Fab Four: The top four are still the top four with some shuffling. Georgia dropped from first to third because even though it won at unranked Auburn, 27-20, the Bulldogs looked less than impressive. That’s especially true on defense, allowing the Tigers to roll up 219 yards on 43 carries (5.1 average) and control large chunks of the game. Michigan and Texas didn’t have any issues against ranked teams and looked more complete than the two-time defending national champs.
Five for Fighting: Five teams previously in my top 25 lost and part of the carnage can be attributed to three games featuring ranked teams. Some of those losses were close (No. 11 Notre Dame 21, No. 17 Duke 14; No. 20 Ole Miss 55, No. 13 LSU 49), but then-No. 3 Texas had no problem with then-No. 24 Kansas, 40-14. Likewise for Oregon State against Utah (a 21-7 win). But what previously unranked Kentucky did to Florida – a 33-14 Wildcats win – was ugly. Kentucky has now won three straight and four of its last six over the Gators after losing 31 straight.
Rolling Stones: Two teams were kicked off my rankings – No. 22 Florida and 24 Kansas. Florida let Kentucky’s Ray Davis run for 280 yards while Kansas gave up 661 yards to Texas (336 rushing, 325 passing).
Nirvana: North Carolina, Miami and Washington State had the week off and still moved up in the rankings. The Tar Heels – who play Syracuse on Saturday – are now 13th. Miami, now 17th, hosts Georgia Tech. Washington State jumped two spots to No. 14 and will play at UCLA.
Toto: Previously unranked Kansas State was also idle, but now finds itself up one spot to No. 24 a week after beating Central Florida, 44-31. The Wildcats are 3-1, their only blemish that wild 30-27 loss at Missouri that ended on an SEC-record 61-yard field goal by Tigers’ kicker Harrison Mevis.
New Kids on the Block: Along with Kentucky (20th), Maryland is one of the two new teams in this week’s rankings. The Terrapins easily beat Indiana, 44-17, a move that prompted the Hoosiers to change offensive coordinators the following morning. Maryland has rolled up a 5-0 record to start the season against mainly ho-hum competition. It’ll have a chance to prove itself Saturday at No. 4 Ohio State.
Group Sing-Along: It’s still labeled as something of a down year for the Southeastern Conference, yet the SEC still has a national-best seven teams in my Top 25. The Pac-12 has six, including three from Nos. 7-10. The Big 10 only has four ranked teams, but that quartet is strong with three in the top six. The ACC landed four teams, led by Florida State at No. 5, while Notre Dame is the lone independent.
This week’s rankings (last week):
1. Michigan (2)
2. Texas (3)
3. Georgia (1)
4. Ohio State (4)
5. Florida State (5)
6. Penn State (6)
7. Washington (7)
8. Oregon (9)
9. Notre Dame (11)
10. Southern Cal (8)
11. Alabama (12)
12. Oklahoma (14)
13. North Carolina (15)
14. Washington State (16)
15. Oregon State (19)
16. Ole Miss (20)
17. Miami (18)
18. Utah (10)
19. Kentucky (NR)
20. Tennessee (21)
21. Duke (17)
22. LSU (13)
23. Missouri (23)
24. Kansas State (25)
25. Maryland (NR)
Check out “The Scott Hamilton Show,” on FanStreamSports.Com and the Fan Stream Sports mobile app. You can follow him on X @ScottH4456 and hit him up in the Fan Stream Sports Facebook Group.
