Horns Down: Texas Falters, Allowing a Big Ten Team to Claim the Number One Spot

 

It didn't matter who played quarterback, the Longhorns had no answer for Georgia.

    

    Another stunning weekend is over and the SEC was rocked by another Saturday of huge matchups. It was the underdogs (if you could call them that) who came out on top as Georgia knocked around Texas and Tennessee rallied to stun Alabama. It was also a series of firsts and drought snaps for other teams. Illinois beat Michigan for the first time since 2009, Duke beat Florida State for the first time in school history, and Colorado State won at Air Force for the first time since 2002.

Michigan lost to an Illinois team wearing these Gawd awful throwbacks.

    With the Wolverines' loss, they dropped even further down the rankings as the defending National Champs' anemic offense put up just seven points. Florida State is now one loss away from not being bowl-eligible, and this Poll is without Michigan, FSU, Ohio State, and Alabama in the Top 25 for the first time since 2001. 

    Surprisingly, Indiana, Army, Iowa State, and BYU join Oregon and Miami as the only teams with 7 wins this season. Navy, Washington State, Illinois, UNLV, Duke, and Louisiana are all guaranteed a bowl bid already. Unsurprisingly, Kent State is the first team to officially clinch a losing season.

Mark Mangino was king of 2007.

    Many are comparing this season to 2007 when there were upsets plenty and the two best records belonged to Hawaii and Kansas at 12-1. That year a two-loss team captured the BCS Championship when LSU defeated Ohio State. That's great news for teams like Alabama, Ole Miss, Colorado, and the potential MAC Champion Eastern Michigan Eagles. Obviously, the last one is a joke because the NCAA can't recognize greatness from more than one Group of 5 school and this year's Army-Navy game is on a collision course to occur in back-to-back weeks.

    Here's a look at the only poll that dares to put two service academies in its Top 10:

James Franklin and company didn't have to play to move up this week.

 1. Penn State (6-0, 66.5 WA, 0 LA)

Last Week Rank: 3

Last Week: The Nittany Lions returned from L.A. to rest all week.

Up Next: Wisconsin (5-2, 41)

2. Miami (7-0, 71.3, 0)

LWR: 5

LW: A back-and-forth affair with Louisville, but ultimately the Hurricanes survived 52-45.

Up Next: Florida State (1-6, 121)

3. Oregon (7-0, 72.7, 0)

LWR: 2

LW: 35-0 shellacking of Purdue on Friday.

Up Next: Illinois (6-1, 19)

4. Indiana (7-0, 75.9, 0)

LWR: 6

LW: A statement win over Nebraska as the Hoosiers dominated 56-14.

Up Next: Washington (4-3, 58)

The Cougars escaped with a victory in the final minute.

5. BYU (7-0, 76.1, 0)

LWR: 4

LW: The Cougars rallied late to avoid the upset at the hands of Oklahoma State, 38-35, to send the Cowboys from being ranked to 3-4.

Up Next: UCF (3-4, 91)

6. Iowa State (7-0, 86, 0)

LWR: 7

LW: The Cyclones were put on upset alert by BYU's next opponent and like the Cougars, ISU needed a late touchdown to secure a 38-35 win to send their opponent to 3-4.

Up Next: Texas Tech (11/2)

7. Pitt (6-0, 97.8, 0)

LWR: 8

LW: A bye week for the Panthers to get ready for a quality Thursday night matchup.

Up Next: Syracuse (5-1, 27)

8. Navy (6-0, 101.8, 0)

LWR: 9

LW: The Midshipmen scored early and often to secure a 51-14 win over Charlotte. They now face their biggest test of the season on Saturday.

Up Next: Notre Dame (6-1, 11)

9. Liberty (5-0, 106.2, 0)

LWR: 10

LW: The Flames had another bye week and will only play 11 games, which will likely affect their chances of making the playoffs. The college football gods have a chance to do the funniest thing ever this week if the Flames lose on Wednesday.

Up Next: Kennesaw State (0-6, 134)

The most prolific offense in college football is at West Point.

10. Army (7-0, 113, 0)

LWR: 11

LW: The Knights continued their streak of 40-point games with a 45-28 route of ECU.

Up Next: Air Force (11/2)

11. Notre Dame (6-1, 60.5, 76)

LWR: 15

LW: The Fighting Irish took care of business against Georgia Tech, 31-13.

Up Next: Navy (6-0, 8)

12. Kansas State (6-1, 62, 20)

LWR: 14

LW: The Wildcats pummelled West Virginia to cruise to an easy 45-18 win.

Up Next: Kansas (2-5, 115)

13. Texas (6-1, 62, 27)

LWR: 1

LW: The Longhorns tried Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, but still struggled to put points on the Georgia defense in a 30-15 loss. Unfortunately, there is no rest in the SEC.

