Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel: Final Rankings 134-101

 12 teams will be fighting for a chance to win a National Championship, another 70 will try at a shot for a bowl game victory, but the other 52 will spend time watching everything from the comfort of their own homes. When it comes to the Pool Poll, being ranked in the triple digits is the ultimate sign of a season gone horribly wrong. It's the negative to the Top 50s positive power index ranking for conference members. This list is full of the worst of the worst in the MAC, Conference USA, Mountain West, and Sun Belt, but it also features Florida State for the first time ever. Thirteen teams on this list have already fired their coaches and there could be more by the time the season is over.

The crown jewel belongs this year to Kent State as the only team in the FBS to finish with zero wins, something that hasn't happened since 2020 when 9 teams went winless in the COVID-altered season and since Akron did it in a full season in 2019. The Golden Flashes played in just two games decided by one possession and allowed over 500 points while scoring just 167. Unlike Kent State, Purdue and Southern Miss were able to overpower their FCS opponent to earn their only wins of the year.

Here's a look at those who struggled to get anything going in 2024:

Kent State's worst loss of the season was a 71-0 drubbing at Tennessee.

134. Kent State (0-12, 0 WA, 73.5 LA)

Preseason Rank: 129

Prediction: 3-9

Best Player: Josh Smith-P (83 punts*, 61 yard long, 26 inside the 20) *led FBS

Season Recap: They allowed more than 40 points in seven different games. They scored more than 30 twice. Flush and forget.

133. Southern Miss (1-11, 136, 70.1)

PR: 119

Prediction: 4-8

BP: Dylan Lawrence-S (41 tackles, 2 INT, 1TD)

Recap: The Golden Eagles fired Will Hall and it still didn't help Southern Miss from becoming a bottom feeder in the Sun Belt. Their lone win came in Week 2 when they defeated Southeastern Louisiana (FCS) 35-10. All of their losses came by at least 10 points with the most egregious coming in a 58-3 loss to Texas State.

132. Purdue (1-11, 136, 46.9)

PR: 92

Prediction: 6-6

BP: Dillon Thieneman-DB (106 tackles*, Sack, 6 Pass Deflections) *4th in Big Ten

Recap: I thought the Ryan Walters era might be in for a rebound season, but the new Big Ten turned out to be too tough and now he's fired. Who knew that they would get blown out 66-0 by rival Indiana? The season started with a 49-0 win over Indiana State (FCS) and then saw 11 straight losses including 7 where they scored just 10 points or fewer. They did take Northwestern and Illinois to overtime and were within seven of Michigan State, but alas dropped all of those contests.

131. UMass (2-10, 136, 71.1)

PR: 131

Prediction: 2-10

BP: Jakobie Keeney-James-WR (50 Rec, 839 yards, 6TD)

Recap: The Minutemen will head into the MAC next season, but went 0-5 against their future conference opponents. UMass ended up firing Don Brown as their only two wins came against Wagner and Central Connecticut State, both FCS teams. That's not to say they weren't competitive. They had three one-possession losses to bowl-bound teams, including overtime losses to Miami (OH) and Liberty. They even held leads against Georgia and Mississippi State briefly. In their final game, they had fellow Independent UConn on the ropes, but couldn't contain the Huskies. Now we'll see who they hire to lead their second stint of MACtion.

Is Jeff Lebby in the hot seat?

130. Mississippi State (2-10, 129.5, 46.1)

PR: 79

Prediction: 6-6

BP: Isaac Smith and Stone Blanton-Def (Were the 1st and 2nd leading tacklers in SEC with 127 and 124 respectively, with Smith finishing 5th in all of the FBS).

Recap: Things probably weren't going to go well when Toledo came in and dropped 41 in Week 3 to raise the MACtion flag in Starkville. That was after a win over Eastern Kentucky (FCS) in Week 1. Their Week 2 loss to Arizona State looked bad then but it is totally understandable as the Sun Devils head to the Big 12 Championship. Their other win came over UMass, so they won't have one of the longer losing streaks heading into 2025. While only one loss was by seven points or fewer, they made Georgia, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss work a little harder to earn their victories.

129. Florida State (2-10, 76.5, 39.2)

PR: 8

Prediction: 11-1

BP: Ja'Khi Douglas-WR (32 Rec, 519 yards, 4TD)

Recap: The season started out in the worst way possible as the Seminoles traveled to Ireland just so they could lose to Georgia Tech. Then it was Boston College and the final insult was a loss to Mike Norvell's former employer, Memphis. They seemed to rebound with a win over Cal, however, it was a facade as the Noles dropped the next 5, most in a lopsided fashion. Fortunately, they had Charleston Southern (FCS) scheduled to break up the losing but were beaten 31-11 by Florida and then fought the Gators after the game for trying to plant their flag at midfield. The dropoff from 2023 was the worst of any team. 

128. Kennesaw State (2-10, 60, 84.2)

PR: 134

Prediction: 2-10

BP: Davis Bryson-QB (143-261, 1,459 yards, 6TD, 10 INT, 293 yards rushing, 4TD)

Recap: The Owls didn't go winless in their first campaign, so that was solid but Brian Bohannon still didn't last through the season. That's because they didn't win until Week 7, including a loss to Tennessee-Martin (FCS). Surprisingly, their first win came against an undefeated Liberty team. They almost followed that up with a win in double-overtime against UTEP, but came up short, and then again in overtime against Sam Houston State. That breakthrough finally came in the second to last week with a one-point win over FIU. The final game was not as promising as La Tech trounced all their goodwill by shutting out the Owls 33-0.

127. Nevada (3-10, 81.7, 67.2)

PR: 124

Prediction: 3-10

BP: Jaden Smith-WR (62 rec, 849 yards*, 7TD) *5th in MWC

Recap: The Wolfpack got off to a decent start at 2-3 with wins over Troy and Eastern Washington (FCS). Then they bumped up to 3-4 with a win over Oregon State but that would be the last time they would see the win column. Nevada rattled off six straight losses with three of them coming by single digits, including a 38-14 loss in the battle for the Fremont Cannon against UNLV.

126. Middle Tennessee State (3-9, 133, 70.7)

PR: 120

Prediction: 3-9

BP: Nicholas Vattiato-QB (269-418, 3,092 yards*, 16TD, 10 INT) *Led CUSA 

Recap: The Derek Mason era in Murfreesboro got off to a sketchy start with a near loss to Tennessee Tech (FCS) to open the season and then came five straight losses by at least 17 points. The losing stopped in one of the weirder scores of the season when they knocked off Kennesaw State 14-5. Two weeks later they snuck past UTEP, but it was back to losing by multi-scores in the final three games.

The Miners won all the hardware in the Battle of I-10 to end the season.

125. UTEP (3-9, 118, 74.6)

PR: 122

Prediction: 4-8

BP: Maurice Westmoreland-DE (45 tackles, 7.5 sacks*, FF) *Led CUSA

Recap: Things were rough for the Miners this fall as they started the season 0-6 including an overtime loss to Southern Utah (FCS). They finally got in the win column thanks to a victory over FIU. They sandwiched wins at the end of the season against Kennesaw State and New Mexico State around a 56-0 beatdown by Tennessee.

