College Football Power Rankings (Post-Week Seven Edition)
1. Mississippi State Bulldogs (6-0) -- It is truly historical how quick the Bulldogs have risen. They became the fastest team in the history of college football to rise from unranked to No. 1 in the polls in a matter of just five weeks. Dak Prescott might well be the Heisman frontrunner and the speed and big-play potential of the offense is extremely impressive.
2. Ole Miss Rebels (6-0) -- One of the hardest things to in any sport at any level is to follow up a huge win. After stunning Alabama, Ole Miss appeared poised for a letdown against Kenny Hill and Texas A&M. Though, led by Bo Wallace and a stifling defense, the Rebels had no issues with Texas A&M, keeping pace with their Magnolia State rivals.
3. Florida State Seminoles (6-0) -- While Mississippi and the SEC West is going crazy, Florida State has been perfectly fine rolling through their soft ACC schedule, having little problems with Syracuse this week. A meeting at Notre Dame this next week gives them their first test in weeks, they will need Jameis Winston ready to go once more.
4. Baylor Bears (6-0) -- What Baylor did in the fourth quarter against a great TCU team yesterday was pretty unbelievable. Against that vaunted Horned Frogs' defense, Bryce Petty and the Bears put up 24 unanswered to stay undefeated. With Oklahoma, TCU and Oklahoma State all with one loss, Baylor has clearly emerged as the team to beat in the Big 12.
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-0) -- The Irish managed to stay undefeated this past week, despite a good fight put on from a disappointing UNC team. QB Everett Golson, wide receiver Will Fuller and a strong Notre Dame defense will hope to push themselves further up the polls by taking down a fragile FSU team this week.
6. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1) -- The Tide were far from overly impressive this past week against a decent Arkansas squad, narrowly avoiding an upset at the hands of Brandon Allen and the Razorbacks. Their daunting SEC West schedule only continues, with a date with a motivated Texas A&M squad who desperately needs a win to retain any Playoff hopes.
7. Michigan State Spartans (5-1) -- While they didn't exactly blow out lowly Purdue this weekend, Michigan State has clearly emerged as the class of the Big Ten. With the Pac-12 in chaos and the SEC West likely beating its self up, the Spartans have a shot to sneak into the Playoff if they can win out.
8. Auburn Tigers (5-1) -- After falling behind early, the Tigers were never able to figure things out again against Prescott and Mississippi State. While their offense managed to play decent, their defense looked completely overmatched against a strong Bulldogs' offense. Though, don't count out Gus Malzahn and the Tigers yet; they may still have magic left in them.
9. Georgia Bulldogs (5-1) -- No Todd Gurley, no problem for the Bulldogs, who dominated a ranked Missouri team on the road. Without Gurley, true freshman Nick Chubb stepped up big time and he is poised to be Georgia's next great back. Don't let his last name fool you; Chubb is lightning quick with superb athleticism and is ready to take the Bulldogs to the top of the SEC East, depending on how long Gurley is out.
10. Oregon Ducks (5-1) -- The Ducks clearly outplayed No. 18 UCLA this past Saturday, but they still leave me with some questions. Can Marcus Mariota really perform behind this banged-up offensive line? Can the secondary stop some of the Pac-12's premier offenses? The good news is, the rest of the conference is losing, pushing Oregon back to the top.
11. Oklahoma Sooners (5-1) -- It was kind of sad seeing Oklahoma play Texas with such little excitement surrounding it. But, either way, the Sooners did improve to 5-1 and add another Big 12 victory to their resume. Led by Trevor Knight, Samaje Perine and more, the offense continues to perform at a high level and the defense stepped up when the game mattered.
12. Ohio State Buckeyes (4-1) -- The Buckeyes had a bye one week before a battle with Rutgers that weirdly has pretty serious Big Ten East title implications. The Scarlet Knights will play hard, but the Buckeyes' offense has figured things out and should be able to help OSU pull out a victory against one of the conference's newcomers.
13. TCU Horned Frogs (4-1) -- Once more, the Horned Frogs got off to an early lead, but they were unable to stop Baylor's second half rally. The loss hurts, but TCU's schedule is favorable enough (only two major tests, Oklahoma State and Kansas State, both at home) to push them back into the Playoff mix.
14. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-1) -- Ever since their opening loss to Jameis Winston and the 'Noles, the Cowboys have been absolutely rolling through an extremely soft schedule with the help of QB Daxx Garman. Though, this next week they get their first significant test inside the Big 12 against TCU, where they need to start off strong early, something nobody has done well against the Horned Frogs.
15. Kansas State Wildcats (4-1) -- The Wildcats have also been quietly rolling after their lone loss of the season to Auburn, beating UTEP and Texas Tech before getting a bye this week. They will get an opportunity to get very much in the Big 12 title race with a huge meeting against Oklahoma on the road this week.
16. East Carolina Pirates (5-1) -- Sure, the Pirates really weren't great against South Florida yesterday. But, they did manage to sneak out a victory improving to 5-1 on the year. With their explosive offense and improving defense, the Pirates should be able to run the table before a big AAC date with Cincinnati in mid-November.
