Amway College Football Poll 2019: Top 25 Rankings for Week 10
The contenders are starting to separate themselves from the pretenders.
On Saturday, a number of teams proved they deserve to be considered the former with big-time wins, while a handful of other teams made their ways to the latter designation. And the latest Amway Coaches Poll reflects those results.
Below we will take a look at the Week 10 poll, along with breaking down the Week 9 games that had the biggest impacts on the rankings.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Rankings
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Clemson
4. Ohio State
5. Penn State
6. Florida
7. Georgia
8. Oregon
9. Oklahoma
10. Utah
11. Baylor
12. Auburn
13. Minnesota
14. SMU
15. Michigan
16. Notre Dame
17. Wisconsin
18. Cincinnati
19. Iowa
20. Appalachian State
21. Boise State
22. Wake Forest
23. Memphis
24. Texas
25. Kansas State
Dropped from rankings: Arizona State.
Recap
Bring on Alabama vs. LSU.
We may have to wait until Nov. 9 for the crucial showdown between the Crimson Tide and Tigers—a matchup that will almost assuredly decide the SEC West and have enormous implications for the College Football Playoff—but both teams reminded the college football world they are legitimate contenders Saturday.
Alabama, despite playing without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, rolled Arkansas 48-7, while LSU put another statement win on its resume, beating Auburn 23-20.
For both teams, the quarterbacks came up huge. Mac Jones was excellent in relief duty for the Crimson Tide, finishing 18-of-22 for 253 yards and three touchdowns. That was more than enough for an Alabama defense that was dominant, forcing four turnovers and holding Arkansas to just 213 total yards.
There were major question marks about how Jones would perform in Tagovailoa's stead. But the pressure clearly didn't get to him.
"I felt really prepared and we were prepared," he said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "It's football and I've been playing since I was 5 and everybody around me has been playing since they were 5. So no big deal."
LSU's Joe Burrow kept his name in the Heisman conversation, meanwhile, with another big-time performance Saturday. Burrow did it through the air (32-of-42 for 321 yards, a touchdown and an interception) and on the ground (13 rushes for 31 yards and a score).
"We showed toughness today," Burrow said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "It was not a pretty win by any means. SEC games aren't going to be pretty. When you can come out on top of a top-10 team and feel like you could have played better, it's always a good thing."
Not every team can call their Week 9 performance a good thing, however. Oklahoma saw their playoff aspirations take a major hit with a shock 48-41 loss to Kansas State. Wisconsin's playoff hopes are dead after they were rolled 38-7 by Ohio State. And Michigan buried Notre Dame's playoff dreams with a 45-14 thrashing, compounded by a beatdown on social media after the contest.
But while Wisconsin and Notre Dame already had one loss coming into Saturday, Oklahoma had been unblemished. That made Saturday's defeat—highlighted by a controversial ruling on late-game onside kick attempt—all the harder to stomach for the folks in Norman and all the sweeter for the Wildcats.
"Oklahoma isn't a team that is used to facing adversity very well," Kansas State defensive end Wyatt Hubert said after the game, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "If you can put their backs against the wall, things are going to go more smoothly."
Oklahoma couldn't handle having their backs against the wall Saturday. Two SEC teams will have the chance to prove they can in Week 10, with a major showdown looming.
The SEC East may be decided when Georgia travels to Gainesville to face Florida. That game should also have major playoff aspirations, with the loser all but out of the discussion and the winner giving themselves the inside track at the SEC Championship Game, which serves as another statement contest for the College Football Playoff committee to consider.
Beyond that, a major showdown in the American Athletic Conference will have reverberations on the rankings in general when the undefeated SMU faces one-loss Memphis. It's a crucial AAC West showdown, and another statement win from SMU would surely vault them even further up the rankings.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