124. New Mexico State (3-9, 117, 79.8)

PR: 96

Prediction: 6-6

BP:  Seth McGowan-RB (1,000 total yards, 823 yards rushing*, 6 total TD) *4th in CUSA

Recap: The Aggies were lost without their star QB Diego Pavia, who took his talents to Vanderbilt this fall. The offensive struggles were apparent as they scored 14 points or fewer in 5 of the 12 contests. They got in the win column right away with a win over Southeast Missouri State (FCS), but followed that with five straight losses. The streak was finally snapped with a double-overtime win over La Tech then came three more losses before finally defeating Middle Tennesse State in the second to last week.

123. UAB (3-9, 115.3, 66)

PR: 107

Prediction: 7-5

BP: Desmond Little-Edge (40 tackles, 6 sacks*, FF) *3rd in AAC

Recap: The Blazers showed some promise in 2023 despite their 4-8 record, but 2024 was a major step back in Trent Dilfer's second season as head coach. UAB got their customary win over an FCS school before dropping the next six games, including a 71-20 loss to Tulane. In fact, the defense allowed at least 30 points in seven games this season. The Blazers picked up wins over Tulsa and Rice and nearly picked up a win over Charlotte in the final game. In what was a rough weekend for kickers, Jonah Delange missed a 27-yard field goal in the final seconds to drop the game 29-27.

122. San Diego State (3-9, 113.7, 63)

PR: 111

Prediction: 4-8

BP: Marquez Cooper-RB (293 carries, 1,274 yards*, 14 total TD) *2nd in MWC

Recap: The Sean Lewis era was off to an ok start with wins over Texas A&M Corpus Christi (FCS), Hawaii, and Wyoming, as well as a 1-point loss to Central Michigan to put the Aztecs at 3-3. From there it was all downhill as San Diego State dropped its final six games of the season with three straight losses by at least 11 points.

121. Ball State (3-9, 111, 59.1)

PR: 117

Prediction: 2-10

BP: Kadin Semonza-QB (275-426, 2,900 yards*, 25 TD, 10 INT) *Led MAC

Recap: The Cardinals were a handful of plays from becoming bowl eligible. They earned wins over Missouri State (FCS), Kent State, and Northern Illinois, though all of those wins were by one possession. Despite having the top passing attack in the MAC, Ball State found itself on the wrong side of four one-possession games and even hung around with Vanderbilt on the road. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they ended the season with four straight losses and Mike Neu was relieved as the head coach.

Stan Drayton was fired after three seasons.

120. Temple (3-9, 110, 58)

PR: 130

Prediction: 1-11

BP: Tyquan King-LB (111 tackles*, 3 sacks, FF) *Led AAC

Recap: The Owls sprinkled their wins throughout the season losing their first three, beating Utah State, losing two, beating Tulsa, losing another two before beating Florida Atlantic in overtime, and finally dropping their last two. The offense was the real issue as Temple scored more than 20 points just three times and still lost two of those games.

119. Tulsa (3-9, 108.3, 83.9)

PR: 116

Prediction: 4-8

BP: Kamdyn Benjamin-WR (70 rec, 820 yards* 6TD) *3rd in AAC

Recap: The Golden Hurricane opened the season 2-2 with wins over Northwestern State (FCS) and La Tech, but after that they would get only a shocking upset of UTSA 46-45. Tulsa's defense was a liability all season as they dropped six games by at least 32 points, including a 63-16 loss to Florida Atlantic to end the season. The losing was just too much for Kevin Wilson to keep his job.

118. Florida Atlantic (3-9, 108, 95)

PR: 114

Prediction: 6-6

BP: CJ Campbell Jr.-RB (1,310 total yards, 14 TD)

Recap: The Owls have had terrible luck trying to get big-name coaches to turn things around int he post-Lane Kiffin era. Tom Herman became the latest big wig to the axe after a disappointing season in Boca Raton. They started the year off 2-3 with wins over FIU and Wagner (FCS), but then lost six straight games. Their final game was a bizarre 63-16 thumping of Tulsa.

117. Oklahoma State (3-9, 106, 45.1)

PR: 17

Prediction: 10-2

BP: Ollie Gordon-RB (190 carries, 844 yards, 14 Total TD)

Recap: The Cowboys were riding high with three-straight wins to begin the year including a double-overtime thriller over Arkansas. Then they appeared to do a Freaky Friday with Arizona State and the Cowboys wound up finishing dead last in the Big 12 after losing their final nine games of the season. Three of those losses were by one possession unlike their final game which was a 52-0 annihilation at the hands of Coach Prime and Coloroado.

116. Wyoming (3-9, 82.3, 73.9)

PR: 69

Prediction: 4-8

BP: Wrook Brown-DB (48 tackles, 6 PD, 3 INT, TD)

Recap: Things were pretty rough for Jay Sawvell in year one as the head coach at Wyoming. A week five win over Air Force was the lone win in the first two-thirds of the season as the Cowboys were 1-7, including a loss to Idaho (FCS). Things seemed to click in the last four weeks with wins over New Mexico and Washington State. They also pushed Boise State to the limit as the Broncos snuck past the Pokes 17-13.

Georgia State pulled off a huge upset over Vanderbilt.

115. Georgia State (3-9, 70.7, 73.2)

PR: 98

Prediction: 3-9

BP: Ted Hurst-WR (56 rec, 961 yards*, 9 TD) *3rd in Sun Belt

Recap: The Panthers had a good start to the season going 2-1 with a win over a Power 5 school in Vanderbilt. Unfortunately, their next win wouldn't come until the penultimate week against Texas State.

114. Stanford (3-9, 58.7, 64.9)

PR: 105

Prediction: 2-10

BP: Emmet Kenney-K (32/32 XP, 14-17 FGM, 2 Game-Winning Field Goals)

Recap: Things looked like they might work in the ACC for Stanford as they opened 2-1 including a walk-off field goal to beat Syracuse. Then came six straight losses, with 5 of them coming by at least 24 points. Then came time for Kenney to shine again as his leg helped stun No. 19 Louisville after a botched Hail Mary attempt by the Cardinals. The Cardinal couldn't close out their final two games, losing by three in both games to San Jose State and Cal.

113. Utah State (4-8, 118.5, 55.9)

PR: 97

Prediction: 4-8

BP: Rahsul Faison-RB (198 carries, 1,109 yards*, 8TD) *4th in MWC

Recap: The Aggies fired coach Blake Anderson before the season started with accusations of Anderson violating Title IX. While Anderson was suing for wrongful termination, Nate Dreiling was auditioning for a job. He won his opener against Robert Morris (FCS), but then dropped the next five contests. They found some mojo in the next four weeks, defeating Wyoming, Hawaii, and San Diego State to get to four wins, but couldn't get past rival Colorado State in the final game. 

