's strength is shaky at the moment, and the team's losses of Houston and a home blowout with Ohio State are damaging, especially considering how the Cougars have fallen off in recent weeks.

Speaking of the Big 12, it seems the league's playoff chances are all but done after a pair of Top 10 schools fell on Saturday. Baylor blew a late lead to lose 35-34 to Texas, while West Virginia left Stillwater with a 37-20 loss to Oklahoma State. This leaves Oklahoma as the top-ranked team in the Big 12, which leaves little hope for the conference to return to the playoff unless more pandemonium ensues atop the polls in the coming weeks.

Statistics are courtesy of NCAA.com.