Week 10 looked set to deliver one of the season’s wildest weekends, with seven games featuring ranked teams facing ranked teams. But five favorites won, and rather than upending the sport, the results mostly gave several teams a chance to make their case.
That’s often how it goes: the biggest schedules don’t always produce the most drama, while an ordinary-looking weekend can turn out to be memorable.
Georgia made the loudest statement, routing Ole Miss 42-7 on the road and moving into the No. 1 spot. Both teams threw for 186 yards, but Georgia controlled the ground game and the line of scrimmage, finishing with 295 rushing yards to Ole Miss’ 66.
One of the more surprising developments was that AP voters got much of the poll right this week. The results were mostly predictable, and there weren’t many tough calls, which helped. Still, when a poll makes sense, it’s fair to give credit where it’s due.
Georgia has a loss, while Utah and UCLA remain unbeaten. But after watching the Bulldogs take apart Ole Miss, it’s difficult to make a convincing case that another team should be ranked No. 1.
There’s room to debate whether unbeaten Utah and UCLA should be ahead of one-loss Notre Dame. But voters were unlikely to place both of them above the Fighting Irish after Notre Dame beat Miami, which had been ranked No. 1 the previous week. Miami was without its top player, Malachi Toney, but that doesn’t erase the result.
Alabama at No. 7 and Tennessee at No. 9 isn’t a major issue with the College Football Playoff rankings still to come. Even so, Tennessee fans have reason to question why the Crimson Tide are ahead of them.
Both teams are 7-2, and Tennessee beat Alabama by 16 points earlier this season. The Volunteers also put together a 34-6 win over Kentucky, which had been ranked No. 8 at the time.
Alabama’s win at LSU, then ranked No. 15, was emphatic and shouldn’t be dismissed. But Tennessee has the head-to-head win and, on paper, the more impressive victory this week. Ranking the Volunteers behind Alabama is a tough call to explain.
Texas complicates things a little. The Longhorns beat Tennessee in Knoxville, which helps explain their higher spot in the poll. And with voters needing to place Texas somewhere, No. 8 may have been difficult to avoid.
There are plenty of résumés, hypothetical matchups and head-to-head results to sort through. It could go on for a while.
Last week, USC seemed to be getting more credit than it deserved after moving up to No. 18 following a win over Ohio State. The Buckeyes’ later loss to Oregon made that victory look less impressive.
USC had a bye in Week 10, yet climbed three places to No. 15. The Trojans’ win over Ohio State is their one notable victory, and the Buckeyes now have three losses. USC has also lost to Oregon and Wisconsin. That’s a hard résumé to square with a top-15 ranking.
We’ll get a clearer picture in Week 11, when USC travels to Bloomington to face No. 6 Indiana in a major matchup.