112. FIU (4-8, 110.8, 89.4)

PR: 115

Prediction: 3-9

BP: Eric Rivers-WR (62 rec, 1,172 yards*, 12 TD) *4th in NCAA

Recap: The Panthers were a few bounces away from becoming bowl-eligible. FIU lost six of their eight games by one possession, although they were to some pretty bad teams. All four of their wins came against teams that are not going to a bowl, but they also lost to Monmouth (FCS) and gave Kennesaw State just their second FBS win in their school's history.

111. Central Michigan (4-8, 104.5, 69)

PR: 104

Prediction: 7-5

BP: Marion Lukes-RB (161 carries, 788 yards, 6 Total TD)

Recap: Central Michigan opened the season at 3-2 and it looked like bowl eligibility was going to be theirs. Then their comeback against Ohio fell short and they blew a double-digit lead to Eastern Michigan (a game I enjoyed in person) and then were handed three straight blowouts to eliminate them from bowl contention. They did get a win over rival Western but lost Jim McElwain's final game 24-16 to Northern Illinois. McElwain announced he was retiring, though there is speculation that it was because the NCAA is going to be investigating him for his role in allowing maligned Michigan assistant Connor Stallions on the sideline during their game against Michigan State.

Gus Malzahn stepped down as head coach.

110. UCF (4-8, 100.8, 52.9)

PR: 50

Prediction: 6-6

BP: RJ Harvey-RB (232 carries, 1,577 yards*, 25 total TD) *Led Big 12

Recap: The Gus Malzahn era is over in Orlando after the Knights opened the season 3-0, but dropped eight of their final nine games. Malzahn announced that he was stepping down after the season ended and will now be the offensive coordinator up the road at Florida State. RJ Harvey was a beast this year for the Knights scoring 22 times on the ground which was tied for fourth in the nation.

109. Troy (4-8, 94, 73.9)

PR: 66

Prediction: 5-7

BP: Devonte Ross-WR (76, 1,043 yards*, 11 TD) *2nd in Sun Belt

Recap: The Trojans had a nightmare start to the season going 1-7 under new head coach Gerad Parker. Troy was able to right the ship at the end of the season with three wins in the final four games, including a 52-20 win over Southern Miss to end the season. The offense featured two of the best players in the Sun Belt with Ross leading the way among receivers and Damien Taylor running for over 1,000 yards, which was also the second-best in the league.

108. Akron (4-8, 92.3, 69)

PR: 132

Prediction: 2-10

BP: Ben Finley-QB (212-387, 2,604 yards*, 16 TD, 9 INT) *5th in MAC

Recap: The Zips entered the weekend before Halloween at a scary 1-6, but because MAC conference play is one of the many causes of my sports depression, Akron was able to rally and knock Eastern Michigan off its bowl-bound course. That gave them some confidence down the road as they dismantled their hapless rival Kent State and stunned Toledo in overtime to finish the season on a two-game win streak.

107. Northwestern (4-8, 91.5, 45.1)

PR: 72

Prediction: 6-6

BP: Mac Uihlein-LB (84 tackles, 2 sacks, FF)

Recap: The Wildcats played this season at the intimate 15,000-seat Martin Stadium as Ryan Field is under construction. Two of their games came at Wrigley Field, but it was almost better when no one was watching how bad they played. Northwestern started 2-1 and then managed to get to a 3-3 record after a win over Maryland. After that, the offensive woes were massive as their lone win came in overtime against a miserable Purdue team. They scored less than 7 points in four games, including the rare 5 points against Washington.

106. Wake Forest (4-8, 89.3, 53.5)

PR: 89

Prediction: 5-7

BP: Nick Andersen-DB (122 tackles*, 2 INT, FF, FR) *Led ACC

Recap: The Demon Deacons were close but no cigar this season with four losses by 7 points or fewer. Their schedule wasn't particularly kind as they faced 9 teams that eventually made bowl games going 2-7 in those matchups with wins over UConn and NCST.

The Terps were coasting until the wheels fell off.

105. Maryland (4-8, 88.8, 46.9)

PR: 55

Prediction: 7-5

BP: Billy Edwards Jr.-QB (273-420, 2,881 yards*, 15 TD, 9 INT) *3rd in Big Ten

Recap: The Terrapins began the season 4-3 with wins over Virginia, UConn, Villanova (FCS), and a thriller over USC. Then came five straight losses by at least 14 points to bring their season to a halt.

104. Arizona (4-8, 88.5, 43.4)

PR: 16

Prediction: 9-3

BP: Tetairoa McMillan-WR (84 rec, 1,319 yards*, 8TD) *Led Big 12

Recap: After a 3-1 start and some impressive offensive numbers, the luck ran out for the Wildcats who stumbled to just a win over Houston in the final eight games of the season. Noah Fifita was fifth in the Big 12 in passing yards, nearly eclipsing 3,000 yards, but he did have 12 Int to his 18 TD.

103. Rice (4-8, 85.3, 83.9)

PR: 94

Prediction: 4-8

BP: EJ Warner-QB (272-439, 2,710 yards*, 17 TD, 13 INT) *5th in AAC

Recap: Not even the arrival of transfer QB and son of Kurt Warner, EJ Warner, could save Mike Bloomgren's job after a 2-6 start to the season. After Bloomgren was relieved of his duties, the Owls pulled a stunning upset over Navy and added another win in the final game over South Florida.

102. Kentucky (4-8, 85, 46.4)

PR: 43

Prediction: 7-5

BP: Dane Key-WR (47 rec, 715 yards, 2 TD)

Recap: The Wildcats looked poised for another strong season after nearly upsetting Georgia and then pulling off the upset against Ole Miss to start 3-2 on the season. From there on out it was a complete disaster with their only win coming against Murray State (FCS) and their other six games ending in double-digit losses.

101. Houston (4-8, 65.5, 55.6)

PR: 83

Prediction: 3-9

BP: AJ Haulcy-DB (74 tackles, 5 INT*, 7 PD) *Tied for first in Big 12

Recap: It was a Jekyll and Hyde (mostly Hyde) season in Willie Fritz's first season at Houston. The Cougars earned victories over TCU, Kansas State, Utah, and Rice, and nearly beat Oklahoma. However, they had six games in which they scored 12 points or fewer including back to back scoreless outings against Iowa State and Cincinnati.

Saturday Spells Disaster for Many Top 25 Teams Leaving Oregon as the Lone Undefeated Team

The Buckeyes continue their path for a rematch with Oregon.

    Seven Top 25 were handed brutal late-season losses and a handful of other teams were pressed until the final minutes. Indiana and Army both lost their marquee matchups, leaving Oregon as the lone undefeated team in college football. The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish join a cluster of 10-1 teams as the playoff race heats up. The SEC had shockwaves sent through it as two 5-5 teams upset playoff foes. First Ole Miss choked in a loss to Florida and then Jalen Milroe threw three interceptions, including a pick-six, as they were dropped 24-3 by Oklahoma.

Coach Prime and the Buffs were derailed by Kansas.

    Colorado became the third straight-ranked opponent to lose to Kansas, while BYU ran out of extra chances in a wild loss to Arizona State. In that game, the Sun Devils' fans ran on the field, but a review showed that there was still one second remaining, forcing them off the field and giving BYU a last shot at a Hail Mary, that came up just short. The wildest upset came when Auburn kicked a field goal to tie the game and then defeated Texas A&M 43-41 in four overtimes.

