The latest rankings keep the teams of the top 5 in college football, with a changed order. Clemson have dropped three places to number 5, Alabama maintain their number one position, while Florida State, Ohio State and Michigan each move up one spot. The only new team to the top 10 is Louisville, while Georgia fall out of it despite not losing.
However, their abysmal win over Nicholls State dropped them 7 spots. Clemson couldn’t make things easy against Troy, hence the 3-spot drop. Florida are back in the rankings after manhandling Kentucky, while Arkansas upsetting a ranked TCU team on the road put them in the top 25 for the first time this season. TCU were dropped for that loss, as were previously positioned #22 Oklahoma State after losing to Central Michigan at home.
Dropped from rankings: TCU, Oklahoma State
For Louisville, who play against #2 Florida State next weekend, it’s the first time in the top 10 since October 2013, when Teddy Bridgewater was still playing for them, and they were off to an undefeated start. Arkansas haven’t been ranked for almost a year, but their impressive wins to start the season have been enough to get them noticed. TCU are out of the rankings for the first time since September 2014, which probably suggests, despite their disappointing start to the season (giving up 82 points in two games), what a great job Gary Patterson has done since moving to the Big 12, if anyone is still surprised.
Besides newcomers or returning teams to the poll, the biggest rise was for both Iowa and Texas A&M, 3 spots. The Hawkeyes beat up Iowa State 42-3, with Kirk Ferentz making his record against the Cyclones 9-9, which is surprising considering the overall difference between the two programs. The Aggies beat an FCS team 67-0, yet still moved up three spots. Houston also shutout an FCS foe, but it didn’t help them move up in the world.
Conference rankings:
- SEC: 8
- Big Ten: 5
- ACC: 4
- Pac-12, Big 12: 3
- American: 1
Notre Dame are also in the polls, the only Independent. Alabama are the only SEC team in the top 10. The Big Ten has 3 teams in the top 10, just like the ACC. The Pac-12 has two teams.