And, with a snap of our fingers, we’ve found ourselves in the back stretch of the season. This week marks the two-thirds mark of the season.
Most years, I’m sitting here thinking we’ve got some clarity at long last and know what’s going on. This isn’t most years. It may not have the wild upsets of 2007, but 2025 is shaping up to be an all-time college football season. History is being discarded like it doesn’t matter anymore. Things are heating up.
With that, let’s check in on the top of the sport. Who are the 25 best teams right now?
2025 Week 10 Top 25
Indiana (8-0) LW: 1
Yeah, Indiana just took a red hot UCLA behind the woodshed and showed them who’s boss. They’re contenders, just like we all expected.Ohio State (7-0) LW: 2
No change for the Buckeyes in an idle week. They get Penn State next week, which isn’t as exciting as you would’ve thought coming into the season.Texas A&M (8-0) LW:3
To me, the Aggies are neck-and-neck with the Buckeyes as the second-best teams behind Indiana. Texas A&M ended the Brian Kelly era in a second-half curb stomp at Death Valley like good teams should. 8-4 is no longer the answer. Mike Elko’s team has Natty on the mind.Alabama (7-1) LW: 4
It’s not the Alabama domination you expected under Nick Saban, but Kalen DeBoer has the Tide playing well. South Carolina gave them a road scare, but DeBoer finally (maybe) exorcised his unranked road demons, notching his first win in that situation since coming to Tuscaloosa. Plus, Ty Simpson is doing his best Michael Penix impression and succeeding.Georgia (6-1) LW: 5
An off week leaves Georgia at the fifth slot. The head-to-head win over Ole Miss is the tiebreaker here.Ole Miss (7-1) LW: 8
Lane Kiffin’s team can’t go much higher than this due to their loss to Georgia, but the Rebels are his most complete team so far. As always, the offense is outstanding and it looks like Trinidad Chambliss will hold onto the starting job. The defense, though, is playing really good. Princewill Umanmielen had a coming out against Oklahoma, establishing this defense as one to fear instead of look past.Georgia Tech (8-0) LW: 7
Beating down a solid Syracuse team keeps the Yellow Jackets from dropping after Ole Miss’s big win. Brent Key and offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner have created the nation’s most aggressive and physical offense this side of the service academies that is simply beating opponents into submission. If Haynes King can stay healthy, Georgia Tech has the juice to go all the way.
Oregon (7-1) LW: 6
An impressive Ole Miss win and an ugly, rain-drenched Oregon win over Wisconsin has the Ducks getting jumped. They’re still elite on both sides of the ball, posting a top-10 scoring offense and defense. And, though all eyes are on Dante Moore and the passing attack, Oregon’s been dangerous on the ground. Being balanced and able to win games many different ways keeps the Ducks title contenders.BYU (8-0) LW: 10
Are we sure Bear Bachmeier is a true freshman? Because he’s looking like a seasoned veteran. I’ve been praising the Cougars’ defense and rushing attack all season, but Bachmeier has really elevated his game under center. It helps when you have L.J. Martin taking the pressure off of you on the ground, but Bachmeier has beaten teams with his arm and legs.
Vanderbilt (7-1) LW: 11
While I can’t rejoice with the Vandy fan base like the AP Poll can, this is still huge - a top 10 Vanderbilt for the first time since 1947. Obviously, I’m not that old so it’s also Vandy’s first time in the SID Sports top 10. And they deserve it. With their engine - Diego Pavia - sputtering, the Commodore defense bullied Missouri and stole the game. It’s not just Pavia, though he has the Nashville area #2Turnt.Miami (6-1) LW: 12
You expect Miami to trounce Stanford and that’s just what the Hurricanes did. Credit to Mario Cristobal for getting his team right after a deflating loss to Louisville. Based on what we saw on Saturday, Miami is still a title contender and that Louisville mess may have just been one bad night.Notre Dame (5-2) LW: 9
The off week hurts the Irish, dropping them three spots. But the resume keeps getting better. USC is good. Texas A&M keeps improving. Miami is pointing up. Four points is all that separates Marcus Freeman’s Irish from potentially the number one spot. They’re good.Texas Tech (7-1) LW: 19
I have no idea what to make of the Big 12 race, but Texas Tech is back to looking legit. They blew out Oklahoma State 42-0, which is expected. There is quarterback concern, as backup Will Hammond is out for the season with a torn ACL. On the bright side, Behren Morton should be healthy again. At least the defense is good, right?USC (5-2) LW: 13
I’m higher on USC than most, simply because of how the offense is humming. Jayden Maiava and his two star receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane are lighting up the scoreboard. D’Anton Lynn’s defense is doing enough to give the offense some breathing room. They don’t have the best resume, but have done enough against lesser competition to justify this. At least, in my eyes.Cincinnati (7-1) LW: 20
I didn’t have a top 15 Cincinnati on my bingo card, yet here we are. The win over Baylor was equal parts dominating and concerning, as the Bearcats controlled most of the game, then let Baylor storm back, then put them to bed with 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. If you’re not watching Brendan Sorsby work, you’re missing out. Helps to have a defense ranking in the top 30 in scoring metrics, too.