The Nittany Lions clung to victory on Saturday.

    There were several close calls as Iowa State was saved by a missed field goal by Utah, Penn State scored late and played keep away to hold on 26-25 against Minnesota, and Boise State was bottled up against Wyoming, but did enough to win 17-13.

All this drama leads into perhaps the greatest week in sports, Rivalry Week. Although now bowl-eligible Michigan is likely no match for Ohio State in next week's Game, there are still plenty of hot tickets going into the final week. 17 teams are vying to become bowl-eligible with Minnesota-Wisconsin, Eastern Michigan-Western Michigan, Virginia-Virginia Tech, and UNC-NCST all in must-win games that could send their rival sitting at home this winter.

Let's take a look at some of those matchups and this week's shuffled Top 25:

The Ducks are looking to finish as the only undefeated team in the country.

1. Oregon (11-0, 64.7 WA, 0 LA)

Last Week Rank: 1

Last Week: Bye

Up Next: Washington (6-5, 62)

Rivalry: Washington leads the series 63-48-5, including wins in the last 3 games.

2. Notre Dame (10-1, 61.4, 76)

LWR: 5

LW: The Irish demolished Army at Yankee Stadium to hand them their first loss of the season.

Up Next: USC (6-5, 59)

Rivalry: Notre Dame leads the series 34-30-3

3. Texas (10-1, 65, 27)

LWR: 4

LW: The Longhorns struggled early but were able to put away Kentucky 31-14.

Up Next: Texas A&M (8-3, 29)

Rivalry: Texas leads the series 76-37-5, have not played since 2011.

4. Penn State (10-1, 68.3, 19)

LWR: 6

LW: The Nittany Lions trailed late but were able to rally and hold off the Golden Gophers 26-25.

Up Next: Maryland (4-7, 100)

The Game will decide the Buckeyes' fate in the Big Ten Championship.

5. Ohio State (10-1, 68.9, 3)

LWR: 9

LW: The Buckeyes fell behind 7-0 and then rattled off 31 straight points in their 38-15 win over previously undefeated Indiana.

Up Next: Michigan (6-5, 58)

Rivalry: Michigan leads the series 61-51-6, Wolverines have won the last 3 meetings

6. Indiana (10-1, 72.8, 9)

LWR: 2

LW: Lost 38-15 to Ohio State.

Up Next: Purdue (1-10, 132)

Rivalry: Old Oaken Bucket, Purdue leads series 77-42-6, Boilermakers have won last 3 meetings

7. SMU (10-1, 73.4, 84)

LWR: 8

LW: The Mustangs rolled to a 33-7 win over Virginia to clinch a spot in the ACC Championship in their first year.

Up Next: Cal (6-5,68)

8. Miami (10-1, 75, 60)

LWR: 7

LW: The Hurricanes crushed Wake Forest and have a chance to make it to the ACC title game and possibly win the ACC for the first time ever.

Up Next: Syracuse (8-3, 23)

9. Boise State (10-1, 84.9, 5)

LWR: 11

LW: The Broncos struggled mightily to get past 2-8 Wyoming, 17-13.

Up Next: Oregon State (5-6, 86)

Notre Dame leapt over Army in the Pool Poll.

10. Army (9-1, 107.8, 5)

LWR: 3

LW: The Black Knights defense was no match for Notre Dame in a 49-14 loss.

Up Next: UTSA (6-5,74)

11. Arizona State (9-2, 61.9, 56.5)

LWR: 18

LW: The Sun Devils continue to prove their last-place finish prediction wrong as they knocked off BYU 28-23 for a chance to maybe play in the Big 12 Championship.

Up Next: Arizona (4-7, 99)

Rivalry: Duel in the Desert- Wildcats lead the series 51-44-1 and have won the last two meetings.

12. Clemson (9-2, 71, 21)

LWR: 15

LW: The Tigers took the week off and played The Citadel (FCS).

Up Next: South Carolina (8-3, 24)

Rivalry: Palmetto Bowl- The Tigers lead the series 73-43-4 and won the last meeting.

13. Georgia (9-2, 72.1, 11)

LWR: 16

LW: They briefly trailed UMass, but then reality set in and they won 59-21.

Up Next: Georgia Tech (7-4, 42)

Rivalry: Clean, Old Fashioned Hate-The Bulldogs lead the series 71-41-5 including the last 6 wins.

14. BYU (9-2, 77.8, 59.5)

LWR: 10

LW: The Cougars carriage finally turned into a pumpkin and their late game heroics fell short 28-23.

Up Next: Houston (4-7, 96)

The SEC is wide open and the Volunteers are hoping for chaos.

15. Tennessee (9-2, 82, 47)

LWR: 19

LW: The Volunteers bullied UTEP 59-0.

Up Next: Vanderbilt (6-5, 61)

Rivalry: Tennessee controls the series 78-32-5 including the last 5 meetings.

16. Iowa State (9-2, 83.8, 79.5)

LWR: 23

LW: The Cyclones got a late field goal and then Utah missed their own late-game field goal to give Iowa State a 31-28 victory.

Up Next: Kansas State (8-3, 26)

17. Tulane (9-2, 87.4, 25.5)

LWR: 12

LW: The Green Wave rested for the AAC showdown with the Tigers.

Up Next: Memphis (9-2, 20)

18. UNLV (9-2, 92.1, 37)

LWR: 25

LW: The Rebels defeated San Jose State 27-16 on Friday.

Up Next: Nevada (3-9, 124)

Rivalry: Fremont Cannon- Nevada leads the series 29-20, but UNLV has won the last two.

19. Louisiana (9-2, 97.2, 95.5)

LWR: 26

LW: The Ragin' Cajuns crushed Troy 51-30.

Up Next: Louisiana Monroe (5-6, 91)

Rivalry: Battle on the Bayou- Louisiana leads the series 32-26.

Memphis and Tulane meet again for AAC supremacy.

20. Memphis (9-2, 100.3, 75)

LWR: 13

LW: Bye

Up Next: Tulane (9-2, 17)

21. Liberty (8-2, 101, 101)

LWR: 28

LW: The Flames blew by Western Kentucky 38-21.

Up Next: Sam Houston State (8-3, 37)

22. Alabama (8-3, 51.5, 63)

LWR: 14

LW: The Crimson Tide folded 24-3 to the Sooners.

Up Next: Auburn (5-6, 84)

Rivalry: The Iron Bowl-Tide lead the series 50-37-1 and have won the last 4 meetings.

23. Syracuse (8-3, 61.5, 57.7)

LWR: 30

LW: The Orange held on to beat UConn 31-24.

Up Next: Miami (10-1, 8)

24. South Carolina (8-3, 66.5, 51)

LWR: 29

LW: The Gamecocks rested before the Palmetto Bowl with an easy win over Wofford (FCS).

Up Next: Clemson (9-2, 12)

The Buffs were not ready for Kansas.

25. Colorado (8-3, 67.9, 55.3)

LWR: 17

LW: The Buffaloes were stunned 37-21.