Up Next: Vanderbilt (5-2, 34)

14. LSU (6-1, 63.3, 30)

LWR: 17

LW: The Bayou Bengals had no trouble with Arkansas, 34-10, as the Tigers now focus on a rivalry game that has produced many barnburners.

Up Next: Texas A&M (6-1, 20)

The Volunteers are in the running for the top team in the SEC.

15. Tennessee (6-1, 65.2, 72)

LWR: 22

LW: The Volunteers were able to smoke those nasty cigars in celebration of beating an Alabama team that is nowhere close to being the team they were under Nick Saban.

Up Next: Kentucky (11/2)

16. Clemson (6-1, 69.8, 1)

LWR: 20

LW: The Tigers have won six straight after their loss to Georgia and rolled past Virginia, 48-31.

Up Next: Louisville (11/2)

17. Georgia (6-1, 74.3, 2)

LWR: 27

LW: The Bulldogs are one drive away from being number one on this list, but they've been collecting resume wins against Clemson and Texas. The fact that they sit here is due to the poor seasons of Mississippi State and Auburn, as well as their annual sacrifice of an FCS team. They take a week off to plan for a Cocktail Party.

Up Next: Florida (11/2)

18. Washington State (6-1, 75.8, 68)

LWR: 18

LW: The Cougars stay stuck at 18 despite an early afternoon win over Hawaii, 42-10.

Up Next: San Diego State (3-3, 81)

19. Illinois (6-1, 76.7, 8)

LWR: 23

LW: The Fighting Illini continued to expose how bad Michigan's offense is with 5 sacks and 7.5 TFL to stymie the Wolverines 21-7.

Up Next: Oregon (7-0, 3)

The Aggies have yet to lose since Week 1 against Notre Dame.

20. Texas A&M (6-1, 83.7, 10)

LWR: 21

LW: The Aggies, like Georgia, could never really put away Mississippi State, but still won 34-24.

Up Next: LSU (6-1, 14)

21. Missouri (6-1, 93.7, 30)

LWR: 29

LW: The Tigers might have looking ahead for Alabama because the other SEC team in the Yellowhammer State, had the lead late against Mizzou, but the Tigers held off Auburn 21-17.

Up Next: Alabama (6-2, 31)

22. UNLV (6-1, 93.8, 45)

LWR: 32

LW: The Rebels just keep winning and put away Oregon State late Saturday to win 33-25. They probably need to figure out how to stop the run next week.

Up Next: Boise State (5-1, 29)

23. Memphis (6-1, 96, 41)

LWR: 36

LW: The Tigers bested North Texas in a shootout with the Mean Green for AAC supremacy, 52-44.

Up Next: Charlotte (3-4, 97)

24. Duke (6-1, 97, 59)

LWR: 30

LW: The Blue Devils beat Florida State for the first time in school history, 23-16, and get an unlikely showdown for tops in the ACC.

Up Next: SMU (6-1, 25)

The Mustangs are adapting well to life in the ACC.

25. SMU (6-1, 97, 84)

LWR: 31

LW: The Mustangs took care of Stanford easily 40-10 and now look for a statement win against the Blue Devils.

Up Next: Duke (6-1, 24)

Dropped Out: Alabama, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Syracuse, Ohio State, and James Madison

Waiting List: Louisiana, Syracuse, Ohio State, Boise State, Louisiana Monroe, Alabama, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Vanderbilt, Colorado, Georgia Southern, Cincinnati, Western Kentucky, James Madison, and Nebraska

Bottom 10

UTEP escaped the Bottom 10 with the first win in 9 games.

126. Utah State (1-6, 136, 63.2)

127. Akron (1-6, 136, 69.7)

128. UAB (1-6, 136, 70.7)

129. Southern Miss (1-6, 136, 73)

130. UMass (1-6, 136, 79.7)

131. Troy (1-6, 136, 81)

132. Air Force (1-6, 136, 87.3)

133. Kent State (0-7, 0, 75.1)

134. Kennesaw State (0-6, 0, 89.5)

A Wild Night of Finishes Upends the Landscape in Week 7

Will Howard seen here not knowing how time works.

    There were 25 games decided by one score including four that saw ranked teams need overtime to survive, with three of those coming against unranked teams. Three ranked teams lost to other ranked teams as Oregon slid (see what I did there) past Ohio State, LSU stunned Ole Miss in OT, and Texas throttled Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry. Penn State, Tennessee, Liberty, and Illinois all dodged a bullet from unranked opponents, with Illinois coming the closest to losing had Purdue converted their two-point conversion in OT.

Penn State did their best Kurt Russell impersonation by escaping L.A. with a win.

