Week 7 of college football brought complete chaos. The top ten in the AP poll was not safe. Georgia, the top team in the nation, fell to Auburn 27-24. Alabama and Texas also took losses, which is the first time Alabama, Georgia, and Texas all lost on the same weekend in 30 years. The chaos did not end there. It is the first time in AP Poll history that the top team in the country has lost on the last play of the game in back-to-back weeks. Meanwhile, five of the top seven teams in the nation found losses, the first time that has happened as well. This has led to some major changes in the Top 25 of the Power Rankings.
With all the big games, there is a new number one team in the nation. Meanwhile, only one team in the top 25 stays in their previous spot, while three new teams join the rankings.
Previous Weeks: Preseason | Week 2 | Week 3| Week 4| Week 5| Week 6| Week 7
1. BYU (+6)
Welcome to the top spot, BYU. If BYU ends up being ranked number one in the AP poll, it will be the first time since 1984, when they won a national championship. BYU made the case for the top spot this week against Notre Dame. The Cougars scored three touchdowns on four possessions in the first half. BYU led Notre Dame 21-10 heading into halftime. Still, they allowed Notre Dame back into the game. A muffed punt led to a Notre Dame field goal, and they added another field goal after a turnover on downs. In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame scored and added a two-point conversion to take the three-point lead. Still, BYU scored late in the fourth, taking the lead. Bear Bachmeier did it all in the game, throwing, running in, and receiving touchdowns in the contest. The game ended with controversy as a Notre Dame Hail Mary attempt failed, but there should have been a second left on the clock. Instead, BYU ended up with the 28-24 win. BYU will visit UCF next week.
2. Miami (FL) (+2)
Miami jumps to the second spot, but Florida State may have exposed the Hurricanes. The game between the two schools was tied at the end of the first half, but a touchdown from Quintrevion Wisner gave FSU the lead in the third quarter. Javian Mallory scored to tie the game, and then Darian Mensah found Elija Lofton to give Miami the lead. On the next play from scrimmage, Ashton Daniels hit Duce Robinson for a 75-yard touchdown, tying the game and leading to overtime. Both teams scored in the first overtime, and Miami then scored in the second overtime frame. Bryce Fitzgerald picked off a Daniel pass in the second overtime, sealing the 43-35 victory for Miami. The Hurricanes will host Pitt next week.
3. Ohio State (+3)
Ohio State returns to the Top 5, moving up three spots in the power rankings. The Buckeyes faced off with Indiana. The Hoosiers took the lead in the second quarter, but a fourth-and-goal pass from Julian Sayin to Bo Jackson with seven seconds left in the half gave Ohio State the 10-7 lead going into the half. Ohio State added a field goal in the third quarter, and then Jeremiah Smith found the end zone in the fourth, giving Ohio State a 19-7 lead. Indiana scored a touchdown and two-point conversion in the fourth, and nearly scored a game-winning touchdown, but Ohio State won the game 19-15. Of bigger concern is the health of Sayin and the future of Ohio State with Luke Fahey at quarterback. Ohio State will have a week to get Fahey up to speed, being off next weekend.
4. Georgia (-3)
Georgia drops from the top spot in the nation after their first loss of the year. The Bulldogs opened up a 14-0 lead in the first quarter against Auburn, but the Tigers put up 17 points in response to make it 17-14 at the end of the first half. A Byrum Brown touchdown run gave Auburn the lead in the third quarter. Still, Georgia responded again. Peyton Woodring hit a field goal, and Gunner Stockton found London Humphreys for a game-tying touchdown with 2:58 left in the game. After forcing an Auburn punt, it seemed like Georgia would come away with a tight victory. Still, Gunner Stockton fumbled, turning it over for a third time in the game. Auburn drove the field and hit the game-winning field goal as time expired, as Georgia fell 27-24. Georgia gets a week off next week before a clash with Florida to end the month.
5. Indiana (-3)
Like Georgia, Indiana also tumbled with their first loss of the year. Josh Hoover was not great in the game, completing just 20 of 40 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Charlie Becker brought in nine receptions for 165 yards. Nick Marsh had the touchdown reception, bringing in three receptions for 57 yards. Marsh nearly had another reception for 27 yards and a touchdown. With 1:02 left in the game and Indiana down 19-15, it was fourth-and-four from the Ohio State 27. Hoover found Marsh in the end zone for the Indiana lead, but Marsh was just barely out of bounds. Ohio State ran out the clock, giving Indiana their first loss of the year. Indiana will face Michigan on the road next week, with potentially a new QB under center for the Wolverines.
6. Texas Tech (+2)
Texas Tech just keeps quietly winning. They have not had many close calls in the process, and this week was no different. The Red Raiders faced off with Arizona State. They opened the scoring with a 24-yard pick-six by Ben Roberts on the way to building a 43-10 lead in the first half. While Arizona State scored twice in the second half, it was not enough. J'Koby Williams ran the ball just 11 times, but it was for 165 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Will Hammond threw for 232 yards, and another scored in the 53-25 victory. Texas Tech will visit Cincinnati next week.