Up Next: Oklahoma State (3-8, 114)

Dropped Out: Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Washington State, and James Madison

Waiting List: Kansas State, Illinois, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Washington State, Duke, Ohio, Marshall, James Madison, Missouri, Sam Houston State, Western Kentucky, Navy, and Louisville

Bottom 10:

Kennesaw State was one of four teams in the Bottom 10 to earn a victory this week.

125. Kennesaw State (2-9, last hope against La Tech)

126. Florida State (2-9, Florida)

127. Florida Atlantic (2-9, Tulsa)

128. Wyoming (2-9, Washington State)

129. UTEP (2-9, New Mexico State)

130. Mississippi State (2-9, Ole Miss)

131. UMass (2-9, UConn)

132. Purdue (1-10, Indiana)

133. Southern Miss (1-10, Troy)

134. Kent State (0-11, Buffalo)

Wild Night in College Football Sees Oregon Escape and BYU Fall

Somehow a team I like less than the Cubs played at Wrigley Field this Saturday.

    Saturday didn't have many games of note on the schedule but that was the perfect recipe for wild finishes and upsets. Clemson held a 17-3 lead, allowed Pitt to take the lead, then scored on a 50-yard touchdown in the final minute to win 24-20. Texas had to fight off Arkansas in a contest that looked better when Texas scooped up a fumble and scored with no time left to win 20-10.

The Gators were swarming in the LSU backfield all night.

    Then the 3:30 kickoffs came and there was plenty of excitement. Louisville was stunned after a failed Hail Mary attempt gave Stanford the ball with 10 seconds left. Two costly penalties put the Cardinal in range to kick the game-winning field goal to stun Louisville. LSU was too busy fighting each other to stop Florida from stealing an upset and South Carolina snuck past Missouri in one of two games featuring ranked opponents. The other was a decisive win for Georgia over Tennessee, 31-17. Arizona State proved they should've been ranked for its matchup with Kansas State as they upset the Wildcats 24-14. SMU escaped their upset bid from Boston College to wrap up the mid-afternoon contests.

The Jayhawks played spoiler late Saturday night.

    For the night games, Oregon struggled mightily against Wisconsin but its defense did enough to win 16-13. BYU and Washington State were not so lucky. Wazzu watched in stunned silence as New Mexico rallied to win 38-35 while BYU couldn't complete another comeback, falling 17-13 to Kansas.

    The most entertaining games actually had little importance in the grand scheme of things, but they involved Conference USA's best teams and two of the worst teams in college football. Both times, the hapless opponents, UMass and Kennesaw State, watched their chances to upset fall by the wayside. The Minutemen missed a game-winning field goal and their extra point in overtime to lose 35-34 to Liberty. Meanwhile, the Owls were looking for just their second win in their time in the FBS but lost 23-17 to Sam Houston State, who are just in their second season of FBS play.

    Next week boasts two Top 10 matchups in the realm of this week's Pool Poll as Indiana travels to Ohio State while Notre Dame takes on Army at Yankee Stadium. BYU and Arizona State will also face off in a battle of ranked teams. Midweek MACtion will also see the top two teams square off on Wednesday when Ohio takes on Toledo. Meanwhile, it's the annual week off for the SEC as they'll face teams like UMass (129), The Citadel (136), UTEP (125), and Wofford (136). Good news for Florida State (1-9) as they look for win number two against Charleston Southern (FCS). 

Here's a look at the Top 25:

Oregon gets a week to recover from their poor showing in Madison.

1. Oregon (11-0, 64.7 WA, 0 LA)

Last Week Rank: 1

Last Week: 16-13 win over Wisconsin

Up Next: Washington (11/30)

2. Indiana (10-0, 72.8, 0)

LWR: 2

LW: Bye

Up Next: Ohio State (9-1, 9)

3. Army (9-0, 107.8, 0)

LWR: 3

LW: Bye

Up Next: Notre Dame (9-1, 5)

4. Texas (9-1, 61.8, 27)

LWR: 6

LW: 20-10 win over Arkansas

Up Next: Kentucky (4-6, 94)

The Irish have just kept winning after their stunning loss to NIU.

5. Notre Dame (9-1, 67.9, 76)

LWR: 8

LW: 35-14 win over Virginia

Up Next: Army (9-0, 3)

6. Penn State (9-1, 70.2, 19)

LWR: 7

LW: 49-10 win over Purdue

Up Next: Minnesota (6-4, 51)

7. Miami (9-1, 72.6, 60)

LWR: 5

LW: Bye

Up Next: Wake Forest (4-6, 97)

8. SMU (9-1, 74.1, 84)

LWR: 11

LW: 38-28 win over Boston College

Up Next: Virginia (5-5, 67)

9. Ohio State (9-1, 76.3, 3)

LWR: 9 

LW: 31-7 win over Northwestern

Up Next: Indiana (10-0, 2)

There were no late-game heroics in Provo this weekend.

10. BYU (9-1, 77.8, 101)

LWR: 3

LW: 13-17 loss to Kansas

Up Next: Arizona State (8-2, 18)

11. Boise State (9-1, 80.6, 5)

LWR: 13

LW: 42-21 win over San Jose State

Up Next: Wyoming (2-8, 124)

12. Tulane (9-2, 87.4, 25.5)

LWR: 16

LW: 35-0 win over Navy

Up Next: Memphis (9-2, 11/28)

13. Memphis (9-2, 100.3, 75)

LWR: 17

LW: 53-18 win over UAB

Up Next: Tulane (9-2, 11/28)

14. Alabama (8-2, 51.5, 52)

LWR: 18

LW: 52-7 win over Mercer (FCS)

Up Next: Oklahoma (5-5, 85)

Cade Klubnik saved Clemson's season with this run.

15. Clemson (8-2, 62.9, 21)

LWR: 20

LW: 24-20 win over Pitt

Up Next: The Citadel (FCS, 136)

16. Georgia (8-2, 65, 11)

LWR: 22

LW: 31-17 win over Tennessee

Up Next: UMass (2-8, 129)

17. Colorado (8-2, 67.9, 37.5)

LWR: 19

LW: 49-24 win over Utah

Up Next: Kansas (4-6, 91)

18. Arizona State (8-2, 68.4, 56.5)

LWR: 24

LW: 24-14 win over Kansas State

Up Next: BYU (9-1, 10)

19. Tennessee (8-2, 76.6, 47)

LWR: 10

LW: 17-31 loss to Georgia

Up Next: UTEP (2-8, 125)

The Rebels had a chance to watch the Florida upset of LSU, to help get them prepared.

20. Ole Miss (8-2, 77.9, 54.5)

LWR: 15

LW: Bye

Up Next: Florida (5-5, 72)

21. Texas A&M (8-2, 80, 36.5)

LWR: 23

LW: 38-3 win over New Mexico State

Up Next: Auburn (4-6, 102)

22. Washington State (8-2, 82.1, 83.5)

LWR: 12

LW: 35-38 loss to New Mexico

Up Next: Oregon State (4-6, 103)

23. Iowa State (8-2, 82.6, 79.5)

LWR: 25

LW: 34-17 win over Cincinnati

Up Next: Utah (4-6, 93)

24. James Madison (8-2, 91.3, 56)

LWR: 30

LW: 35-32 win over Old Dominion

Up Next: Appalachian State (4-5, 89)

The Rebels are doing their best to make the Mountain West Championship.