    Overall, seven teams were dumped out of the Pool Poll to make way for the winners of Week 7. Ohio State was the lone undefeated team to lose in Week 7, as the other 11 were marked safe going into a huge week in college football. Week 8 has been circled for months as a make-or-break weekend. Here in the damp three seasons room that I operate out of after I dumped water all over my usual couch, there are nine marquee matchups that have the eye of the Pool household. Some are as intriguing to others such as Tennessee-Alabama, Georgia-Texas, or Illinois-Michigan, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the AAC showdown between 5-1 Memphis and North Texas, or the surprise Big Ten battle between Indiana (6-0) and Nebraska (5-1). Of course, I am likely to miss most of this as I'll be in Ypsilanti for the lesser of the two directional Michigan rivalries when Central Michigan comes to town.

           Here's this week's Pool Poll.

Baker Mayfield caught strays in this year's Red River Rivalry.

1. Texas (6-0, 62 WA, 0 LA)

Last Week Rank: 1

Last Week: A 34-3 beatdown of Oklahoma, capped by planting a flag into a Baker Mayfield jersey at midfield. No time to gloat in the SEC though.

Up Next: Georgia (5-1, 27)

2. Oregon (6-0, 64.5, 0)

LWR: 3

LW: They did everything they could to lose this game, but ultimately, it was a rare absent-minded play by Will Howard that sealed the victory.

Up Next: Purdue (1-5, 122)

3. Penn State (6-0, 66.5, 0)

LWR: 2

LW: The Nittany Lions had to rally later and then needed just a field goal to win in overtime against USC. It was only the second win by a Big Ten team shifting from the Eastern time zone to the Pacific since Indiana won at UCLA in Week 1.

Up Next: Wisconsin (10/26)

4. BYU (6-0, 75.2, 0)

LWR: 5

LW: They put up points a plenty on Arizona in a 41-19 win to remain undefeated and stay atop the Big 12.

Up Next: Oklahoma State (3-3, 82)

The Hurricanes took a week off to recover from their furious comeback at Cal last week.

5. Miami (6-0, 76, 0)

LWR: 4

LW: The Hurricanes hunkered down from an actual Hurricane during their bye week.

Up Next: Louisville (4-2, 43)

6. Indiana (6-0, 84.2, 0)

LWR: 6

LW: The Hoosiers took a break from winning to prepare for their big showdown with Nebraska.

Up Next: Nebraska (5-1, 26)

7. Iowa State (6-0, 87.3, 0)

LWR: 8

LW: The Cyclones continue to take care of business with a  28-16 win over West Virginia.

Up Next: UCF (3-3, 78)

8. Pitt (6-0, 97.8, 0)

LWR: 9

LW: The Panthers escaped several late-game threats by Cal to hold on to a 17-15 victory.

Up Next: Syracuse (10/24)

9. Navy (5-0, 105.2, 0)

LWR: 10

LW: The Midshipmen stayed docked for the weekend and unfortunately for Charlotte are well-rested.

Up Next: Charlotte (3-3, 85)

The Flames brought the excitement to Tuesday Night Football.

10. Liberty (5-0, 106.2, 0)

LWR: 11

LW: It's that time of the year as Liberty struggled to get past FIU in overtime during a thriller on Tuesday night. Yes, for the first time this year, you could find football on TV every night of the week.

Up Next: Kennesaw State (10/23)

11. Army (6-0, 117.5, 0)

LWR: 12

LW: OK, so Army doesn't play anybody, but that hasn't stopped them from scoring 40 points in every game this season, a trend that continued when they built a 34-3 lead going into halftime and then won 44-3 over UAB.

Up Next: ECU (3-3, 86)

12. Alabama (5-1, 46.2, 82)

LWR: 20

LW: They were almost toppled again by an unranked opponent, but a late score and an interception helped them survive South Carolina, 27-25. They were probably looking ahead to this week.

Up Next: Tennessee (5-1, 22)

13. Texas Tech (5-1, 56.2, 77)

LWR: 13

LW: The Red Raiders were off so they could plan for Baylor.

Up Next: Baylor (2-4, 109)

14. Kansas State (5-1, 58.2, 20)

LWR: 24

LW: The Wildcats ripped the hearts out of all the bandwagon Colorado fans when they stunned the Boulder crowd with a touchdown in the final minutes to avoid the upset, 31-28.

Up Next: West Virginia (3-3, 81)

Riley Leonard's big day catapulted the Irish to victory.

15. Notre Dame (5-1, 65, 76)

LWR: 21

LW: After a lengthy rain delay, the Fighting Irish finished off Stanford with ease, 49-7.

Up Next: Georgia Tech (5-2, 38)

16. Arizona State (5-1, 65.8, 53)

LWR: 27

LW: The Sun Devils pulled off a late-night upset of Utah, 27-19, on Friday night to make their way into the rankings.

