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Mike's top 25 college football teams heading into Week 7 of the 2025 season. His complete top 25 rankings, including Ohio State Oregon, LSU, and more.
Week 7 College Football Power Rankings
On paper, Week 6 looked a little boring. There were only two matchups between ranked teams. It might have been even better than Week 5! Penn State lost back-to-back games for the first time in four years. UCLA, which looked like a lock to go winless, hired a new offensive coordinator two days before the game and knocked off a Penn State team that still hasn’t beaten a Power 4 school. We’re halfway through the season, and the top two teams in the preseason poll are unranked. Why do we still do preseason polls?
25. Notre Dame (3-2)
Last week: 27 (⇑2)
Result: W 28-7 vs. Boise State
Look, complain if you want, but the Irish have lost to my top two teams in the rankings. If we’re going to give South Florida props for beating Boise, the Irish need the same respect.
24. Memphis (6-0)
Last week: 30 (⇑6)
Result: W 45-7 vs. Tulsa
The Tigers find themselves in a Notre Dame situation. Not only do they have to win, but they have to win big. It’s going to matter come December, especially if the Tigers run the table in the American. The win over Arkansas doesn’t look as great as originally thought, but Memphis actually got a date with a Power 4 team. Many Group of 5 schools never get that chance.
23. Iowa State (5-1)
Last week: 13 (⇓10)
Result: L 30-38 at (38) Cincinnati
This is the kind of game that Iowa State is expected to win now. I’m not calling this a bad loss. While Iowa State leads the country in rivalry wins, said wins are against down Kansas State and Iowa teams. Cincinnati’s wins are likely better, and the Bearcats now take the head-to-head.
22. Utah (4-1)
Last week: 21 ⇔
Result: BYE
Look, Utah, I love you guys. I think you’re a fun team. I get that the only loss is at home to what turns out to be a really good Texas Tech team. You deserve to be ranked somewhere, but where’s the quality win? Blowing out West Virginia and Wyoming is expected at this point.
21. Cincinnati (4-1)
Last week: 38 (⇑17)
Result: W 38-30 vs. (14) Iowa State
The wins over Kansas and Iowa State are looking good. The loss to Nebraska in the opener in what was essentially a road game isn’t looking too bad.
20. Michigan (4-1)
Last week: 23 (⇑3)
Result: W 24-10 vs. Wisconsin
Justice Haynes might be the best running back in the country. He is the perfect fit in this offense. Haynes has at least 100 rushing yards and at least one touchdown in every game so far.
19. Arizona State (4-1)
Last week: 21 (⇑2)
Result: BYE
That win over TCU looks really good now. The win over Baylor is still solid. The loss in StarkVegas isn’t a bad one.
18. Virginia (4-1)
Last week: 26 (⇑8)
Result: W 30-27 at (32) Louisville (2 OT)
It was the second straight double-overtime win for the Wahoos. It was Chandler Morris and the offense that did it against Florida State. Defense and special teams did it against Louisville.
17. Georgia Tech (5-0)
Last week: 15 (⇓2)
Result: BYE
I should treat that Wake Forest game as a loss. If I did, Tech would barely be clinging to a ranking.
16. Missouri (5-0)
Last week: 18 (⇑2)
Result: BYE
Wins over South Carolina and Kansas are solid. Missouri also doesn’t have a loss. That still counts for something!
15. Illinois (5-1)
Last week: 24 (⇑9)
Result: W 43-27 at Purdue
Okay, so I shouldn’t have punished Illinois as much for getting blown out by Indiana. The win at Duke is looking better, and the USC win is a solid win. The quality loss looks better alongside quality wins. It’s science.
14. South Florida (4-1)
Last week: 14 ⇔
Result: W 54-26 vs. Charlotte
Wins over Boise and Florida are better than the wins for many other one-loss teams. And hey, USF’s only loss is on the road to the top-ranked team. No USF shade will be tolerated here.
13. LSU (4-1)
Last week: 13 (⇑4)
Result: BYE
It was carnage in the middle of my rankings. The loss is not a bad one, and wins at Florida (hey, Texas couldn’t do it!) and Clemson are still solid wins.
12. Vanderbilt (5-1)
Last week: 12 ⇔
Result: L 14-30 at (6) Alabama
I’m not going to punish Vanderbilt for this loss. A few teams now have quality losses, but what good is a quality loss without a quality win? The win at South Carolina is a quality win, the likes of which Utah and Houston do not have. The wins for LSU and Iowa State aren’t as strong as they used to be.
