Greg McElroy’s latest Top 15 has a familiar face at No. 1, but the real intrigue starts a little deeper down the board.
The ESPN analyst unveiled his rankings on this week’s Always College Football podcast, and while the top few spots track closely with the AP Top 25, McElroy carved out some clear differences once he got past the elite tier. UCLA, for one, is sitting inside his Top 10.
At the top, Georgia stands alone. The Bulldogs’ road win over Alabama was the kind of result that reshuffles the whole sport, and McElroy rewarded them with the No. 1 spot. It matches the general mood around the country too, since Georgia also landed No. 1 in the AP Top 25 by a wide margin.
Indiana comes in at No. 2, and there’s no real mystery why. The Hoosiers are 6-0, and McElroy highlighted just how long it has been since Curt Cignetti’s team last tasted defeat.
Indiana hasn’t looked as overwhelming as it did late last season, but it keeps finding a way to finish the job. Quarterback Josh Hoover has also settled in well after arriving from TCU.
The timing is notable, because Ohio State is up next.
Miami holds the No. 3 spot after building a strong early resume and knocking off Wake Forest, which McElroy views as one of the ACC’s better teams. The Hurricanes get Florida State this weekend, and their offense has been so explosive that few opponents look capable of blowing them out. The bigger question is whether the defense keeps improving enough to make Miami a more complete team.
Notre Dame checks in at No. 4 after surviving the kind of early-season uncertainty that has haunted Marcus Freeman teams in recent years. Wins over North Carolina and Wisconsin have aged well, but the schedule is about to get serious.
A road trip to BYU this weekend kicks off that stretch, followed by a home game against Miami on Nov. 7.
Those two matchups may go a long way toward deciding the Fighting Irish’s playoff path.
Alabama falls to No. 5 after the loss to Georgia, but McElroy is hardly writing the Crimson Tide off. They remain in the mix for the SEC title and the playoff, though the road ahead has its share of stress points.
Tennessee is next, and LSU still looms as the biggest challenge after that. Even with the setback, Alabama still has plenty in front of it.
Texas lands at No. 6 after suffering its first loss of the season to Oklahoma. McElroy framed that one through the lens of missed chances, including Arch Manning’s two interceptions.
Still, the Longhorns have one of the strongest résumés in the country thanks in large part to the win over Ohio State, plus another good mark against Tennessee. The problem is what comes next: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, at Missouri and at LSU in a brutal four-game stretch.
Ohio State sits at No. 7 with a loss that still looks respectable on paper, at least for now. The Buckeyes’ defeat came on the road against a top-five opponent, which softens the blow somewhat.
But the margin for error is narrowing quickly, and Indiana is the next major checkpoint. Beat the Hoosiers and the playoff picture stays clean.
Lose, and things get messy fast.
UCLA is the surprise at No. 8.
McElroy has the Bruins inside the Top 10 after what has become one of the most notable early-season stories in the sport, with Bob Chesney drawing comparisons to Curt Cignetti for the speed of the turnaround. The schedule has helped a bit, but the Oregon win last week gave the ranking real substance.
Wisconsin is up next, and the back half includes trips to Minnesota and Michigan before closing with USC at home.
Utah comes in at No. 9, and the Utes have been ruthless through five games. Every win has come by at least two touchdowns, which says plenty about how cleanly they’ve handled business.
Houston and BYU remain on the slate, both at home, and Utah still has four road games left. That kind of setup can always create trouble, even for a team rolling this well.
BYU rounds out McElroy’s top 10. The Cougars are also unbeaten, with only one game decided by single digits so far - a 17-10 win over TCU.
They’ve been efficient and steady, and now they get their biggest test yet when No. 2 Notre Dame comes to town.
McElroy clearly believes BYU belongs among the best teams in the country, and a win this weekend would make that case even stronger.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Defense Faces A Threat It Hasn't Seen Yet
Notre Dames defense is heading into a different kind of test this weekend, one built less on flash than on patience and physicality. BYU brings a sturdy offensive line, a quarterback in Bear Bachmeier who can keep plays alive, and an attack that has been especially efficient at piling up yards per play and creating chunk gains. For the Irish front, that means the usual margin for error is slim, because winning first down and controlling the line of scrimmage will matter just as much as any highlight-reel stop.
The matchup also stretches beyond the trenches, with Notre Dames safeties likely to have a major say in how much damage BYU can do through the middle of the field and against tight end Walker Lyons. Preventing the Cougars from turning routine snaps into explosive ones is the real challenge here, and it is the kind of test that can expose even a defense that has looked comfortable most of the season. The Irish may be prepared for power football, but BYUs ability to stress all three levels gives this one a different edge. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Defense Is Earning National Respect At The Perfect Time
Notre Dames defense has spent the first six games of the season building a reputation that now carries national weight, and the Associated Press took notice at midseason. Cornerback Leonard Moore landed on the AP Midseason All-America first team, while edge rusher Boubacar Traore earned second-team honors, a tidy reflection of how much the Irish have leaned on that side of the ball while climbing the rankings.
Moore has been steady on the back end with four pass breakups and eight solo tackles, while Traore has brought the disruption up front that changes games, leading the team with 3.5 sacks and flashing in big moments with a strip sack and an interception in the same contest. For Notre Dame, the recognition is more than just individual praise, it is proof the defense is playing at a level that can travel deep into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Dortch Could Solve A Notre Dame Frontcourt Concern
Notre Dames frontcourt picture for 2026-27 may end up looking a little different if Bryce Dortch develops the way the staff believes he can. The junior from Somerville, Massachusetts is projected as a backup power forward, but what makes him interesting is not just where he fits on the depth chart. Last season at Rutgers, Dortch averaged 2.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, and the Irish are expecting him to bring a blend of defense and lineup flexibility that can help cover some of the needs around the basket.
Micah Shrewsberry has already pointed to Dortchs versatility and the progress he has made since joining the program, which matters for a team looking for dependable options in the frontcourt. A player who can handle multiple roles and hold up defensively gives Notre Dame more ways to manage rotation concerns, especially if the season forces the staff to adjust on the fly. Dortch may not arrive with headline numbers, but his value could come in the places that are easiest to overlook until they are needed most. [Read more 🡒]