Editor’s note: The Athletic 134 is a weekly ranking of all FBS college football teams. 

Indiana is no longer just a fun college football story. That is to say, Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers aren’t some plucky upstart. They’re the real deal. They’re a machine. And it’s time to realize they’re a real threat to make the College Football Playoff.

After beating Washington and becoming the first FBS team in 26 years to start 8-0 without ever trailing, Indiana is up to No. 9 in this week’s edition of The Athletic 134.

It is truly wild that a program that went 3-9 last season was favored to beat and then did beat last year’s national runner-up, and that Indiana is likely to be favored against last year’s national champion, Michigan, in a few weeks. The school record for wins is nine, and it would have to take a complete collapse for the Hoosiers to not at least tie that record.

Without talented quarterback Kurtis Rourke, the Hoosiers turned to the ground, and running back Justice Ellison had 123 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries against the Huskies. Winning in a different way is impressive, but it would be helpful for Rourke to come back sooner than later.

And for the people ready to chime in with, “Who have they played?” — it’s true that the schedule has not been that difficult. But ESPN’s analytics, which rank Indiana’s strength of schedule at No. 106, also rank the Hoosiers’ strength of record at No. 10, crediting them for how they’ve done while factoring in opponent strength. It still matters how you perform against your schedule, and again Indiana hasn’t trailed for a second all season.

It’s been a dream season in Bloomington, and with a remaining schedule that ranks 17th in the country, opportunities for more impactful wins are coming, including against Ohio State.

Here is this week’s edition of The Athletic 134.

1-10

The only changes here come at the bottom of the group, where Indiana has moved to No. 9 and Notre Dame has returned to the top 10 after a 51-14 win against a ranked Navy. That, coupled with the fact that Texas A&M hasn’t lost since its Week 1 defeat to the Irish, means Notre Dame is squarely back in the CFP picture. A lot of people wrote off the Irish after their loss to Northern Illinois, but welcome to the 12-team CFP era, where schools can play their way back into the mix.

Expect another shakeup in the top five after Ohio State visits Penn State this week. And by the way, BYU has two wins against 7-1 teams this season. The Cougars still aren’t getting enough respect in the polls.

11-25

Texas A&M rises all the way up to No. 11 after its 38-23 win against LSU. The Aggies are the lone team still undefeated in SEC play. Clemson and Iowa State both dropped while idle, but that was simply because Notre Dame and Texas A&M now have much better wins after the weekend.

Pitt is up to No. 17 after a 41-13 win against Syracuse. I wanted to move the Panthers up more, but the teams ahead of them also won. Their trip to SMU this Saturday is their first chance for a major victory. Welcome to the top 25, Colorado. The Buffs are now 6-2 after beating Cincinnati. They’ve just been a really solid team this season, with fewer people paying attention.

Somehow, Missouri remains in the top 25 at No. 23 despite a 37-0 loss to Alabama. I didn’t expect to keep the Tigers here, but so many teams just behind them in last week’s rankings also lost, and Mizzou still has the win against Vanderbilt to hang its hat on (yes, that’s a real sentence). Arkansas also jumps into the top 25 after a blowout win against Mississippi State and losses by a bunch of teams ahead of the Razorbacks. It also helps that two of Arkansas’ three losses came to top-20 teams, and the Razorbacks have a win against Tennessee.

26-50

Navy only slips to No. 27 after its loss to Notre Dame, largely because of the win against No. 28 Memphis. Army remains outside the top 25 because it doesn’t have a win against an FBS team with a winning record yet. The Black Knights only “dropped” because Colorado and Arkansas moved up. As I always say, don’t overreact to dropping while idle. It’s just about what other teams did.

Tulane moves up to No. 34 after a win at North Texas. Nebraska only drops one spot to No. 38 after taking Ohio State to the limit; the Huskers’ win against Colorado keeps looking better. Minnesota jumps up to No. 41 after a dominant 48-23 win against Maryland.

TCU is back in the top 50 at No. 44 after a comeback win against Texas Tech. Cincinnati drops to No. 46 because of its loss to Colorado and because of Texas Tech’s loss, which drags on the Bearcats due to their head-to-head result.

51-75

One week after Maryland beat USC, both hold still here after the Terps lost to Minnesota and the Trojans beat Rutgers. It’s an instance where the previous week’s results still hold a lot of sway for two 4-4 teams. North Carolina got back on track with a 41-14 win against Virginia to move up to No. 53. Cal’s 44-7 win against Oregon State moves the Golden Bears up to No. 60 and an idle NC State up to No. 59 because the Wolfpack beat Cal a week ago.