Up Next: Cincinnati (4-2, 60)

17. LSU (5-1, 66.6, 30)

LWR: 31

LW: The Tigers got a must-score touchdown to force overtime and then traded a field goal for a touchdown to stun Ole Miss and give the Rebels a 29-26 loss.

Up Next: Arkansas (4-2, 47)

18. Washington State (5-1, 68, 68)

LWR: 22

LW: The Cougars earned a hard-fought win over Fresno State, 25-17, to remain in conversation for an at-large playoff bid.

Up Next: Hawaii (2-4, 115)

19. Syracuse (5-1, 68.6, 93)

LWR: 23

LW: The Orange kicked NCST while they were down and held on to a 24-17 victory.

Up Next: Pitt (10/24)

The Tigers have won five straight after their opening loss to Georgia.

20. Clemson (5-1, 75, 1)

LWR: 26

LW: The Tigers exorcised the Demon Deacons 49-14.

Up Next: Virginia (4-2, 44)

21. Texas A&M (5-1, 75.8, 10)

LWR: 14

LW: The Aggies took a break so they could not be surprised by the Bulldogs like Georgia was.

Up Next: Mississippi State (1-5, 123)

22. Tennessee (5-1, 75.8, 72)

LWR: 30

LW: The Volunteers allowed a late score by Florida to send the game into overtime, but a missed field goal by the Gators led to a game-winning touchdown for the Vols in their 23-17 win.

Up Next: Alabama (5-1, 12)

23. Illinois (5-1, 84, 8)

LWR: 28

LW: The Fighting Illini should have coasted to an easy win, but squandered a 40-28 lead with 5:05 left to play. Purdue scored twice in 49 seconds to take a 43-40 lead forcing Illinois to scramble to get a 38-yard field goal as time expired. In OT, they scored with ease, but so did the Boilermakers, who elected to go for two and the win, but fell short 50-49.

Up Next: Michigan (4-2, 40)

24. Ohio State (5-1, 84.8, 3)

LWR: 7

LW: The Buckeyes were challenged for once this season and when push came to shove, they couldn't answer. The Ducks squandered so many opportunities, the defense was stout in the second half, and Will Howard looked great for 99 percent of this game. Unfortunately, for TOSU, an offensive pass interference call kept the clock running without Ryan Day noticing, and then Howard slid instead of falling down so they could call timeout. Ultimately, the Buckeyes were in prime position to win, but Day now falls to 2-6 against teams in the Top 5.

Up Next: Nebraska (10/26)

The Dukes are one of many teams vying for the 12th spot in the CFP.

25. James Madison (5-1, 86, 55)

LWR: 39

LW: The Dukes were so mad about losing to Louisiana Monroe that they took it out on poor Coastal Carolina on Thursday. JMU plucked the Chanticleers 39-7.

Up Next: Georgia Southern (4-2, 57)

Dropped Out: Nebraska, Duke, SMU, Ole Miss, Sam Houston State, Virginia

Watchlist: Nebraska, Georgia, Boise State, Missouri, Duke, SMU, UNLV, ULM, SHST, North Texas, Memphis, Louisiana, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, and Michigan

The Golden Flashes were two points away from escaping their winless ways.

Bottom 10

126. Southern Miss (1-5, 136, 70)

127. Troy (1-5, 136, 76.8)

128. New Mexico State (1-5, 136, 84)

129. Air Force (1-5, 136, 88.8)

130. Akron (1-6, 136, 69.7)

131. UMass (1-6, 136, 79.7)

132. Kent State (0-6, 0, 69.2)

133. UTEP (0-6, 0, 70.7)

134. Kennesaw State (0-6, 0, 83.2)

Number of Undefeated Teams Shrinks by Seven as Chaos Reigns in Big Ten and SEC

 

Diego Pavia is a giant slayer in the SEC.

    We have reached peak college football and it's only Week 6. Everyone had their calendars circled for October 19, but now many of those matchups have lost their punch after a chaotic Saturday. Seven undefeated teams lost, two of them were in the Top 5 to unranked opponents. Fans rushed the field in Nashville, Seattle, Minneapolis, and Fayetteville, Arkansas. Navy and Army are 5-0 simultaneously for the first time since 1945. Louisiana Monroe is 4-1 for the first time in school history after upsetting undefeated James Madison. Texas A&M dismantled Missouri to ruin their perfect season. The Hurricanes escaped with a 39-38 road win at Cal after trailing by 25 points. Perhaps the most bizarre statement of this young season is that Indiana is the first team to clinch bowl eligibility after a 6-0 start (later joined by the Hurricanes).

Bucks and Ducks are the marquee matchup in Week 7.