11. Tennessee (4-1)
Last week: 11 ⇔
Result: BYE
The win in StarkVegas is carrying the Vols (and so is the quality loss), but it was absolute carnage in the middle of the rankings this week. Tennessee holds the spot.
10. Oregon (5-0)
Last week: 3 (⇓7)
Result: BYE
I made an error moving Oregon so far up last week, and I’m owning it. I let the public perception of a win over Penn State cloud my judgment. However, Penn State can still be a solid team and lose to UCLA. The Nittany Lions were so low in my rankings because of the worst non-conference schedule since Auburn in 2004.
Penn State had no idea what to expect from UCLA. Jerry Neuheisel was calling plays for the first time, and Penn State had absolutely no clue what to expect. They figured it out a little bit later in the game, but I will say this: if you’re going to pay Jim Knowles that much money, he should be able to figure it out. He shouldn’t be out-coached and out-called by a rookie.
9. Georgia (4-1)
Last week: 10 (⇑1)
Result: W 35-14 vs. Kentucky
The win over Tennessee in Knoxville is better than any win Oregon has had, and the only loss is to a team in the top five. The Penn State loss to the worst Power 4 team in the country is having a really negative effect on Oregon. So is the soft non-conference schedule.
8. Indiana (5-0)
Last week: 9 (⇑1)
Result: BYE
The blowout win over Illinois is better than anything Oregon has, and might be slightly better than Georgia’s win over Tennessee. Call the Kentucky and Iowa wins a wash. Indiana gets the slight edge with what is now a strong win over Old Dominion.
7. Oklahoma (5-0)
Last week: 5 (⇓2)
Result: W 44-0 vs. Kent State
This was Oklahoma’s first shutout in over two years. Winning 44-0 on the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the 1985 national championship team is a fitting tribute to Brian Bosworth. Oklahoma is close to overtaking Ohio State, but I’ll give the Buckeyes the benefit of the doubt. Auburn isn’t great, and the Texas win is still at least comparable to Oklahoma’s win over Michigan.
6. Ohio State (5-0)
Last week: 2 (⇓4)
Result: W 42-3 vs. (44) Minnesota
Ohio State has a strong win over Washington in Seattle and a couple of good home wins in Texas and Minnesota. Texas losing to a down Florida team is tanking the Buckeyes a little bit right now.
5. Alabama (4-1)
Last week: 6 (⇑1)
Result: W 30-14 vs. (12) Vanderbilt
You hear people say this all of the time, and most of the time it rings hollow, but not here. This Alabama team is not the same one that lost to Florida State in the opener. Most of that is Ty Simpson. He missed on almost half of his passes against the Seminoles. In wins in Athens and against a solid Vanderbilt team, he completed 68.1% of his passes. Those two wins are more impressive than anyone else’s, except for Miami. That vaults the Tide back up my rankings.
4. Mississippi (5-0)
Last week: 4 ⇔
Result: BYE
The win over LSU is carrying the Rebels, but that win over Tulane looks almost as strong. However, they are both at home. With other teams picking up strong road wins, the Rebels will need to get a big win away from Oxford to keep up.
3. Texas Tech (5-0)
Last week: 7 (⇑4)
Result: W 35-11 at (34) Houston
Texas Tech blasted Utah in Salt Lake City and demolished an undefeated Houston team, also on the road. Put some respect on their name. This is a very dangerous team! The loss of Quentin Joyner caused me to move the Red Raiders out of my preseason rankings. J’Koby Williams and Cameron Dickey may be better than Joyner.
2. Texas A&M (5-0)
Last week: 8 (⇑6)
Result: W 31-9 vs. (16) Mississippi State
The Aggies jump Ohio State thanks to wins over Notre Dame and Mississippi State. Texas’s loss in the swamp isn’t doing the Buckeyes any favors. A lot of noise was made about the LSU receivers coming into the season, but A&M’s trio of KC Concepcion, Brenen Thompson, and Mario Craver might be the best in the SEC.
1. Miami (FL) (5-0)
Last week: 1 ⇔
Result: W 28-22 at (19) Florida State
It was a great effort by the Seminoles to get back in this game. Miami led 28-3 at the start of the fourth quarter. Miami has beaten Notre Dame, Florida, South Florida, and Florida State. They are the clear top-ranked team for me, and it’s not close. The Ohio State win over Texas doesn’t look that great anymore, but the Buckeyes do have a quality road win in Seattle.
