The calendar has flipped to November, which means we are nearing the latter stages of the college football regular season.
The top teams in the country have begun to separate themselves in conference play, but plenty of others with one or two losses remain in with a chance to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff.
After an exciting Week 10 slate, let’s dive into my college football power rankings for the top 25 teams in the nation.
All college football odds referenced in these NCAAF power rankings are current as of Monday, Nov. 3, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
College Football Power Rankings Index
| Rank | School |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State (8-0) |
| 2 | Texas A&M (8-0) |
| 3 | Indiana (9-0) |
| 4 | Alabama (7-1) |
| 5 | Georgia (7-1) |
| 6 | Ole Miss (8-1) |
| 7 | Oregon (7-1) |
| 8 | BYU (8-0) |
| 9 | Texas Tech (8-1) |
| 10 | Texas (7-2) |
| 11 | Oklahoma (7-2) |
| 12 | Notre Dame (6-2) |
| 13 | Virginia (8-1) |
| 14 | Vanderbilt (7-2) |
| 15 | Louisville (7-1) |
| 16 | Georgia Tech (8-1) |
| 17 | Utah (7-2) |
| 18 | USC (6-2) |
| 19 | Miami (6-2) |
| 20 | Michigan (7-2) |
| 21 | Missouri (6-2) |
| 22 | Memphis (8-1) |
| 23 | Tennessee (6-3) |
| 24 | Washington (6-2) |
| 25 | Cincinnati (7-2) |
College Football Teams to Watch
Ohio State (No. 1)
The defending champion Buckeyes are the betting favorites in the latest National Championship odds after an 8-0 start.
Ryan Day’s squad is excelling on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Julian Sayin leads the country in completion percentage (80.7%), and the Ohio State defense has allowed the fewest points per game (6.9) in the nation.
Texas A&M (No. 2)
The Aggies rank third in most traditional college football polls, but resume-building road wins over LSU and Notre Dame have vaulted them above Indiana in my rankings.
Texas A&M is a legitimate threat to win the National Championship. Back the Aggies to win it all with your NCAAF pick of the day.
Indiana (No. 3)
Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza is among the favorites in the Heisman Trophy odds after throwing 25 touchdown passes and just four interceptions while leading his team to a 9-0 start.
Curt Cignetti has quickly turned Indiana into a football school, but its signature win at Oregon is doing a lot of heavy lifting on this relatively easy schedule.
Ole Miss (No. 6)
Could this be the year Ole Miss finally makes the College Football Playoff? Dual-threat quarterback Trinidad Chambliss looks like the real deal.
Texas (No. 10)
The Longhorns have two losses and games against top-five opponents, Georgia and Texas A&M, to come. However, Arch Manning is turning a corner, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Texas could sneak into the CFP with three defeats.
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 doesn’t equate to 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 remain level-headed 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 undoubtedly 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 its star quarterback suffer a season-ending injury. It may still go on to win the game and thus improve its 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.
