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Mike's top 25 college football teams for Week 7 of the 2026 college football season. His complete top 25 rankings, including Ohio State, Texas, Indiana, and more.
Indiana and Nebraska both finally played a good team, and we came out of it thinking that both are good teams. The SEC keeps beating up on each other, and we really don't know if any of those teams are good.
Georgia and Alabama, sure. Texas? Probably. Missouri? They have earned it. After that, who knows? The SEC middle may be a very large expanse, like the middle of the Big Ten and Big 12, and about the same caliber. Shhh...don't tell ESPN. It will cause a scene like in the movie Scanners, where their heads explode.
Most teams have played at least one good team so far. There was an embarrassing number of other teams that have not. We used to be a proper sport with somewhat balanced conferences that played every team in them. It made it much easier to determine a conference champion.
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25. Oregon State (4-2)
Previous ranking: NR
Result: W 66-14 vs. San Diego State
There is only one two-loss team that has any claim to being ranked. Oregon State's two losses are on the road to ranked Houston and Texas Tech teams. The Beavers lost those games by a combined 24 points.
Oregon State crushed San Diego State worse than James Madison and James Madison West (UCLA) did. They beat Colorado State worse than BYU did. The Beavers stomped FCS powerhouse Montana by 35 points.
There is a serious chance that the Beavers could be the fifth-best conference winner at the end of the season. That November 14 game on the Smurf Turf is an absolute monster.
JESSE LEGREE IS A WALKING HIGHLIGHT REEL ??
71-yard TD, a Heisman pose, and HISTORY!
The first Beavers receiver EVER with six straight 100-yard receiving games, all in his first six collegiate contests ?
SDSU 7 | 45 OSU https://t.co/Cg8ZzEzHxI
— USA Sports (@usasports) October 11, 2026
Braden Atkinson and Jesse Legree may be the best QB-WR combo in the country. If they played in a conference that ESPN loved, they would both be household names.
24. Wisconsin (5-1)
Previous ranking: 24 ⇔
Result: BYE
The thumping of Penn State in Happy Valley doesn't mean a lot now, but I still think that Wisconsin played a good Notre Dame team really tough for about 35 minutes before the game got away from them.
It's going to be a big test in the Rose Bowl this weekend between two teams that are significantly better than they were in 2025.
23. Utah (5-0)
Previous ranking: 22 (⇓1)
Result: W 41-24 vs. Kansas
The Jayhawks pushed Utah until late in the fourth quarter in Salt Lake City. If that isn't cause for concern in the Wasatch Mountains, I don't know what is...
Utah's schedule is one of the worst among power teams so far this season. The Rumble in the Rockies won't help it any. The first decent test Utah has is a visit from Houston on October 24.
22. Nebraska (5-1)
Previous ranking: 23 (⇑1)
Result: L 20-17 vs. (16) Indiana
Nebraska finally played a good team and not only held their own, but they pushed the defending national champions. Most of Indiana's yards came on four offensive plays. If it weren't for a few big plays for the Hoosiers, we could be having a different conversation.
Absolutely brutal for Nebraska.
Biggest defensive snap in 20 years and Indiana has three players wide open. https://t.co/TbCrCkXOeR
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) October 10, 2026
21. Boise State (5-1)
Previous ranking: 19 (⇓2)
Result: W 38-31 at Fresno State
Boise took back the Milk Can for the first time since 2022, but the loss to Oregon looks of lesser quality than it did in Week 1. Most teams are playing tougher schedules than Boise down the stretch. That's going to cause the Broncos to slide even if they keep winning.
20. Arizona (5-1)
Previous ranking: 20 ⇔
Result: W 52-31 at West Virginia
Arizona got a road win without their top two receivers. Senior quarterback Noah Fifita is carrying the team right now. Tre Spivey is done for the season, but Giovanni Richardson should be back before Arizona hits the hardest part of the schedule.
The Wildcats already played BYU. They still have Texas Tech and Utah left. The Wildcats will be the most tested Big 12 team by the end of the season.
19. Iowa (5-1)
Previous ranking: 14 (⇓5)
Result: W 41-24 at Washington
Iowa's claim to fame is giving up over 200 yards to Jeremiah Smith in a 17-point home loss to the Buckeyes. Hey, at least they have played a team with a pulse. We are halfway through the season, and dozens of teams haven't. Most non-power teams have a better strength of schedule than Utah.
