
Another week, another change at the top of the SDS résumé ranking.
Three teams also dropped out of the top 25 this week.
You can find last week’s ranking here.
Ranking the Top 25 résumés in college football
So, what’s the objective here?
This is not a subjective power ranking of the best teams in college football. This is not a subjective ranking of how I think these teams will look at the end of the season or a prediction of who will make the College Football Playoff. This is a ranking that seeks to compare what teams have actually done on the field. Who you beat matters. Where you beat them matters. How you beat them matters. And losses matter.
For that reason, neither Texas nor Penn State was ranked in this Top 25 last week. They hadn’t done anything to justify inclusion. Now, that thinking has been validated. Neither has a win over a power conference team yet this season. And yet they were 27th and 28th in the AP Poll voting this week. Texas was ranked as high as 13th on one ballot. Penn State was ranked as high as 15th on another.
That is simply indefensible. The goal here is to be more reactive to what is actually happening.
Let’s get to it.
Dropped from the ranking: 12 Florida State, 14 Iowa State, 21 Mississippi State
25. Notre Dame (3-2)
BEST WIN: 56-13 at Arkansas
LAST WEEK: NR
The Irish crack the ranking for the first time, despite their 2 losses, after handling Boise State in South Bend over the weekend. Notre Dame is an interesting eval here, because the Irish have 2 losses, but they came in the first 2 weeks of the season to a pair of teams that are a combined 10-0 and sitting in my top 5. Despite those 2 defeats, the Irish are on the doorstep of the top 25 in Game on Paper‘s adjusted net EPA per play metric. Notre Dame is also ninth in SP+ after a 5-game stretch to open the season that ranks as the eighth-toughest in the country, per FPI. Notching resounding wins over Arkansas and Boise was a significant boost for the Irish.
24. Washington (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten)
BEST WIN: 24-20 at Maryland
LAST WEEK: NR
I wasn’t blown away by Washington’s performance against Ohio State a few weeks back, but the Huskies followed up a beating by flying to the opposite coast, falling into a 20-0 third-quarter hole, and then scoring 24 unanswered to hand Maryland its first loss. That was a big-time statement on the mettle of Jedd Fisch’s program.
23. Cincinnati (4-1, 2-0 Big 12)
BEST WIN: 38-30 vs. Iowa State
LAST WEEK: NR
The Bearcats suffered a 3-point loss to Nebraska on a neutral field in Week 1. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby was picked off at the Nebraska 33 with 34 seconds remaining in that game. Since, Cincy has been one of the hottest teams in the country. The Bearcats beat Kansas on the road, then came home and controlled the game against Iowa State start to finish.
22. Virginia (5-1, 3-0 ACC)
BEST WIN: 46-38 vs. Florida State
LAST WEEK: 25th
Virginia is 20th in game control and has won 4 straight, including back-to-back over upper-tier ACC programs. But the Cavs also have a loss to an NC State team that could look worse as the season moves on.
21. USC (4-1, 2-1 B1G)
BEST WIN: 45-31 vs. Michigan State
LAST WEEK: 24th
The Trojans were off last week. They got an extra week to prep for Michigan, which would be a massive win for the résumé.
20. Illinois (5-1, 2-1 B1G)
BEST WIN: 34-32 vs. USC
LAST WEEK: 22nd
Illinois beat Purdue by 16, but it gave up 27 points. The Illini have a potent offense, evidenced by the 27-point second quarter against the Boilermakers. But there are concerns about the defense.
19. BYU (5-0, 2-0 Big 12)
BEST WIN: 34-13 at East Carolina
LAST WEEK: 23rd
The Cougars got a career-best 351 passing yards from Bear Bachmeier in a 38-24 win over West Virginia. BYU is unbeaten, but the wins look a little too much like a poopoo platter to me. None rank in the top 60 in SP+. That being said, BYU has handled its schedule and ranks 13th nationally in adjusted net EPA per play.
18. Michigan (4-1, 2-0 B1G)
BEST WIN: 30-27 at Nebraska
LAST WEEK: 20th
Michigan handled Wisconsin to open Big Ten play with consecutive wins. The Michigan defense is fierce. Running back Justice Haynes is a load. Michigan’s road win at Nebraska is better than anything BYU has, but it is still lacking a signature victory. That is attainable this weekend in L.A.
17. South Florida (4-1, 1-0 AAC)
BEST WIN: 18-16 at Florida
LAST WEEK: 19th
South Florida did something Texas couldn’t. And the lopsided nature of the Miami loss has been softened by the fact that Miami is just torturing everyone. The Bulls have a top-20 strength or record rating, according to FPI. Big game upcoming against an under-the-radar North Texas team.
16. Memphis (6-0, 2-0 AAC)
BEST WIN: 32-31 vs. Arkansas
LAST WEEK: 18th
The Tigers keep rolling. Since stunning Arkansas, Memphis has scored 100 points in its last 2 games. At home over the weekend, the Tigers belted Tulsa 45-7. They are up to 11th in adjusted net EPA per play.
15. LSU (4-1, 1-1 SEC)
BEST WIN: 20-10 vs. Florida
LAST WEEK: 17th
LSU was off last week and moved up only because some teams around it moved down. I did change the Tigers’ “best win” from the road victory at Clemson to the home win over Florida. I think that decision sort of speaks for itself.
14. Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0 ACC)
BEST WIN: 24-21 vs. Clemson
LAST WEEK: 16th
Georgia Tech got a break in the schedule after escaping Winston-Salem by the skin of its teeth. Again, the change in positioning was necessitated by others around the Yellow Jackets.
13. Vanderbilt (5-1, 1-1 SEC)
BEST WIN: 31-7 at South Carolina
LAST WEEK: 7th
Placing Vanderbilt was the toughest decision of the week. On one hand, a 30-14 road loss to Alabama is nothing to scoff at. On the other, the Commodores are now relying heavily on a single win over a South Carolina team that was without its most important player. That being said, the 16-point margin against the Tide is very misleading. Vandy was close; 2 red-zone turnovers from Diego Pavia were the difference. I think Vandy does better against its first 6 games than any of the teams in the 14-16 range below it. That will be somewhat put to the test this weekend, though, when LSU hosts South Carolina.
12. Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC)
BEST WIN: 41-34 at Mississippi State
LAST WEEK: 15th
The Vols were off in Week 6. I’m looking for the defense to show up this weekend against an Arkansas team that desperately needs to find some momentum. If a shootout ensues, there will be some questions for Tennessee.
11. Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC)
BEST WIN: 44-41 at Tennessee
LAST WEEK: 11th
Georgia beat Kentucky at home exactly as it was supposed to. Not much more to say on that front. I think the Dawgs are good, but not great, and that’s how I feel about their body of work so far.
10. Missouri (5-0, 1-0 SEC)
BEST WIN: 42-31 vs. Kansas
LAST WEEK: 10th
Mizzou was off in Week 6. In Week 7, coach Eli Drinkwitz has a shot at a program-changing win over Alabama. Though it would come at home, a win over the Tide would validate all of the best narratives about the program Drinkwitz has built, and it would probably send the Tigers up into the top 6 or 7 in this ranking.
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9. Texas Tech (5-0, 2-0 Big 12)
BEST WIN: 34-10 at Utah
LAST WEEK: 13th
The Red Raiders are ninth in adjusted net EPA per play. They are fifth in SP+. They are seventh in ESPN’s strength of record metric. And they’re coming off back-to-back road blowouts of good Big 12 teams. Utah and Houston are 8-2 this season, with the 2 losses coming to Tech in their own houses. The Red Raiders have answered every question.
8. Indiana (5-0, 2-0 B1G)
BEST WIN: 63-10 vs. Illinois
LAST WEEK: 9th
The Hoosiers were off in Week 6. With a road trip to Eugene, Oregon, on the docket for Week 7, coach Curt Cignetti has a chance to rinse away the stain of last year’s big-game failures.
7. Alabama (4-1, 2-0 SEC)
BEST WIN: 24-21 at Georgia
LAST WEEK: 8th
This was a big win for the Crimson Tide, particularly mentally. Alabama got punched in the mouth in the first quarter by Vanderbilt, then responded. Kalen DeBoer and his staff met the moment. The offense remains excellent. The insertion of Jam Miller into the lineup has changed the run game. And we may have seen the start of some positive growth from the defense.
6. Ohio State (5-0, 2-0 B1G)
BEST WIN: 24-6 at Washington
LAST WEEK: 5th
The Buckeyes mauled Minnesota for a 42-3 win. This team isn’t boring; it is frightening. The best defense in America resides in Columbus. Ohio State has given up 2 touchdowns in 20 quarters of football this season.
5. Oklahoma (5-0, 1-0 SEC)
BEST WIN: 24-13 vs. Michigan
LAST WEEK: 4th
No John Mateer? No problem. The Sooners blanked Kent State 44-0 to move to 5-0. Now, Kent State is objectively terrible at football, but Oklahoma has the second-best defense in America. That unit has a chance to make a significant statement in Dallas this weekend.
4. Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0 SEC)
BEST WIN: 24-19 vs. LSU
LAST WEEK: 3rd
The Rebels were off in Week 6. I’ll explain in the next section why they slid down 1 spot.
3. Texas A&M (5-0, 2-0 SEC)
BEST WIN: 41-40 at Notre Dame
LAST WEEK: 6th
The Aggies jumped Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss for me this past weekend. They have won in every way so far this year. Through the first 2 weeks, it wasn’t clinical, but it was overwhelming against lesser competition. In the win over Notre Dame on the road, it was with offense. In the home win over Auburn, it was with defense. In the home beatdown of a good Mississippi State team, it was comprehensive. Before the 31-9 win over Mississippi State, I felt the Rebels’ overall body of work was more complete than what Texas A&M had. After Week 6, I placed A&M’s last 3 wins alongside the 3 best wins for Ohio State, OU, and Ole Miss. This is where I landed.
2. Oregon (5-0, 2-0 B1G)
BEST WIN: 30-24 at Penn State
LAST WEEK: 1st
The Ducks were off in Week 6, but that win over Penn State took a serious hit with the Nittany Lions’ no-show in Pasadena.
1. Miami (5-0, 1-0 ACC)
BEST WIN: 27-24 vs. Notre Dame
LAST WEEK: 2nd
Yeah, I was dead wrong about Miami this season. The Hurricanes have one of the best defenses in all of football. Reuben Bain Jr., the leader of that unit, is probably going to be a top-5 pick in next year’s NFL Draft, but he is far from the only Sunday player on this defense. Miami is No. 1 in game control and No. 2 in strength of record.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.