25. UNLV (8-2, 96, 37)

LWR: 28

LW: 41-20 win over San Diego State

Up Next: San Jose State (6-4, 61)

Dropped Out: Louisiana, Kansas State

Watch List: Louisiana, Sam Houston State, South Carolina, Syracuse, Kansas State, Illinois, Pitt, Missouri, Duke, Marshall, WKU, Ohio, Toledo, and Navy

Kennesaw State had victory snatched away in overtime.

Bottom 10:

125. UTEP (2-8)

126. New Mexico State (2-8)

127. UAB (2-8)

128. Mississippi State (2-8)

129. UMass (2-8)

130. Kennesaw State (1-9)

131. Florida State (1-9)

132. Purdue (1-9)

133. Southern Miss (1-9)

134. Kent State (0-10)

Number of Undefeated Teams Shrinks to Four as Playoff Picture Gets Shaken Up

The Yellow Jackets stripped the Hurricanes of their 10th win.

    The slate of weekend games began with a stunning upset as Georgia Tech held on to weather the Hurricanes' comeback, handing Miami its first loss of the season. Michigan and Utah pushed Indiana and BYU to the brink in their contests, but the Hoosiers and Cougars held on to remain undefeated. BYU needed a last-second field goal to avoid a loss to their hated rival, while Indiana picked up just their second win over the Wolverines since 2000. Army fell behind 3-0, then their defense took over to win 14-3 and Oregon took care of business against Maryland to round out the four undefeated teams.

Ole Miss won a rainy mess of a game in Oxford over Georgia.

    Pitt, Iowa State, and Georgia all found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard to hand each team their second loss of the season. Alabama avoided its third loss of the season when it pummeled LSU in the Bayou 42-13, to give the Crimson Tide a boost in the playoff race. Boise State struggled to put away Nevada, 28-21, but Ashton Jeanty still managed almost 200 yards and 3 touchdowns to keep his Heisman hopes afloat. The Broncos are battling it out with Army and Washington State (who won big over Utah State to go 8-1) for the at-large qualifying spot.

Could there be a rematch of this 2023 thriller in the playoffs?

    After the dust settled in the early hours of Sunday morning, the Pool Poll Playoff Picture has reset. Oregon, Indiana, BYU, and Army earn the first-round byes as they remain undefeated. IU and Army both have a bye week to prepare for their next daunting tasks against fellow playoff hopefuls Ohio State and Notre Dame respectively. The Hurricanes would see Washington State in the first round, Texas would take on SMU, Penn State would square up with Tennessee, and the Buckeyes would take on the Irish.

    With the Big Ten dominating the Top 10, let's see who else rounds out the Top 25 in this week's Pool Poll.

   

Oregon is making its presence felt in year one in the Big Ten.

1. Oregon (10-0, 64.5 WA, 0 LA)

Last Week Rank: 1

Last Week: The Ducks had turtle soup on a cool weekend, devouring the Terrapins 39-18.

Up Next: Wisconsin (5-4, 67)

2. Indiana (10-0, 72.8, 0)

LWR: 3

LW: The Hoosiers built a 17-3 lead going into halftime, but only mustered three points in the second half. Fortunately, the Wolverines offense is as scary as a baby kitten surrounded by feathers and balloons, and IU held on 20-15.

Up Next: Ohio State (11/23)

3. BYU (9-0, 77.8, 0)

LWR: 4

LW: Poor clock management made BYU fall behind 21-10 at the half, but the defense locked in. Utah thought it had the game locked up when they sacked Jake Retzlaff, but a defensive holding negated the celebration. Retzlaff responded by getting the ball to mid-field and then eventually got the Cougars in a spot to kick a game-winning field goal to win 22-21. Despite their record, the Jayhawks are no easy win, just ask Iowa State.

Up Next: Kansas (3-6, 101)

4. Army (9-0, 107.8, 0)

LWR: 5

LW: The Black Knights are still riding the undefeated wave after a rather pedestrian 14-3 win over North Texas. Now they await their toughest challenge yet.

Up Next: Notre Dame (11/23)

The Hurricanes' upset loss led to one of the goalposts ending up in the pool of the Georgia Tech University President.

5. Miami (9-1, 72.6, 60)

LWR: 2

LW: The Hurricanes have been known for their ability to comeback late in games and nearly did when Cam Ward found Xavier Restrepo to cut the lead to 28-23. After the Canes forced a punt, it looked like more of the same for Miami as they had done this before against Cal and Duke to name a few. However, the Yellow Jacket defense swarmed Ward, punched out the ball, and recovered to seal the upset victory in Atlanta.

Up Next: Wake Forest (11/23)

6. Texas (8-1, 61, 27)

LWR: 8

LW: Quinn Ewers was leading the Longhorns up and down the field in the first half to have one of the best performances at the Swamp by an opponent. The Longhorns were spotted a 35-0 halftime lead on their way to a 49-17 victory.

Up Next: Arkansas (5-4, 68)

7. Penn State (8-1, 62.6, 19)

LWR: 9

LW: The Nittany Lions punched the Huskies in the gut right out the gate and then held the lead en route to a 35-6 win.

Up Next: Purdue (1-8, 131)

8. Notre Dame (8-1, 69.5, 76)

LWR: 7

LW: The Fighting Irish continued the dismantling of the Florida State legacy that Mike Norvell was trying to build last year, winning 52-3.

Up Next: Virginia (5-4, 55)

9. Ohio State (8-1, 74.3, 3)

LWR: 10

LW: Jeremiah Smith is a problem and he's just a Freshman. Smith has now set the record for yards and touchdowns by a Freshman, passing Cris Carter. It was all easy street for the Buckeyes in their 45-0 beatdown of Purdue.

Up Next: Northwestern (4-5, 93)

The Volunteers go from one Bulldog to another next week.

10. Tennessee (8-1, 76.6, 72)

LWR: 11

LW: The Volunteers handled their business and did not fall into a trap game against Mississippi State, 33-14.

Up Next: Georgia (7-2, 22)

11. SMU (8-1, 76.6 , 84)

LWR: 6

LW: The Mustangs had a bye week and now sit atop the ACC after losses by Miami and Pitt.

Up Next: Boston College (5-4, 54)

12. Washington State (8-1, 82.1, 68)

LWR: 13

LW: The Cougars feasted on whatever an Aggie is in their 49-28 win over Utah State.

Up Next: New Mexico (4-6, 99)

13. Boise State (8-1, 84.9, 5)

LWR: 14

LW: The Broncos allowed Nevada to hang around the whole game with blunders, but Jeanty saved the day again to bring his season total to 23 touchdowns.

