Welcome to the madness.
That is the only place to begin our latest CFB Power Rankings. A sport that is accustomed to chaos has not experienced too many Saturdays like the one we were just served.
Two top-five teams lost, headlined by the shocking stumble by Alabama. Scoreboards were broken in the Big 12 and the SEC. There was drama, there were upsets, and a largely unpredictable season delivered its most stunning chapter yet.
As we enter the heart of conference play, the only constant appears to be change. And as we enter Week 7 (somehow), we have massive shakeups all over the place.
Here is the updated top 50, which is becoming more difficult to do every week.
College Football Power Rankings: CFB Week 7
50. Kent State (Last Week Unranked)
Although Kent State is 3-3, you have to look at the record to fully understand what that means. The Golden Flashes lost at Texas A&M, at Iowa, and at Maryland. Lookout in the MAC.
49. Utah (Last Week Unranked)
48. Air Force (Last Week No. 50, Up 2)
Sportsbook Play of the Day
Use rising and falling teams in our Week 7 CFB Power Rankings to place futures bets. Unibet is one of our favorite sportsbooks for .
Read Juan Carlos Blanco’s Unibet sportsbook review for more tips and insight, and get your welcome bonus below.
47. Army (Last Week Unranked)
46. TCU (Last Week Unranked)
45. LSU (Last Week No. 35, Down 10)
The last two weeks have not been kind to the Tigers, and it’s looking increasingly likely that Ed Orgeron will be fired. Up next? Florida, Ole Miss, Alabama, and Arkansas. Yuck.
44. Tennessee (Last Week Unranked)
43. Kansas State (Last Week No. 45, Up 2)
42. Fresno State (Last Week No. 43, Up 1)
41. Virginia (Last Week No. 48, Up 7)
40. Nevada (Last Week No. 41, Up 1)
The Wolfpack are a sneaky 4-1, with the one loss coming to Kansas State (Nevada was actually favored in that game). A fascinating stretch of games with Hawaii and Fresno State coming up.
39. Maryland (Last Week No. 29, Down 10)
38. Houston (Last Week No. 47, Up 9)
37. Boston College (Last Week No. 39, Up 2)
36. App State (Last Week No. 40, Up 3)
35. Iowa State (Last Week No. 36, Up 1)
Amid the madness elsewhere in the Big 12, Iowa State is trying to work its back up. The good news? Losses to Iowa and Baylor have aged incredibly well. And it looks like running back Breece Hall is getting it going.
34. Oregon State (Last Week No. 30, Down 4)
33. Virginia Tech (Last Week No. 26, Down 7)
32. Pittsburgh (Last Week No. 37, Up 5)
31. UCLA (Last Week No. 31, Unchanged)
30. Liberty (Last Week No. 33, Up 3)
Although he threw three interceptions last week, QB Malik Willis also had some dazzling moments. With one loss, Liberty could still climb back into the Top 25. The schedule is easy until the Flames head to Ole Miss in November.
29. Clemson (Last Week No. 25, Down 4)
28. Texas A&M (Last Week No. 38, Up 10)
27. Auburn (Last Week No. 20, Down 7)
26. Texas (Last Week No. 22, Down 4)
After taking down No. 1 Alabama this past weekend, the Texas A&M Aggies jump up 10 spots in our CFB Week 7 Power Rankings. (Image: USA TODAY Sports)
25. BYU (Last Week No. 12, Down 13)
I thought BYU had a chance to finish the regular season unbeaten with some favorable remaining games. The loss to Boise State derailed that in a hurry. The Cougars travel to Baylor next week, which won’t be easy.
24. North Carolina State (Last Week No. 28, Up 4)
NC State is quietly 4-1, with the lone defeat coming at Mississippi State. Next weekend’s game against Boston College, as weird as this is to type, is actually a huge game for the ACC.
23. Baylor (Last Week No. 32, Up 9)
I bet West Virginia against Baylor last week, and what a terrible idea that turned out to be. The Bears have a huge stretch coming up, starting with a game against BYU. After that, the Bears play Texas, TCU, and Oklahoma.
22. UTSA (Last Week No. 27, Up 5)
Meep meep. The Roadrunners conquered Western Kentucky 52-46 to stay unbeaten, and quarterback Frank Harris threw six touchdowns in a wild game. Playing at Louisiana Tech in a few weeks will be a fascinating test.
21. San Diego State (Last Week No. 23, Up 2)
From one sneaky unbeaten to another, San Diego State has wins over two Pac-12 teams. The Aztecs now play consecutive games on the road against San Jose State and Air Force. The Brady Hoke revival continues.
20. SMU (Last Week No. 24, Up 4)
The unbeaten theme trudges forward with SMU. The Mustangs are No. 10 in scoring offense, and I expect that theme to continue. On that topic, the October 30 game against Houston could be a barnburner.
19. Arkansas (Last Week No. 11, Down 8)
Yes, the Hogs have lost two straight. But those two losses came against two teams ranked in the top 10 of my rankings (spoiler alert). I love that Sam Pittman tried to beat Ole Miss with a two-point conversion last week, even though it didn’t work. Still a really good team.
18. Florida (Last Week No. 16, Down 2)
The Gators absolutely demolished Vanderbilt, which really shouldn’t come as a surprise. The next two games, however, will likely change this ranking one way or another. Florida plays at LSU and then against Georgia. Huge games for all parties.
17. Arizona State (Last Week No. 21, Up 4)
The more I watch this team, the more I like them. And if Jayden Daniels is healthy, ASU can compete with anyone in the Pac-12. With Utah playing better, next week’s game is suddenly one to keep an eye on.