The Hawkeyes have all four rivalry trophies right now, so things must be pretty good for the Hawkeyes.
18. Northwestern (4-1)
Previous ranking: 25 (⇑7)
Result: W 45-14 vs. Ball State
Northwestern's best win is probably over FCS powerhouse South Dakota State, since Penn State isn't anywhere close to the team many thought it would be.
Still, the only loss for the Wildcats is to the defending national champions on the road by six points. I have a feeling that Northwestern could be in the top 4 of the Big Ten in 2026.
17. Houston (5-1)
Previous ranking: NR
Result: W 35-16 at Kansas State
Struggling with Oregon State is understandable now. We thought it might have been in the opener, but now we know for sure. The Cougars gave Texas Tech everything they wanted and beat up on a decent Kansas State team in Manhattan.
This team is getting better just in time for the schedule to get tough. Houston is one of the few Big 12 teams that will be sufficiently tested this year.
16. Kentucky (5-1)
Previous ranking: NR
Result: W 35-34 vs. (7) LSU
Kentucky's claim to fame is getting smacked by Alabama at home. South Alabama may be the best team they have beaten since then. LSU is likely better, but the Tigers no longer look like a top-25 team. Kentucky takes LSU's spot in the rankings. That seems fair enough.
The Wildcats became the first team in college football history to win back-to-back games by one point in overtime. The great overtime rules were adopted in 1996, but like everything else, college football screwed that up too.
15. Missouri (5-1)
Previous ranking: 12 (⇓3)
Result: W 27-6 vs. Texas A&M
The wins over A&M and Florida aren't as good as we thought at first. The loss in Starkville is still a tough one, but that was a well-played and hard-fought game. Missouri still passes the eye test. The matchup against Mississippi in Oxford this weekend is going to be a fun one!
14. Mississippi (4-1)
Previous ranking: 4 (⇓10)
Result: W 52-17 at Vanderbilt
It's easy to say that the Florida loss would have been different with a healthy Kewan Lacy. That's probably true, but Lacy isn't playing defense trying to tackle Jadan Baugh. Even with Lacy, Ole Miss likely loses that game.
The wins over Louisville and LSU lose all of the luster they once had. Mississippi isn't done losing games with that shady run defense. Unless that changes, the CFP berth in 2025 is a one-and-done.
13. Oklahoma State (4-1)
Previous ranking: 5 (⇓8)
Result: W 42-28 vs. Central Florida
The win over Oregon is still a strong one, and arguably better than any win Mississippi or Missouri has. The SEC isn't ready for that conversation yet.
12. UCLA (5-0)
Previous ranking: 18 (⇑6)
Result: W 17-15 at (6) Oregon
Would this game have been different if Oregon had Dante Moore? Probably. Dylan Raiola had a bad enough game that he got benched in favor of senior backup Brock Thomas.
Lost in that is the fact that UCLA lost Nico Iamaleava in the middle of the game and had to finish with Cal Poly transfer Ty Dieffenbach. This is still a tough road win, and the Purdue win looks a little better as well.
11. Notre Dame (6-0)
Previous ranking: 15 (⇑4)
Result: W 58-7 vs. Stanford
It was a great week for Notre Dame, and it has nothing to do with beating Stanford like a tied-up goat. Everyone aside from Georgia Tech does that.
Purdue, a team that Notre Dame beat by 39 points, smoked a Minnesota team that beat Washington on the road. The North Carolina team that Notre Dame beat last week beat a ranked (by the AP) Pitt team.
We already know that the Wisconsin win looks better. I finally feel comfortable putting the Irish up here.
10. BYU (5-0)
Previous ranking: 17 (⇑7)
Result: W 24-10 vs. Iowa State
BYU has ground out a couple of wins without star RB LJ Martin. The Cougars have stayed afloat without him for now, but the matchup this weekend with Notre Dame is going to be a giant test for BYU.
We know what the CFP Committee thinks of Big 12 teams. This is far more important to BYU than Notre Dame. Can the Cougars win this without Martin?
The win over Arizona in Week 2 is looking like a strong one. That moves the Cougars up a bit since the SEC's cannibalizing of each other is hurting schedules throughout the conference.
