Coming out of the latest Saturday of action, let’s take a look at the updated ESPN top 25 college football rankings as we look ahead to the Week 10 games.
We didn’t see quite as much chaos as we have the last few weeks across college football, as most of the higher-ranked teams either won their games or were off this past weekend, but there were still plenty of statement games as the contenders start to separate themselves from the pretenders.
How is this poll made? Football Power Index (FPI) college football rankings and computer prediction model are a measure of team strength that predicts a team’s future performance.
Rankings and scores predictions are based on 20,000 simulations of a team’s season and games, using a combination of key analytics, including scores to date, quality of opponents, team talent, recruiting, and a team’s schedule.
Teams are slotted not in order of talent like in other rankings, but by a projected point margin per game against an average team on a neutral field.
Where do things stand in the ESPN top 25 college football rankings this week?
25. Georgia Tech
Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Up 1
Win prediction: 10.9 games
Haynes King had over 300 yards passing and five all-purpose touchdowns as the Jackets ran for 239 yards to smash Syracuse, moving to 8-0 on the season, their most wins since 2016 and improved to 5-0 in ACC competition for the first time ever.
24. Auburn
Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Down 1
Win prediction: 6.3 games
Hugh Freeze looked fired in the third quarter, but a quarterback swap and a 17-point fourth quarter instead found Auburn a winner on the road against Arkansas. ESPN’s computer rankings still like the Tigers based on its unique scoring margin metric to compare teams, but this is definitely the only place you’ll see Auburn ranked.
23. Washington
Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Down 1
Win prediction: 8.7 games
Demond Williams was incredible, passing for 280 yards with 4 passing touchdowns and Jonah Coleman ran for a fifth score as the Huskies laid one on ranked Illinois in a 42-25 victory at home, knocking the Illini to a sub-.500 record in Big Ten play and looking good as it makes a run for the season finale against Oregon in a month.
22. LSU
SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Rankings change: Down 2
Win prediction: 7.1 games
Taking advantage of some Aggie mistakes early on, LSU was able to build a tentative one-point lead in the first half, but completely lost the plot in the second in an ugly loss at home against Texas A&M, falling to 2-3 in SEC competition and sending the Brian Kelly tenure spiraling out of control.
21. Penn State
Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
Rankings change: None
Win prediction: 5.6 games
Once again, the ESPN computer predictors insist on keeping the lousy Nittany Lions in their rankings despite their awful 3-4 record, being idle this past week, and with other teams winning by good margins that would meet their qualification for the poll. Just one of many curious decisions by this model when stacking teams in 2025.
20. Iowa
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Up 4
Win prediction: 8.0 games
Mark Gronowski had a TD pass and a TD run while the Hawkeyes’ defense turned two turnovers into touchdowns and added another on special teams to smash Minnesota by a 41-3 count at home. They improve to 4-1 in Big Ten play heading into a massive test at home against Oregon in two weeks.
19. Missouri
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Down 2
Win prediction: 8.3 games
They played a gritty and close game against Vandy on the road, but were unable to make a full comeback after losing quarterback Beau Pribula to an injury that required him to be carted off the field and put in a wheelchair, dropping to 2-2 in SEC play this season.
18. Oklahoma
BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Rankings change: Down 4
Win prediction: 7.9 games
The Sooners’ superb defense held on as long as it could, but ultimately didn’t have enough answers for a dynamic Ole Miss offense, while John Mateer played one of his worst career games in OU’s second loss of the season, falling to 2-2 in SEC play and facing one of college football’s toughest remaining schedule, playing four-straight ranked teams to close out.
17. Vanderbilt
Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Rankings change: Up 1
Win prediction: 9.2 games
It wasn’t pretty, but the one-loss Commodores took down Missouri by a touchdown, and can likely afford just one more loss in order to stay in the picture for the SEC title game and playoff consideration, a remarkable statement for this program. Vandy plays at Texas, against Auburn, against Kentucky, and finishes at Tennessee.
16. BYU
Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Up 3
Win prediction: 11.0 games
Down by a 24-10 count in the second quarter at Iowa State, the Cougars responded with authority, outscoring their Big 12 counterpart 31-3 from then on to preserve their undefeated record and lofty position atop the conference standings in a key road test, and now await a massive game against league fave Texas Tech in two weeks’ time.
15. Michigan
Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Up 1
Win prediction: 8.8 games
The return of Justice Haynes predictably paid off for the Wolverines, as the lead back smashed through for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns in a double-digit win against rival Michigan State heading into three very winnable games before the rematch against undefeated Ohio State in the finale. Michigan is 4-1 in Big Ten play and making strides.
