Texas survived another scare, but Georgia may have done enough to make the AP poll a real fight at the top.
The Longhorns kept hold of No. 1 in one of the tightest calls of the weekend after escaping No. 14 Tennessee, 20-17, and their resume still leans heavily on that Sept. 12 win over Ohio State. Texas erased a deficit in that game with three unanswered touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and that comeback remains the flashiest victory in the sport so far this season.
Still, Georgia gave the voters something loud to think about. The Bulldogs flattened Oklahoma, 41-13, and their defense was the headline, forcing four turnovers in a statement win over a preseason top-10 team. If the AP Top 25 shifts at the top, that performance is the one most likely to push Texas.
Notre Dame also has a strong argument to climb after blasting Purdue, 49-10. The Irish were No. 3 last week, and with three of the 69 AP voters already putting them at No. 1, that group has plenty of reason to stay put.
Miami sits right in that same conversation. The Hurricanes were No. 6 last week and handled Central Michigan, 52-3, so they should keep drawing first-place votes as the top of the poll sorts itself out.
The bigger movement may come lower in the top 10, where Indiana looks vulnerable after a shaky 29-23 win over Northwestern on Friday night in Bloomington. The Hoosiers were No. 5 last week, but that kind of narrow escape against an unheralded opponent usually costs ground.
And then there were the losses that can really shake a ballot. Ole Miss, ranked No. 4 entering the weekend, was hammered by No.
21 Florida, 52-28, at “The Swamp” in Gainesville. That result could send the Rebels tumbling out of the top 10 altogether.
College football keeps turning into a weekly survival test, especially with transfer-heavy rosters still settling in and first-year starting quarterbacks learning on the fly.
Here’s how Mike Griffith voted in the AP Top 25:
- Texas (4-0)
Won at No. 14 Tennessee, 20-17
- Georgia (4-0) Beat Oklahoma, 41-13
- Miami (4-0) Beat Central Michigan, 52-3
- Ohio State (3-1) Beat Illinois, 42-19
- Notre Dame (4-0) Won 49-10 at Purdue
- Alabama (4-0) Beat South Carolina, 49-18
- Florida (4-0)
Beat No. 4 Ole Miss, 52-28
- Indiana (4-0) Beat Northwestern, 29-23 (Friday)
- Ole Miss (3-1)
Lost 52-28 at No. 21 Florida
- LSU (3-1)
Beat No. 24 Texas A&M, 35-6
- Utah (4-0) Won 31-17 at Iowa State
- Tennessee (3-1)
Lost to No. 1 Texas, 20-17
- BYU Was idle
- Iowa (4-0)
Won 20-19 at No. 18 Michigan
- Oregon (3-1)
Won at No. 12 USC, 41-27
- Texas Tech (4-0) Beat Sam Houston State, 49-14
- Boise State (3-1) Won at Western Michigan, 32-7
- Mississippi State (4-0)
Beat No. 19 Missouri, 31-24
- Houston (3-1) Won 42-28 at Georgia Southern
- SMU (2-1) Vs, Missouri State, late
- USC (4-1)
Lost to No. 20 Oregon, 41-27
- Michigan (3-1)
Lost to No. 17 Iowa, 20-19
- Virginia Tech (4-0) Won at Boston College, 21-14
- Arizona (3-1) Won at Washington State, 34-24
- UCLA (4-0) Won at Maryland, 54-3
In Other News...
Georgia Has One Dangerous Problem Heading Into Vanderbilt
Georgia has spent this season looking every bit like a team that expects to keep winning, and the matchup with Vanderbilt fits the same script on paper. The Bulldogs are undefeated, favored again, and coming off a run of steady, no-drama performances that have kept them in the thick of the national conversation while the rest of the league keeps trying to catch up.
Still, there is a little extra edge to this one because Vanderbilts quarterback is freshman Jared Curtis, who was once committed to Georgia before ending up with the Commodores. The bigger concern for the Bulldogs, though, is less about the opponent than about themselves and whether they can stay locked in for four quarters, since the season has shown they can control games when they stay sharp and leave openings only when their focus slips. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Hinted At A Bigger Georgia Role Fans Will Notice
With Vanderbilt next on the schedule, Kirby Smart used his weekly availability to touch on the usual game-week checkpoints and a few broader themes around Georgias roster. He praised Clark Leas work with the Commodores, pointed to players such as Jared Curtis and Thomas Blackshear as part of the discussion, and walked through the kind of injury and practice updates that tend to shape how the Bulldogs prepare from one Saturday to the next.
Smart also spent time on the kind of player development questions Georgia fans tend to notice over the course of a season, offering thoughts on London Humphreys, JJ Hane, Dwight Phillips and Jordan Hall. Taken together, the remarks suggested a coach looking beyond the immediate matchup, with more attention on how individual roles are taking shape and where the Bulldogs may be leaning as SEC play keeps moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Brock Bowers Is Already Giving Georgia Fans A Reason To Watch
Brock Bowers wasted no time reminding everyone why Georgia fans still track his every move on Sundays. Back from a knee injury, the former Bulldogs star was the focal point of the Las Vegas Raiders offense in a 35-27 win over the New Orleans Saints, piling up 10 catches for 116 yards and a touchdown in a performance that looked awfully familiar to anyone who watched him in Athens.
There was more Georgia flavor in the result, too, with Nakobe Dean leading the Raiders defense with a team-high 12 tackles and helping close the door with a game-sealing fumble recovery. At 3-0, Las Vegas is leaning on multiple former Bulldogs in all three phases, and for Georgia fans, that makes the Raiders an especially relevant watch even before the full story of this season takes shape. [Read more 🡒]