Another great week of college football leads to some shuffling in the backend of the top ten.
1. Georgia Bulldogs (5-0) | Last week: 1
Breathe easy, Georgia fans. The Dawgs dealt with multiple double-digit deficits at Missouri, but Stetson Bennett’s confidence shined late in the game, as he and the run game calmly put up 14 points in the 26-22 victory. Georgia outgained Missouri 481-294, but look for the defense to be determined for more of a total shutdown effort when they host Auburn this week.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0) | Last week: 2
Alabama gave up 23 unanswered points to Arkansas to make it a 26-23 ballgame that appeared in serious jeopardy with Heisman quarterback Bryce Young (shoulder) out of the game, but the Crimson Tide ran away—sparked by an 80-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jalen Milroe to get the momentum back for the Tide—in the fourth quarter. Now we have to hope Young is OK with the shoulder, and thankfully it’s not a serious injury as it easily could have been when he went down awkwardly.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0) | Last week: 3
Miyan Williams ran for 189 yards and tied a school record with five rushing touchdowns in Ohio State’s 49-10 rout of Rutgers. What got most of the headlines was the fake punt by the Buckeyes with a massive lead, which led to a verbal confrontation between head coach Ryan Day and Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano, but the former colleagues appear to be OK now.
Things are getting heated in Columbus 👀 pic.twitter.com/1ogLILcOKX
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 1, 2022
Ryan Day 🤝 Greg Schiano pic.twitter.com/K0RCWtND23
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 1, 2022
4. Michigan Wolverines (5-0) | Last week: 4
Considering Iowa’s playing style, last Saturday was a solid road victory for Michigan. The Wolverines limited the Hawkeyes to 35 rushing yards while Blake Corum starred again on offense with 29 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown. Jim Harbaugh should have his guys ready to go this week at Indiana to avoid it becoming a trap game with Penn State on deck.
5. Clemson Tigers (5-0) | Last week: 5
As Kirk Herbstreit noted on the broadcast, Clemson typically brings out the quarterback run in the biggest games. D.J. Uiagalelei did not disappoint, rushing 14 times for 73 yards and two touchdowns while taking care of the football and making plays as a passer too. And the Tigers defense bounced back from their showing versus Wake Forest, making things difficult on excellent NC State quarterback Devin Leary in the primetime home win.
6. Penn State Nittany Lions (5-0) | Last week: 6
The dynamic duo of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen each had 21 carries to help pace Penn State in an ugly grind-it-out type of win over Northwestern, 17-7. The Nittany Lions dominated the time of possession (37:28) despite five turnovers while improving to 5-0.
7. Oklahoma State (4-0) | Last week: NR
Oklahoma State got a little bit of redemption from the classic Big 12 Championship Game last year, beating Baylor on the road. The Cowboys defense was able to record a couple of sacks and a couple of interceptions, and the special teams chipped in with a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown by Jaden Nixon to begin the second half.
8. Tennessee Volunteers (4-0) | Last week: 7 (-1)
Tennessee had a bye last week, and it came ahead of two ranked matchups at No. 25 LSU and against No. 1 Alabama.
9. USC Trojans (5-0) | Last week: 9
Caleb Williams threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns, also adding a touchdown as a runner, in the Trojans’ 42-25 win against a reeling Arizona State program. The USC offense has scored 41+ points in four of its first five games this season.
10. Ole Miss Rebels (5-0) | Last week: NR
Ole Miss jumped to an early 14-0 lead and had success running the ball against Kentucky, eventually closing out the victory with a clutch strip sack from Jared Ivey on first-and-goal for Kentucky down three with under a minute remaining. The Rebels now must avoid a letdown at Vanderbilt.