October has been filled with chaos, chaos, and more chaos within the Top 10. So much shifting and changing, it doesn’t make sense. It should because this is a 12-team playoff era, and more teams have a purpose for once in college football. A loss usually lessens a program’s confidence. Not anymore, they have a perspective, they make adjustments and look at their schedule hoping the road to a playoff spot is still there for them. For some teams still remaining, they have plenty of optimism. As for others with two or more losses in the Power 4, their margin of error is slimmer and Alabama’s one of them. What’s worse is Vanderbilt entered the Top 25, making life more complicated in Tuscaloosa. If the Commodores somehow in some miraculous way upsets Texas at home too, Bama may be looking at a regular bowl in the postseason and upperclassmen and NFL prospects may forgo the bowl altogether. There’s one more week plus of October to go, so we could witness one more weekend of chaos football.

12) INDIANA

The Hoosiers might be for real. Coach Curt Cignetti’s team bludgeoned every team by two plus touchdowns in every game this season. The early schedule might be simple, but Indiana’s taking every advantage and could go 8-0 before next month. If you’re an avid college football fan and haven’t listened to Cig’s conversation with Pat McAfee, I strongly advise it. His comments speak volumes for his past and current success and made me convinced he’s a big-time coach.

11) BYU

They survived and conquered Oklahoma State in the last minute of the game. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff and LJ Martin are the strength of BYU’s backfield and are the reasons the team is 7-0. If they can defeat UCF on the road, this may setup for a great Holy War matchup with Utah next month.

10) BOISE STATE

BYE WEEK

9) TENNESSEE

Tennessee battled, played well defensively, and quarterback Nico Iamaleava and Dylan Sampson made clutch plays down the stretch. They were the better team and now are still alive for a potential SEC championship and/or college football playoff.

8) TEXAS A&M

The Aggies held off Mississippi State after a competitive game at Starkville. They excelled on third downs and kept the Bulldogs in check. However, Connor Weigman wasn’t efficient, and the team relied on the run game. They are on a six-game win streak, are bowl-eligible, and still hold position at the top of the SEC, surprisingly. They face LSU to see who holds the top spot in the SEC.

7) MIAMI

Miami was in a scoring match with Louisville from start to finish. Offense is capable of competing with nearly any team in the country, but their defense is still an issue. They found a way to win again, but can they continue outplaying opponents in the last five weeks of the season?

6) CLEMSON

Clemson gave Virginia little to no opportunity to keep up with them. The Tigers are on a hot streak right now, and the playoff conversation must be revisited. They played their toughest game in Week 1 and have no team holding them back unless it’s Pittsburgh or South Carolina.

5) TEXAS

Texas was flat for most of the game. However, defense did the best they could to give Quinn Ewers and the offense every opportunity to come back. Swapping Ewers out for Arch Manning made no sense because neither quarterback helped the offense score more than a season-low 15 points against Georgia’s re-stingified defense. Texas must bounce back as they travel to Nashville to face the Vanderbilt Pavias.

4) OHIO STATE

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3) PENN STATE

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2) GEORGIA

Georgia’s still Georgia. Question me all you want, but they were the better team at kickoff. Unfortunately, Carson Beck’s three turnovers gave Texas opportunities to stay in the game. Despite losing two defenders to targeting, defense still played their best football and allowed 15 points. Georgia can take a break, eat some steak, and prep for Florida in two weeks.

1) OREGON

Oregon dismantled Purdue on the road. Dillon Gabriel and the team laid down the hammer on their Big Ten foe and showed they’re formidable in their new conference. They are the new #1 team in the nation, and their next game is against a stingy, gritty Illinois team in the last week of October.

HONORABLE MENTION

GEORGIA SOUTHERN

Holding firm at the West Sun Belt division are the Eagles at 5-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference. Quarterback JC French is the bright spot, and their defense will play a big factor in their run too. They still have a tought schedule ahead, but the QB and defense will be crucial in their run for the Sun Belt championship.

THE VANDERBILT PAVIAS IN THE TOP 25

After escaping Ball State, the Commodores appear in the Top 25 for the first time since 2013. Their next game is the Texas Longhorns! If Vandy somehow defeats them, put up a Diego Pavia statue and supplant him forever as the Vanderbilt QB. New Mexico State must do the same for their school regardless.

MOST DISAPPOINTED

RUTGERS

It’s not too disappointing, but they dropped three straight, and their schedule becomes difficult as they get deep into the season. They scored 14 total points in their first two losses before coming up short after finally scoring 30-plus against UCLA in their third loss. Rutgers might just be the same ol’ Rutgers again.

ALABAMA

Tough times hit the post-Saban era. Alabama hasn’t been consistent since the second half against Georgia. They lost to the state of Tennessee in one season (Vanderbilt and Tennessee) for the first time since 1984. They’re now 0-2 on the road in SEC play while suffering from penalties, inconsistencies, turnovers, and lack of discipline. This is a low-key mess that not many are paying attention too. Can the Tide still roll into the postseason???

USC

I have a personal issue with Lincoln Riley, but I’m gonna stay unbiased. USC did a choke job against Maryland with a missed field goal that led to Maryland’s late comeback win. The back of Riley’s head must be cooking a bit because fans are really upset over his coaching. Welcome to the Big Ten after bypassing the SEC (Ok, maybe I’m not be unbiased…).