Oklahoma's fall from the ranks of the unbeaten means big change.
Brad Crawford
The longest active win streak against any opponent in the AP Poll era is over following the Kansas Jayhawks' thrilling 38-33 upset of previously unbeaten and sixth-ranked Oklahoma to highlight Saturday's action. Kansas will leap back into Sunday's Week 10 AP Top 25 with the victory while the Sooners' Playoff hopes undoubtedly took a critical turn.
In our updated AP Top 25 projection, Oklahoma moves out of the top 10, giving way to Oregon and one-loss Texas — whom the Sooners beat previously — to move up and knock on the door of the top. One team continuing to slide is UNC following its second straight loss, this one on the road against Georgia Tech. That all but ends the Tar Heels' New Year's Six hopes this season.
Top-ranked Georgia's win over Florida, Washington's escape at Stanford and Texas humiliating BYU were other notable finishes involving top 10 teams, along with Penn State's near-upset against Indiana.
Reactions to No. 1 Georgia's impressive win over Florida
Here's our expectation for Sunday's Week 10 AP Top 25 ahead of Tuesday night's first College Football Playoff rankings:
1. Georgia Bulldogs (8-0)
Saturday's result: Beat Florida, 43-20
On the strength of a powerful first half, the Bulldogs scored36consecutive points after Florida's initial seven-pointadvantage to run the Gators out of Jacksonville. It was never competitive following Georgia's early adjustments. Georgia won 25 straight, including three-consecutive matchups with Florida, and moves into a pivotal November as the SEC's favorite and title frontrunner once again.Through nine weeks, it appears Georgia is strengthening.
2. Michigan Wolverines (8-0)
Saturday's result: Open
Laser-focused in last week's win at Michigan State according to Jim Harbaugh despite distractions involving an NCAA investigation into signal-stealing, the Wolverines are right where they want to be entering next week's first Playoff rankings release.
"I think there’s been attempts to diminish the team in a lot of ways, starting with the easy schedule," Harbaugh said. "You know, too easy of a schedule, these guys aren’t very good, that kind of thing. But, they just play and they did that again today. We'll get on to the next one and move on with humble hearts. It's a heckuva group and I just congratulated them. Their focus was laser-like. Staying strong, focused, just on a mission."
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0)
Saturday's result: Beat Wisconsin,24-10
The Buckeyes pulled away from the Badgerscourtesy of TreVeyon Henderson's 33-yard touchdown with 5:15 to play. It was a hard-fought win against a quality opponent coached by former Ohio State assistant Luke Fickell. Both of Kyle McCord's touchdown passes went to Marvin Harrison Jr., who broke a 10-all tie in the third quarter with a 19-yard catch.Do not expectthe Buckeyes to move up in Sunday's new AP rankings, but they have a shot at No. 1 in the playoff rankings given their quality wins at Notre Dame and against Penn State.
4. Florida State Seminoles (8-0)
Saturday's result: Beat Wake Forest, 41-16
Behind 359 yards passing and three touchdowns from Jordan Travis, who hooked up with Bilenitkoff candidate Keon Coleman seven times for 66 yards and two scores, the Seminoles waxed the Demon Deacons. Extending its best start under coach Mike Norvell, FSU is rolling as the ACC's top team and should be inside the top four in Tuesday night's first Playoff rankings. FSU led by 27 points at halftime in a contest that was never competitive.
5. Washington Huskies (8-0)
Saturday's result: Beat Stanford, 42-33
Stanford dropped what would have been a fourth-down conversion late in the game trailing by two points and Washington scored on its ensuing possession to put it away. It was the second-straight weekend the Huskies went into survival mode against an inferior opponent. Michael Penix Jr. threw four touchdown passes and surpassed 300 yards once again, but the Huskies surrendered nearly 500 yards and are lucky to be amongst the unbeatens exiting Week 9.
6. Oregon Ducks (7-1)
Saturday's result: Beat Utah,35-6
Oregon snapped Utah's 18-game home winning streak with an impressive victory, dominating the two-time defending Pac-12 champs to keep pace at the top of the conference one game back of Washington. For those wanting the Ducks to improve the resume with a ranked win ahead of the committee's initial deliberations, Dan Lanning's team delivered. Oregon forced a couple turnovers and never let the Utes get into a rhythm while Bo Nix and Bucky Irving handled the rest.
7. Texas Longhorns (7-1)
Saturday's result: Beat BYU, 35-6
Texas kept its Playoff and Big 12 title hopes alive after cruising to a win over BYU in quarterback Maalik Murphy’s first start. He threw two touchdown passes, Jonathon Brooks rushed for 98 yards and a score and the Longhorns had no trouble shutting down BYU’s offensive game plan. With Kansas State on the horizon, Texas will play for a conference title if the Longhorns win out from here. That would give the Longhorns a chance to play their way into the Playoff, potentially, in the Big 12 final.
8. Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1)
Saturday's result: Open
Jalen Milroe looks to outshine Jayden Daniels next weekend with "ESPN College GameDay" in town. LSU won last year's matchup with a successful two-point conversion in Baton Rouge and this time around, the game decides the SEC West leader with three weeks to play.Alabama's quarterback has a passing efficiency rating of 175.0, second-best in the conference only to Daniels' 204.3, and averages 10.6 yards per pass attempt, also second to only Daniels' 11.5.
9. Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1)
Saturday's result: Beat Indiana, 33-24
Penn State rebounded from a sluggish start Saturday to beat Indiana, 33-24, thanks to Drew Allar's go-ahead 57-yard touchdown pass toKeAndre Lambert-Smithwith 1:46 remaining. The Nittany Lions survived despite giving up touchdowns spanning 90 and 67 yards through the air in the first half, struggling to remove the cobwebs of last week's loss to Ohio State.Penn State led 24-14 entering the fourth quarter before Indiana tied the score at 24 late following Allar's first career interception. That's when he found his top target on Penn State's ensuing possession and the sellout crowd at Beaver Stadium finally breathed a bit despite the Nittany Lions entering the game as a heavy favorite.
