The final Saturday of September was one to remember. Along with the final days of the MLB regular season and the Ryder Cup, college football had a loaded schedule. Teams that dropped out include Mississippi State, USC and TCU.
Ohio State (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) remains No. 1 after a 24-6 win over Washington. The Buckeyes head back home to host Minnesota (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on NBC and streaming on Peacock.
Oregon (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) shot up to No. 2 after a gigantic double-overtime win at Penn State. The Ducks will take a week off before playing No. 10 Indiana (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) on Oct. 11 at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
Miami (Fla.) (4-0) held on to its No. 3 spot after having the week off before opening ACC play against No. 9 Florida State (3-0) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
Ole Miss (5-0, 3-0 SEC) moves up to No. 4 as the highest-ranked SEC team. Trinidad Chambliss’ 385 scrimmage yards helped the Rebels upset LSU, 24-19. They will take a week off before hosting Washington State (3-2) on Oct. 11 at 12:45 p.m. on SEC Network.
Texas A&M (4-0, 1-0 SEC) slides up to No. 5 following a 16-10 win over Auburn, thanks to the Aggies’ defense. Next on the agenda will be Mississippi State (4-1, 0-1 SEC) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network.
Texas (3-1) is now No. 6 despite being idle this past week. The Longhorns open SEC play at Florida (1-3, 0-1 SEC) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.
Oklahoma (4-0, 1-0 SEC), like Texas, was idle but moved up one spot and is now ranked No. 7 in my list. The Sooners are back in action against Kent State (1-3, 0-1 MAC) on Saturday at 4 p.m. on SEC Network.
Penn State (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) dropped to No. 8 after a heartbreaking Big Ten-opening loss to Oregon in front of 111,015 fans wearing white. The Nittany Lions look to redeem themselves at UCLA (0-4, 0-1 Big Ten) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC) soared to No. 9 after a huge SEC-opening win at Georgia on Saturday night. The Crimson Tide never trailed against the Bulldogs. College GameDay is coming to Tuscaloosa for Alabama’s battle against No. 22 Vanderbilt (5-0, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
Indiana (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) rounds out the top 10 after a huge 20-15 win at Iowa on Saturday. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza has put himself in contention for Big Ten Player of the Year. The Hoosiers are on bye this week and will face No. 2 Oregon (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) on Oct. 11 at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC) dropped to No. 11 after a home loss to Alabama, where they never took the lead. The Bulldogs look for redemption at home against Kentucky (2-2, 0-2 SEC) on Saturday at noon on ABC.
Iowa State (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) stayed at No. 12 after dominating Arizona, 39-14. The Cyclones visit Cincinnati (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) on Saturday at noon on ESPN2.
Texas Tech (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) dropped to No. 13 after having the week off. They visit Houston (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) on Saturday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
LSU (4-1, 1-1 SEC) fell to No. 14 following a Magnolia Bowl loss to Ole Miss, 24-19. The Tigers will take the week off before hosting South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC) on Oct. 11 at 7/7:30/7:45 p.m. on either ESPN/ABC/SEC Network.
Michigan (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) is now No. 15 coming off a bye week. The Wolverines host Wisconsin (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) on Saturday at noon on FOX.
Illinois (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) improved to No. 16 after a thrilling 34-32 win over USC on Saturday. The Fighting Illini visit Purdue (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten) on Saturday at noon on Big Ten Network.
Tennessee (4-1, 1-1 SEC) slid up to No. 17 after rallying to beat Mississippi State in overtime, 41-34. The Volunteers will take the week off to prepare for Arkansas (2-3, 0-1 SEC) on Oct. 11 at 4:15 p.m. on SEC Network.
Georgia Tech (5-0, 2-0 ACC) became the second-best ACC team at No. 18 following a 30-29 overtime win over Wake Forest. The Yellow Jackets host Virginia Tech (2-3, 1-0 ACC) on Oct. 11 at 3:30 p.m. on ACC Network.
Florida State (3-1, 0-1 ACC) plummeted to No. 19 following a 36-38 double-overtime loss at Virginia on Friday night. The Seminoles host No. 3 Miami (Fla.) (4-0) on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ABC.
BYU (4-0, 1-0 Big 12) re-enters the ranking at No. 20 following a 24-21 win at Colorado. The Cougars host West Virginia (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) on Friday at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN.
South Florida (3-1) remains at No. 21 after having the week off. The Bulls open conference play with Charlotte (1-3, 0-1 American) on Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
Vanderbilt (4-0, 1-0 SEC) remains at No. 22 after blowing Utah State out, 55-35. The Commodores visit No. 9 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
Missouri (5-0, 1-0 SEC) is now No. 23 after a 42-6 easy win over UMass. They have the week off before hosting No. 9 Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC) on Oct. 11 at noon on ABC.
Arizona State (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) re-enters the ranking at No. 24 following a 27-24 upset win over TCU on Friday night. The Sun Devils visit Utah (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) on Oct. 11 at 10:15 p.m. on ESPN.
Virginia (4-1, 2-0 ACC) makes its debut in my ranking at No. 25 following a thrilling double-overtime win over Florida State. The Cavaliers visit Louisville (4-0, 1-0 ACC) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.