Scott Hamilton’s College Football Rankings Week 7: ‘Snap! Crackle! Pop!’ Among Top 25
It’s the real thing: Georgia blasted then-No. 19 Kentucky, 51-13, in a game that wasn’t nearly that close. The Bulldogs showed that they have another gear and answered lots of questions about its rushing defense by holding the Wildcats to 55 yards on 24 carries. In a year year in which it increasingly seemed there was no clear-cut No. 1 team, the two-time defending national champs again separated themselves from the pack.
Plop, plop, fizz, fizz: Eight teams previously in my top 25 lost, some of that attributed to matchups of ranked opponents. But four teams Miami, Washington State, Notre Dame and Kansas State – threw up on themselves by losing to an unranked foe. To compound matters, the Hurricanes were playing at home when it lost to Georgia Tech, 23-20. Never mind the whole not-kneeling-to-clinch-the-win thing.
The quicker picker-upper: Oklahoma moved up from to fifth, jumping seven spots after beating then-No. 2 Texas, 34-30. And hello, Louisville, which is 15th after being outside my top 25. Kansas (No. 21), UCLA (No. 24) and Wyoming (No. 25) are also now ranked.
Like a rock: Four teams didn’t budge from last week’s rankings, including Nos. 6-8 (Penn State, Washington, Oregon). Of course, that will change next week with Washington and Oregon playing in Seattle, the Huskies opening as 2.5-point favorites. LSU also remained 22nd after winning at Missouri, 49-39.
Where’s the beef?: Notre Dame has to be the biggest bummer of Week 6 (again, outside of the debacle in Miami). The Fighting Irish were coming off that last-drive win at Duke and were only two weeks removed from a narrow defeat to Ohio State. Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff hopes were still alive when it went to Louisville as a team that showed glimpses as the most well-rounded group in America. But the rigors of the past few weeks – along with a return visit from quarterback Sam Hartman’s friend the Turnover Fairy – shut down any CFP talk via a 33-20 loss to the Cardinals. The best Notre Dame can now hope for is to spoil rival Southern Cal’s title aspirations when the Trojans visit South Bend this week.
Think different: Why not Wyoming? The Mountain West is already having a strong season, what with four teams already logging at least four wins each, including a handful of victories over Power 5 competition. And while Wyoming’s 24-19 win over Fresno State knocked the Bulldogs out of the Associated Press Top 25 and ended the second-longest winning streak in the nation, the 5-1 Cowboys (whose lone loss was a Week 3-loss at Texas) slip into my rankings at No. 25. Of course it could be a brief stay, as Wyoming travels to 5-0 Air Force this week – another team hovering just outside the Top 25.
Can you hear me now?: The Pac-12 making noise in its final year of existence, leading the pack with seven teams in the Top 25 including newly ranked UCLA (24th). The Southeastern Conference drops to second among leagues, with six teams now ranked after Missouri lost 49-39 to LSU. The Atlantic Coast Conference has with Louisville coming in and Miami dropping out, followed by three teams each for the Big 10 and Big 12. The Mountain West – by virtue of Wyoming landing at No. 25 – is the only Group of Five conference with a ranked team, while Notre Dame continues to represent the independents.
This week’s rankings (last week):
1. Georgia (3)
2. Michigan (1)
3. Ohio State (4)
4. Florida State (5)
5. Oklahoma (12)
6. Penn State (6)
7. Washington (7)
8. Oregon (8)
9. Texas (2)
10. Alabama (11)
11. Southern Cal (10)
12. North Carolina (13)
13. Oregon State (15)
14. Ole Miss (16)
15. Louisville (NR)
16. Utah (18)
17. Tennessee (20)
18. Duke (21)
19. Notre Dame (9)
20. Washington State (14)
21. Kansas (NR)
22. LSU (22)
23. Kentucky (19)
24. UCLA (NR)
25. Wyoming (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 on the Fan Stream Sports Facebook group.
