Greg McElroy’s latest Top 15 is exactly what you’d expect in a season that keeps punching holes in the national picture: Georgia sitting alone at the top, a few familiar power brands holding steady, and a couple of teams jumping into the conversation in a big way.
The ESPN analyst broke down his rankings on his Always College Football podcast this week, and while the first few spots line up with the AP Top 25, McElroy goes his own way once you get deeper into the list. UCLA, in particular, stands out as one of the biggest differences.
At No. 1, there’s no mystery. Georgia grabbed the top spot after a road win over Alabama that McElroy described as one of the season’s best results so far. That victory pushed the Bulldogs into the nation’s No. 1 slot, and they also moved to the top of the AP Top 25 by a wide margin.
Indiana comes in at No. 2, and McElroy had plenty to like about what Curt Cignetti’s group has done. The Hoosiers are 6-0 after following up an undefeated season a year ago, and McElroy pointed out that it has been a very long time since Indiana last lost under Cignetti.
They haven’t been as overpowering as they were late last season, but they keep finding a way to finish. Quarterback Josh Hoover has settled in well after transferring from TCU, and now comes the biggest measuring stick yet with Ohio State on deck.
Miami lands at No. 3 after taking care of Wake Forest, a team McElroy views as maybe one of the ACC’s best. The Hurricanes’ offense has been devastating, and their upcoming matchup with Florida State gives them another chance to make a statement. McElroy’s view is clear: with that kind of firepower, Miami is going to be in every game, and the question is whether the defense keeps improving enough to make the whole operation truly dangerous.
Notre Dame checks in at No. 4 after surviving the kind of early-season rough patches that have tripped up Marcus Freeman teams in recent years. The Irish have already banked wins over North Carolina on the road and Wisconsin, and both are aging well.
But the real pressure starts now. A trip to BYU this weekend opens a difficult stretch, followed by a home game against Miami on Nov.
- Those two matchups could go a long way toward deciding Notre Dame’s playoff path.
Alabama sits at No. 5 after the loss to Georgia, but McElroy’s ranking shows the Tide are far from out of the picture. The Crimson Tide remain alive in both the SEC title race and the playoff chase.
Tennessee this week is another major hurdle, and LSU is the other looming test that stands out in the second half. Beyond that, McElroy sees a schedule that still gives Alabama room to work.
Texas drops to No. 6 after its first loss of the season, a defeat to Oklahoma that left plenty of “what if” hanging over the result. Arch Manning’s two interceptions were a major part of the story, and a few plays that didn’t break Texas’ way changed the night.
Still, the Longhorns have one of the best résumés in the sport, thanks largely to the early win over Ohio State, with the Tennessee victory also helping. The next four games are brutal: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, at Missouri, and at LSU.
Ohio State comes in at No. 7, with McElroy treating the Buckeyes’ only loss as a solid one, especially in light of Texas’ difficult stretch ahead. A road loss at a top-five opponent is nothing to be embarrassed about, but the margin for error is shrinking.
Indiana this weekend is a major inflection point. Win, and the playoff picture looks a lot cleaner.
Lose, and things get messy fast.
UCLA is the surprise of McElroy’s top 10 at No. 8.
Bob Chesney has earned comparisons to Curt Cignetti for how quickly he’s changed the feel of the program, and the Bruins got an important validation last week by beating Oregon. The schedule hasn’t been a monster so far, but that win helped cement their place here.
Wisconsin this weekend will matter, and so will trips to Minnesota and Michigan, along with USC at home in the finale.
Utah holds down No. 9 after a first half that has been as clean as it has been dominant. The Utes have won every game by at least two touchdowns, and even when they’ve been a little sloppy, the final margin has still looked comfortable. McElroy highlighted upcoming games against Houston and BYU, both at home, while noting that four road games remain and those can always cause problems.
BYU rounds out McElroy’s top 10 at No. 10.
The Cougars are also unbeaten, with five wins and only one single-digit decision so far, a 17-10 victory over TCU. That steadiness is part of why McElroy has them this high.
Their biggest test is here now: No. 2 Notre Dame comes to town this weekend.
McElroy clearly likes what he’s seen from BYU, and this game will tell a lot about how high that ceiling really is.
McElroy’s rankings continue beyond 10 with spots 11 through 15, which he also released this week.
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