Top 25 Teams October Expectations

September was a very good month for college football. There were plenty of upsets and shifts in the Top 25 and a few new teams are prospering very well in their new conferences. Can you believe that the Big 12 has the Top 5 teams that are not the usuals, including BYU and Colorado dominating as the Rockies’ best up there? If you aren’t aware, Curt Cignetti’s Indiana’s at the top of the Big Ten for now. And then there’s the Mountain West. UNLV and Boise State are representing very well…which leaves a disgusting taste in my mouth as a Nevada alumnus. Anyway, October is the month of scary stuff…because of upsets. There’s plenty to come out of the shadows and make life miserable for ranked teams. Luckily, the 12-team playoff gives some Power 4 teams a mulligan for one loss, but they must beware who they face when being in that situation. Here are the Top 25 expectations as they fend off any nightmares creeping up on them.

T-25) UNLV

As much as I dislike UNLV, I can only be impressed by what the dumb Rebels have done, especially after moving on from Matt Sluka. The team does have a quarterback room, thanks to their head coach for stocking them from the portal for any situation. Their run could continue, but they must push past Syracuse, Utah State, and Oregon State before a likely Top of the Mountain West showdown takes place in Vegas against Boise State.

T-25) TEXAS A&M

A&M survives and holds firm with two SEC wins. They host rival Mizzou for a potential home upset before a bye. Then they travel to Mississippi State before hosting LSU at the end of October.

24) ILLINOIS

The Illini will go as far as quarterback Luke Altmyer will take them. However, losing to Penn State makes their Big Ten title road a little tougher. They have a bye, but their October schedule isn’t pretty. Outside of Purdue, they host Michigan and travel to Oregon.

23) INDIANA

Coach Curt Cignetti might be on to something. He wasn’t lying when he said he wins everywhere he goes. He’s a winner so far. One more gets Indiana a bowl. Any of the next three games will net the Hoosiers a bowl and maybe more (at Northwestern, Nebraska, Washington).

22) LOUISVILLE

They failed to defeat Notre Dame and things get more complicated in October. Maybe they handle SMU at the beginning and Boston College at the end, but a road game at Virginia and home game at Miami isn’t guaranteed. They either end at the top or in the middle of the conference.

21) BOISE STATE

The Broncos roll into October with nothing to lose. They have Utah State and travel to Hawai’i. But they should look forward to UNLV at Vegas. That team holds the top spot in the Group of Five for the 12-team playoff. A win could jettison Boise to the top for the remainder of the season.

20) KANSAS STATE

The road through October in the new Big 12 is more treacherous than expected. They face Colorado and West Virginia in back-to-back hostile environments before closing out the month in the Sunflower Showdown against Kansas.

19) OKLAHOMA

I was losing hope due to the lack of offensive consistency. But Sooner Magic arrived again, and the OU defense saves us again. They have a bye to figure out the offense before a Red River Rivalry matchup against Texas. They also host a reunion for former O.C. Shane Beamer and South Carolina and travel to the Grove against Ole Miss. How far will OU go before hitting another SEC wall?

18) UTAH

Utah could’ve joined BYU as an undefeated Big 12 team in the state of Utah, but they failed. They have a bye to hopefully get Cam Rising back in time for a big bounce back. They travel to Arizona State, host TCU, and travel to Houston. There could be tricks more than treats somewhere, which is why Cam Rising must return to the field asap!

17) BYU

Meanwhile down the freeway of Utah, BYU is 5-0 for the first time since 2021. Holy crap, the Cougars are back! Being one of the top teams in the Big 12, they have obstacles ahead before the Utes in November. There’s Arizona and Ok State in back-to-back home games before they travel to UCF. Be careful of that trap.

16) IOWA STATE

Iowa State enters the Top 25 as an unknown. If anything, they’re the last Top 25 team to be mentioned. They could make some noise out of nowhere against Baylor and UCF at home, and at West Virginia. Things must align properly for the Cyclones to be serious Big 12 title contenders.

