The top of college football is getting weird in a hurry, and the latest Power Rankings reflect it. Miami moved into the No. 1 spot after another wild week that saw more chaos at the top, and now the Hurricanes head straight into a massive showdown at Notre Dame.
That matchup is only part of a loaded Week 10 slate. The AP has six ranked-on-ranked games lined up, but the CBS Sports Power Rankings actually show seven, with Miami at Notre Dame joined by Georgia at Ole Miss, BYU at Utah, Kentucky at Tennessee, Alabama at LSU, Texas at Missouri and Iowa at Northwestern.
Three unbeaten teams are still standing, and two of them are facing ranked opponents. The biggest spotlight, though, belongs to the Holy War, where unbeaten BYU heads to undefeated Utah for the first Top 10 meeting in the rivalry’s 104-game history.
Miami earned the top spot by surviving North Carolina 38-35, its first win in the series since 2018 and its first road win as AP No. 1 since 2002. Darian Mensah has become the Heisman Trophy favorite with 25 touchdowns and just one interception. Next comes the trip to Notre Dame, where the Irish have beaten Miami only once in 11 trips to South Bend, back in 1984.
Georgia stayed right behind the Hurricanes after a 27-8 win over Florida. The Bulldogs turned four turnovers into 17 points and never let the game get close. If they keep rolling, they look like a real No. 1 seed candidate.
Indiana held onto the No. 3 spot, but the Hoosiers needed some help and some late drama to get past Minnesota. Josh Hoover was replaced at halftime by Grant Wilson as the offense struggled, and the teams traded 60-yard field goals before Paddy McAteer’s school record forced overtime.
Wilson then found Charlie Becker for the winning touchdown in a 23-16 victory. Indiana gets a much-needed open date now.
Notre Dame comes in at No. 4 after beating Navy 35-13 for its ninth straight win in the series. It took a little while for the Irish to separate, but they pulled away as expected. Nolan James Jr. ran for two touchdowns, and now they get the biggest test on the schedule with unbeaten Miami coming to town.
Kentucky sits at No. 5 after an idle week, but the Wildcats are riding a six-game winning streak into next Saturday’s trip to Tennessee. Will Stein’s 7-1 record is the best start by a first-year coach in Kentucky history.
Utah is right behind at No. 6 after a 49-25 win over Cincinnati that stretched its winning streak to 14 games. Morgan Scalley is 9-0, making him the first FBS coach to start that well at his alma mater since David Shaw in 2011 at Stanford. The reward is the Holy War against BYU in Salt Lake City.
LSU moved to No. 7 after resting last week, following its road win at Auburn that snapped an eight-game SEC road losing streak. Ole Miss transfer Princewill Umanmielen has nine sacks, the most by an LSU player since Arden Key’s school-record 12 in 2016. Alabama waits next.
The Crimson Tide are No. 8 and also coming off a bye, preparing for that trip to LSU. Kalen DeBoer is 17-2 at home and 9-8 everywhere else, and Alabama has already needed three second-half comeback wins this season.
Texas rounds out the top 10 after Arch Manning threw three touchdowns without an interception for the first time this season in a 31-3 win over Mississippi State. He is 13-1 as a starter at home, and now the question is whether that carries over on the road at Missouri.
Ohio State fell to No. 11 after Luke Fahey threw for 260 yards in his first start, but USC pulled away for a 30-18 win. The Buckeyes had not lost twice before November since 2011. Jeremiah Smith now owns the Big Ten record with 40 touchdown catches, though he has slipped in the Heisman pecking order.
Texas Tech climbed to No. 12 after Thomas Castellanos started over Will Hammond and ran for 117 yards, the most by a Texas Tech quarterback in 30 seasons, in a 34-26 win over Arizona. The Red Raiders’ 13 straight home wins tie a school record.
Ole Miss is up to No. 13 after closing on a 28-0 run to beat Auburn 45-15. Trinidad Chambliss accounted for three touchdowns, and he remains unbeaten at home as a Rebel. Georgia comes to Oxford on Saturday.
Tennessee dropped to No. 14 after its walk-off loss at South Carolina. Quarterback George MacIntyre has one total touchdown and five turnovers in three starts. Kentucky is next.
BYU is No. 15 after a 27-20 win over Arizona State that gave the Cougars their 12th straight home victory. The game was overshadowed by another officiating controversy that could have changed the outcome.
Bear Bachmeier also passed Steve Young for second among BYU quarterbacks in career rushing touchdowns. Utah is next.
