Saturday’s results made one thing clear: in college football, the pecking order can look settled one minute and shaky the next.
Texas should stay put at No. 1 after handling UTSA 30-6, backing up the top ranking it grabbed last week with that comeback win over Ohio State. That victory over the Buckeyes still stands as the season’s most impressive result, and the Longhorns did nothing on Saturday to invite doubt.
Georgia, meanwhile, looked every bit like the No. 2 team. Kirby Smart’s group rolled Arkansas 45-17, and once the Bulldogs were up 38-3 early in the fourth quarter, a lot of the starters were already out of the game.
Miami also kept its place near the top of the conversation after Friday night’s 33-20 win at Wake Forest. The Hurricanes’ offense was explosive enough to hold onto the No. 3 spot on this AP Top 25 ballot.
Ohio State did what it was supposed to do against Kent State, winning 59-3, and that should keep the Buckeyes at No. 4. At this point, they look very much like a College Football Playoff field lock.
The biggest shake-up near the top came in Oxford, where Ole Miss beat LSU 32-24 in Lane Kiffin’s return. The Rebels were up 24-7 at halftime, watched LSU claw back to tie it 24-24, then answered with Trinidad Chambliss leading the game-winning drive before Pete Golding’s defense delivered a late red zone stop. That kind of finish should push Ole Miss into the top five.
Notre Dame also strengthened its case, pulling away from Michigan State for a 27-10 home win. The Irish looked efficient on offense and sharp on defense, enough to slot them at No. 6.
Indiana kept winning without making much noise, but the defending national champions have now opened 3-0 with back-to-back shutouts. Their 38-0 win over Western Kentucky in Bloomington puts them at No. 7.
LSU still looks like a team with championship-caliber pieces, even after the loss in Oxford, and should land no lower than No. 8 as it keeps trying to mesh the transfer-heavy roster.
Alabama’s comeback win over Florida State gave the Crimson Tide enough juice to edge Tennessee for the No. 9 spot, while Texas A&M took the day’s biggest tumble. The Aggies, who entered the weekend at No. 9, lost at home to 17-point underdog Kentucky, 31-21, and could fall hard - possibly out of the Top 25.
There was movement elsewhere on the board too. Mississippi State’s 41-31 win at South Carolina adds another layer to the bottom portion of the rankings, especially with quarterback Kamario Taylor emerging as a name to watch.
The full ballot runs Texas at No. 1, Georgia at No.
2, Miami at No. 3, Ohio State at No.
4, Ole Miss at No. 5, Notre Dame at No.
6, Indiana at No. 7, LSU at No.
8, Alabama at No. 9 and Tennessee at No. 10.
Below that, Utah sits at No. 11 after beating Utah State 33-0, followed by BYU at No. 12 after a 41-23 win over Colorado State and Penn State at No. 13 after beating Buffalo 55-13. Texas Tech comes in at No. 14 after its 28-26 win over No.
22 Houston, and Louisville is No. 15 after knocking off No. 18 SMU 41-31.
Florida lands at No. 16 after its 44-39 win over Auburn, Michigan checks in at No. 17 after beating UTEP 52-17, and USC is No. 18 after winning at Rutgers 42-35. SMU falls to No.
19, Iowa is No. 20 after a 55-0 win over Northern Iowa, Oregon is No. 21 after routing Portland State 84-0, and Houston drops to No. 22.
Mississippi State is No. 23, Virginia Tech moves in at No. 24 after winning at Maryland 35-26, and Oklahoma rounds out the Top 25 after beating New Mexico 14-6.
In Other News...
Razorback Stadium Had A Wild Pregame Visitor Before Arkansas Faced Georgia
Before Georgia and Arkansas kicked off at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, the most memorable sight in Fayetteville was not on the depth charts but on the field itself. A skunk was spotted wandering around the stadium pregame, an odd little detour to a matchup that already carried plenty of attention because of where the teams stood heading in.
Georgia entered the day as a heavy favorite, listed by 24.5 points, with the game set for ABC and the usual backdrop of recent form and the series history between the programs. Even before the opening whistle, though, the scene had already produced the kind of college football moment that feels almost tailor-made for a Saturday in the SEC. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Suddenly Has A Nate Frazier Concern It Didnt Want
Georgias backfield took a hit Saturday when starting running back Nate Frazier went down with a lower leg injury during the game against Arkansas and had to leave the field limping. He briefly reappeared on the sideline moving well enough to sprint, which at least offered a moment of relief, but the picture changed later when he was seen walking with a noticeable limp before heading to the locker room.
The concern only grew when transfer wide receiver Isiah Canion also left with an injury in the first half and did not return. For a Georgia team trying to keep its offense on track, the timing of both setbacks is less than ideal, and Kirby Smart is expected to have more to say once the game is over and the full extent of the injuries becomes clearer. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia's Arkansas Win Came With One Concern Fans Can't Ignore
Georgia handled Arkansas 45-17 with a performance that looked a lot like the Bulldogs at their most efficient, leaning on the ground game and letting Gunner Stockton settle in as both a runner and passer. Stockton rushed for 97 yards, threw for 147 more and a touchdown, while Chauncey Bowens powered the offense with three scores. Georgias defense did its part too, piling up multiple sacks and keeping Arkansas from finding much rhythm.
The one uneasy note came late enough to linger afterward: wide receiver Isiah Canion left the game with a leg injury. For a team that already looks balanced and sturdy in the box score, any injury to the receiving corps is worth watching closely, especially as Georgia tries to keep building momentum behind a run-first attack that worked so well Saturday. [Read more 🡒]