15) CLEMSON

The Tigers are right back in it after getting clobbered by Georgia in Week 1. Their road to the ACC title game became exceptionally easier. They travel back-to-back to Florida State and Wake before hosting Virginia. This is the Tigers huge opportunity to control the ACC again.

14) NOTRE DAME

Notre Dame shouldn’t overlook their three opponents in October: Stanford, Georgia Tech, and Navy. They all could put the Irish on upset alert, especially the last two that faces them in neutral sites. The Irish better not fall for any of their tricks.

13) LSU

LSU enjoys their bye before welcoming in Ole Miss for either a shootout or defensive battle. Then, they travel back-to-back against southwest rivals in Arkansas and Texas A&M. LSU’s just hanging around the Top 25, but we’ll find out if they’re legit playoff contenders.

12) OLE MISS

The Rebels suffered a loss to Kentucky that gave Georgia a hard time. Not a good sign when they have South Carolina and LSU in back-to-back road games while hosting Oklahoma, who has a nasty defense too.

11) USC

The Trojans bounce back and advance to October with plenty of opportunity. Road games at Minnesota and Maryland may test the Trojans’ endurance in the Big Ten environment, but they host a huge matchup against Penn State and then Rutgers at the end of the month. Can the Trojans fight on???

10) MICHIGAN

The Wolverines walk into October with some tricky and upset alert matchups. We’re talking back-to-back road games against Washington in a National Championship rematch and a pesky Illinois squad. They host Michigan State, and they could be an issue since it’s a rivalry game.

9) MISSOURI

Missouri looked off against two Power 4 schools. This is October now. This month is where upsets will happen so they can’t slump against Texas A&M or Auburn. Otherwise, Bama will smell it like blood in the water. Those “Tide Sharks” will come.

8) MIAMI (FL)

Miami escapes Va Tech, only to run into a grinder in October. Cal is no slouch at home (and I will be there in person for it, baby!). Louisville loves to end teams’ big runs with their defense and Florida State could find some motivation to upset their rivals.

7) PENN STATE

They face back-to-back Southern California opponents, but USC’s the main focus in the second week. After their bye, they head back on the road to Wisconsin. This is where we find out how good Penn State is.

6) OREGON

The Ducks escaped the state of Idaho, put down their former Pac-12 rival, and made work of their former/new Big Ten counterpart. Now, they step into October with an actual Big Ten test. Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue, and Illinois. Luckily, Oregon’s at home for those three, especially against Michigan State, Ohio State, and Illinois. Luckiest break ever maybe, but we’ll see how they fare.

5) GEORGIA

Georgia was nearly out, but they fought to nearly complete a historic comeback. That’s saying something and they have time to recuperate for the next two weeks at home (Auburn and Mississippi State). Then, they travel to another hostile environment in Austin, Texas. Good luck over there.

4) TENNESSEE

The Vols have a tricky game against a seemingly uprising Arkansas squad. Then, they shouldn’t run into any issues against Florida before being mightily tested at home against Bama. They need their home crowd’s assistance against the Tide rolling right in.

3) OHIO STATE

Is it just me or has the Buckeyes cakewalked their September schedule? Well, cakewalk no more! They’re up against a defensive-filled and special teams-filled Iowa before facing their Big Ten newcomer in Oregon at Eugune. After their bye, they await the arrival of freshmen Dylan Raiola and Nebraska. Wake up Ohio State. It’s time to play!

2) TEXAS

Texas handled everything properly with Arch Manning. Now, Quinn Ewers returns to the helm in time for the Red River Rivalry. However, him and Texas have no breaks because they follow up with a second SEC gauntlet matchup against Georgia before ending October against Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt. Texas could be right alongside Alabama if they succeed this month.

1) ALABAMA

Bama ran quick and held on to win potentially one of the best games in college football’s history. Their road gets easier for the next two weeks at Vanderbilt (watch out for Diego Pavia) and South Carolina. Then, the road gets rough against Missouri and at Tennessee. Hopefully, they hold the top spot strong in October.