14. Texas Tech
Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Down 2
Win prediction: 10.3 games
The favorites in the Big 12 expectedly smashed Oklahoma State, with two quarterbacks throwing touchdowns while the Red Raiders’ defense scored itself twice in a 42-0 rout heading into a road date at Kansas State followed by a huge matchup against currently undefeated BYU.
13. Tennessee
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Rankings change: None
Win prediction: 8.9 games
Joey Aguilar led an offensive blitzkrieg that eclipsed 500 total yards and stacked up 56 points against rival Kentucky, improving to 6-2 with basically no margin for error going forward with dates against Oklahoma and Vandy and at Florida.
12. Ole Miss
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Down 1
Win prediction: 10.4 games
Trinidad Chambliss had over 300 yards and a touchdown passing while Kewan Lacy ran for 2 additional scores in a hard-fought victory at Oklahoma to recover from the loss at Georgia the week before, improve to 4-1 in SEC competition and carve out a place for themselves in the playoff race at 7-1 overall and not expected to play another ranked team.
11. Utah
Rob Gray-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Up 4
Win prediction: 9.2 games
ESPN’s computer creates these rankings in large part based on scoring margins, and they’re throwing a lot of love towards Utah, winning its last three games by an average of 37 points, most recently a 53-7 demolition of hapless Colorado to stay in the better half of a very competitive Big 12 title picture entering November.
10. Miami
Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Down 1
Win prediction: 10.4 games
After allowing Stanford to score the first touchdown, the Hurricanes responded by scoring 42 unanswered points to improve to 6-1 overall with a 2-1 mark in ACC play as Mark Fletcher had a career-high 3 touchdowns. A trip to SMU is next.
9. USC
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Down 1
Win prediction: 8.6 games
Idle this past weekend, the Trojans arguably should have stayed in the AP rankings last week despite the loss to Notre Dame. For now, they’re 5-2 overall with a 3-1 mark in Big Ten play and heading into a road date against Nebraska with a trip to Oregon a couple weeks after that, but still projected to win 9 games in 2025.
8. Texas A&M
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Up 2
Win prediction: 11.0 games
A statement win for the ages for an Aggies team playing its best football in a generation, coming off an explosive rout on the road against reeling LSU, and sitting at 8-0 for the first time since 1992. After trailing by 1 in the first half, Texas A&M scored 35 unanswered points to pull away and cleared out Death Valley before the fourth quarter. Now they control their destiny in the SEC championship picture.
7. Texas
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Rankings change: None
Win prediction: 8.6 games
For a while there, it looked like the Longhorns were about to get cooked on the road by a Mississippi State team that was winless in the SEC, but a 24-point fourth quarter rally forced overtime and a game-clinching TD sealed the deal to avoid the upset. Albeit at a cost, as quarterback Arch Manning left the game with an injury. Texas is still high-placed in these rankings despite their two losses.
6. Georgia
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Rankings change: None
Win prediction: 10.1 games
Idle on Saturday, the reigning SEC champs are riding high after knocking off an Ole Miss team last week that just beat Oklahoma this week, and getting solid play from its offense at 6-1 and heading into a very winnable stretch to finish the regular season that begins with a rivalry matchup against Florida.
5. Notre Dame
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Rankings change: None
Win prediction: 9.6 games
Off this past weekend, the Fighting Irish are on a five-game winning streak since that 0-2 start, and have averaged 42 points in those wins, most recently against ranked USC to stay firmly entrenched in the College Football Playoff picture.
4. Alabama
Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Down 1
Win prediction: 10.9 games
Kalen DeBoer appeared on the verge of another loss against an unranked team, but a late scoring drive and then a fumble recovery converted into a touchdown kept the Crimson Tide from avoiding the upset on the road against South Carolina, giving Bama a seventh-straight win and a picture-perfect 5-0 mark in SEC play.
3. Oregon
Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Rankings change: Down 1
Win prediction: 10.2 games
A lackluster offensive showing for the Ducks at home, but Jordan Davison ran for over 100 yards and scored twice to overcome a sluggish start and hand Wisconsin its sixth-straight loss.
2. Indiana
Robert Goddin-Imagn Images
Rankings change: Up 2
Win prediction: 12.0 games
Another pounding served up by the Hoosiers, as Fernando Mendoza had 4 total touchdowns and Roman Hemby ran for 2 more in a 50-point rout against UCLA, which had been on a three-game win streak coming in, and IU is still undefeated and seemingly en route to the Big Ten title game.
1. Ohio State
Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Rankings change: None
Win prediction: 12.1 games
College football’s reigning national champion was off this past weekend, but preserves its No. 1 ranking in most polls, leading FBS in beating teams by 30.3 points per game in their last three appearances and shouldn’t play a ranked team until likely the finale, provided Michigan can stay ranked.
More: AP top 25 teams moving up, down in Week 10 rankings
