The college football season was upended last week, leading to a mess in the AP poll’s voter rankings. The most important thing to note is the SEC’s obvious bias in these rankings.
SEC teams aren’t punished for losing to each other, and that keeps teams way higher than they should be. When non-conference teams lose, voters punish them far too harshly. Here’s how I would have voted in the AP poll last week.
No. 1 Ohio State
It’s pretty simple with the Buckeyes. If you don’t have them as the number one team in the country, the rest of your rankings mean nothing. I’m running out of ways to describe the talent on this defense, so I’ll talk about Julian Sayin instead. He’s starting to come into his own in this offense, and he might just be the best pocket passer in the country. If he continues to play at an elite level, good luck beating Ohio State.
#2 Indiana
Ohio State may be the best team in the country, but I don’t think there is a more well-coached team in the country than Indiana. Cignetti has an innate ability to take his football team’s weaknesses and cover them up better than any other team. I’m not entirely sold on this Hoosier offensive front, but having a quarterback like Fernando Mendoza allows you to play quickly and decisively, hiding any weaknesses they might have in the trenches.
#3 Texas A&M
October 18, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (10) and running back Rueben Owens II (4) warm up before the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images Who would have guessed that Texas A&M would be the last undefeated team in the SEC? Mike Elko’s Aggies are very battle tested, winning close game after close game this season. It doesn’t get any easier for them either. They will have three seeded games in their final five opportunities, and if they can get to 4-1 in that stretch, a trip to Atlanta will be in their future.
#4Miami
Can someone explain to me why this Miami team, which received first place votes all season, fell to 9th place in the AP poll? I didn’t come away from that game against Louisville thinking Miami was bad; I more thought they played the sloppiest game all season, and their previous resume still eclipses the rest of the country. I’m not selling any stock on Miami and expect Carson Beck to play like he did over the first five weeks of the year.
#5Alabama
The Alabama team that lost to Florida State is not the same Alabama team we see now; however, this loss still happened! The score doesn’t fully show it, but Miami dominated FSU at their place, and the Tide were dominated there, albeit in a week-long game. Alabama is probably the best team in the SEC, but they still have the worst loss of any one-loss team in the top 10. I can’t place them above Miami yet.
#6 Oregon
October 18, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, United States; Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington (6) scores a rushing touchdown during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. Mandatory credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images The Ducks are in a difficult position. Their schedule offers plenty of opportunities to continue piling up wins, but nothing that’s too big for their resume. Luckily for Oregon, they have a defense, especially up front, that I think can beat anyone in the country. If Dante Moore can play well against USC and Washington later in the year, then I’ll be fully bought into Oregon.
#7 Georgia
Kirby Smart and Ryan Day need to sit down to discuss the need to take care of Michigan and Alabama once and for all. The Georgia we saw against Ole Miss didn’t look like a Georgia team we’ve seen at any point this year, especially at the receiver position. Zachariah Branch is starting to look like the number one option for Georgia, and it completely changes how their offense works. Speaking of running, Gunner Stockton showing he can win a game with his legs when he needs to also gives me a lot more confidence in Georgia. I’m almost back to Georgia, let’s see how they barely sneak into Florida in their next game…
#8 Old Miss
Lane Kiffin learned a valuable lesson last week. When you have your foot on Kirby Smart’s throat, don’t let go. More importantly, Ole Miss’ inability to pass the ball killed them in this one. The Rebels led by two scores late in the third quarter, and the next two times they touched the ball, they didn’t even try to run it once. Chambliss is so talented with his legs, and not using him more to run the clock was a big mistake on Kiffin’s part. The schedule is pretty light to close out the year for Ole Miss, so they should hopefully find themselves in the playoffs by the end of the year.
#9 Georgia Tech
The final two spots in the top 10 go to the last undefeated Power Four teams in the country. I’m not at Georgia Tech or BYU, but at this point, if you haven’t lost, that has to count for something. Both of these teams have pretty solid defenses, but Haynes King is the difference between these schools. If there’s a player in the country you need a yardage from with the game on the line, Haynes King would probably be my first choice.
#10 BYU
October 3, 2025; Provo, Utah, United States; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) throws the ball against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the second quarter at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images I must apologize. Although Bear Bachmeier looks very silly in number 47, he is not the same player as his brother. Hank Bachmeier’s reign as the least trustworthy guy to bet on in the country has made me think less of Bear, even though the guy is an absolute winner. Behind Bear and a sneaky great defense, could I still be disrespecting BYU too much? Their game against Texas Tech in a few weeks will be very telling, as I’m still way higher than the Red Raiders to win the Big 12.