16. Wake Forest (Last Week No. 18, Up 2)
The Demon Deacons are 6-0 for the first time since 1944, although it didn’t come easy against Syracuse. Wake Forest has a bye before playing Army and Duke. At this point, anything but 8-0 would be a surprise.
15. Oklahoma State (Last Week No. 17, Up 2)
The Pokes enjoyed a bye, although this escalates in a hurry. OK State, still unbeaten, heads to Texas in Week 7 and Iowa State in Week 8. If this team is still unbeaten come Week 9, it’ll probably be top 10 bound.
14. Michigan State (Last Week No. 19, Up 5)
Kenneth Walker once again showed how gifted he is against Rutgers last weekend, and Michigan State ran right by the Scarlet Knights. I actually thought that would be a tricky spot, although Sparty delivered. Indiana next weekend could be another landmine.
13. Coastal Carolina (Last Week No. 15, Up 2)
Up next, Coastal Carolina travels to App State for one of its biggest games of the year. Also, for everyone who loves midweek football, this game will be played on a Wednesday. The Wednesday games don’t get much better than that.
12. Notre Dame (Last Week No. 13, Up 1)
It’s been a weird year, but beating Virginia Tech on the road is a really nice win for Notre Dame. I’m not sure how good Brian Kelly’s team is just yet, but it certainly knows how to rally. Although it’s been an eventful year, the Irish still have four home games and should be favored every week.
11. Oregon (Last Week No. 7, Down 4)
The loss of running back CJ Verdell for the year is an enormous blow for a team that has been crushed by injuries. The Ducks get Cal before playing UCLA in the Chip Kelly Bowl. While the win over Ohio State is aging well, Oregon is not without its issues.
10. Ole Miss (Last Week No. 14, Up 4)
National Championship Odds: (+10000) at DraftKings
What a win. And a week after promising popcorn, Lane Kiffin delivered against Arkansas. While the Rebels bounced back after losing to Alabama, we saw that the Ole Miss defense still has a ways to go. That said, this team is dangerous.
If you like points, be sure to watch Tennessee-Ole Miss next Saturday.
9. Kentucky (Last Week No. 10, Up 1)
National Championship Odds: (+13000) at DraftKings
It’s hard to know just how good a win over LSU is these days, although one thing is clear. Kentucky is incredibly well-coached. The Wildcats are also really balanced and unbeaten. Things get real in a hurry, however, as Kentucky heads to Georgia as more than a three-touchdown underdog.
8. Ohio State (Last Week No. 8, Unchanged)
National Championship Odds: (+800) at DraftKings
In the past two weeks, Ohio State has scored 118 points and allowed only 30. Those performances came against Maryland and Rutgers, although progress seems to be being made. The Buckeyes have a bye, play Indiana, and then have a massive game against Penn State at home.
7. Michigan (Last Week No. 9, Up 2)
National Championship Odds: (+3000) at DraftKings
Jim Harbaugh is winning games he has normally lost since arriving at Michigan, and the Wolverines are improving along the way. Winning at Nebraska these days isn’t a given, and I like how the offense has evolved. Next up? Northwestern and then a massive game at rival Michigan State.
6. Penn State (Last Week No. 4, Down 2)
National Championship Odds: (+6000) at DraftKings
If QB Sean Clifford doesn’t get injured, Penn State beats Iowa. It’s as simple as that. Still, the Nittany Lions battled in a difficult environment. That loss knocks Penn State down a few spots, although I refuse to drop them any further. This team is still very good.
5. Oklahoma (Last Week No. 6, Up 1)
National Championship Odds: (+1400) at DraftKings
Yes, Oklahoma officially has a controversy. Well, maybe it’s no controversy at all. Caleb Williams replaced Spencer Rattler against Texas, and the Sooners’ offense began to roll.
The comeback win against the Longhorns is massive, although the team still has issues. Playing TCU next week is no gimmie.
4. Alabama (Last Week No. 2, Down 2)
National Championship Odds: (+200) at DraftKings
Nick Saban’s team lost as more than a two-touchdown favorite, and I still can’t quite believe it. While I dropped Alabama to No. 2 last week, I did not expect this. The offense had its issues, and a team that rarely makes mistakes made mistakes. Very curious how this team responds at Mississippi State.
3. Cincinnati (Last Week No. 5, Up 2)
National Championship Odds: (+2500) at DraftKings
The Bearcats demolished Temple and moved up this week thanks in part to the madness seen across the Saturday slate. In terms of a possible CFB Playoff run, the possibility is very real as more teams lose.
While this week’s game against UCF could be close, Cincinnati is still a massive favorite. Get used to seeing that.
2. Iowa (Last Week No. 3, Up 1)
National Championship Odds: (+2000) at DraftKings
The Hawkeyes rallied in spectacular fashion against Penn State, although the injury to Clifford, as mentioned above, certainly aided that comeback. With that said, the remaining schedule is incredibly manageable, and the defense is special.
Can Iowa score enough points to avoid those close calls? If so, then the tremendous season could continue.
1. Georgia (Last Week No. 1, Unchanged)
National Championship Odds: (+125) at DraftKings
I had the Bulldogs at No. 1 before Alabama’s loss, and nothing has changed on that front. After grinding past Auburn, Georgia can validate this placement against unbeaten Kentucky next week.
Even with backup QB Stetson Bennett starting, the Bulldogs have looked superb. I don’t expect that to change against Kentucky, even though the Wildcats have looked great thus far.
