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It’s been a while since we’ve had a season without a clear No. 1 team in the depths of autumn.
There are plenty of teams that can make a case, and there are still plenty of big games to play. But at this point, it’s time for a change. Texas is the new No. 1 on Athletic 133 this week.
There are two reasons for this. The first is Texas itself. The Longhorns went to Alabama and handled the Crimson Tide in what was the most impressive single win of the season. Texas also took care of business with blowouts 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 a lesser team as well. The Longhorns played like the best team in the country and had a marquee win. That’s good for No.
The second reason is Georgia. We’re almost halfway through the season, and this slow start can’t be ignored. The Bulldogs trailed South Carolina at halftime and needed a second-half comeback to beat an Auburn team that was pushed by Texas A&M last week and barely escaped Cal. Georgia is undefeated, but the Dawgs have no notable wins, unlike Texas (Alabama), Ohio State (Notre Dame) and Florida State (LSU, Clemson). Sagarin ranks Georgia’s strength of schedule 130th nationally. Nope already bad, but Georgia hasn’t done anything this year worth the No. 1 ranking at this point compared to other teams.
Now, the belief in Texas could be the famous last word for a week. The Longhorns will play Oklahoma in Dallas this Saturday. If they win, we might see everyone else come in and rank Texas at No. 1. But I’m making a move now. If the Longhorns lose, well, that gets me thinking that Texas has turned a corner. These rankings are not meant to be predictive. They’re just based on what’s been done, and right now, Texas deserves that spot.
DEEP
Behind the AP Top 25 ballot: Why I moved Texas to No. 1 in Georgia
Here’s this week’s Athletic 133.
1-10
Outside of Texas and Georgia, the other notable transfer in this group is USC. The Trojans are being jumped by Oregon because of their results against common foe Colorado, and by Notre Dame after the Irish rallied to beat Duke in the final seconds. USC now sits at No. 10.
Florida State and Ohio State are both idle, while Oregon and Washington are both off next week before playing each other in Seattle on Oct. 14 in a massive game. Michigan finally dominated an opponent (Nebraska) from start to finish like it should, but again, the Wolverines will only float 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 with Georgia. The Bulldogs started higher. Both teams have played very easy schedules, making their rankings basically irrelevant right now. They have the talent to win a national championship. They don’t have a resume yet.
DEEP
How good is Washington? After a hot start, the Huskies were tested on Saturday
11-25
Maybe Alabama figured some things out? The Crimson Tide rebounded from a scare at USF with multi-score wins over Ole Miss and Mississippi State, and they climbed to No. 11. Oklahoma continues to dominate but has yet to play anyone of note, so the Sooners sit behind North Carolina and Washington State. We’ll get a good read on Oklahoma against Texas this Saturday.
Duke is a fourth and a long stop away from beating Notre Dame, so the Blue Devils fall just one spot to No. 15. Oregon State leads Utah to No. 17 after defeating the shorthanded Utes on Friday night. Ole Miss fell out of the top 25 after losing to Alabama, but the Rebels are back at No. 20 after their wild 55-49 win over LSU, which dropped to No. 24.
Maryland and Kentucky, both 5-0, move into the top 25. The Wildcats are slightly ahead of No. 21 thanks to the win over Florida this weekend. Texas A&M also slipped to No. 25. The Aggies may have figured things out since Max Johnson took over at quarterback, with back-to-back wins over Auburn and Arkansas.
DEEP
Auerbach’s Top 10: Week 5 leaves some contenders sweating more than others
26-50
| Rank | Team | Record | Past |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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 only fell out of the top 25 after its 26-point loss to Texas because it was without quarterback Jalon Daniels. Florida only remains in the top 30 for now because of its win over Tennessee. Louisville is 5-0 but still outside the top 25 due to a poor schedule and close calls against Georgia Tech and Indiana. A home game this Saturday against Notre Dame will give us a real read on the Cardinals. Colorado just fell to No. 32 after rallying within seven of USC’s last. The Buffs have a lot of problems, but they can still score.
Tulane remains the top Group of 5 team (No. 34) after a comeback win over UAB, but undefeated Fresno State, James Madison and Air Force are right on the Green Wave’s heels. Fresno State’s game against Wyoming this week is a big game that could boost the Bulldogs into the top 25.
51-75
Arkansas and Mississippi State fell out of the top 50 after both losing to Texas A&M and Alabama, respectively. Troy got back on track with a dominant win over previously unbeaten Georgia State and climbed to No. 54. A week after comfortably beating Wake Forest, Georgia Tech lost at Bowling Green, making the Yellow Jackets a difficult team to field. They have dropped to No. 61.
USF has beaten Rice and Navy since its narrow loss against Alabama, and the Bulls have risen to No. 65. Texas State is 4-1 and ninth nationally in scoring, and the Bobcats are up to No. 66. Michigan State gave up 26 points to Iowa but only one offensive touchdown, which is a pretty typical way to beat Iowa these days. Purdue held off Illinois 44-19 in a stunning final score; the Boilermakers climbed to No. 57 and Illinois fell to No. 72, remains ahead of Toledo for now due to its head-to-head win. Miami (Ohio) and UNLV are both 4-1 and squeeze into the top 75 as teams to watch in their respective conferences.
76-100
Baylor scored 29 points in the final 19 minutes to come back and defeat UCF 36-35 and climb to No. 79. The Bears remain behind UTSA at the moment due to their loss to common opponent Texas State. San Diego State has lost four in a row, including 49-10 to Air Force on Saturday, and continues to fall to No. 83. Virginia Tech takes a 38-21 win over Pitt to jump to No. 87 .
DEEP
Saturday Superlatives: Top Week 5 highlights, from Ole Miss-LSU to Caleb Williams
101-133
Bowling Green, blown out by Ohio a week ago, defeated Georgia Tech 38-27 to jump to No. 101. Stanford falls into this group at No. 102 after a 42-6 loss to Oregon. ULM remains at No. 103 after Appalachian State needed a 54-yard field goal as time expired to defeat 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, which is No. 133 after Week 2, has won three games in a row and is up to No. 113 after beating UMass. Sam Houston nearly got its first FBS win but allowed a late Jacksonville State touchdown drive and lost in overtime. Buffalo beat Akron for its first win to move out of the bottom spot, and 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 maintains complete editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
