College Football Rankings 2017: Bleacher Report's Week 10 Top 25
College football wins every single week.
On Saturday, the Top 25 featured yet another major shakeup as the Associated Press Nos. 2 and 4 went down to rattle the sport to its core yet again. Iowa State shocked TCU 14-7 to get its second win of the season over a Top Five team.
Moments later, Ohio State completed an epic comeback to upset Penn State 39-38 behind J.T. Barrett's incredible fourth quarter in which he went 13-of-13 for 170 yards and three touchdowns, shedding the "big-game choke artist" label.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Those two games were just the tip of a wild day. Unranked Houston also took down No. 17 South Florida, 28-24, handing the Bulls their first loss of the season.
Bleacher Report's Matt Hayes, David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Kerry Miller, Brad Shepard and Greg Wallace submitted ballots. A first-place vote counts for 25 points, a second-place nod is worth 24 and so on.
In addition to the poll, we highlight a team on the rise, a program heading the other direction and another school to watch. The final section provides a brief preview of Week 10's key game.
- 1. Alabama (Last week: 1)
- 2. Georgia (2)
- 3. Notre Dame (8)
- 4. Ohio State (7)
- 5. Clemson (6)
- 6. Wisconsin (5)
- 7. Penn State (3)
- 8. Oklahoma (10)
- 9. Oklahoma State (11)
- 10. Miami (9)
- 11. TCU (4)
- 12. Washington (14)
- 13. UCF (13)
- 14. Virginia Tech (12)
- 15. Auburn (19)
- 16. Stanford (21)
- 17. LSU (20)
- 18. Iowa State (NR)
- 19. USC (24)
- 20. Memphis (23)
- 21. NC State (15)
- 22. Mississippi State (NR)
- 23. South Florida (T-16)
- 24. Michigan (25)
- T-25. Toledo (NR)
- T-25. Washington State (T-16)
Others receiving votes: Arizona, Boston College, Michigan State, South Carolina
Who's Hot: No. 18 Iowa State Cyclones
As the television cameras panned over the crowd in Ames, Iowa, who rushed the field yet again after the Cyclones thumped the Horned Frogs from the ranks of the unbeaten, a "We Want Bama" sign could be seen in the sea of red.
If they played the Crimson Tide at home, who knows what kind of chaos would happen?
Second-year coach Matt Campbell continues to rebuild Iowa State in highlight-reel fashion. The Cyclones are now 6-2 with wins over Oklahoma and TCU. With games against West Virginia and Oklahoma State coming up, there will be even more chances for heroics.
They've upset two Top Five teams. To put that into perspective, the Cyclones entered the year 1-56-2 all-time against teams in the Top Five.
Former third-string quarterback Kyle Kempt continued to author his Hollywood script, completing 21 of 35 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. The Cyclones defense was stingy and opportunistic, allowing just four of 14 third-down conversions and grabbing three turnovers.
Right now, nobody wants to play the Cyclones. Unfortunately for some of the top teams in the Big 12, they still must. With stellar coaching, those big receivers and a tough defense, this is a tough out.
Who's Not: No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions
It held a convincing 35-20 lead deep into the second half, but that wasn't enough for Penn State to hang on and stake its claim as one of the nation's top teams.
Instead, Ohio State roared back in front of a raucous crowd to stun the Nittany Lions 39-38 and take charge of the Big Ten East. Now it's going to be difficult for PSU to fight back and get into the final four.
It was basically OSU returning the favor from a season ago. The Buckeyes were able to win because of Barrett, who completed his final 16 passes, threw for a total of 328 yards and rushed for 95 more. It was the kind of performance that should propel him into the discussion for postseason awards.
Meanwhile, Saquon Barkley had a Heisman moment with a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but he struggled on the ground with just 44 yards on 21 carries. It may be the type of performance that allows the field to catch him a bit in the running.
The game was in hand, and it slipped away. With the glut of one-loss teams impressing each week, now PSU has to find a way to get noticed again. This was a major squandered opportunity, and, all of a sudden, Ohio State finds itself right in the playoff mix again.
Fun Fact: No. 3 Notre Dame running back Josh Adams is a 1-man highlight reel
How good is Notre Dame junior running back Josh Adams?
Not only is he helping quarterback Brandon Wimbush turn Notre Dame into a College Football Playoff contender, but he is also quietly positioning himself as a serious contender for the Heisman Trophy.
Even Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly told the NBC Sports crew in the postgame interview that he hoped voters wouldn't cast their ballots until the end of the season. A deeper look shows just how dynamic Adams has been, according to ESPN's Adam Rittenberg:
That's an incredible statistic, and it's a big reason why the Irish are now 7-1 with a big November coming up. Adams wound up with another game of more than 200 rushing yards in a 35-14 win over North Carolina State in the second playoff elimination win in a row. Last week, he shredded USC for 191 yards and three touchdowns.
Kelly went from the hot seat to the catbird seat in just a few weeks. With upcoming games against teams like Wake Forest, Stanford and Navy, the Irish can continue to impress the committee. Right now, their only loss is a one-point setback to unbeaten Georgia, although they may have a tough test when they travel to face the No. 8 Miami Hurricanes in two weeks.
The Irish continue to prove they're for real, and Adams is a star in the making.
Keep an Eye on: Arizona Wildcats
Ever since coach Rich Rodriguez inserted dual-threat phenom Khalil Tate at quarterback, the Wildcats have been a wildly different team.
The 6'2", 215-pound sophomore signal-caller is a midseason dark horse for some Heisman consideration. He won't win the award, but he should be considered for the trip to the ceremony if he keeps doing what he's doing. There's no question he's turned the program around.
Arizona is now 6-2 and 4-1 in the Pac-12 after disposing of Washington State 58-37. This offense is elite with him at the helm; nobody has stopped him yet.
Against the Cougars, Tate threw for 275 yards, ran for 146 more and accounted for three touchdowns. This is a team that may not be on your radar yet, but it should be.
Right now, it's looking like next week's showdown against USC will be for the Pac-12 South. That's mind-boggling considering Rodriguez entered the season on the hot seat. Now, with Tate entrenched as the starter, the only thing that's red-hot is the Wildcats.
Tate took over for Brandon Dawkins in a 45-42 win over Colorado on Oct. 7. Since then, the Wildcats have beaten UCLA 47-30, California 45-44 and now Wazzu 58-37. That's putting up some unbelievable numbers.
What to Watch for: No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Oklahoma State
Bedlam is going to be a blast.
Entering Saturday's domination of No. 22 West Virginia on the road, nobody was talking about coach Mike Gundy's team after an early-season loss to TCU.
Maybe we should start paying attention again.
After a 50-39 win over the Mountaineers that was easier than the final score indicated, OSU has positioned itself nicely. Win the next two weeks over rival Oklahoma and red-hot Iowa State, and the Cowboys will look like the nation's top one-loss team.
The Cyclones' win over TCU didn't help that one loss look better, but quarterback Mason Rudolph and the Cowboys have a chance to make amends. He tossed three touchdowns against the Mountaineers, and the fact that Justice Hill was banged up didn't matter, as freshman backup J.D. King had 142 yards and a score in relief.
Oklahoma took care of Texas Tech in prime time with a 49-27 win to tune up for the hated Cowboys. Baker Mayfield looks ready as well, and next week's game should be one of the biggest offensive extravaganzas of the season.
All recruiting information via Scout. Stats from cfbstats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer Brad Shepard on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