    Texas, Penn State, Oregon, BYU, Ohio State, Iowa State, Pitt, and Liberty make up the remaining undefeated college football teams. At least one of those teams will no longer be undefeated as the Buckeyes finally have to play someone that offers a real challenge when they take on the Ducks in a Top 10 matchup. Texas will also have a tough assignment in rival Oklahoma as they face each other for the first time as SEC opponents.

    This week marks the first week where you can find football every day when Conference USA begins play on Tuesday and Wednesday. Here's a look at how the chaos affected this week's Pool Poll.

  

Arch Manning and the Longhorns have not missed a beat since Quinn Ewers went down.

1. Texas (5-0, 66.2 WP, 0 LP)

Last Week Rank: 3

What Happened This Week: Nothing, the Longhorns were the beneficiaries of a bye headed into the Red River Showdown.

Up Next: Oklahoma (4-1, 41)

2. Penn State (5-0, 68.4, 0)

LWR: 2

WHTW: A 27-11 win over UCLA.

UN: USC (3-2, 57)

3. Oregon (5-0, 76, 0)

LWR: 6

WHTW: A 31-10 smackdown on Friday night of Michigan State.

UN: Ohio State (5-0, 7)

4. Miami (6-0, 76, 0)

LWR: 8

WHTW: The Hurricanes dug a hole for themselves late at night on Saturday as they traveled to the West Coast for an ACC matchup with Cal. It was 35-10 Bears late in the third and then 38-18 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Cam Ward took over with three touchdowns in the final frame (2 passing, one rushing). Mario Cristobal made the gutsy decision to go for two on the final score. With 26 seconds left, Miami had their first and final lead since the 6:19 mark in the first quarter to remain undefeated.

UN: Louisville (10/19)

The Cougars have already won more games in 2024 than in 2023.

5. BYU (5-0, 77.8, 0)

LWR: 4

WHTW: The Cougars were on a bye this week.

UN: Arizona (3-2, 62)

6. Indiana (6-0, 84.2, 0)

LWR: 9

WHTW: They scored 40 points in their fifth straight game in a win over Northwestern. In fact, they haven't scored less than 31 in the Curt Cignetti era.

UN: Nebraska (10/19)

7. Ohio State (5-0, 84.8, 0)

LWR: 12

WHTW: They scored a 35-7 win over Iowa.

UN: Oregon (5-0, 3)

8. Iowa State (5-0, 90.8, 0)

LWR: 10

WHTW: They were close, but pulled away late from Baylor 43-21.

UN: West Virginia (3-2, 70)

9. Pitt (5-0, 104.4, 0)

LWR: 18

WHTW: They rallied late to send North Carolina to another loss.

UN: Cal (3-2, 65)

Navy is averaging 43.6 points per game.

10. Navy (5-0, 105.2, 0)

LWR: 16

WHTW: The Midshipmen are halfway to claiming the Commander-in-Chief's trophy after a 34-7 win over Air Force.

UN: Charlotte (10/19)

11. Liberty (4-0, 109, 0)

LWR: 17

WHTW: Two straight bye weeks after their cancelation last week.

UN: FIU (2-3, 95)

12. Army (5-0, 116.8, 0)

LWR: 19

WHTW: The Black Knights are averaging nearly 40 points per game (38.8) and grew that number thanks to a 49-7 win over Tulsa.

UN: UAB (1-4, 121)

13. Texas Tech (5-1, 56.2, 77)

LWR: 22

WHTW: They survived a late-night showdown with Arizona, 28-22.

UN: Baylor (10/19)

14. Texas A&M (5-1, 75.8, 10)

LWR: 30

WHTW: They scored their largest margin over victory over a Top 10 team when they knocked off Missouri 41-10.

UN: Mississippi State (10/19)

The Cornhuskers are an overtime loss away from being undefeated.

15. Nebraska (5-1, 87.6, 15)

LWR: 33

WHTW: They handed Rutgers their first loss of the season (14-7) and now look to do the same to Indiana in two weeks.

UN: Indiana (10/19)

16. Duke (5-1, 93.2, 59)

LWR: 13

WHTW: The Blue Devils were handed their first by Georgia Tech, 24-14.

UN: Florida State (10/19)

17. SMU (5-1, 96.8, 84)

LWR: 35

WHTW: The Mustangs are back in the Top 25 after an upset win over Louisville, 31-24.

UN: Stanford (10/19)

18. Ole Miss (5-1, 98.2, 78)

LWR: 37

WHTW: An easy 27-3 win over South Carolina.

UN: LSU (4-1, 31)

19. Sam Houston State (5-1, 102.4, 50)

LWR: 31

WHTW: For the first time ever, the Bearkats find themselves ranked in the Pool Poll after winning just three games last season. They did so thanks to a 41-21 win over the second-worst team in college football, UTEP.

UN: Western Kentucky (10/16)

The Crimson Tide dropped 19 spots after their loss to Vandy.