7. Utah (+2)
Utah escaped with a win in Week 7, but the victory puts three teams from the Big 12 in the top 7 of the top 25. Devon Dampier helped Utah build a solid lead. He threw a first-quarter touchdown and let the Utes on two field goal drives as Utah led 13-0 at the end of the first half. Still, Colorado would score two touchdowns and add a field goal in the third quarter to take the lead. Dampier then found Braden Pegan twice in the second half. Colorado answered with a late touchdown to make the score look close, but Utah won 27-24. Utah has a top-25 test next week, as they host Houston.
8. Ole Miss (+3)
After Ole Miss beat LSU earlier this year, Ole Miss was moving well up the rankings. They lost the next week to Florida. Since then, Ole Miss has been climbing back up the top 25. This week, a ranked Missouri team was the victim. Missouri scored on their first drive of the game, hitting a field goal. That would be the end of their scoring for the day. Trinidad Chambliss led a 75-yard touchdown drive, capped off with a touchdown pass to respond to the field goal. He would go on to throw for 241 yards and three total touchdowns in the game. Meanwhile, Kewan Lacy ran for 122 yards while Makhi Frazier ran for 101. The defense shut down Jamal Roberts, holding him to 39 yards and 20 carries in the 31-3 win. Ole Miss will visit Texas next weekend.
9. Notre Dame (-6)
Notre Dame opted out of the Pop-Tarts Bowl last season. They would have faced off with BYU, but instead BYU faced Georgia Tech and Notre Dame sat at home. Apparently, the Cougars took that personally, as they took the 28-24 victory. A second that should have been put back on the clock at the end, plus a pass interference that was not called, has Notre Dame fans up in arms. Regardless, Notre Dame had their chances and did not convert. CJ Carr did not have a single touchdown pass, while also losing a fumble. After taking the lead, Notre Dame picked off Bear Bachmeier in the fourth quarter, but a three-and-out gave BYU the ball back. They would score a touchdown on that drive, leading to the Irish losing for the first time this year. Notre Dame has a week off before hosting Navy.
10. UCLA (+6)
Between the Big Ten and the SEC, there is just one undefeated team left standing. It is not Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Alabama, or Georgia. No. It is UCLA. UCLA jumped into the Top 25 with a win over Oregon a week ago, and keeps climbing after a win over Wisconsin. Ty Dieffenbach made his first start, replacing an injured Nico Iamaleava. He threw for 264 yards and an interception in the game. Still, the ground game was solid, running for 120 yards and two touchdowns as a team. Meanwhile, the defense was great. They held Colton Joseph to just six of 16 passing for 66 yards. He also ran 18 times for 71 yards and a touchdown as UCLA won 17-7. They will host Michigan State next week.
11. Tennessee (+1)
Tennessee decided to go with George MacIntyre at quarterback against Alabama. MacIntyre was not amazing, completing 21 of 31 passes for 197 yards, but with an interception. Still, DeSean Bishop was amazing. He ran 32 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Both of those touchdowns came in the second half. Tennessee kicked four field goals in the first half, leading 12-10 going into the break. Bishop had a pair of five-yard touchdowns in the second half, as the Tennessee defense shut down Alabama. They won the game 26-10, as Tennessee won at home against Alabama for a third straight time. The Vols hit the road next week, visiting South Carolina.
12. Kentucky (+3)
Two teams are tied for the best record in SEC play with matching 4-1 records in conference. One of those is Georgia. The other is Kentucky. The last two weeks, Kentucky has needed overtime to get the win. They did not need that this week facing Oklahoma. Willie Rodriguez caught a pass from Kenny Minchey to give Kentucky an early lead, but Oklahoma would lead 10-7 going into halftime. They added a third-quarter field goal, but a second Rodriguez touchdown from Minchey to open the fourth quarter gave Kentucky back the lead. John Mateer threw his second interception of the game in the fourth quarter, and it was returned by Jordan Castle for a touchdown. On the next drive, Mateer was picked for a third time as Kentucky won 21-13. Kentucky will host Vanderbilt next week.
13. Iowa (+5)
How do you move up a bunch of spots while not hitting the field? Watch teams in front of you fall. That is exactly what Iowa did this past week. They are still 5-1 on the season after beating Washington on the road last time out. Their lone loss is a 31-14 loss to Ohio State. The Hawkeyes will get back on the field this upcoming Saturday, visiting Minnesota.
14. Alabama (-4)
Alabama's hopes of returning to the playoffs may be fading. They took their second straight loss, and second straight in conference play. Keelon Russell struggled in the game against Tennessee. He completed just 19 of 29 passes for 147 yards with two touchdowns. Russell also lost a fumble. He did have the only touchdown of the game, running for a touchdown in the second quarter. Alabama had just four drives in the second half. One ended in a turnover on downs, then there were two punts and an interception to end the game. Alabama will look to get back in the win colmn on Saturday against Texas A&M.
