By: Mike Loveall, LastWordOnCollegeFootball.com
Last Word on College Football Top 25 Week 10
Is there any doubt that teams — coaches and players — pay attention to the College Football Playoff Committee rankings? There shouldn’t be after this weekend. There were seven teams, including five in the top seven, to put up over 50 points in their wins. Clearly teams are trying to make statements. Moreover, Washington played with a clear chip on their shoulder in their rout of California.
For others, their chances at the CFP are now officially over. Florida, Nebraska, and Baylor, who came into the week as one-loss teams still in play, were summarily routed out of any conceivable CFP scenarios. LSU and Texas A&M found themselves in similar situations after the weekend, albeit through different means. LSU played the nation’s top team, Alabama, close while the Aggies went on the road and lost to Mississippi State.
How did all the action affect our rankings? Here is the Last Word On College Football Top 25 Week 10.
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LAST WORD ON COLLEGE FOOTBALL TOP 25 WEEK 10
| Rank
|
Team
|
Points
|
Previous
|
|
1. |
ALABAMA (15) (9-0) |
399 | 1 | |
| Alabama survived a road trip to Death Valley and a resurgent LSU. Even with Jalen Hurts’ two turnovers and six penalties, the Tide continued their 21-game winning streak. Bama held LSU to 125 yards of total offense. Mike Loveall
|
||||
2. |
MICHIGAN (1) (9-0) |
378 | 2 | |
| Michigan demolished Maryland, leaving only two games until the battle with Ohio State. Next week? A trip to Iowa that doesn’t look nearly as dangerous as before the season started. Yesh Ginsburg
|
||||
3. |
CLEMSON (9-0) |
373 | 4 | |
| The Tigers dominated in their 54-0 shutout over Syracuse. Clemson continues to improve deep into the season and have all but affirmed their spot in the playoffs, barring the unforseen. Justin Gordon
|
||||
4. |
WASHINGTON (9-0)
|
352 | 3 | |
| Chris Petersen’s team showed no signs of a letdown by demolishing California at Strawberry Canyon, following its tough test at Utah the week before. Next up is resurgent USC, which visits Husky Stadium in a critical Week 11 matchup for both teams. Donald King
|
||||
5. |
OHIO STATE (8-1) |
332 | 6 | |
| Offense was not an issue as Ohio State rolled over Nebraska 62-3. J.T. Barrett was perfect. throwing four touchdowns without a single turnover. Next week, the Buckeyes will travel to Maryland to face the Terrapins. Rob Gritzer
|
||||
6. |
LOUISVILLE (8-1) |
325 | 5 | |
| Louisville trampled Boston College 52-7. Lamar Jackson added 7 touchdowns to his heisman resume in the win. Jonathan Bailey
|
||||
7. |
WISCONSIN (7-2) |
301 | 8 | |
| Corey Clement led the Badgers to a 21-7 victory over Northwestern. Clement had 106 yards on 32 carries and scored once. Next week, Wisconsin will face Illinois at home. Rob Gritzer
|
||||
8. |
AUBURN (7-2) |
287 | 9 | |
| Vandy kept Auburn on its toes Saturday. The Commodores successfully moved the ball to Tigers’ 30-yard line before senior Josh Hosley picked off Kyle Shurmur to seal the 23-16 win for the Tigers. As Auburn wins their sixth straight game, they move to 7-2 overall and 5-1 in SEC play.. Lauren Beasley
|
||||
9. |
OKLAHOMA (7-2)
|
261 | 12 | |
| The Sooners outlasted Iowa State on Thursday 34-24. The shorthanded Sooners were carried by 328 yards and four TDs by Baker Mayfield. Oklahoma returns home to play the reeling Baylor Bears on Saturday in Norman. Jason Rhea
|
||||
10. |
PENN STATE (7-2)
|
251 | 19 | |
| The Nittany Lions handled Iowa 41-14, moving their record to 7-2. Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley have the offense rolling in Happy Valley and will tie for the Big Ten East if Ohio State beats Michigan. Penn State travels to Indiana next week. Zach Jones
|
||||
11. |
TEXAS A&M (7-2)
|
219 | 7 | |
| A disappointing loss to Mississippi State has realistically ended any hope the Aggies had of making the playoff this season. They still have key SEC games left against Ole Miss and LSU with a new years six bowl still a possibility this season. Matthew Atkinson
|
||||
12. |
WESTERN MICHIGAN (9-0)
|
199 | 15 | |
| Corey Davis is beginning to have NFL scouts drooling. The senior wide receiver caught 12 passes for a MAC record 272 yards as his Broncos moved to 9-0 with a 52-20 blowout of Ball State. John Bava III
|
||||
13. |
WEST VIRGINIA (7-1)
|
198 | 16 | |
| West Virginia got back on track after their first lose of the season last week with a win against Kansas. The Mountaineers are still in a good position to win the Big 12 if they take care of their business. Mike Loveall
