Wasserman's College Football Top 10 Rankings: Massive Upheaval

It's a new era of college football.

If the College Football Playoffs Although the committee will begin releasing rankings later this season, they won't be the be-all and end-all for the 12-team field given the new seeding rules. But the rankings are still fun and people will still fight over them. They are still important.

So after each weekend, after the dust settles from the games, I'll post my updated top 10. Here is the latest edition:

1. Texas (5-0)

It was a pretty beneficial week for Texas to say goodbye. With top teams all out, the Longhorns were at home preparing for next weekend's Red River Rivalry. Texas blew teams away Arch Manning I've been at the helm for the last few weeks, but Quinn Ewers should be back against Oklahoma and ready to lead this Longhorns team in the SEC race. Texas' only test of the season came at Michigan, and the luster of that victory has worn off. Fully healthy, the Longhorns have the opportunity to flex their muscles again on the national stage.
Last week's rank: 2

2. Ohio State (5-0)

Ohio State was dragged into Iowa hell for a half of football on Saturday, but the Buckeyes eventually took control of the game and won 35-7. The Buckeyes have yet to be truly tested in their first five games. On paper, Ohio State has the deepest and most talented roster in the country. There are stars all over the field, including the freshman receiver Jeremiah Smithwho caught another circus touchdown against the Hawkeyes. But is this team really one of the three elites? We'll find out a lot next weekend when Ohio State travels to Autzen Stadium to take on Oregon.
Last week's rank: 4

3. Oregon (5-0)

Oregon's season got off to a rough start, but the Ducks are looking more and more like we expected over the last three weeks. Playing in a Friday night spot where things often get out of hand, Oregon took care of business at home and edged Michigan State 31-10. A simple 6-0 win is an accomplishment in this sport this year, but whether Oregon is a cheater we'll find out next weekend when Ohio State comes to town.
Last week's rank: 6

4. Georgia (4-1)

Georgia responded to last weekend's heartbreaking loss to Alabama with a win. Although it was thought to be just a four-point game early in the third quarter against Auburn, Georgia players took control of the game in the second half and cruised to a 31-13 win. It's difficult to place the Bulldogs ahead of Alabama on this list since they are just a week removed from a loss to the Crimson Tide, but Georgia answered questions about its offensive playmakers in that loss. It is still designed to be successful at the highest level. We'll find out whether Georgia isn't that high in two weeks when it plays Texas on the road.
Last week's rank: 5

5. Miami (6-0)

If you went to bed early, you went to bed thinking Miami lost. Midway through the third quarter, the Hurricanes were down 35-10 and could have given up. Instead, quarterback Cam Ward led Miami to a thrilling comeback win over the Golden Bears on the road, scoring 21 unanswered points in the final 11 minutes of the game. Ward threw for 437 yards and turned a Miami nightmare into a dream. For a moment it felt like Miami was returning to the old version of itself. This team? It's different.
Last week's rank: 7

6. Penn State (5-0)

A few weeks ago, it seemed likely there was no reasonable path for Penn State into the top five before mid-October. But when half the top 10 implodes in a single week, being a team that won all five games is a pretty nice accomplishment. While it's fair to wonder how this Penn State team would fare against the Ohio States and Georgias of the world, the Nittany Lions have kept up their schedule without really breaking a sweat (if you can ignore that strange Bowling Green game). can). Penn State defeated UCLA 27-11 on Saturday and now travels to LA to face USC next weekend in a game that suddenly seems much more manageable.
Last week's rank: 8

7. Clemson (4-1)

It seems like yesterday Clemson was destroyed by Georgia, but in a sport where there are many imperfect teams, we have to get over it. Since the loss to the Bulldogs, Clemson has handled each of its schedules with ease. The last win was a win over underdog Florida State, a game the Seminoles never had a chance to win. Cade Klubnik is turning into a star before our eyes and Clemson is starting to feel good. This is a team that seems basically a guarantee to at least make the ACC Championship Game, especially Miami had to struggle with Cal on Saturday evening.
Last week's rank: 10

8. Alabama (4-1)

Alabama This is a very difficult team to rank this week. It's not just that it was a 40-35 upset against Vanderbilt, it was that How it lost Vanderbilt. That wasn't a coincidence. Vanderbilt competed for four quarters and narrowly beat the Crimson Tide. Alabama probably would have fallen out of the top 10 entirely if not for so many other teams losing on Saturday, but here we are. The Crimson Tide still have one of the best wins in college football against Georgia and they certainly have the talent to turn Saturday's disaster around.
Last week's rank: 1

9. BYU (5-0)

who would have thought BYU Would the Cougars be ranked in the top nine nationally by early October? This is partly because everyone fails at it. But that's also because the Cougars have taken care of business so far this year. Not only is BYU 5-0 this season, it also has a win over SMU (which looks better today than it did on Friday) and a win over Kansas State, a trendy pick to win the Big 12 this year. BYU still has a lot of work to do to maintain this ranking, but so far it has earned it.
Last week's rank: NO

10. Iowa State (5-0)

The Big 12 is a hodgepodge of nonsense, but Iowa State was an equally integral part of this conference this year. The Cyclones earned a narrow victory over Iowa in a non-conference rivalry game and then won their first two Big 12 games against Houston and Baylor. While there isn't anything particularly impressive about Iowa State's schedule, take a look at this team's schedule. It won't be easy because the Big 12 is unpredictable, but the Cyclones could realistically be 10-0 before finishing the season with games against Utah and Kansas State.
Last week's rank: NO