Wake Forest sits at No. 16 after a 51-7 rout of Virginia, powered by 309 rushing yards and a fourth straight ACC win by 20 or more points. The defense held Virginia to 16 rushing yards.
QB Gio Lopez left in the third quarter with an apparent leg injury. Merrimack is next.
USC makes the biggest jump in the rankings after beating No. 2 Ohio State 30-18.
It was the Trojans’ highest-ranked win since the 2004 Orange Bowl and their first over a top-five team since the 2017 Rose Bowl. Lincoln Riley is 2-6 against top-five teams.
Iowa is up to No. 18 after blanking Wisconsin 30-0, its fifth straight win in the series. The Hawkeyes have scored 81 unanswered points on the Badgers since 2024. Northwestern is next.
Houston checks in at No. 19 after an idle week following its 21-13 loss at Utah. Cincinnati visits next, a week after the Utes beat the Bearcats 49-25.
Arizona fell to No. 20 despite Noah Fifita becoming the program’s first 400-yard passer against a top-15 team since Nick Foles in 2010. Texas Tech still ran for 328 yards and won 34-26, while Arizona managed just 12 rushing yards. TCU is next.
Missouri is up to No. 21 after beating Arkansas 34-10, giving the Tigers a 6-2 or better start for a fourth straight season for the first time in school history. Ahmad Hardy made his season debut after recovering from a gunshot wound and ran for 42 yards on three carries. Texas is next.
South Carolina enters at No. 22 after LaNorris Sellers threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more in a 42-25 road win over Oklahoma. The Gamecocks have won three straight, including ranked wins over Florida and Tennessee.
Northwestern is No. 23 after leading Oregon 20-6 before falling 34-26. Dylan Raiola threw for 336 yards in the Ducks’ comeback, and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is 0-5 in Eugene since leaving Oregon. Iowa is next.
Boise State drops in at No. 24 after nearly giving away a 25-point halftime lead against Texas State. The Bobcats scored 36 unanswered points before backup quarterback Max Cutforth, replacing an injured Maddux Madsen, threw three fourth-quarter touchdowns to secure a 46-45 win.
New Mexico closes out the rankings at No. 25 after winning at San Jose State for the first time since 1969, 21-16, despite three Toa Fa'avae interceptions. The Lobos lead FBS in scoring defense and have never been ranked by the AP.
In Other News...
Miami Gets A Big Opening In Notre Dames Secondary
Notre Dames secondary will look different when the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes arrive, with cornerback DJ McKinney sidelined for an extended stretch after suffering an ankle injury on Oct. 17. McKinney had been a fixture in the Irish back end all season, starting every game and giving them stability on the outside before the injury forced a change.
Sophomore Jayden Sanders is expected to step into the lineup in McKinneys place, which gives Miami a notable opening to test a defense that has leaned on continuity at corner. The timing matters, too, with McKinneys return now pushed toward the College Football Playoffs, leaving Notre Dame to sort out a key spot just as the stakes rise. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Escaped UNC But A Bigger Problem Should Worry Hurricanes Fans
Miamis escape at North Carolina was the kind of win that keeps a season moving, but it also left plenty for Mario Cristobals staff to sort through. The Hurricanes survived 38-35 in Chapel Hill for their first victory over the Tar Heels in six tries, yet the final score did not hide how shaky things looked on defense for long stretches. North Carolina kept finding answers on third down, and the Tar Heels ability to extend drives put Miami under constant pressure.
Cristobal pointed to tackling and finishing plays as problem areas afterward, and those issues are hard to ignore when a defense is trying to handle a mobile quarterback on the road in conference play. Pro Football Focus coverage grade for Miami was historically low, a jarring mark for a unit that has bigger goals than simply escaping with a win. The Hurricanes got the result they needed, but the performance raised a more pressing question about how sustainable that formula will be against better opponents. [Read more 🡒]
Malachi Toney Is Chasing Even More Miami History This Season
Malachi Toney has already carved out a place in Miami history, and he is still only a sophomore with four regular-season games left to play. The Hurricanes receiver has become the kind of weekly problem defenses have to plan around, and his latest milestone underlines just how quickly he has climbed into rare company for one of the programs most storied positions.
Against North Carolina, Toney kept producing even while drawing heavy double teams, finishing with seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. His season total has pushed him into record territory for Miami, and with more games still ahead, the only question now is how much more he can add to a season that already belongs alongside some of the biggest names in Hurricanes history. [Read more 🡒]