10. Ole Miss Rebels (7-1)
Saturday's result: Beat Vanderbilt, 33-7
Ole Miss has a puncher's chance at cracking Sunday's top 10 thanks to a beatdown of Vanderbilt and some traffic-movers ahead of the Rebels in Week 9. Quinshon Judkins gashed the Commodores for 124 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Ole Miss will host Texas A&M next week and the Rebels will know what they have to do to get closer the selection committee's top four. For starters, an LSU win over Alabama would keep Ole Miss alive in the SEC West race, too.
11. Oklahoma Sooners (7-1)
Saturday's result:Lost to Kansas, 38-33
After stumbling out of the gate in Lawrence, the Sooners recovered and eventually led by a point with 5:22 left, but the Jayhawks made more plays down the stretch to send Oklahoma to its first loss. That puts the Sooners even with the Longhorns in the Big 12's Playoff conversation with one loss and leaves no room for error the rest of the way. Oklahoma rushed for five touchdowns against the Jayhawks, but didn't do enough at the defensive end to stay unbeaten.
12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-2)
Saturday's result:Beat Pitt, 58-7
Despite interceptions on Notre Dame's first two possessions, Sam Hartman and the Fighting Irish obliterated the Panthers behind Audric Estime's 114 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Notre Dame scored 23 points off five Pitt turnovers as the Panthers struggled throughout to sustain possessions against a fierce front and secondary. Pat Narduzzi pointed at his players after the loss, saying Pitt didn't do a good enough job "replacing" last season's stars ahead of the 2023 campaign.
13. LSU Tigers (6-2)
Saturday's result: Open
LSU coach Brian Kelly knows next week's showdown at Alabama will take a full effort and elite-level execution from his Tigers to win and take the lead in the SEC West.
“Very well-coached, I mean that’s obvious. Talented defensively. I think they’ve recruited very well defensively. Length at the outside linebacker position. Big and physical inside. Really like (Kool-Aid) McKinstry, the corner. The safeties are athletic, can cover man-to-man. Really love the personnel on defense,” Kelly said.
14. Missouri Tigers (7-1)
Saturday's result: Open
The Tigers had an extra week to prepare for their trip to unbeaten and top-ranked Georgia, one of the SEC's biggest games within a robust Week 9 slate. This is the most important game thus far of Eli Drinkwitz's tenure and good news for him is that this team is easily his best. The Brady Cook-to-Luther Burden 1-2 punch is one of the SEC's best and will test Georgia's elite defense downfield. A win in Athens puts the Tigers out front and in control of their own destiny in the East.
15. Louisville Cardinals (7-1)
Saturday's result: Beat Duke, 23-0
In the only ACC matchup pitting ranked teams in Week 9, Louisville demolished Duke at home and kept Blue Devils quarterback Riley Leonard in check. That's win No. 7 for first-year Cardinals coach Jeff Brohm, who has a chance to reach the ACC Championship Game by winning out and getting some help.Jawhar Jordan rushed for 163 yards and two touchdowns to lead the win for Louisville, which hosts Virginia Tech next week.
16. Oregon State Beavers (6-2)
Saturday's result: Lost to Arizona,27-24
After leading 17-13 early in the fourth quarter, Oregon State saw Arizona score two touchdowns to take a commanding advantage and couldn't recover during Saturday night's late game. The setback was the Beavers' second in conference play and makes getting to the Pac-12 title game that much tougher the rest of the way.
“We should have won the game, but we left stuff out there,” Oregon State quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei said. “We've got to clean that up.”
17. Utah Utes (6-2)
Saturday's result: Lost to Oregon, 35-6
Utah couldn't overcome a couple interceptions from Bryson Barnes and the Utes' usually strong defense succumbed to several Oregon playmakers as one of the nation's longest home winning streaks ended at 18 games. Utah's shot at three-peating as Pac-12 champions might have been snuffed, considering this marks the Utes' second conference loss and puts them two games behind leaders Washington and Oregon.
18. Kansas Jayhawks (6-2)
Saturday's result: Beat Oklahoma, 38-33
Devin Neal's nine-yard touchdown run in the final minute was enough to give the Jayhawks their first win in 18 tries against Oklahoma and will push Kansas back into Sunday's AP Poll. The Jayhawks led 14-0 early after an interception return for a score and Daniel Hishaw's 9-yard burst in the second quarter, but the Sooners recovered and eventually led by a point with 5:22 to play. Kansas is now bowl-eligible after the victory and will play in the postseason for a second-consecutive year.
19. Air Force Falcons (8-0)
Saturday's result:Beat Colorado State, 30-13
Air Force should crack the top 20 following a couple moves in front of them, notably UNC's loss at Georgia Tech. The Falcons control their destiny in getting to the New Year's Six if they're able to finish the regular season without a blemish on their resume. And judging by the remaining slate, it's a definite possibility. Tulane is another Group of Five team the playoff selection committee will view favorably since the Green Wave's only loss came at nationally-ranked Ole Miss.
20. Tennessee Vols (6-2)
Saturday's result: Beat Kentucky,33-27
21. Tulane Green Wave (7-1)
Saturday's result: Beat Rice, 30-28
22. UCLA Bruins (6-2)
Saturday's result: Beat Colorado,28-16
23. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-2)
Saturday's result:Lost to Georgia Tech, 46-42
24. USC Trojans (7-2)
Saturday's result: Beat Cal, 50-49
25. James Madison (8-0)
Saturday's result: Beat Old Dominion,30-27