20. Alabama (4-1, 42.8, 82)

LWR: 1

WHTW: How the mighty have fallen. A hangover game after stunning Georgia led to Vanderbilt earning their first win against an AP top-ranked team, and first win against Alabama in 23 tries.

UN: South Carolina (3-2, 60)

21. Notre Dame (4-1, 58.8, 76)

LWR: 23

WHTW: It was a bye week for the Irish.

UN: Stanford (2-3, 90)

22. Washington State (4-1, 65.3, 68)

LWR: 24

WHTW: It was also a bye week for the Cougars.

UN: Fresno State (3-2, 79)

23. Syracuse (4-1, 65.3, 93)

LWR: 45

WHTW: The Orange rallied to tie the game late and then scored a touchdown to UNLV's field goal in overtime to hand the Rebels their first loss of the season.

UN: NCST (3-3, 82)

24. Kansas State (4-1, 65.5, 20)

LWR: 25

WHTW: A bye week for the Wildcats.

UN: Colorado (4-1, 29)

The Cavaliers have already surpassed their win total in 2023.

25. Virginia (4-1, 68.5, 74)

LWR: 46

WHTW: The Cavaliers knocked off Boston College 24-14 to claim the last spot in this week's Pool Poll.

UN: Louisville (3-2, 59)

Dropped Out: Tennessee, Missouri, Rutgers, UNLV, James Madison, Michigan, and Boston College

Watchlist: Clemson, Arizona State, Illinois, Colorado, Tennessee, LSU, Missouri, Georgia, Utah, Boise State, Rutgers, ULM, UNLV, James Madison, and Coastal Carolina

Bottom 10

The Owls are still looking for their first win as an FBS team.

125. Rice (1-4)

126. Florida State (1-5)

127. Temple (1-5)

128. Akron (1-5)

129. Kansas (1-5)

130. Troy (1-5)

131. UMass (1-5)

132. Kent State (0-5)

133. UTEP (0-5)

134. Kennesaw State (0-5)

19 Undefeated Teams Lead the Way in Newest Pool Poll

UNLV is 4-0 despite QB Matt Sluka leaving after 3 games due to an NIL dispute.

    The new College Football season is a third of the way done and 19 teams remain undefeated through at least four games. There are plenty of surprises among those teams including Indiana, Duke, James Madison, and UNLV. In fact, the Rebels have more wins against Power 5 teams (2) than Ohio State (1). In a truly bizarre twist, Eastern Michigan currently holds the best record in the MAC (4-1) and for the first time in Pool Poll history, finds itself on the waiting list for the Top 25

Things are looking rough in Tallahassee.

    There have also been plenty of disappointing outcomes this season. Michigan is 4-1 despite not having a quarterback, Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois, and Florida State is 1-4 to start the season, including a loss to Mike Norvell's former employer, Memphis. Kent State, UTEP, and Kennesaw State (in their first FBS season) are currently the three winless teams in the country.

    The new conference realignment is difficult to get used to as Miami travels to Cal for an ACC showdown, while Minnesota faces new Big Ten foe USC. The realignment isn't done yet as the PAC-12 raided the Mountain West, taking Boise State, Utah State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State starting in 2026. Heck, they are even luring Gonzaga from the WCC in college basketball.

The SEC leads the way in the first Conference Power Index

Before the rankings, it's time to take a look at the first Conference Power Index which ranks the strength of a conference taking the number of teams in the Top 50 and subtracting teams ranked 100-134. Here's where each conference ranks:

SEC (+8) Top 50: Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Georgia, and South Carolina        Bottom: Auburn and Mississippi State

ACC (+8) Top 50: Miami, Duke, Pitt, Boston College, SMU, Clemson, Louisville, Syracuse, Virginia, and Cal    Bottom: Wake Forest and Florida State

Big Ten (+6) Top 50: Penn State, Oregon, Ohio State, Indiana, Rutgers, Michigan, Illinois, Nebraska, and USC

Big 12 (+5) Top 50: BYU, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Colorado, Utah, Arizona State, Arizona, and UCF    Bottom: Baylor, Houston, and Kansas

AAC (-1) Top 50: Navy, Army, North Texas, and Memphis   Bottom: Charlotte, UTSA, UAB, Temple, and Rice

Sun Belt (-1) Top 50: James Madison    Bottom: Southern Miss and Troy

MWC/PAC-12 (-2) Top 50: UNLV, Washington State, and Bosie State      Bottom: San Diego State, Utah State, Air Force, Wyoming, New Mexico and New Mexico

CUSA (-4) Top 50: Liberty and Sam Houston St    Bottom: Jacksonville St, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico State, Kennesaw State, and UTEP

MAC (-5) Top 50: Eastern Michigan    Bottom: Miami, Western Michigan, Ball State, Bowling Green, Akron, and Kent State

Here's a look at the first Top 25 Poll since the Preseason Poll (Reminder AWP is the average rank of their opponents they've defeated and ALP is the rank of teams they've lost to):

The Crimson Tide haven't skipped a beat in the Kalen DeBoer era.