17. Arizona Wildcats (5-1) -- How does Rich Rodriguez and the 'Cats follow up one of their biggest wins in school history? With a loss, to a USC team still recovering from a heartbreaking loss to ASU. QB Anu Solomon must find his rhythm once more, while the defense must play with the fire it did against Oregon if the Wildcats are to stick in the Pac-12 South race.
18. Utah Utes (4-1) -- With everybody losing inside the Pac-12, the Utes are quietly emerging as a possible dark horse inside the wacky South division. While their quarterback situation is in question, defensive end Nate Orchard, among the nation's leaders in sacks, keeps the Utes' defense rolling.
19. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1) -- After their tough loss to Michigan State, Nebraska had a bye this weekend. Now, they get a meeting with a sneaky Northwestern team, a game they must win on the road to stay in the hunt for a Big Ten title.
20. Arizona State Sun Devils (4-1) -- Following their crazy, wacky win over USC, the Sun Devils had a bye. They, like many with a bye this past week, have a huge meeting upcoming, this one against Kevin Hogan and Stanford. They will need QB Mike Bercovici to perform the way he did against the Trojans to pull out a win; 510 yards and five touchdowns.
21. Clemson Tigers (4-2) -- Louisville is not a bad football team by any means, which is why it was huge for Clemson to get victory against them and help their ACC schedule. The Tigers' defense is starting to pull extremely well, while Deshaun Watson leads the quick, efficient offense.
22. Texas A&M Aggies (5-2) -- How quickly things have changed for Kenny Hill and the Aggies. Just a couple weeks ago, Kenny "Trill" was a legit Heisman candidate while the Aggies were being talked about for a Playoff berth. Then, both Mississippi schools put a whooping on the Aggies, leaving them with little momentum heading on the road to meet Alabama.
23. Marshall Thundering Herd (6-0) -- The Herd have been absolutely rolling this year, led by gun slinging QB Rakeem Cato. Marshall is averaging 47.8 points per game (2nd in the nation) and their schedule is soft enough that 12-0 is a very real possibility if they stay healthy.
24. Stanford Cardinal (4-2) -- The Cardinal managed to tame Washington State and big-armed Connor Halliday, giving them a nice conference victory, something hard to come by in the Pac-12 this year. Now, Kevin Hogan, Ty Montgomery and their stingy defense must come out and play superb against an inconsistent but dangerous Sun Devils' team.
25. USC Trojans (4-2) -- Like so many teams in the Pac-12 this year, it is so hard to know how good the Trojans are. They've managed some good victories, like Arizona yesterday night. But, they looked terrible against Boston College and didn't play particularly well against ASU either. Either way, Steve Sarkisian has found a star in RB Javarious Allen, who is nearly the 800 yard mark just halfway through the year.
Others Receiving Votes
Duke
UCLA
LSU
Minnesota
Kentucky
Georgia Tech
Washington
West Virginia
Louisville
Wisconsin
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| Jaylen Walton |
3. Florida State Seminoles (6-0) -- While Mississippi and the SEC West is going crazy, Florida State has been perfectly fine rolling through their soft ACC schedule, having little problems with Syracuse this week. A meeting at Notre Dame this next week gives them their first test in weeks, they will need Jameis Winston ready to go once more.
4. Baylor Bears (6-0) -- What Baylor did in the fourth quarter against a great TCU team yesterday was pretty unbelievable. Against that vaunted Horned Frogs' defense, Bryce Petty and the Bears put up 24 unanswered to stay undefeated. With Oklahoma, TCU and Oklahoma State all with one loss, Baylor has clearly emerged as the team to beat in the Big 12.
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-0) -- The Irish managed to stay undefeated this past week, despite a good fight put on from a disappointing UNC team. QB Everett Golson, wide receiver Will Fuller and a strong Notre Dame defense will hope to push themselves further up the polls by taking down a fragile FSU team this week.
6. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1) -- The Tide were far from overly impressive this past week against a decent Arkansas squad, narrowly avoiding an upset at the hands of Brandon Allen and the Razorbacks. Their daunting SEC West schedule only continues, with a date with a motivated Texas A&M squad who desperately needs a win to retain any Playoff hopes.
7. Michigan State Spartans (5-1) -- While they didn't exactly blow out lowly Purdue this weekend, Michigan State has clearly emerged as the class of the Big Ten. With the Pac-12 in chaos and the SEC West likely beating its self up, the Spartans have a shot to sneak into the Playoff if they can win out.
8. Auburn Tigers (5-1) -- After falling behind early, the Tigers were never able to figure things out again against Prescott and Mississippi State. While their offense managed to play decent, their defense looked completely overmatched against a strong Bulldogs' offense. Though, don't count out Gus Malzahn and the Tigers yet; they may still have magic left in them.
9. Georgia Bulldogs (5-1) -- No Todd Gurley, no problem for the Bulldogs, who dominated a ranked Missouri team on the road. Without Gurley, true freshman Nick Chubb stepped up big time and he is poised to be Georgia's next great back. Don't let his last name fool you; Chubb is lightning quick with superb athleticism and is ready to take the Bulldogs to the top of the SEC East, depending on how long Gurley is out.