|
||||
14. |
Colorado (7-2)
|
150 | 23 | |
| The Buffs handled a stubborn UCLA squad in Week 10, to remain atop the Pac-12 South standings. Next week is a trip to face a hobbled Arizona team, before facing two ranked conference foes to finish the regular season. Donald King
|
||||
15. |
NORTH CAROLINA (7-2) |
147 | 21 | |
| Mitch Trubisky had a day with 329 yards passing and Elijah Hood added three TDs on 168 yards rushing as the Tar Heels pounded the Yellow Jackets at home. North Carolina is still in a position to repeat as division champs, but must be solid the rest of the way. Mike Loveall
|
||||
16. (T) |
LSU (6-3)
|
135 | 14 | |
| The defensive battle Saturday night in Death Valley was scoreless until the fourth quarter when Alabama’s Jalen Hurts scored with 13:08 remaining. LSU’s offense struggled mightily, with only 125 total yards, and Fournette had 17 carries for 35 yards. LSU travels to Arkansas next weekend. Kate Pearson-Halyburton
|
||||
16. (T) |
OKLAHOMA STATE (7-2)
|
135 | 17 | |
| The hot play of the Cowboys continued as they won their fifth straight behind a 43-37 triumph over Kansas State. Mason Rudolph threw for 457 yards and four TDs. Oklahoma State returns home to face Texas Tech. Jason Rhea
|
||||
18. |
VIRGINIA TECH (7-2)
|
130 | 18 | |
| The Hokies continue to be an up and down team. They escape Durham with a three point win against a struggling Duke team. But they are still atop the ACC Coastal and have the talent to make some noise in the ACC Championship Game. Mike Loveall
|
||||
19. |
UTAH (7-2) |
119 | 20 | |
| The Utes had a bye week to recover from last week’s close loss at home to Washington. They are still in a three team race for the Pac 12 South title and travel to Tempe next for a game against the 5-4 Sun Devils. Tony Siracusa
|
||||
20. |
FLORIDA STATE (6-3)
|
112 | 22 | |
| Florida State narrowly escaped NC State with a 24-20 win. Deondre Francois threw for over 300 yards and a touchdown for the Seminoles. Jonathan Bailey
|
||||
21. |
WASHINGTON STATE (7-2)
|
89 | 25 | |
| Washington State thumped Arizona. Only two games remain between now and a potential Pac 12 North decider against Washington. Of course, a visit from Cal and a road game against suddenly-competitive Colorado come first. Yesh Ginsburg
|
||||
22. |
NEBRASKA (7-2)
|
88 | 11 | |
| The Horseshoe became a house of horrors for Nebraska Saturday. The Huskers were outgained 590-204 and had just nine first downs in the 62-3 blowout loss to Ohio State. It marked their worst defeat since 2004. John Bava III
|
||||
23. |
BOISE STATE (8-1)
|
65 | 24 | |
| The Broncos rebounded from their first loss of the season with a 45-31 win over San Jose State. Boise State got 158 yards rushing on 28 carries from RB Jeremy McNichols and 219 yards passing with three TDs from QB Brett Rypien. The Broncos travel next week for a conference road game against Hawaii. Tony Siracusa
|
||||
24. |
FLORIDA (6-2)
|
63 | 10 | |
| It may be time for Jim McElwain to make a change at QB after an abysmal performance by Luke Del Rio in a 31-10 loss at Arkansas. The Hogs defense was ranked 110th in defense but shut out the Gator offense. The Gators host South Carolina and former head coach Will Muschamp next week. Zach Jones
|
||||
25. |
SAN DIEGO STATE (8-1) |
25 | NR | |
| The Aztecs had two 100-yard rushers, including another 100-yard game from Donnel Pumphrey, in their 55-0 pummeling of Hawaii. They lead the Mountain West West Division, setting up a possible Top 25 matchup with Boise State in the conference championship game. Mike Loveall | ||||
Others Receiving Votes: Arkansas (19), USC (19), Miami (13), Baylor (5), South Florida (3), Troy(3), Houston (2), Tulsa (2), Wyoming (1).
That’s how it shakes out in this week’s poll. As we learn every year, things will change from week-to-week. Even with a less-than-marquee slate of games next week, there are sure to be some upsets and movement in the polls. Will the top teams continue to try and score as many points as possible? Check back next week to see how it turns out.
Previous LWOS Polls:
Preseason Top 25
Week 1 Top 25
Week 2 Top 25
Week 3 Top 25
Week 4 Top 25
Week 5 Top 25
Week 6 Top 25
Week 7 Top 25
Week 8 Top 25
Week 9 Top 25
About the poll: Sixteen Last Word on College Football writers submit ballots and points are awarded on a inverse-scale (a first place vote receives 25 points, a 25th-place vote receives 1 point).
Main Photo:
