We are coming down to the final third of the season and things are heating up in the Top 25 as teams compete to stay in the race for one of the four coveted playoff spots. Three more undefeated teams lost this weekend leaving us five perfect teams left. We saw big wins for Ohio State, Iowa State, and Notre Dame which help to give us a clearer picture of what each team in the Top 10 needs to make it to the playoff.
Alabama holds onto the top spot for another week as they cruise through their bye
This Week's Top 25
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 8-0 | 1357.91 |
| 2 | Wisconsin Badgers | 8-0 | 1344.18 |
| 3 | Georgia Bulldogs | 8-0 | 1342.02 |
| 4 | Miami (FL) Hurricanes | 7-0 | 1306.42 |
| 5 | UCF Knights | 7-0 | 1305.37 |
| 6 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 7-1 | 1287.85 |
| 7 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 7-1 | 1285.92 |
| 8 | Oklahoma State Cowboys | 7-1 | 1266.44 |
| 9 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 7-1 | 1265.97 |
| 10 | Memphis Tigers | 7-1 | 1263.73 |
| 11 | Clemson Tigers | 7-1 | 1257.72 |
| 12 | Oklahoma Sooners | 7-1 | 1250.97 |
| 13 | TCU Horned Frogs | 7-1 | 1243.91 |
| 14 | Toledo Rockets | 7-1 | 1242.39 |
| 15 | Virginia Tech Hokies | 7-1 | 1238.99 |
| 16 | Washington Huskies | 7-1 | 1231.91 |
| 17 | South Florida Bulls | 7-1 | 1225.89 |
| 18 | USC Trojans | 7-2 | 1222.56 |
| 19 | Stanford Cardinal | 6-2 | 1199.36 |
| 20 | Boise State Broncos | 6-2 | 1196.36 |
| 21 | Iowa State Cyclones | 6-2 | 1193.85 |
| 22 | Arizona Wildcats | 6-2 | 1189.76 |
| 23 | LSU Tigers | 6-2 | 1186.84 |
| 24 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 6-2 | 1182.22 |
| 25 | Washington State Cougars | 7-2 | 1181.06 |
Next Five Up (In Order):
Mississippi State (6-2), Michigan (6-2), San Diego State (7-2), Michigan State (6-2), North Carolina State (6-2)
Notes:
Alabama keeps the top spot, while Wisconsin edges out Georgia for second. Georgia should regain the second position with a win this weekend over South Carolina. Miami and UCF round out the Top 5, but neither has a signature win to threaten the Top 3. Notre Dame is still the top one loss team, but Ohio State is on its heels. Penn State manages to stay in the Top 10 as their only loss comes to another Top 10 team and they have a good win against Michigan. They can solidify their position with a win over Michigan State. There are 5 G5 teams in the Top 25, with UCF leading the pack at 5. South Florida falls to 17 after their lost to Houston leaving UCF in the driver seat for a New Year's Six Bowl.
This Week in College Football:
The biggest game this week is Oklahoma State facing off against rival Oklahoma. Both teams are tied on top of the Big 12 with Iowa State and TCU. Miami gets its first chance at a quality win when they face Virginia Tech and Clemson has a must win game against NC State in order to stay in the race for an ACC Championship.