Auburn is up from No. 81 to No. 61 after beating Kentucky, which continues to tumble down, now at No. 62. Utah continues to slip as well, now down to No. 68 after a loss to Houston and on a decline that seems likely to continue with the Utes’ quarterback injuries. But their wins against Baylor and Oklahoma State keep them from falling further. Baylor’s win against Oklahoma State moves the Bears up to No. 69 and Oklahoma State down to No. 71. Old Dominion hammered Georgia Southern 47-19 to crack the Sun Belt East wide open and move up to No. 73, while Liberty’s shocking loss to previously winless Kennesaw State dropped the Flames to No. 75, all but ending their College Football Playoff hopes.

76-100

UCF, on a five-game losing streak, is down to No. 76. Kansas stays at No. 84 after Kansas State needed a late 51-yard field goal to beat the Jayhawks. Western Michigan is up to No. 86 and atop the MAC as the only undefeated team in league play, but No. 87 Miami (Ohio), No. 88 Ohio and No. 89 Bowling Green are not far behind, especially after the Falcons beat Toledo 41-26 and Ohio pummeled Buffalo. The MAC is all jumbled together, and it’s reflected here in the rankings, especially after Notre Dame-slayer Northern Illinois lost to Ball State to fall to No. 93.

I cannot believe I had to type “1-7” for Florida State’s record here. The No. 99 Seminoles continue to sit with No. 98 Mississippi State and No. 100 Purdue as the worst Power 4 teams.

101-134

Would you believe No. 100 Colorado State is actually undefeated in Mountain West play and has a pretty clear path to the conference championship game? Because the Rams do. USF slips to No. 102 because the Bulls were idle and several teams below them got notable wins. Ball State’s win against NIU moves the Cardinals up to No. 107. UTSA falls to No. 112 after blowing a 35-7 halftime lead in a loss to No. 111 Tulsa. Nevada also falls into this group at No. 117 after a loss to Hawaii. Akron beat Eastern Michigan to move up to No. 125.

Congratulations to Kennesaw State on its first win as an FBS program and against an FBS program, as the Owls stunned Liberty. That gets Kennesaw State up to No. 127 and leaves No. 134 Kent State as the last winless FBS team.

The Athletic 134 series is part of a partnership with Allstate. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

(Photo: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)

And now, 20 Final Thoughts from college football Week 9, which was light on suspense but full of storylines — most involving backup QBs.

1. For two weeks in September, six of the top seven teams in the AP poll were from the SEC. None made it to November with a perfect record in conference play.

But Texas A&M did.

2. It was only a few weeks ago that Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman returned after missing three games with a shoulder injury to shred then ninth-ranked Missouri 41-10. But Mike Elko’s decision to pull a struggling Weigman in the third quarter of Saturday night’s first-place SEC showdown with No. 8 LSU may go down as the turning point of an increasingly special season.

The No. 14 Aggies (7-1, 5-0 SEC) trailed 17-7 when redshirt freshman Marcel Reed came in and led them on four consecutive touchdown drives while attempting only two passes (one went for 54 yards). LSU’s defense looked lost trying to account for Reed’s ability to pull and run (he had nine carries for 62 yards and three TDs). With the Tigers (6-2, 3-1) simultaneously melting down in every area — including three Garrett Nussmeier interceptions and a botched field goal snap — Texas A&M ran away with it, 38-23.

3. Texas A&M last started 7-1 in 2020, a simpler time when Jimbo Fisher was still viewed as an elite coach, the SEC still had divisions and the Playoff only had four teams. That year’s Aggies were never going to reach the SEC title game because their one loss was to fellow West Division member Alabama. This year’s Aggies can write their own ticket to Atlanta, which would be the program’s first berth since joining the league in 2012.

But first, Elko needs to decide his quarterback plan for next week’s game at South Carolina. Weigman earned his job, and Reed was a 56 percent passer in the three starts he made earlier this fall in place of Weigman. But it would be hard to send Reed back to the bench after that explosion.

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko: “This is a real program. It is not fake. It is not a politician running this program, talking fast and BSing everybody.”

Whoa.

— Carter Karels (@CarterKarels) October 27, 2024

4. A backup QB also saved the day Saturday for No. 3 Penn State (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) at Wisconsin (5-3, 3-2) after Drew Allar left with an apparent knee injury shortly before halftime. The Nittany Lions led 14-13 when his replacement, Beau Pribula, led fourth-quarter touchdown drives of 81 and 76 yards to secure a 28-13 victory. Safety Jaylen Reed changed the game with a 19-yard pick six in the third quarter, and Penn State stuffed Wisconsin’s top running back, Tawee Walker, for a loss on four of his eight second-half carries.

James Franklin’s quarterback decision for next week’s Ohio State showdown may be made for him if Allar isn’t healthy enough to go. But Penn State should now feel confident with either of its quarterbacks.

5. Franklin has not defeated Ohio State since 2016, and he has not had the higher-ranked team when the two met since 2017. But next week No. 3 Penn State will be hosting the fourth-ranked Buckeyes at arguably their most gettable state since that year.