15. USC (+4)
Like Iowa, USC moved up while sitting out this week. The Trojans are 6-1 this year, with the lone loss being to Oregon 41-27. USC has not faced the best competition so far, with none of their victories being over ranked teams. Still, they have a chance to make a run at the playoffs. The Trojans will face Ohio State, Indiana, and UCLA at the end of the season, giving them a chance to boost their resume. First, USC will visit Wisconsin this upcoming Saturday.
16. Wake Forest (+7)
Last year it was Virginia that made the surprise run to the ACC Championship, and nearly the playoffs. This year, it could be Wake Forest. They are coming off another victory, their fourth straight. Cal was the victim this week. Wake Forest built a 34-0 lead in the first half, and would lead 41-0 going into the fourth quarter. Cal finally scored in the fourth, but it was too little, too late. Gio Lopez threw for 267 yards and four touchdowns in the game, on the way to a 41-7 victory. They will be off this upcoming week before hosting Virginia to end October.
17. Houston (+5)
Houston moves up in the rankings after defeating Oklahoma State this past week. Houston dominated the first half, leading 14-3 at the halftime break. Then, both offensive units broke out. The Cowboys put up 29 points in the second half, but it was not enough, as Houston took a 35-32 victory in the game. Conner Weigman was a beast in the game. He threw for 343 yards with five touchdowns while having just one interception. Houston's only loss of the year was against Texas Tech, by just two points.
18. Northwestern (+2)
Northwestern visited Michigan State on Saturday. On the other sideline was Pat Fitzgerald, who was the head coach of Northwestern from 2006 until 2023. Fitzgerald was fired after an investigation and was looking for revenge in this game. He did not get it. Michigan State took a 21-13 lead on a Chrishon McCray touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but Northwestern answered. Former Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles ran in a touchdown and then found Alex Honig for a two-point conversion to tie the game. Northwestern then hit a field goal with two seconds left in the game to win 24-21 and improve to 5-1. They will host Rutgers next week.
19. Texas (-14)
Texas takes a second straight loss and a massive tumble in the Top 25. After opening the year 4-0, they fell to Oklahoma by three in the Red River Rivalry. This time, they faced Florida. Texas put up ten points in the first quarter, and a 63-yard punt return by Ryan Niblett helped Texas build a 17-10 lead in the first half. Still, Florida scored 17 straight in the second half as Arch Manning struggled for Texas. Manning completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards with a touchdown and a lost fumble. The path for Texas does not get any easier from here. They will host Ole Miss next week.
Article Continues Below20. Missouri (-6)
Missouri is another SEC team to tumble in the Top 25. They struggled to find the end zone against Ole Miss on Saturday. While Austin Simmons threw for 339 yards, he did not have a touchdown and was intercepted once. Meanwhile, Jamal Roberts came into the game off back-to-back 200-yard games. He ran the ball 20 times, but managed just 39 yards, with his longest rush of the game being for six yards. Missouri lost 31-3. They will return to action in two weeks, visiting Arkansas.
21. Boise State (-)
Boise State could still control their destiny for a college football playoff spot, but they have little room for error. The Broncos were off this past week after a tight win on the road against Fresno State last week. Boise State has won five straight after losing to Oregon to open the season. They will visit Washington State next time out, but they have company in the race for a playoff spot, as James Madison remains undefeated.
22. James Madison (+2)
Billy Napier never even sniffed the playoffs in his time at Florida. He could be heading to the playoffs in his first year at JMU. The Dukes took a 49-22 win over Georgia State this past week. Camden Coleman threw two first-half touchdowns, while his backup, JC Evans, would get a touchdown pass later in the game. They are now 7-0 on the season and will return to action on Thursday night, visiting App State.
23. Arizona (+3)
Arizona was just outside of the Top 25 last week, but joins this week with teams in front of them losing. Their only loss of the year was a 28-17 loss to BYU on the road the second week of the season. Since then, Arizona has won four straight. In the process, they have put up 34 or more points in each game. Further, they have allowed an average of just 19.75 points against in the last four games. Arizona returns to the field on Friday night, hosting Iowa State.
24. LSU (+2)
LSU returns to the top 25 after a dominating win on Saturday. Coming off a loss in overtime on the road to Kentucky, LSU hosted Mississippi State. Sam Leavitt was phenomenal. He completed 31 of 38 passes for 289 yards while throwing four touchdowns. Two of them went to Jackson Harris, who had six catches for 85 yards. Meanwhile, Dilin Jones ran for 84 yards on 18 carries. Meanwhile, the defense held Mississippi State to just 291 total yards as LSU won 31-0. They will visit Auburn next week.
25. SMU (+1)
SMU has improved to 5-1 on the year. This past week, they hosted Virginia. Kevin Jennings had one of his best games of the year, throwing for 246 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Kendrick Raphael was great on the ground, running for 124 yards. The defense was solid, forcing one turnover and allowing just 258 yards in the 23-13 win. SMU controls their destiny overall. The lone loss this year was to Louisville, and they have dates with Wake Forest and Notre Dame still on the schedule. First, they have to beat Cal, whom they will host next week.
Dropped from the Top 25: Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Nebraska
Just Missed Out: UTSA, Florida, Oklahoma State, Oregon, New Mexico