1. Alabama (4-0, 42.8 AWP, 0 ALP)

Preseason Rank: 6

What's Going On: The SEC always schedules a weak game in November, but the Crimson Tide made up for it with four games against teams that are projected to participate in bowls this season. It started with wins over Western Kentucky and South Florida before a visit to Madison and a win over Wisconsin. They now have a Top 5 win over Georgia to snap the Bulldogs' lengthy regular season SEC win streak.

Up Next: Vanderbilt (2-2, 82)

2. Penn State (4-0, 59.3, 0)

PR: 11

WGO: The Nittany Lions opened the year with a thumping of West Virginia, but were then put on upset alert by Bowling Green before sneaking past the Falcons. They followed that with a blowout of Kent State and then rallied late to knock off a surprise Top 25 opponent in Illinois.

Up Next: UCLA (1-3, 105)

3. Texas (5-0, 66.2, 0)

PR: 4

WGO: The Longhorns have been steamrolling their opponents so far, including a win at Michigan to snap the Wolverines' lengthy regular season winning streak. Quinn Ewers's injury hasn't slowed the Longhorns any as Arch Manning has filled in brilliantly to get the herd rolling, they now get a breather before the first-ever SEC edition of the Red River Showdown.

Up Next: Oklahoma (10/12)

4. BYU (5-0, 77.8, 0)

PR: 84

WGO: Wins over SMU, Kansas State, and Baylor have got the Cougars just one win away from being bowl-eligible already. The five wins already match the total wins from last season.

Up Next: Arizona (10/12)

The Volunteers are rolling again in 2024.

5. Tennessee (4-0, 78.3)

PR: 18

WGO: A blowout win over NCST and a tough win over Oklahoma have the Volunteers back in the conversation for a playoff run. They are coming off a bye week to rough up the Razorbacks.

Up Next: Arkansas (3-2, 72)

6. Oregon (4-0, 78.3, 0)

PR: 5

WGO: The Ducks never want to see another team from The Gem State in 2024. It started with a near loss to the Idaho Vandals (FCS) and then they were pressed by Boise State but escaped with a win. They've steamrolled over their former Pac-12 rivals in Oregon State and UCLA, and now it's time to visit one of their new conference mates in Sparty.

Up Next: Michigan State (3-2, 67)

7. Missouri (4-0, 79.8, 0)

PR: 9

WGO: Like the Ducks, the last two weeks for Mizzou have been a rollercoaster. After shutout wins against lowly opponents, they rallied to defeat Boston College and then survived a double overtime showdown with Vanderbilt. They draw a tough task this week.

Up Next: Texas A&M (4-1, 30)

8. Miami, FL (5-0, 81.4, 0)

PR: 28

WGO: The Hurricanes won their first four games by double-digits but their last game was down to the final seconds. Miami survived a Hail Mary attempt by Virginia Tech that was upheld by replay review, though some think the officials got it wrong. Nonetheless, they head out West for a confusing ACC matchup.

Up Next: Cal (3-1, 49)

9. Indiana (5-0, 84.4, 0)

PR: 86

WGO: An admittedly weak schedule that Ohio State would approve of, the Hoosiers are still undefeated overall and in Big Ten play (2-0). Indiana hasn't won five games since the COVID-shortened 2020 season when they went 6-2.

Up Next: Northwestern (2-2, 83)

Iowa State is undefeated despite scoring 21 points or less in three of their four games.

10. Iowa State (4-0, 88.5, 0)

PR: 37

WGO: No real challenges yet, but they did survive a close win over rival Iowa.

Up Next: Baylor (2-3, 100)

11. Rutgers (4-0, 89.8, 0)

PR: 71

WGO: The Scarlet Knights have held on in back-to-back weeks with 3-point wins over Virginia Tech and Washington to remain undefeated.

Up Next: Nebraska (4-1, 33)

12. Ohio State (4-0, 92.8, 0)

PR: 2

WGO: The good news is they're in first place in the MAC and the Big Ten. I can honestly say that I haven't watched them play all year because of how soft their opening schedule is it's been a foregone conclusion that they'll win by 40.

Up Next: Iowa (3-1, 53)

13. Duke (5-0, 93.2, 0)

PR: 57

WGO: Manny Diaz has his team in the fighting spirit as they were three possessions away from being 2-3 on the season. The best win came last week when they rallied late to knock off rival UNC 21-20.

