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Mike's top 25 college football teams for Week 10 of the 2026 college football season. His complete top 25 rankings, including Ohio State, Texas, Indiana, and more.
I finally gave in and ranked SMU, and they lost. Only one of my top 10 teams lost this week, but two more tried to lose. It will affect their ranking.
The carnage was in the lower ranks of the poll this week, which makes for an interesting list, and a three-loss team getting into the top 25 for the first time this year.
How mad is the CFP (and the Big Ten, for that matter) going to be when it's UCLA representing the conference instead of Oregon? It's not just about conferences. It's about brands. Part of the reason that the CFP let Miami in last year is that's what the ACC wanted anyway. Asinine tiebreakers can pay off! We don't have 12 good teams this year, but we have to pretend like we do so the SEC gets over-represented and ESPN gets PAID!
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25. Florida (5-3)
Previous ranking: 20 (⇓5)
Result: L 27-8 vs. (5) Georgia
Can we ignore Florida's wins over Mississippi and Texas just because they have three losses? Not when up against two-loss teams with no decent wins. The South Carolina loss maybe isn't that bad, especially if the Gamecocks keep rolling.
24. Boise State (7-1)
Previous ranking: 21 (⇓3)
Result: W 46-45 vs. Texas State
Boise State blew a big lead, then lost their starting quarterback. This was one of the best games of the season. Maddux Madsen is on crutches after this one, so it looks like Max Cutforth, who led the Broncos back to a win, will start this week at Colorado State.
Boise State was up 28-3, then it was down 39-28 and starting QB Maddux Madsen was knocked out with an injury, and then Broncos backup Max Cutforth put them back on top 40-39, and then Brad Jackson took the lead back for Texas State, and now Cutforth strikes again for the Boise lead.
There have been 38 points in the fourth quarter. Pac-12 After Dark is doing its thing
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) November 1, 2026
23. South Carolina (5-3)
Previous ranking: NR
Result: W 42-25 at Oklahoma
Many are going to be upset about this, but wins in the Swamp and over Tennessee are better than any wins Northwestern or Duke have. You want quality losses? South Carolina has those against Kentucky and Alabama.
22. UTSA (7-1)
Previous ranking: NR
Result: BYE
At this point, who's to say that UTSA's wins are inferior to Duke's, SMU's, or Northwestern's? They aren't that different. UTSA's only loss was in Austin, and they beat Texas State by more than Boise State did...and that game was in San Marcos.
UTSA has to be the favorite for the fifth conference champion in the CFP right now. The loss to Texas is much better than Boise's loss to Oregon.
21. LSU (6-2)
Previous ranking: 19 (⇓2)
Result: BYE
LSU has two quality losses, but none of the wins are particularly impressive. However, the Tigers are winning games they should, and Sam Leavitt has drastically cut down on the turnovers. LSU looks like the team that everyone said it would be in August. It just took a bit to get there.
The Sam Leavitt experience is a wild one. https://t.co/av8yzAos8Q
— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) September 16, 2026
20. Houston (6-2)
Previous ranking: 16 (⇓4)
Result: BYE
Houston has lost to two of the top three teams in the Big 12, but the Oklahoma State "signature" win took a big hit. So did the Oregon State win.
19. Arizona (6-2)
Previous ranking: 11 (⇓8)
Result: L 34-26 at (12) Texas Tech
Arizona played tough in Lubbock, but Tech exposed some things. Interestingly, Thomas Castellanos could run on Arizona, and JC French IV couldn't. The wins over Cincinnati and West Virginia are solid, even if the AP won't admit it.
18. Iowa (6-2)
Previous ranking: NR
Result: W 30-0 vs. Wisconsin
The win over Wisconsin is better than any win LSU, Northwestern, Duke, SMU, or Arizona has. For now, the Hawkeyes are back up here.
