Few sports are as rankings-obsessed as college football. There are committees, television specials, and any number of fans dedicated to crafting the perfect list of NCAA football teams, only to do it all again the following week.
College football is also an ever-changing landscape. There are 134 FBS teams taking the field on a weekly basis, all of which builds up to the College Football Playoff. Already, we’ve seen a few top contenders fall, with others rising to take their place.
Here are my top 50 college football rankings — plus some teams to keep an eye on as the weeks progress.
All NCAAF odds are current as of Wednesday, Sept. 25 and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
College Football Power Rankings Index
| Rank | School |
|---|---|
| 1 | Texas |
| 2 | Tennessee |
| 3 | Alabama |
| 4 | Georgia |
| 5 | Ohio State |
| 6 | Miami (FL) |
| 7 | Ole Miss |
| 8 | Oregon |
| 9 | Utah |
| 10 | Penn State |
| 11 | Missouri |
| 12 | Michigan |
| 13 | USC |
| 14 | Clemson |
| 15 | LSU |
| 16 | Louisville |
| 17 | Illinois |
| 18 | Iowa State |
| 19 | Oklahoma |
| 20 | Notre Dame |
| 21 | BYU |
| 22 | Oklahoma State |
| 23 | Boise State |
| 24 | Kansas State |
| 25 | Pittsburgh |
| 26 | Washington State |
| 27 | Indiana |
| 28 | Arkansas |
| 29 | Texas A&M |
| 30 | Iowa |
| 31 | UCF |
| 32 | South Carolina |
| 33 | Washington |
| 34 | James Madison |
| 35 | Boston College |
| 36 | SMU |
| 37 | Cincinnati |
| 38 | Nebraska |
| 39 | Arizona |
| 40 | Colorado |
| 41 | Maryland |
| 42 | Northern Illinois |
| 43 | Fresno State |
| 44 | Liberty |
| 45 | Kentucky |
| 46 | Texas Tech |
| 47 | Army |
| 48 | Duke |
| 49 | Rutgers |
| 50 | Tulane |
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College Football Teams to Watch
Tennessee (No. 2)
Tennessee was on the radar before the season began, but it’s safe to say this team has surpassed expectations. Through four games — two of which came against ranked opponents — the Volunteers rank second in points for (54.0) and fifth in points allowed (7.0).
Freshman QB Nico Iamaleava is only part of the story. He’s thrown for 892 yards and seven touchdowns while completing 61 out of 88 passes, vaulting him near the top of the 2024 Heisman odds. RB Dylan Sampson has been equally dominant, logging 10 touchdowns and 449 yards on 69 carries.
Then there’s the defense, which has yet to allow an opponent to score more than 15 points in a single game. Already, the Vols have forced seven turnovers, including three in a road win over the Oklahoma Sooners in Week 4.
Tennessee has upcoming meetings with both Alabama and Georgia. If this team can win even one of those games, their chances of winning the College Football Playoff will skyrocket. Get in now at a reasonable (+1100) while you still can.
Miami (No. 6)
Miami is soaring up the CFP National Championship odds, and for good reason. Mario Cristobal finally seems to have a competent team on his hands, with the Hurricanes currently ranking fourth in scoring (52.2 PPG) and 11th in points allowed per game (10.2).
The schedule has been relatively light, but Miami deserves credit for beating each opponent so soundly. The rest of the Canes’ regular-season games look pretty winnable, too — Louisville is the only remaining ranked opponent — so it should be smooth sailing from here on out.
The secret to their success? That’s Washington State transfer Cam Ward, who looks like the best quarterback in the nation. He leads the country in passing yards (1,439), passing touchdowns (14), yards gained per pass attempt (11.7), and passing yards per game (359.8).
So long as Ward keeps up his spectacular play, Miami will be here to stay.
Notre Dame (No. 20)
Despite dropping an early-season shocker to Northern Illinois, the Fighting Irish remain in contention to compete in the College Football Playoff. It’s tough to say whether Notre Dame will end up there, though.
The Irish need to evolve. The run game has been dominant behind QB Riley Leonard and RBs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, who have collectively scored 12 touchdowns on the ground, but the passing game has been underwhelming, to say the least.
Notre Dame has been able to get by thanks to a spectacular defense and dominant ground game, but there are several tough opponents remaining on the schedule, including Louisville, Georgia Tech, and USC. Any of those teams could push the Fighting Irish to their limits.
We’ll see where this team stands at the end of October, but I understand why many are out on Notre Dame.
Boise State (No. 23)
The Broncos haven’t beaten anybody of note just yet, but they arguably have the best quality loss in the nation. Boise State battled on the road with Oregon in Week 2, losing 37-34 on a last-second field goal. That’s an encouraging sign, to say the least.
If you aren’t caught up to speed on the Broncos, look no further than star RB Ashton Jeanty. He led the nation in rushing yards and attempts in 2023, and he’s been even better this year, picking up 586 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on a meager 56 carries (10.5 YPC).
Boise’s defense leaves a lot to be desired, but it also has a light schedule ahead, so there’s time to improve on that side of the ball before the year is over. Washington State is its toughest remaining regular-season opponent.
It’s likely that this team’s only blemish at the end of the season is a hard-fought loss to the Ducks. Beware the Broncos.
Arizona (No. 39)
Arizona was supposed to be something of a powerhouse this year. The Wildcats entered the season on a seven-game winning streak, which they extended to nine through Week 2 before they were blown out on the road by Kansas State.
The pieces are there for this team to succeed — especially offensively. QB Noah Fifita threw for 25 touchdowns to six interceptions in 2023, but he’s been far less efficient to begin the season. There’s also WR Tetairoa McMillan, who recorded 304 receiving yards and four touchdowns in Week 1 alone.
Arizona has had some time to regroup since the loss to K-State, but things won’t get any easier from here. The Wildcats will play Utah and BYU on the road between now and Oct. 12, and Colorado, West Virginia, UCF, and Arizona State are still on the schedule.
Still, there’s some room to be optimistic about this program. Arizona went 3-3 to open the 2023 campaign before finishing at No. 11 in the final AP Top 25 poll. If the Wildcats are going to be more than a middling team in the Big 12, now is the time for them to transform.
How We Create NCAA Football Power Rankings
There will be some constants between power rankings, but ultimately, no two lists are the same. I like to focus primarily on the data, but you can’t avoid inserting opinion, either. It’s never just about wins and losses or how a team looks.
Not All Wins Are Created Equally
A victory in the MAC simply isn’t going as far as a win in the SEC, which is why metrics like strength of schedule are so important. That doesn’t mean we should always sleep on programs outside of the Power 5 conferences, but it’s why you’ll sometimes see a one- or two-loss team ranked ahead of an undefeated one.
Don’t Get Caught Up In The Hype
Anything can happen in college football. Upsets and improbable moments are a huge part of what makes the sport so beautiful. However, it’s important to stay as level-headed as possible when evaluating how much a team should rise — or fall — based on one or two results.
It’s rare to see drastic movement in the most reputable college football polls, and I stick to a similar set of principles. A big win or loss will certainly affect your standing, but it takes consistency to truly find out what a team is made of.
Power, Not Record
Let’s say a top-10 team sees their star quarterback suffer a season-ending injury. They may still go on to win the game, and thus, improve their standing in the polls, but you can’t deny that the team likely doesn’t have as high a ceiling as it did before.
Situations like these factor into my decisions. Rankings must be based on the bulk of a team’s work, but they should also be indicative of what’s to come.