10. Oregon Ducks (5-1) -- The Ducks clearly outplayed No. 18 UCLA this past Saturday, but they still leave me with some questions. Can Marcus Mariota really perform behind this banged-up offensive line? Can the secondary stop some of the Pac-12's premier offenses? The good news is, the rest of the conference is losing, pushing Oregon back to the top.
11. Oklahoma Sooners (5-1) -- It was kind of sad seeing Oklahoma play Texas with such little excitement surrounding it. But, either way, the Sooners did improve to 5-1 and add another Big 12 victory to their resume. Led by Trevor Knight, Samaje Perine and more, the offense continues to perform at a high level and the defense stepped up when the game mattered.
12. Ohio State Buckeyes (4-1) -- The Buckeyes had a bye one week before a battle with Rutgers that weirdly has pretty serious Big Ten East title implications. The Scarlet Knights will play hard, but the Buckeyes' offense has figured things out and should be able to help OSU pull out a victory against one of the conference's newcomers.
13. TCU Horned Frogs (4-1) -- Once more, the Horned Frogs got off to an early lead, but they were unable to stop Baylor's second half rally. The loss hurts, but TCU's schedule is favorable enough (only two major tests, Oklahoma State and Kansas State, both at home) to push them back into the Playoff mix.
14. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-1) -- Ever since their opening loss to Jameis Winston and the 'Noles, the Cowboys have been absolutely rolling through an extremely soft schedule with the help of QB Daxx Garman. Though, this next week they get their first significant test inside the Big 12 against TCU, where they need to start off strong early, something nobody has done well against the Horned Frogs.
15. Kansas State Wildcats (4-1) -- The Wildcats have also been quietly rolling after their lone loss of the season to Auburn, beating UTEP and Texas Tech before getting a bye this week. They will get an opportunity to get very much in the Big 12 title race with a huge meeting against Oklahoma on the road this week.
16. East Carolina Pirates (5-1) -- Sure, the Pirates really weren't great against South Florida yesterday. But, they did manage to sneak out a victory improving to 5-1 on the year. With their explosive offense and improving defense, the Pirates should be able to run the table before a big AAC date with Cincinnati in mid-November.
17. Arizona Wildcats (5-1) -- How does Rich Rodriguez and the 'Cats follow up one of their biggest wins in school history? With a loss, to a USC team still recovering from a heartbreaking loss to ASU. QB Anu Solomon must find his rhythm once more, while the defense must play with the fire it did against Oregon if the Wildcats are to stick in the Pac-12 South race.
18. Utah Utes (4-1) -- With everybody losing inside the Pac-12, the Utes are quietly emerging as a possible dark horse inside the wacky South division. While their quarterback situation is in question, defensive end Nate Orchard, among the nation's leaders in sacks, keeps the Utes' defense rolling.
19. Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-1) -- After their tough loss to Michigan State, Nebraska had a bye this weekend. Now, they get a meeting with a sneaky Northwestern team, a game they must win on the road to stay in the hunt for a Big Ten title.
20. Arizona State Sun Devils (4-1) -- Following their crazy, wacky win over USC, the Sun Devils had a bye. They, like many with a bye this past week, have a huge meeting upcoming, this one against Kevin Hogan and Stanford. They will need QB Mike Bercovici to perform the way he did against the Trojans to pull out a win; 510 yards and five touchdowns.
21. Clemson Tigers (4-2) -- Louisville is not a bad football team by any means, which is why it was huge for Clemson to get victory against them and help their ACC schedule. The Tigers' defense is starting to pull extremely well, while Deshaun Watson leads the quick, efficient offense.
22. Texas A&M Aggies (5-2) -- How quickly things have changed for Kenny Hill and the Aggies. Just a couple weeks ago, Kenny "Trill" was a legit Heisman candidate while the Aggies were being talked about for a Playoff berth. Then, both Mississippi schools put a whooping on the Aggies, leaving them with little momentum heading on the road to meet Alabama.
23. Marshall Thundering Herd (6-0) -- The Herd have been absolutely rolling this year, led by gun slinging QB Rakeem Cato. Marshall is averaging 47.8 points per game (2nd in the nation) and their schedule is soft enough that 12-0 is a very real possibility if they stay healthy.
24. Stanford Cardinal (4-2) -- The Cardinal managed to tame Washington State and big-armed Connor Halliday, giving them a nice conference victory, something hard to come by in the Pac-12 this year. Now, Kevin Hogan, Ty Montgomery and their stingy defense must come out and play superb against an inconsistent but dangerous Sun Devils' team.
25. USC Trojans (4-2) -- Like so many teams in the Pac-12 this year, it is so hard to know how good the Trojans are. They've managed some good victories, like Arizona yesterday night. But, they looked terrible against Boston College and didn't play particularly well against ASU either. Either way, Steve Sarkisian has found a star in RB Javarious Allen, who is nearly the 800 yard mark just halfway through the year.
Others Receiving Votes
Duke
UCLA
LSU
Minnesota
Kentucky
Georgia Tech
Washington
West Virginia
Louisville
Wisconsin
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