17. USC (6-2)
Previous ranking: NR
Result: W 30-18 vs. (1) Ohio State
It's amazing how well some teams have played when fighting for their coach's job. South Carolina is another case. Then you have teams like Florida State, but that's another story.
This was USC's best defensive game of the year, and it wasn't close. Spare me the inexperienced quarterback narrative. Luke Fahey played well enough for Ohio State to win this game.
16. Missouri (6-2)
Previous ranking: 22 (⇑6)
Result: W 34-10 at Arkansas
The win over Arkansas isn't that impressive, but Missouri won when everyone else lost. The Tigers still have the win over Florida to carry them.
15. Tennessee (6-2)
Previous ranking: 15 (⇑2)
Result: BYE
There are a lot of two-loss teams, but none of the ones below Tennessee have a win as strong as the one over Alabama.
14. Mississippi (6-2)
Previous ranking: 15 (⇑1)
Result: W 45-15 vs. Auburn
Trinidad Chambliss bounced back with 3 total TDs as No. 12 Ole Miss pulled away from Auburn in the second half.
22/34, 263 PASS YDS, 2 PASS TD, 1 INT, 63 RUYDS, 1 RUSH TD
Ole Miss moves to 6 and 2 and keeps its national championship hopes alive. https://t.co/UwLihP1dFi
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) October 31, 2026
Whatever Texas is, losing in Austin is not a bad loss. The win over LSU still looks strong, as does the win over Missouri. Blasting the Auburn team that beat Georgia is a good look as well. The Florida loss is ugly, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a team in 2026 without an ugly loss.
13. Ohio State (6-2)
Previous ranking: 1 (⇓12)
Result: L 30-18 at USC
What do we do with Ohio State? Wins over Indiana and Iowa, both on the road, are strong. The loss to USC was dreadful, mostly because it wasn't on the shoulders of Luke Fahey.
Luke Fahey is getting ZERO help tonight… this is tough to watch https://t.co/xuzN0xcSQs
— Menace 2 Sports (@Menace2Sports) November 1, 2026
He played pretty well in his first start. The defense was exposed by the USC offense, and it looked like the rest of the Buckeyes didn't play that hard because they had a built-in excuse.
You can't lose a guy like Julian Sayin and feel nothing. They obviously missed his leadership. However, this team has enough talent to win if the young quarterback plays well.
12. Texas (6-2)
Previous ranking: 13 (⇑1)
Result: W 31-3 vs. Mississippi State
It's really hard to rank Texas. The wins over Ohio State and Mississippi are really strong. The losses to Oklahoma and Florida are not. If Texas wins out, they are still in the CFP.
Even a three-loss Texas team likely gets in this year because of the strong wins, but they can't lose another regular-season game. They still have to face Missouri and LSU.
11. Notre Dame (7-1)
Previous ranking: 10 (⇓1)
Result: W 35-13 vs. Navy
The Irish didn't pull away from Navy until the fourth quarter. It won't matter to the CFP people since they only look at the scores and don't watch the games anyway.
The fact is, Notre Dame doesn't have a good win anymore because Iowa blew out Wisconsin. The brand name will keep them high enough in the AP/CFP polls to get into the CFP even without a win over Miami, but should it?
10. Alabama (6-2)
Previous ranking: 14 (⇑4)
Result: BYE
If I'm being honest, I was too harsh on Alabama last week for struggling with Texas A&M. In a season like this, when highly-ranked teams are dropping games to unranked teams every week, Alabama's two losses stand out.
They lost to Georgia and archrival Tennessee on the road. The Kentucky win in Lexington is far better than any win that Notre Dame has.
9. Wake Forest (7-1)
Previous ranking: 9 ⇔
Result: W 51-7 vs. Virginia
Something can be said for obliterating the teams on your schedule in a season where that hasn't been the norm. The loss to Miami is the dreaded "quality loss." The win over Louisville means little now.