Up Next: Georgia Tech (3-2, 59)

14. UNLV (4-0, 95.8, 0)

PR: 52

WGO: A dispute of $100,000 in NIL money may have lost them their starting QB, but that didn't stop them from obliterating Fresno State last week. They've also nabbed wins over Kansas and Houston and look to make it 3 Power 5 schools this week.

Up Next: Syracuse (3-1, 45)

The Dukes dropped 70 at Chapel Hill.

15. James Madison (4-0, 97.5, 0)

PR: 41

WGO: Curt Cignetti may have gone on to find success at Indiana this season, but the Dukes aren't showing signs of missing him. They embarrassed North Carolina at home by scoring an unheard-of 70 points on the Tar Heels. This is the same team that barely beat Gardner Webb (FCS) 13-6 the week before.

Up Next: Louisiana Monroe (3-1, 55)

16. Navy (4-0, 102, 0)

PR: 103

WGO: The Midshipmen are scoring a fleet of points against their opponents, outscoring them 184-94. Their biggest win came over Memphis right after they beat Florida State.

Up Next: Air Force (1-3, 118)

17. Liberty (4-0, 109, 0)

PR: 13

WGO: The Flames keep taking advantage of a week CUSA to roll out to a 4-0 start. Sadly, their last game was canceled due to the tragic flooding in Boone, NC, as Appalachian State hopes to get their community back to normal.

Up Next: FIU (10/12)

18. Pitt (4-0, 113.5, 0)

PR: 90

WGO: The Panthers earned some gritty comeback wins against rivals Cincinnati and West Virginia to pace themselves to an early 4-0 start. They just scored 73 against Youngstown State (FCS) and their opponent this week has also given up 70 points.

Up Next: North Carolina (3-2, 68)

19. Army (4-0, 121.5, 0)

PR: 87

WGO: The Black Knights haven't had a game closer than 17 points and have scored at least 37 in three of their four games.

Up Next: Tulsa (2-3, 98)

Michigan's run game is carrying the team to victory.

20. Michigan (4-1, 46, 4)

PR: 3

WGO: This team is hard to watch and their lack of QB play is beyond frustrating. Luckily, aside from their beatdown by Texas, they've been able to run the ball well and get timely stops from the defense. They do have a Top 15 win over USC but nearly choked against Minnesota.

Up Next: Washington (3-2, 66)

21. Boston College (4-1, 50.5, 52)

PR: 54

WGO: They got a win over Florida State before it was cool, nearly upset Mizzou on the road, and snuck past Michigan State and Western Kentucky to find themselves atop the ACC.

Up Next: Virginia (3-1, 46)

22. Texas Tech (4-1, 58.3, 77)

PR: 49

WGO: The Red Raiders are lucky to be this high after a near disaster in week 1 when they needed overtime to beat Abilene Christian (FCS) 52-51. They followed that up with a loss to Washington State and have squeaked out wins over UC and Arizona State.

Up Next: Arizona (3-1, 48)

23. Notre Dame (4-1, 58.8, 76)

PR: 10

WGO: What better way to come back from a big win on the road at Texas A&M than to lose in your home opener to (checks notes) Northern Illinois. That's right, the Irish were victims of MACtion and didn't look much better when they faced Miami (OH). They did blow out Purdue and got by Louisville to complete the Jeff Brohm special.

Up Next: Stanford (10/12)

24. Washington State (4-1, 65.3, 68)

PR: 77

WGO: The Cougars nearly lost two weeks ago when they needed double overtime against San Jose State, but they did lose to Boise State to drop out of the undefeated ranks. Wazzu, like Oregon, was able to claim a victory over their in-state rival about two months earlier than usual thanks to conference realignment.

Up Next: Fresno State (10/12)

The Wildcats are hanging on to the last spot in the Top 25.

25. Kansas State (4-1, 65.5, 68)

PR: 19

WGO: The Wildcats recovered nicely from a beatdown by BYU with a resume-building victory over Top 25 Oklahoma State. They have a bye, but they can see plenty of their next opponent's head coach in one of every three commercials on Saturday.

Up Next: Colorado (10/12)

Waiting List: Illinois, Colorado, LSU, Utah, Texas A&M, Sam Houston State, Oklahoma, Nebraska, North Texas, SMU, Memphis, Ole Miss, Eastern Michigan, Clemson, and Arizona State

Bottom Ten:

125. Akron (1-4, 136, 51.8)

126. Mississippi State (1-4, 136, 68.8)

127. Kansas (1-4, 136, 72.8)

128. Troy (1-4, 136, 75)

129. New Mexico State (1-4, 136, 80)

130. UMass (1-4, 136, 91.8)

131. Rice (1-4, 136, 101)

132. Kent State (0-5, 0, 59.4)

133. Kennesaw State (0-4, 0, 77.5)

134. UTEP (0-4, 0, 83)