RJ Young
FOX Sports National College Football Analyst
The College Football Playoff selection committee can't screw this up, I guess. The Oregon Ducks have been the No. 1 team in this area for weeks, and the CFP should follow suit. And behind Oregon should be another Big Ten powerhouse, whose only loss was to the Ducks: Ohio State.
What the committee will do with Indiana interests me. The selection committee is charged with selecting the top 12 teams, using criteria that revolve around winning the conference championship, winning big games during the regular season, and then what each of the voting members believes is the best team scoreboard is, damn. If Georgia had five losses but was considered one of the top twelve teams in the sport by this committee, they would make the CFP.
However, Indiana is unprecedented here. The Hoosiers are 9-0 for the first time in program history. They have scored 41 or more points in six of their last seven games, and their margin of victory against teams resembles that of Georgia, Clemson or Alabama in the previous era of the CFP. However, Indiana has never taken advantage of the blueblood tax exemption they do have. When you dress up the Hoosiers as Penn State, you're much more likely to believe that this is a team capable of winning the national title than the Penn State program we've seen in the James Franklin era.
But like Penn State, the Hoosiers will have a shot at a top-five win this season if Ohio State keeps rolling with less than a month to play. And then maybe the Hoosiers will make this simple. But it's important to note where they start in the CFP rankings because I suspect we'll see more stories like Indiana's in the future due to roster volatility, the influence of name, image and likeness, and power conferences that swell to 16 or more teams.
With that, here's a look at my top 25 rankings after week 10 of the college football season:
1. Oregon (9-0)
Result week 10: Defeated Michigan, 38-17
Despite losing star wideout Tez Johnson early in the win, Dillon Gabriel completed 22 of 34 passes for 294 yards with a touchdown. Wideout Traeshon Holden had six catches and 149 yards, while tailback Jordan James carried the ball 23 times for 117 yards.
The Ducks are the only undefeated team to win against a top-five opponent this season.
2. State of Ohio (7-1)
Result week 10: Defeated Penn State, 20-13
The Buckeyes trailed Penn State 10-0 with 5:37 to go in the first quarter. And then Ohio State responded. Penalty kills allowed the Buckeyes to score 14 unanswered points before eventually taking a 14-10 lead into halftime and holding on for the win, 20-13.
If you give Ohio State a cookie, they'll rob your bakery.
3. Georgia (7-1)
Result week 10: Defeated Florida, 34-20
Despite losing quarterback DJ Lagway to a “pretty significant” hamstring injury, Florida led Georgia 13-6 at halftime at the world's largest outdoor cocktail party, according to Gators coach Billy Napier.
The Dawgs outscored the Gators 28-7 in the second half to secure their seventh win of the season. Carson Beck threw for 309 yards, two touchdowns and three picks in the win.
4. Miami (Fla.) (9-0)
Result week 10: Defeated Duke, 53-31
The Hurricanes were back in contention, trailing Duke 21-17 at halftime. Heisman hopeful Cam Ward completed 25 of 41 passes for 400 yards with five passing touchdowns and one interception to keep the Hurricanes undefeated.
5. Texas (7-1)
Result week 10: Inactive
6. Indiana (9-0)
Result week 10: Defeated Michigan State, 47-10
Quarterback Kurtis Rourke threw for 263 yards and four touchdowns in his return to action. The Hoosiers have scored at least 41 points in six of their last seven games. They will try to win their 10th game this season for the first time in school history against Michigan on Saturday in Bloomington, Indiana.
7. BYU (8-0)
Result week 10: Inactive
8. Tennessee(7-1)
Result week 10: Defeated Kentucky, 28-18
It wasn't always pretty, but the Vols found a way to win again: their third straight SEC victory. Dylan Sampson continues to show why he is one of the best backs in America, rushing for 142 yards and two scores in the win.
9. Penn State (7-1)
Result week 10: Lost to Ohio State, 20-13
The Nittany Lions trailed Ohio State 14-10 at halftime. And despite a pick six from the PSU defense, the offense couldn't score a single TD against OSU.