Up Next: San Jose State (6-3, 46)

14. Louisiana (8-1, 96, 102)

LWR: 17

LW: It's weird to imagine that the best record in the state of Louisiana resides in Lafayette, although Tulane, LSU, and Louisiana Monroe all boast winning records (pick up the slack La Tech). The Ragin' Cajuns continued to roll in the Sun Belt with a 55-19 win over Arkansas State.

Up Next: South Alabama (4-5, 89)

The Rebels are moving back toward the playoff race.

15. Ole Miss (8-2, 77.9, 54.5)

LWR: 20

LW: The Rebels looked like they would get into a dogfight with Georgia, but the weather and a stout defense allowed them to earn their largest win over a Top-5 opponent, 28-10.

Up Next: Florida (11/23)

16. Tulane (8-2, 94.5, 25.5)

LWR: 21

LW: The Green Wave crashed down hard on the Temple Owls in a 52-6 victory.

Up Next: Navy (7-2, 31)

17. Memphis (8-2, 97.3, 75)

LWR: 22

LW: The Tigers were sweating more than they would've liked to, but a win's a win, and that's what a 27-20 mark over Rice is.

Up Next: UAB (2-7, 125)

18. Alabama (7-2, 39.6, 52)

LWR: 24

LW: The Crimson Tide wanted to remind everyone that Jalen Milroe is alive and well in the Heisman conversation with four rushing touchdowns and 185 yards rushing to go with 109 passing. The Tide rolled to a comfortable 42-13 win at LSU. Now it's time for the annual sacrifice in Tuscaloosa.

Up Next: Mercer (9-1, 135, FCS)

19. Colorado (7-2, 65, 37.5)

LWR: 28

LW: The Buffaloes pulled away late to earn an impressive win over Texas Tech, 41-27.

Up Next: Utah (4-5, 88)

The Tigers won't go away and the ACC is becoming more wide open.

20. Clemson (7-2, 68.1, 21)

LWR: 27

LW: The Tigers took care of business against Virginia Tech, 24-14, and are now atop the ACC with Miami and SMU.

Up Next: Pitt (7-2, 26)

21. Kansas State (7-2, 69.6, 59)

LWR: 18

LW: The Wildcats were off, but now have to get ready for a surprising showdown with Arizona State that has Big 12 Championship implications.

Up Next: Arizona State (7-2, 24)

22. Georgia (7-2, 72.9, 11)

LWR: 12

LW: The Bulldogs were baffled by the Rebels defense and were defeated by an SEC team not named Alabama for the first time since they lost to Florida in 2020.

Up Next: Tennessee (8-1, 10)

23. Texas A&M (7-2, 73.7, 36.5)

LWR: 19

LW: The Aggies were on a bye this week to make sure that New Mexico State can't make it two years in a row that they upset an SEC team.

Up Next: New Mexico State (2-7, 124)

24. Arizona State (7-2, 75.1, 56.5)

LWR: 29

LW: The Sun Devils clung to a 35-31 victory over UCF to keep their Big 12 bid alive.

Up Next: Kansas State (7-2, 21)

The Jayhawks pushed the Cyclones further down the Top 25 with back-to-back losses.

25. Iowa State (7-2, 86, 79.5)

LWR: 15

LW: It was another ugly upset for the Cyclones as the Jayhawks kept their bowl hopes alive by storming the endzone repeatedly in a 45-36 victory.

Up Next: Cincinnati (5-4, 59)

Dropped Out: Pitt, Sam Houston State, and LSU

Waiting List: Pitt, Missouri, UNLV, WKU, James Madison, Navy, Sam Houston State, Liberty, Duke, UConn, Louisville, South Carolina, LSU, Syracuse, and Illinois

Bottom 10

UTEP got its second win, a double overtime thriller, over fellow Bottom 10 member Kennesaw State and still can't escape this list.

125. UAB (2-7)

126. Utah State (2-7)

127. UMass (2-7)

128. UTEP (2-8)

129. Mississippi State (2-8)

130. Kennesaw State (1-8)

131. Purdue (1-8)

132. Southern Miss (1-8)

133. Florida State (1-9)

134. Kent State (0-9)

The Number of Undefeated Teams Drops to Five as College Football Playoff Picture is Unveiled This Week

 

The Buckeyes are doing everything to set a rematch with the Ducks in the Big Ten Championship.

    Three of the eight undefeated teams entering Saturday's contests were handed their first loss of the season in a variety of ways. The Nittany Lions were the first to go down as Penn State was given turnover gifts from Ohio State and their pick-six was their lone touchdown of the game. Drew Allar continued to show his inability to play well against elite teams, just as James Franklin continued to show that he had no idea how to beat the boys from Columbus. His only win came on a blocked field goal in 2016 and that means that Franklin has as many wins as Brady Hoke against the Buckeyes.

    

    During the later matchups, Pitt was absolutely steamrolled by the SMU Mustangs, 48-25, to put SMU in a spot to go to the ACC Championship, especially after Louisville pummeled Clemson. The Iowa State Cyclones could've remained undefeated had they not forgotten how to play defense in the final two minutes to drop a 23-22 contest to Texas Tech.

The Hurricanes wrecked Duke's upset bid.

    Oregon and Indiana crushed their Michigan foes to remain atop the Big Ten, while Army struggled to get past Air Force at times before ultimately winning. The wildest game was between Miami (FL) and Duke as the Blue Devils held a 28-17 lead in the second half and lost 53-31 to keep the Hurricanes atop the ACC.

    For those trying to keep their playoff berths alive, many two-loss teams celebrated thanks to some late-night losses. Texas A&M went from Top 10 to being caught in the trap game at South Carolina that saw the Gamecocks best the Aggies 44-20, while Kansas State saw their rally thwarted by Houston after a lengthy delay. Speaking of lengthy delays, just 3.5 miles away from the KSU and Houston game, Navy waited 5 hours because of lightning to be upset by Rice. The Group of Five outliers like Boise State rejoiced when Memphis was handed their second loss, though the Broncos are hoping to still have one loss by the time Army plays Notre Dame, where the Irish can destroy the hopes of two service academies in one season.

Indiana has Michigan and Ohio State up next.

    With the College Football Playoff's first rankings unveiled on Tuesday, let's see how those cowards will stray from the true standings with a Pool's Poll outlook. If I were in charge (probably best that I'm not since this would be a 16-team playoff with all conference winners clinching a berth) Oregon would have the number one spot. So far, so good. Then Miami would claim the two spot, Indiana the three, and finally BYU, yes Big 12 front-runner BYU, would be at the four. That means we'd have the following matchups which would surely lead to bloodbaths, but remember this is the first week and they never stay the same.

Army would host Georgia and the Bulldogs would cruise to a first-round victory and play Oregon. I think SMU could hang with Tennesse before the Vols pulled away late for a showdown with the Hurricanes. Ohio State would travel to Notre Dame and that would be one for the ages. It all depends on which version of each team shows up, but since the Irish choke harder than Ryan Day in these situations, I'll say the Buckeyes get by to face Indiana. Then Penn State poops the bed in Texas and the Longhorns face BYU. That could mean an Oregon-Texas, Ohio State-Tennesse Semi-Finals. I'll say Texas meets Ohio State and because I'm a troll, the Buckeyes lose on a missed field goal and Quinn Ewers outplays Will Howard.