Wake's schedule down the stretch isn't going to do anything to move the needle. They are all games that Wake needs to win big. Even then, this team likely needs to beat Miami to get into the CFP.
Wake is in the same situation that BYU was in last year. BYU needed to beat Texas Tech (or at least stay competitive) in the Big 12 Championship, and they failed. Can Wake do better?
8. Kentucky (7-1)
Previous ranking: 8 ⇔
Result: BYE
The LSU win is carrying Kentucky, but we can make a serious case for having Alabama above the Cats right now. If Alabama beats LSU as well, the Tide have to jump, thanks to the big win in Lexington in September.
7. Texas Tech (7-1)
Previous ranking: 12 (⇑5)
Result: W 34-26 vs. (11) Arizona
Will Hammond was not the answer. It turns out that Castellanos winning another court ruling was a big deal after all. It seems that Tech knew this before the season when they signed Brendan Sorsby.
Will Hammond is still taking the time to talk up the #TexasTech offense during warmups. https://t.co/VErANIbGmE
— Keith Inglis (@KeithInglisDT) October 31, 2026
Will Tech trust Hammond going into next year? It seems unlikely. Expect the Red Raiders to court another expensive portal QB to Lubbock in 2027.
6. BYU (7-1)
Previous ranking: 7 (⇑1)
Result: W 27-20 vs. Arizona State
This is not the same Arizona State team that lost to Texas A&M, but they aren't that great either. BYU survived a game in which the Big 12 admitted to another officiating error. This one was so early in the game that it may not have affected the outcome at all. We'll never know.
Accountability is good and all, but if there are no consequences, nothing will be done. The officiating has been so bad across all major conferences this year that it's hard not to think that the fix is in.
Even if it's not true, conferences need to protect themselves, or this dwindling attendance thing won't just be a fad. Most of these blown calls favor the big brands (Miami, Texas Tech, BYU, Michigan, etc.), which makes it even worse.
5. UCLA (8-0)
Previous ranking: 6 (⇑1)
Result: W 27-0 vs. Nevada
UCLA would likely have to lose twice to be left out of the CFP. The remaining games are Minnesota, Illinois (without the starting QB), Michigan (with the starting QB benched), and USC. They will likely be favored in all of those games except maybe USC.
The Bruins got the most favorable Big Ten schedule since the league went to 18 teams. The best team UCLA has played is Wisconsin.
4. Georgia (7-1)
Previous ranking: 5 (⇑1)
Result: W 27-8 vs. (20) Florida
The loss to unranked Auburn at home doesn't hurt as much when everyone else is losing as well, and most of those are not rivalry games. Georgia controlled the game against Florida. The Florida defense was solid in the second half, but the offense is a mess right now.
3. Indiana (8-1)
Previous ranking: 3 (⇑1)
Result: W 23-16 vs. Minnesota (OT)
It was another overtime win against another overmatched opponent. The fact remains that Indiana is still about two inches from perfection. Winning ugly is still winning. Most teams aren't even winning ugly this year.
2. Miami (FL) (8-0)
Previous ranking: 2 ⇔
Result: W 38-35 vs. North Carolina
Miami was bailed out against Florida State, and that has become the narrative again after another close win. I didn't like the pass interference call on North Carolina that set up the final Miami touchdown, especially since it hasn't been called in most games this year.
That said, North Carolina was offside by a hair on the first onside kick and committed the foul on the second onside kick. Both plays were close, but both were called right. It's unfortunate for the Tar Heels because they played well enough to win this game, and recovering two onside kicks in a row is damn near impossible.
1. Utah (8-0)
Previous ranking: 3 (⇑2)
Result: W 49-25 at (23) Cincinnati
Utah has wins over Houston and Cincinnati, which is better than Miami's or UCLA's wins. Utah's early schedule was easy, but this team will be tested again this week. Miami has been tested, but gets its first ranked test this week. UCLA's schedule would make 2004 Auburn jealous.
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