The old BCS computer model didn’t just nudge the Week 7 rankings around - it blew a hole right through the top five.
With the AP and Coaches Poll already reflecting a wild Saturday, the BCS formula from BCSKnowHow lined up with the idea that Miami belongs at No. 1. The Hurricanes earned a 0.9570 score after their thrilling, and somewhat controversial, double-overtime win over Florida State, and they also picked up 40 first-place votes from AP pollsters after taking a huge chunk of the support Georgia had the week before.
Miami’s grip on the top spot looks real enough for now, but the schedule won’t let the Hurricanes settle in. They head into back-to-back road games at North Carolina and Notre Dame, a stretch that should sharpen the picture quickly.
The BCS formula made a different call than the AP on BYU. While AP voters pushed the Cougars to No. 2 with 20 first-place votes, the BCS slotted them at No. 3, a five-spot jump after a gritty win over Notre Dame.
Bear Bachmeier was all over that game, with touchdowns through the air, as a receiver, and on the ground, and now BYU sits atop a crowded Big 12. The danger zone starts right away with a trip to 3-3 UCF, followed by a road game at Utah.
Notre Dame stayed in the mix despite the loss, dropping only two spots to No. 4 in the BCS rankings, which matched its fall in the AP poll.
A couple of traditional powers had a rougher week. Alabama and Texas are both dealing with two-game losing streaks, though the damage wasn’t equal.
Alabama’s loss to Georgia is one thing, but the Tide’s 26-10 defeat at Tennessee could matter a lot more. That pushed Alabama down seven places to No. 13, and another stumble would make the upcoming road trip to LSU even more uncomfortable.
Texas took the hardest fall of all, tumbling 12 spots to No. 19 after its second straight loss to an unranked team. The Longhorns’ latest defeat came against Florida in Austin, and that move matched the AP rankings as well.
Florida, meanwhile, used that win to crack the BCS poll at No. 20.
At the Group of Six level, Boise State may no longer have the BCS all to itself. The AP voters and, likely, the playoff committee still see the Broncos as the standard-bearer, but the computers have another name in the conversation: James Madison.
The Dukes are 7-0 after rolling Georgia State 49-22, and that victory extended two impressive streaks - 12 straight Sun Belt regular season wins and 11 straight home wins dating back to last season. AP voters still left James Madison unranked, though the Dukes did receive 52 votes, leaving them to wait for a little more movement lower down the poll.
In Other News...
Miami Is 6-0 But One Midseason Concern Won't Go Away
Miami has kept rolling to a 6-0 start and stays firmly in the national conversation, but the unbeaten record has not erased every concern around this team. Even with quarterback Darian Mensah and receiver Malachi Toney delivering standout play, the Hurricanes have had to navigate injuries and uneven stretches that have kept the week-to-week picture from feeling entirely settled.
The biggest issue continues to hover around the offensive front and the running back group, both of which have been affected by injuries and in turn put more pressure on the rest of the offense. On defense, Miami has been sturdy against the run, but the challenge has been clear against mobile quarterbacks and in pass protection, which leaves a real midseason question for a team with bigger goals than just staying undefeated. [Read more 🡒]
Miamis Florida State Win Exposed Who Carried The Canes
Miamis win over Florida State offered a pretty clear snapshot of which Hurricanes players drove the result and which ones left some questions behind. The breakdown leaned on both eye test and Pro Football Focus grades, giving a fuller view of who stacked up in the matchup and who struggled to match the moment in a game that had plenty of physical play and a few injury concerns along the way.
The comparison also surfaced some interesting gaps between what stood out live and what showed up in the grading. A handful of players landed near the top of both lists, while others were viewed much less favorably once the film and the numbers were lined up, leaving a useful if imperfect picture of how Miami got through one of its biggest games and which performances helped carry the Canes. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Can End Notre Dame's Playoff Dream With One More Loss
Miamis rise to No. 1 in the latest AP Top 25 poll has only sharpened the spotlight on what comes next, and Notre Dame is walking into that matchup with plenty on the line. The Irish were already dealing with the sting of a close loss to BYU, a game that ended amid controversy and prompted the Atlantic Coast Conference to announce a review of the officiating at the finish.
Now the schedule has put Notre Dame in a spot where another loss could make its College Football Playoff path far more complicated, even with the expanded 12-team field. For Miami, it is another chance to reinforce its place at the top. For Notre Dame, it is the kind of game that can either steady a season or push the margin for error almost to nothing. [Read more 🡒]