Georgia is back where it started: No. 1 in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
The Bulldogs jumped back to the top after a convincing 42-7 win over then-No. 12 Ole Miss on Saturday, reclaiming the spot for the first time since the Oct. 11 release. It’s the second week Georgia has owned the No. 1 ranking this season.
The biggest movement around the top came from a cluster of teams cashing in on statement wins. Utah climbed to No. 2 after beating then-No.
8 BYU in the “Holy War,” while Notre Dame rose three spots to No. 3 after knocking off last week’s No. 1 team, Miami, 31-24. UCLA, still unbeaten, moved up to No. 4 after winning on the road at Minnesota.
Indiana, which did not play in Week 10, slipped two spots to No. 5.
The SEC continues to dominate the poll with eight teams in the top 25, and several of them made notable moves. Alabama rose to No. 7 after its win over then-No.
15 LSU. Texas checked in at No. 8 and Tennessee at No. 9 after each added a top-25 victory to its résumé.
Further down the list, Kentucky dropped to No. 13 after losing to Tennessee, while Ole Miss tumbled five places to No. 17 following its rough outing against Georgia. LSU fell to No. 22 after its home loss to Alabama. South Carolina entered the poll at No. 24 after beating Texas A&M and stretching its winning streak to four games.
Auburn still remains outside the top 25, even after picking up another SEC win Saturday against Arkansas. The Tigers have only one more ranked opponent left on their schedule, No.
7 Alabama on Nov. 28.
The rest of the poll saw Oregon move in at No. 19, while South Carolina and New Mexico rounded out the rankings at No. 24 and No. 25. Missouri and Northwestern dropped out of the top 25.
In Other News...
Auburn Could Be Headed For A Full Circle Bowl Rematch
Auburns win over Arkansas did more than stop a two-game slide. It put the Tigers back on track for bowl eligibility, with five wins in hand and one more needed against Mississippi State, Samford or Alabama to get there for the first time since 2023. For a team that has spent much of the fall trying to steady itself, the finish line is finally in sight.
If Auburn does get there, the postseason could bring an interesting twist. CBS Sports Brad Crawford projects the Tigers to land in the Liberty Bowl against Baylor, which would send them back into a familiar matchup from the season opener. It is the kind of full-circle pairing that would give Auburns late-season push a little extra edge, even before the final regular-season hurdle is cleared. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Criticism Of Lane Kiffin Just Got Harder For LSU To Ignore
Lane Kiffins latest stumble against Alabama has only sharpened the scrutiny around LSUs coach, and Paul Finebaum did not soften the conversation. In the wake of the loss, Finebaum questioned whether Kiffin has truly figured out how to get past elite opponents, pointing to a pattern that has made earlier wins feel less convincing when the competition steps up.
For LSU, the criticism lands at a sensitive moment because the Tigers still have a season to salvage and a schedule that will keep the pressure on. Kiffins rsum has included success against lesser opponents, but the bigger question now is whether LSU can answer the same test that has tripped him up before and turn the narrative before the next stretch of games. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Finally Answered Its Biggest Late-Game Question
After Auburns blowout loss at Ole Miss, Alex Golesh did not try to soften the message. The head coach pointed to the same problem that has followed the Tigers through the week leading into the game, saying the issue has been less about effort than about finishing when the game starts to tighten and the pressure rises.
For Auburn, that makes the aftermath about more than one rough result. The Tigers have heard all season that the final stretch of games has to look different, and Golesh made it clear the concern was already there before kickoff in Oxford. What comes next is whether Auburn can turn that warning into something more tangible the next time the game is there to be closed out. [Read more 🡒]