There will likely be about four more SEC teams on the actual list, but didn't that sound exciting for a second.

Here's a look at this week's Top 25:

Honestly, it could've been worse for the Wolverines.

                                

1. Oregon (9-0, 63 WA, 0 LA)

Last Week Rank: 2

Last Week: The Ducks went to the Big House and continued to expose the horrendous offense of the Wolverines.

Up Next: Maryland (4-4, 78)

2. Miami, FL (9-0, 72.6, 0)

LWR: 4

LW: The Hurricanes ruined the revenge scheme planned by Duke's coach Manny Diaz, as Miami rolled in the second half to remain undefeated.

Up Next: Georgia Tech (5-4, 60)

3. Indiana (9-0, 74.6, 0)

LWR: 3

LW: The Hoosiers fell behind 10-0, then went on to win 47-10, so I think they figured things out.

Up Next: Michigan (5-4, 57)

4. BYU (8-0, 77.9, 0)

LWR: 5

LW: The Cougars enjoyed a bye week and will battle in-state rival Utah this week.

Up Next: Utah (4-4, 77)

This week was the first time the Black Knights didn't score 40 points in a game.

5. Army (8-0, 114.8, 0)

LWR: 8

LW: The Black Knights forced six turnovers to win the first leg of the Commanders-in-Chiefs' Trophy against Air Force, who also lost to Navy. With the injury to their starting quarterback and the fact that they'll be playing teams with winning records in their next two games, Army might not be undefeated for long.

Up Next: North Texas (5-3, 53)

6. SMU (8-1, 76.6, 84)

LWR: 14

LW: The Mustangs handed Pitt their first loss, which probably should've happened sooner. SMU briefly jumps ahead of everyone on this list thanks to their extra game. Everyone will catch up after the Mustangs' bye week.

Up Next: Boston College (11/16)

7. Notre Dame (7-1, 53, 76)

LWR: 9

LW: The Irish did absolutely nothing as they likely had this bye week scheduled to get ready for a game everyone circled in the summer and now NBC probably wants to flex this game to Peacock so no one has to watch it.

Up Next: Florida State (1-8, 132)

8. Texas (7-1, 58, 27)

LWR: 10

LW: The Longhorns enjoyed a bye to figure out how to perfect the taste of barbequed gator.

Up Next: Florida (4-4, 82)

9. Penn State (7-1, 62.9, 19)

LWR: 1

LW: The Nittany Lions threw an interception, that maybe wasn't, in the endzone and then got stuffed from the 1-yard line four times. They deserved to lose this game.

Up Next: Washington (5-4, 61)

The Buckeyes were sloppy in their win over Penn State.

10. Ohio State (7-1, 66.4, 3)

LWR: 19

LW: The Buckeyes weaseled their way out of another loss despite playing mediocre football. They sit behind the Nittany Lions because of the weak schedule they played before this game and this week won't help.

Up Next: Purdue (1-7, 129)

11. Tennessee (7-1, 69.6, 72)

LWR: 16

LW: The Volunteers struggled with Kentucky, but eventually cruised to a 28-18 win.

Up Next: Mississippi State (2-7, 126)

12. Georgia (7-1, 72.9, 2)

LWR: 18

LW: The Bulldogs were in a back-and-forth battle with Florida and then scored the last 14 points of the game to win 34-20.

Up Next: Ole Miss (7-2, 20)

13. Washington State (7-1, 76.6, 68)

LWR: 13

LW: The Cougars did nothing and are well-rested for a really bad Utah State team.

Up Next: Utah State (2-6, 121)

14. Boise State (7-1, 80.7, 5)

LWR: 20

LW: Ashton Jeanty did his best Michael Myers impersonation the day after Halloween as the Broncos scared a 56-24 win out of San Diego State.

Up Next: Nevada (3-7, 114)

The Cyclones lost on a touchdown in the final minute.

15. Iowa State (7-1, 86, 40)

LWR: 6

LW: The Cyclones couldn't weather the Red Raiders rally in the fourth quarter and dropped a 23-22 contest.

Up Next: Kansas (2-6, 119)

16. Pitt (7-1, 87.7, 14)

LWR: 7

LW: The Panthers scored late to make it a 23-point loss instead of a 30-point loss to SMU.

Up Next: Virginia (4-4, 74)

17. Louisiana (7-1, 101.7, 102)

LWR: 22

LW: The Ragin' Cajuns earned a Tuesday night victory over Texas State, 23-17.

Up Next: Arkansas State (5-3, 56)

18. Kansas State (7-2, 69.6, 59)

LWR: 11

LW: The Wildcats were rusty thanks to a lightning delay and stumbled to a 24-19 loss to Houston.

Up Next: Arizona State (11/16)

19. Texas A&M (7-2, 73.7, 36.5)

LWR: 12

LW: The Aggies were perhaps looking ahead to their bye week and forgot to get ready for South Carolina in a 44-20 loss.

Up Next: New Mexico State (11/16)

Jaxson Dart threw for 515 yards and 6 touchdowns on Saturday.

20. Ole Miss (7-2, 87.3, 54.5)

LWR: 30

LW: The Rebels were not surprised by the Razorbacks as they had a 63-31 hog roast.

Up Next: Georgia (7-1, 12)

21. Tulane (7-2, 91.3, 25.5)

LWR: 28

LW: It was all treat and not trick on Halloween as the Green Wave rolled to a 34-3 win over Charlotte.

Up Next: Temple (2-6, 117)

22. Memphis (7-2, 96.1, 75)

LWR: 15

LW: The Tigers got punched early and often in San Antonio as the Roadrunners outpaced Memphis 44-36.

Up Next: Rice (3-6, 105)

23. Sam Houston State (7-2, 102.4, 53)

LWR: 34

LW: The Bearkats trailed 3-2 at the half to Louisiana Tech on Tuesday, but rallied to win 9-3. CUSA football is no Mid-Week MACtion.

Up Next: Kennesaw State (11/16)

24. Alabama (6-2, 42, 52)

LWR: 24

LW: The Crimson Tide rested for one of the marquee matchups of next Saturday.

Up Next: LSU (6-2, 25)

The Bayou Bengals will face Alabama next Saturday.

25. LSU (6-2, 63.3, 25)

LWR: 25

LW: The Tigers also rested for their showdown against the hated rival.

Up Next: Alabama (6-2, 24)

Dropped Out: Clemson, Navy, and Liberty

Watchlist: Syracuse, Clemson, Colorado, Arizona State, Western Kentucky, James Madison, Missouri, UNLV, Navy, Liberty, Texas Tech, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Illinois, and Minnesota

Bottom 10:

Even a win over UMass couldn't help Mississippi State escape the Bottom 10.

126. Mississippi State (2-7)

127. UMass (2-7)

128. Kennesaw State (1-7)

129. Purdue (1-7)

130. Southern Miss (1-7)

131. Air Force (1-7)

132. Florida State (1-8)

133. UTEP (1-8)

134. Kent State (0-8)