Texas may have grabbed the No. 1 spot in the latest college football rankings after that wild comeback over Ohio State, but the early read on the College Football Playoff picture points somewhere else for the top seed.
Based on how the season is shaping up, Miami looks like the team sitting in the best position to claim No. 1 when the committee eventually sorts out the bracket. The Hurricanes have the kind of résumé that jumps off the page in this format: ACC champion, a scorching offense with Darian Mensah under center, and a schedule that should keep testing them all the way to the finish, including Notre Dame. The gap between Miami and the rest of the ACC is described as a wide one, and right now that matters.
Georgia also has a strong argument in the SEC lane. The Bulldogs’ offense has rolled through overmatched opponents, and while the tougher conference games will reveal more, they still look like the team to beat at the top of the league. If the committee is sorting champions and weighing depth, that profile carries plenty of weight.
In the Big Ten, Ohio State’s case only gets stronger with Oregon slipping. Even with defensive losses and some difficult road trips still ahead, the Buckeyes are emerging as the clearest pick to win the conference.
Notre Dame remains very much in the mix, though the schedule debate isn’t going away. Critics may say the Irish caught a break, but they still have BYU, Miami, and SMU coming up, and those games should tell the real story about whether this is the playoff team it has been billed as.
Texas, meanwhile, has the profile of an SEC runner-up that the selection committee would likely favor over the Big Ten’s second-place team. That win over Ohio State gives the Longhorns more room to breathe as they head into a stretch that includes as many as six ranked opponents.
Elsewhere in the projected field, Texas Tech gets the nod as the Big 12 champion. It is not being framed as a true two-quarterback offense, but the addition of Tommy Castellanos gives the Red Raiders another wrinkle to throw at opponents.
Indiana sits as the projected Big Ten runner-up after blasting its first two opponents and, according to this early read, should keep rolling until mid-October when it heads to Nebraska.
Arizona State has the pieces to make noise too. Sam Leavitt runs a dynamic offense that can attack downfield, and the defense can bring pressure up front, but there are still questions about how that group will hold up physically against SEC fronts when it comes to running the ball. That uncertainty could keep the Tigers out of the conference title race.
SMU is another ACC contender worth watching. The Mustangs will get a serious test this weekend on the road against ranked Louisville, but quarterback Kevin Jennings and the defense have looked like a team capable of contending for the conference crown.
Alabama’s defense has shown some encouraging signs, and dual-threat quarterback Keelon Russell has added real explosiveness to the offense. Even so, the Crimson Tide still need to prove they can move people around up front and run the ball with more force.
USC is also in the conversation as a team that could push Oregon out of the playoff picture from the Big Ten. With Jayden Maiava at quarterback, the Trojans have started to tighten things up on offense, and Gary Patterson’s presence on defense is helping them take early steps toward becoming more cohesive.
As for the highest-ranked Group of Six champion, that spot belongs to a team that already made noise with a seven-point loss at Oregon. That result still carries real value, especially after the Ducks lost the following week, and the latest win over previously unbeaten Memphis only strengthens the case.
In Other News...
Arch Manning Added To Texas Wildest Postgame Controversy Yet
The aftermath of Texas 24-23 comeback win over No. 1 Ohio State did not stay focused on the field for long. Steve Sarkisians postgame interview became a talking point after he cut off reporter Holly Rowe, and the moment quickly spilled into the kind of strange, over-the-top discourse that follows a marquee victory when the stakes are already sky high. The result itself mattered plenty, lifting Texas to No. 1 in the updated AP poll, but the tone around the celebration shifted almost immediately.
Arch Manning soon found himself dragged into the chatter after weighing in on an AI-generated video that falsely showed Sarkisian slapping Rowe. His reaction made clear he was not treating the situation with much gravity, even as the clip added another layer to an already messy postgame scene. For Texas, the football part of the night was the headline it wanted, but the strange side story around its coach and quarterback is the one still hanging in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Sarkisian's Awkward Ohio State Moment Took A Strange Turn Online
Steve Sarkisians postgame exchange with Holly Rowe after the Ohio State game was already unusual enough to draw plenty of attention, with Texas fans and onlookers replaying the moment as soon as it hit social media. The Longhorns coach abruptly cut off the ESPN interview and sprinted away, turning a routine TV hit into one of the first viral oddities of the season for a program that tends to live under a microscope.
The story took an even stranger turn when Arch Manning said he had seen AI-generated videos making it look as if Sarkisian slapped Rowe, a fabrication that quickly circulated online after his comments. It was a reminder of how fast a bizarre real-life clip can get distorted once the internet grabs hold, and how little room there is for nuance once a strange moment from a marquee Texas game becomes meme material. [Read more 🡒]
TCU Gets One Last Real Test Before Big 12 Play
TCUs final tune-up before Big 12 play brings a familiar face to Fort Worth, with Arkansas State visiting for what should be a useful barometer for both teams. The Red Wolves have shown a balanced offense so far, leaning on multiple running backs and receivers, while mixing in enough defensive looks to keep an opponent honest. For a Horned Frogs team trying to sharpen itself before the conference grind begins, its the kind of late-September game that can reveal more than the matchup on paper suggests.
The most interesting wrinkle is under center, where Arkansas State is being led by Trey Owens, a transfer quarterback with Texas ties and a chance to settle in after a bumpy start to his career path. The Red Wolves also bring a strong secondary and a defense that changes structure, but their run defense has been a vulnerability through the first two games, which gives TCU a clear area to press. Before Big 12 play arrives, this one offers the Horned Frogs a final look at a team with enough moving parts to make the afternoon matter. [Read more 🡒]