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It’s been a while since we’ve had a season this deep into the fall without a clear No. 1 team.
Several teams can prevail and there are still many big games to come. But at this point it’s time for a change. Texas is the new No. 1 seed in this week’s Athletic 133.
There are two reasons. The first is Texas itself. The Longhorns traveled to Alabama and handled the Crimson Tide in their single most impressive win of the season. Texas has also dealt with the losses of Baylor and Kansas in the last two weeks. Yes, Texas had a brief scare against Wyoming, but the other teams in the top four each had a scare against an inferior team. The Longhorns played like the best team in the country and earned a commanding victory. That’s good for #1.
The second reason is Georgia. We are almost halfway through the season and these slow starts can no longer be ignored. The Bulldogs trailed South Carolina at halftime and needed a second-half comeback to beat an Auburn team that was pushed around by Texas A&M last week and narrowly escaped Cal. Georgia didn’t lose, but the Dawgs didn’t get any notable wins, unlike Texas (Alabama), Ohio State (Notre Dame) and Florida State (LSU, Clemson). Sagarin ranks Georgia’s schedule strength 130th nationally. It’s not that bad, but nothing Georgia has done this year is worth a No. 1 ranking compared to other teams at this point.
Now faith in Texas could be his famous last word for a week. The Longhorns play Oklahoma this Saturday in Dallas. If they win, maybe we’ll see everyone else come over and put Texas at No. 1. But I’m taking the step now. If the Longhorns lose, I’ll get it because I think Texas has turned things around. These rankings are not intended as predictions. They are based solely on what has been achieved, and so far Texas has earned this spot.
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Here is this week’s Athletic 133.
1-10
Other than Texas and Georgia, USC is the other notable move in this group. The Trojans were overtaken by Oregon based on their results against mutual opponent Colorado and by Notre Dame after the Irish eked out a win over Duke in the final seconds. USC is now ranked 10th.
Florida State and Ohio State have both been idle, while Oregon and Washington are both on pause next week before facing each other in a huge game on October 14 in Seattle. Michigan finally dominated an opponent (Nebraska) from start to finish, as it should, but again, the Wolverines will just float around in these rankings until they play a notable opponent (Penn State on Nov. 11) or the teams ahead of them drop -Games. It’s the same as Georgia. The Bulldogs just started higher. Both teams played very simple schedules, so their rankings are virtually irrelevant for now. They have the talent to win the national championship. You simply don’t have a resume yet.
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11-25
Maybe Alabama has some things figured out? The Crimson Tide rebounded from USF’s slump with multi-score wins over Ole Miss and Mississippi State to move up to No. 11. Oklahoma appears to continue to be dominant, but has yet to play anyone of note, leaving the Sooners sitting behind North Carolina and Washington State. We’ll get a good read on Oklahoma vs. Texas this Saturday.
Duke was just a fourth stop away from beating Notre Dame, dropping the Blue Devils just one spot to No. 15. Oregon State moves up to No. 17 ahead of Utah after beating the short-handed Utes on Friday night. Ole Miss fell out of the top 25 after the loss to Alabama, but the Rebels are back up to No. 20 after their wild 55-49 win over LSU and drop to No. 24.
Maryland and Kentucky each moved into the Top 25 at 5-0. The Wildcats are slightly ahead at No. 21 thanks to their win against Florida this weekend. Texas A&M also slips to No. 25. The Aggies may have figured it out since Max Johnson became quarterback, with back-to-back wins over Auburn and Arkansas.
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26-50
| rank | team | Record | Previously |
|---|---|---|---|
26 | 4-1 | 22 | |
27 | 3-1 | 27 | |
28 | 3-2 | 21 | |
29 | 4-1 | 29 | |
30 | 3-2 | 30 | |
31 | 5:0 | 34 | |
32 | 3-2 | 24 | |
33 | 3-1 | 31 | |
34 | 4-1 | 32 | |
35 | 5:0 | 37 | |
36 | 5:0 | 46 | |
37 | 5:0 | 48 | |
38 | 4-1 | 41 | |
39 | 4-1 | 49 | |
40 | 3-2 | 25 | |
41 | 4-1 | 44 | |
42 | 4-1 | 47 | |
43 | 4-1 | 36 | |
44 | 4-1 | 52 | |
45 | 4:0 | 55 | |
46 | 3-2 | 45 | |
47 | 3-2 | 38 | |
48 | 2-3 | 39 | |
49 | 3-2 | 50 | |
50 | 3-2 | 40 |
Kansas narrowly fell out of the top 25 after its 26-point loss to Texas because it was without quarterback Jalon Daniels. Florida remains in the top 30 for now only by beating Tennessee. Louisville is 5-0, but is still outside the top 25 due to a weak schedule and close matchups against Georgia Tech and Indiana. A home game this Saturday against Notre Dame will be giving us a real insight into the history of the Cardinals. Colorado falls just to 32nd after getting within seven points of USC late. The Buffs have a lot of problems, but can still score points.
Tulane remains the top team in Group 5 (No. 34) after a comeback win over UAB, but unbeaten Fresno State, James Madison and Air Force are hot on the Green Wave’s heels. Fresno State’s game against Wyoming this week is a big game that could push the Bulldogs into the top 25.
51-75
Arkansas and Mississippi State fall out of the top 50 after lopsided losses to Texas A&M and Alabama, respectively. Troy got back on track with a dominant win against previously unbeaten Georgia State and moves up to No. 54. A week after the comfortable win over Wake Forest, Georgia Tech lost to Bowling Green, making the Yellow Jackets a difficult team to place. They are now down to 61st.
USF has beaten Rice and Navy since their narrow loss to Alabama, and the Bulls moved up to No. 65. Texas State is 4-1 and ranked ninth nationally, and the Bobcats are ranked 66th. Michigan State allowed 26 points against Iowa but only one offensive touchdown, which is a pretty typical way to lose to Iowa these days. Purdue defeated Illinois 44-19 in an impressive final score; The Boilermakers move up to No. 57 and Illinois falls to No. 72, staying ahead of Toledo for now due to its head-to-head win. Miami (Ohio) and UNLV are both 4-1 and pushing into the top 75 as teams to watch in their respective conferences.
76-100
Baylor scored 29 points in the final 19 minutes to beat UCF 36-35 and advance to 79th place. The Bears remain behind UTSA for now due to their loss to mutual opponent Texas State. San Diego State has lost four straight, including 49-10 to Air Force on Saturday, and continues to plummet to No. 83. Virginia Tech picked up a much-needed 38-21 win over Pitt and moved up to No. 87.
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101-133
Bowling Green, which was eliminated by Ohio a week ago, defeated Georgia Tech 38-27 to move up to No. 101. Stanford drops to 102nd in this group after a 42-6 loss to Oregon. ULM remains ranked 103rd after Appalachian State needed a 54-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Warhawks. Virginia is now the lowest-ranked Power 5 at No. 104 after losing to Boston College, which previously held the title.
Arkansas State, ranked No. 133 after Week 2, has won three straight games and is ranked No. 113 after beating UMass. Sam Houston nearly picked up its first FBS win, but missed a late touchdown drive from Jacksonville State and lost in overtime. Buffalo defeated Akron for its first win, leaving it in last place. The new No. 133 is Nevada, which is now on a 15-game losing streak.
The Athletic 133 Rankings series is part of a partnership with AllState.
The Athletic retains full editorial independence. Partners do not control or participate in the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.
(Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)