Virginia (7-1) LW: 22
The Hoos really tried to give Bill Belichick his first Power Four win, only to snatch that away in overtime. They can’t keep getting away with this, can they? That’s three straight close wins, two of which came in overtime. Still, the Cardiac Cavs are playing solid, complimentary ball. How much of that is due to the ACC looking a little weaker is up for debate.Louisville (6-1) LW: 21
Speaking of those close wins, Louisville’s one loss is a victim of that. I don’t love them allowing 24 points to Boston College of all teams, but the Cardinals are playing well. Their rushing attack is the key and Isaac Brown had another great outing on Saturday with 205 yards on 14 carries. I’m worried about their ability to hang with more potent teams, but they handled Miami so what do I know?Tennessee (6-2) LW: Next Five Out
Where some other teams have struggled against Kentucky, Tennessee didn’t break a sweat. Well, on offense at least. Joey Aguilar can win or lose a game at any point, and it was all coming up positive for him on Saturday. The defense is suspect, allowing 34 points to a putrid Kentucky offense. Still, ranking third in passing offense and second in scoring offense can cover up those deficiencies.Houston (7-1) LW: NR
Willy Fritz is a miracle worker. He’s got the Cougars bowl eligible and in the thick of the Big 12 race after a shocking upset of the Jordyn Tyson-less Arizona State. That’s not a slight in any way, as Houston controlled the game the entire way. Conner Weigman isn’t just a remembering names guy, he’s balling out. The former five-star ranks 34th in the nation in QBR, has stayed healthy, and is taking care of the football. The defense isn’t the best, but can surprise teams. Will they hang on? Who knows, but this is starting to get the feel of Arizona State in the Big 12 last year.Missouri (6-2) LW: 15
Let’s get this out of the way: losing Beau Pribula to a season-ending injury and being down Sam Horn already isn’t a good recipe for success. But, freshman quarterback Matt Zollers wasn’t bad against Vandy and almost led the Tigers to a wild, last-second Hail Mary finish that came up just inches short. I don’t think Zollers will have the power to propel this team forward like Pribula did, but maybe Ahmad Hardy and a talented defense can make the freshman’s life easier.
Texas (6-2) LW: 17
Five spot drop after a win? Yeah, we’ll call this course correcting. That’s not to take away from the torrid comeback Texas took to an overtime win over Mississippi State, but I feel like I had the Longhorns pegged wrong. Yes, Arch Manning had his best game to date against Mississippi State, but they’re Mississippi State and he left the game in the fourth quarter with an injury. The defense finally let down the offense, but luckily, the offense was up to the task.Oklahoma (6-2) LW: 13
No, the loss to Ole Miss wasn’t that bad, but I’m not sure where Oklahoma goes. John Mateer looked like himself physically, but he completed just over half of his passes and didn’t get any results. The Sooner defense that I’ve been trusting hadn’t seen a top-70 defense until this past weekend. When they got a talented unit, they had no answers. There’s still time to get on the right track, but it feels like Oklahoma got exposed.Memphis (7-1) LW: UR
Now the American is heating up after Memphis’s narrow win over South Florida. Unlike previous years, it’s been a rushing outburst that carries the Tigers to glory instead of top-level passing. But, in a big spot, it was quarterback Brendan Lewis that delivered the goods for the Tigers. The defense is questionable, getting toasted at every step by Byrum Brown, but they got stops when they needed, scoring 17 unanswered in the fourth quarter to top the Bulls.Tulane (6-1) LW: Next Five Out
An off week got the Green Wave some good news as the conference race was blown open by Memphis’s upset over South Florida. I’m interested to see how Jon Sumrall has his team - and the offense behind Jake Retzlaff in particular - looking out of the break.Michigan (6-2) LW: 24
Yes, I jumped the Wolverines with an idle Tulane. Deal with it, they have a better resume. This feels like the right slot for a down and dirty Michigan team that’s going to try to win in the trenches and through the running game. That’s how they did it against Michigan State.
The coaching carousel stops for nobody. To stay up to date on each job opening, take a look at our Coaching Shortlists! And, keep an eye out for LSU’s shortlist coming tomorrow morning!
Next Five Out: Arizona State, South Florida, Navy, Utah, James Madison
Arizona State is as strange a team as any, dealing with a ton of injuries and playing inconsistent ball that ranges from middling to playoff-level. Health is a huge factor, but they have to stabilize. South Florida finally got beat by a quality offense, exposing a hole in their defense. But Byrum Brown is most certainly up to the task. Navy is still undefeated behind Blake Horvath and didn’t break a sweat against Florida Atlantic. Utah is falling into the James Franklin mold of decimating teams they should beat, like having Colorado in negative total yardage at halftime and not letting up, and getting trounced by quality foes. Who knows how that will turn out? Finally, James Madison was off last week and is in the driver’s seat in the Sun Belt. As Alonza Barnett gets healthier and healthier, the Dukes look better and better.
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