Greg McElroy’s latest Top 15 is starting to separate the true contenders from the teams still trying to prove they belong in the conversation.
At the top, there’s no mystery. Georgia sits at No. 1 after a road win over Alabama that McElroy called one of the best results of the season to this point. The Bulldogs also grabbed the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25, so the consensus is pretty clear right now.
Indiana holds down the No. 2 spot after opening 6-0. Curt Cignetti’s group is still winning every time out, even if it hasn’t looked quite as overwhelming as it did a year ago.
McElroy also pointed out how long it’s been since the Hoosiers last lost under Cignetti. The next big measuring stick comes this week against Ohio State.
Miami checks in at No. 3.
The Hurricanes haven’t had a schedule full of heavyweight opponents, but they did take care of Wake Forest, which McElroy described as perhaps one of the ACC’s best teams. Florida State is next, and Miami’s offense has been so dangerous that it would be a shock to see many teams simply run away from it.
The question is whether the defense keeps progressing.
Notre Dame lands at No. 4 after surviving the kind of early-season nerves that have tripped up Marcus Freeman teams in past years. Wins over North Carolina and Wisconsin are looking better by the week, and the schedule is about to get much louder.
A road trip to BYU this weekend is the first major test, followed by a home date with Miami on Nov. 7.
Those two games could go a long way toward shaping the Fighting Irish’s playoff picture.
Alabama drops to No. 5 after the loss to Georgia, but McElroy’s view is that the season is far from off track. The Crimson Tide are still in the SEC title chase and very much alive in the playoff race.
Tennessee is the next hurdle, and LSU is the biggest second-half challenge after that. The path is still there.
Texas slides to No. 6 after its first loss, a setback to Oklahoma that came with a handful of missed chances, including two costly interceptions by Arch Manning. Even with the loss, the Longhorns still own one of the sport’s best résumés thanks to the win over Ohio State and the earlier victory over Tennessee. But the next four weeks are brutal: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, at Missouri, at LSU.
Ohio State comes in at No. 7.
The Buckeyes’ only loss is still a respectable one, a road defeat at a Top 5 opponent, but the margin for error has tightened. Indiana comes to town this weekend, and that game could swing expectations in a hurry.
Win, and the playoff path looks clear. Lose, and things get complicated fast.
UCLA is the surprise at No. 8.
McElroy has the Bruins inside the Top 10, and the Oregon win last week gave the ranking some real credibility. Bob Chesney has turned things around quickly enough that he’s already being compared to Curt Cignetti.
Wisconsin this weekend is another important test, with road trips to Minnesota and Michigan still ahead, plus USC at home to close.
Utah sits at No. 9 and has looked dominant all season. The Utes have won every game by at least two touchdowns, which says a lot even on the days they’ve been a little sloppy.
Houston and BYU still stand out on the schedule, but both are at home. The road games left will tell their own story.
BYU rounds out McElroy’s Top 10. The Cougars are 5-0, and only one of those wins has been decided by single digits - the 17-10 win over TCU.
Notre Dame visits this week, giving BYU its biggest chance yet to make a statement. McElroy clearly sees the Cougars as one of the sport’s best teams if they can keep this run going.
McElroy’s rankings continue through Nos. 11-15.
In Other News...
Ryan Day Just Framed Indiana's Biggest Edge Against Ohio State
Ryan Day spent part of his week-into-the-Ohio State-Indiana buildup acknowledging what makes this matchup uncomfortable for the Buckeyes, even before the ball is kicked. He pointed to the possibility that several injured starters could be back for Ohio State, but also made clear the roster will not be whole. More importantly for Indiana, Day identified the battle up front as the key to the game and singled out the Hoosiers' defensive line and passing attack as strengths his team has to handle.
For Indiana, that is useful validation heading into a game that already carries a different feel at Memorial Stadium. Day also noted the challenge of playing there and stressed that Ohio State cannot let its attention drift at any point, which only underscores how much the Hoosiers can make this matter by staying disruptive early. If Indiana can turn the line of scrimmage into a problem and keep its offense moving, it may force the Buckeyes into a kind of game they would rather avoid. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Defense Proved Something Important In Win Over Nebraska
Indianas 20-17 win over Nebraska had a different feel from the kind of track meet both teams usually bring, and that was the point. Entering the matchup, each side had been averaging more than 40 points per game, but Indiana turned it into a defensive grind and found a way to come out on top in a game that asked its front seven and secondary to do the heavy lifting.
Pro Football Focus grades backed up what showed up on the field, with Mario Landino, Tobi Osunsanmi and Preston Zachman standing out for their work in run defense, pass rush and coverage. Outside linebackers Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones logged plenty of snaps, but Nebraska also went after them in the passing game often enough to test Indianas depth and discipline in the kind of game where one busted assignment could have changed everything. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces Its Biggest Ohio State Problem In Season-Defining Rematch
Indiana heads into its rematch with Ohio State carrying far more than the usual Big Ten tension. Both teams are unbeaten in conference play, and the matchup has quickly become one of the defining games of the season, with control of the league and College Football Playoff positioning hanging in the balance. For the Hoosiers, it is another chance to prove the programs rise is real, and that last years breakthrough against the Buckeyes was not a one-time jolt.
Josh Hoover will be central to Indianas hopes as it tries to stack a second straight win in the series, but the task gets complicated fast when Ohio States passing game enters the conversation. Jeremiah Smith has been one of the most productive receivers in the country and gives the Buckeyes a game-breaking target that can tilt the field in a hurry. If Indiana is going to leave this one with momentum in the conference race, it will likely have to solve its biggest Ohio State problem in the one place the Buckeyes are hardest to contain. [Read more 🡒]