James Franklin fell to 1-13 against top-five teams.
10. Our Lady (7-1)
Result week 10: Inactive
11. Alabama (6-2)
Result week 10: Inactive
12. LSU (6-2)
Result week 10: Inactive
13. The state of Iowa (7-1)
Result week 10: Lost to Texas Tech, 23-22
Iowa State led late in the game, but Texas Tech marched down the field and took the lead with 20 seconds left behind a Tahj Brooks rushing touchdown. He finished with 125 rushing yards in the win.
14. SMU (8-1)
Result week 10: Defeated Pitt, 48-25
SMU is a good football team. The Mustangs proved it again on Saturday, putting up 467 yards and 48 points against a Pitt team that was undefeated heading into this game.
15. Boise State (7-1)
Result week 10: Defeated San Diego, 56-24
Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty rushed for 149 yards on 31 rushes with two touchdowns. He leads the FBS in rushing with 1,525 yards (190.6 yards per game) and 20 TDs.
To break Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record, he will need to rush for 1,104 yards over the next four games.
Jeanty still has to rush 300 yards in a game. Sanders rushed for 300 yards or more in four of the 11 games he needed to set the record.
Jeanty, who has the extra game, needs a 300-meter race if he expects to break the record of one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.
San Diego State Aztecs vs. No. 15 Boise State Broncos Highlights
16. Texas A&M (7-2)
Result week 10: Lost to South Carolina, 44-20
After a memorable win over LSU last weekend, Mike Elko's team fell flat on the road in South Carolina. Marcel Reed threw for 206 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while adding 46 yards on the ground. But the Aggies couldn't stop the Gamecocks' offense, giving up 530 yards in the loss.
17. Ole ma'am (7-2)
Result week 10: Defeated Arkansas, 63-31
Quarterback Jaxson Dart completed 25 of 31 passes for 515 passing yards with six touchdowns, while wideout Jordan Watkins caught eight passes for 254 yards with five touchdowns in a rout of a team that defeated previously top-ranked Tennessee earlier this season.
18. Missouri (6-2)
Result week 10: Inactive
19. Clemson (6-2)
Result week 10: Lost to Louisville, 33-21
All signs pointed to us getting a Miami-Clemson ACC title game, but the Tigers looked far from a championship-caliber team on Saturday night. Louisville halfback Isaac Brown ran over the Clemson defense for 151 yards. The loss dropped Clemson to 5-1 in the ACC, trailing both Miami and SMU in the conference standings.
20. Army (8-0)
Result week 10: Defeated Air Force, 20-3
With Bryson Daily absent due to an undisclosed illness/injury, Dewayne Coleman got the start for the Black Knights at QB. In their first game without him, Army failed to score on their opening possession for the first time this season. Kanye Udoh led the way for the Black Knights offense, totaling 158 rushing yards and a pair of rushing TDs.
21. Pitt (7-1)
Result week 10: Lost to SMU, 48-25
Pitt entered Saturday's game looking to finish 8-0 for the first time since 1981, when Dan Marino was the program's quarterback. Instead, they gave up 467 yards of offense in a game that really wasn't as close as the scoreboard indicated.
22. State of Kansas (7-2)
Result week 10: Lost to Houston, 24-19
The Wildcats lost the opportunity to capitalize on Iowa State's first loss this season, sliding to second place in the Big 12 standings. Now Kansas State will have to hope that Texas Tech can do to Colorado next week what it did to Iowa State this week to get back into the running for the Big 12 title.
Of course, if BYU suffers a loss before the end of the season, all hell will break loose in what has been a reverse Big 12 this season.
No. 17 Kansas State Wildcats vs. Houston Cougars Highlights
23. Colorado (6-2)
Result week 10: Inactive
24. Vanderbilt (6-3)
Result week 10: Defeated Auburn, 17-7
The Commodores are 6-3 for the first time since 1982 and with this victory beat Alabama and Auburn in the same season for the first time since 1955.
25. Washington State (7-1)
Result week 10: Inactive
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of “The Number One College Football Show” podcast. Follow him up @RJ_Young.
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