9. Mississippi State (4-1)
Previous ranking: 11 (⇑2)
Result: BYE
Sure, the Bulldogs were on a bye, but things happened with teams they have beaten. The win over Missouri is looking even better. The win over Minnesota looks better after Minnesota beat Washington in Seattle and Michigan.
I have questions about how good either of those teams is. The Bulldogs got smoked at home by Alabama, but are we going to pretend that game wouldn't have been close if Fluff Bothwell hadn't gotten hurt on the first drive?
8. Wake Forest (5-1)
Previous ranking: 10 (⇑2)
Result: W 38-14 at North Carolina State
Gio Lopez connects with Jack Foley for his third TD pass of the game!
@WakeFB extends its lead. https://t.co/fqpHnf7C0i
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) October 10, 2026
The loss to Miami is the very definition of a quality loss. Wake struggling with Purdue no longer looks like a terrible thing. The wins over Louisville and NC State lose some luster, but they were both on the road. I have no issue with having Wake this high. This is a very underrated team.
7. Miami (FL) (5-0)
Previous ranking: 8 (⇑1)
Result: BYE
That win in Winston-Salem keeps looking better and better. Wake is the second-best team in the ACC, and it's not a close contest.
6. Ohio State (5-1)
Previous ranking: 3 (⇓3)
Result: W 45-16 vs. Maryland
This is nothing Ohio State did. Texas losing to Oklahoma is a ding on Ohio State as well. If Ohio State and Texas played again, the result would likely be different.
The Buckeyes have been outstanding since the loss. Of course, the only decent team they have played is Iowa. Don't you love these giant conferences?
5. Texas (4-1)
Previous ranking: 1 (⇓4)
Result: L 27-24 vs. Oklahoma
You have died of a 47-yard field goal. ?
An interception. Two completions. One walk-off kick.
Oklahoma takes down No. 1 Texas, 27–24.
The Red River crossing claimed another Longhorn.
Press SPACE to continue.
#BoomerSooner #RedRiverRivalry https://t.co/WUDmxPUnkJ
— Rewind & Recap | Sports (@RewindRecapHQ) October 11, 2026
Yeah, Texas played a bad game. Arch Manning looked human. The special teams weren't great. The defense let Oklahoma move the ball in the second half. This was a rivalry game.
The records mean nothing. Oklahoma was far more jacked than Texas was for this. Why? Maybe because Oklahoma has its back against the wall after two September losses. Texas knows a loss doesn't hurt right now.
Is that an oversimplification? Maybe, but that's what a 12-team playoff does to the regular season. As far as Texas still being in the top five, they lost a rivalry game, and we can't just erase coming back from 20 down to beat Ohio State. That game still happened.
4. Texas Tech (5-0)
Previous ranking: 9 (⇑5)
Result: BYE
It may be time to admit that Texas Tech played and beat a couple of pretty good teams. Houston is rolling right now, getting another big road win in Manhattan.
Oregon State has arguably the best QB/WR tandem in college. If their uniform had a Big Ten or SEC logo on it, you would know all about these two. Maybe struggling in Corvallis isn't a black mark at all.
3. Alabama (5-1)
Previous ranking: 2 (⇓1)
Result: L 20-17 vs. (21) Georgia
I know that many AP voters are catching heat for not moving Alabama down much, but you won't hear that rhetoric from me. They demolished a Kentucky team in Lexington that just beat talking-head deity LSU.
The win over Mississippi State was a strong one. What I saw in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night was a great game between two teams capable of winning a title.
Of course, the game means absolutely nothing. Both teams are locks for a 12-team playoff. If it were still a four-team playoff, this game would matter a whole lot more.
2. Indiana (6-0)
Previous ranking: 16 (⇑14)
Result: W 20-17 at (23) Nebraska
It's easy to say that we don't know what Indiana is, but maybe we need to alter our perception and not just go by preseason polls. Northwestern and Nebraska are both much different, and much better, than they were last year.
Indiana earned hard-fought victories in both. Even when Nebraska is bad, Lincoln is not an easy place to play. That's a solid road win for the Hoosiers.
1. Georgia (6-0)
Previous ranking: 21 (⇑20)
Result: W 20-17 at (2) Alabama
We had a feeling that we knew what Georgia was. They just needed to prove it. Beating an increasingly strong Alabama team on the road without Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens certainly makes a point. This is the best win for any team so far this season. The win over Oklahoma looks a little better as well.
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