In its first game since losing standout left tackle Josh Simmons for the season, Ohio State (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) managed just 64 rushing yards on 31 attempts in a 21-17 escape against Nebraska (5-3, 2-3). Making matters worse, Simmons’ replacement, Zen Michalski, who allowed two sacks in the first half, went down late in the game with an undisclosed injury of his own. Ohio State’s collectives may have spent $20 million on their roster, but we assume hardly any of it went to securing backup offensive linemen.

Ryan Day and Chip Kelly will need to come up with a Plan C over the next seven days or risk early elimination from the Big Ten championship game race.

6. Indiana’s offense has gotten the majority of attention during the team’s historic start, but its defense entered Saturday pacing the Big Ten in yards per play allowed (4.35). Defense and special teams led the way in the No. 13 Hoosiers’ latest triumph, a 31-17 win over Washington (4-4, 2-3). D’Angelo Ponds had a 67-yard pick six and another interception deep in Huskies territory that led to a touchdown, and Myles Price’s 65-yard punt return in the fourth quarter set up a game-sealing score. All of which helped Indiana (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) win without quarterback Kurtis Rourke, who had thumb surgery earlier in the week.

Eight games in, The Indiana Wrecking Machine has still not trailed for a minute this season, the first team to do so since 1998 Kansas State, per ESPN. Hurry up and put these guys in the top 10, voters.

7. No. 5 Texas (7-1, 3-1 SEC) rebounded from its humbling Georgia loss with a 27-24 win at pesky Vanderbilt (5-3, 2-2) in which the Longhorns led for the entire last three quarters. (Vandy scored its last touchdown with 46 seconds left.) Quarterback Quinn Ewers threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns but still is not moving around like he did prior to the oblique injury that sidelined him for two games. Though it’s hard to fault him for two tipped interceptions, he held the ball for too long on three of Vandy’s four sacks. Nothing alarming enough to light the Arch Manning bat signal, but worth keeping an eye on over the coming weeks.

8. No. 15 Alabama (6-2, 3-2 SEC) cleansed itself — eventually — with a 34-0 shutout of No. 21 Missouri (6-2, 2-2). Its offense looked disjointed again early in the game, but after Mizzou quarterback Brady Cook left in the second quarter, the Crimson Tide defense repeatedly set up the offense with short fields, intercepting Drew Pyne (of Notre Dame and Arizona State fame) three times in four possessions. Alabama wound up running for 277 yards and four touchdowns, an encouraging sign for Kalen DeBoer’s offense, which needed to give more help to quarterback Jalen Milroe. He passed for a modest 215 yards but played free of turnovers for the first time in five games.

9. No. 24 Navy arrived at MetLife Stadium having committed just two turnovers during its 6-0 start. But facing No. 12 Notre Dame, the Midshipmen (6-1) lost five fumbles and threw an interception in a humbling 51-14 loss. It was their most in a game since 2002. Notre Dame (7-1) also outrushed Navy, which came in with the No. 4 rushing offense: 265 yards on 40 attempts vs. 222 yards on 43 carries. Coordinator Al Golden’s Notre Dame defense is allowing just 12.1 points per game, and quarterback Riley Leonard (13 of 21 for 178 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions), has had his two most efficient passing performances in his last three games.

The Irish have an off week before a prime-time home game against one-win Florida State.

10. The score bug said Oregon–Illinois was a top-20 matchup, but it was evident from the first series that the top-ranked Ducks (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) — which led 35-3 at halftime and won 38-9 — were on a different plane athletically than the No. 20 Illini (6-2, 3-2). Quarterback Dillon Gabriel (18 of 26 for 291 yards, three touchdowns, one interception) spread the ball around nicely and threw two 30-plus-yard TDs. Anyone who wondered how Oregon would “adjust” to the Big Ten should note it not only beat Ohio State but also has defeated its other four conference foes by a combined score of 138-32.

11. Friday night’s Boise State-UNLV game was the first of its kind: A Group of 5 game with Playoff stakes for both teams.

The largest home crowd in UNLV history (42,228) saw the 17th-ranked Broncos (6-1, 3-0 Mountain West) fall behind late in the third quarter but win 29-24. The Rebels’ defense keyed on Boise State star Ashton Jeanty all night and held him to a season-low 3.9 yards per carry (though he still reached 128 yards on 33 carries). But the Broncos showed they’re more than just Jeanty. Quarterback Maddux Madsen made plays with his arm and his feet, and the defense notched six sacks.

Boise, which took No. 1 Oregon to the wire in Week 2, is the clear frontrunner for the berth bound for the Group of 5’s highest ranked conference champion, but it will still likely need to win the Mountain West. That may mean a rematch with UNLV (6-2, 2-1).

12. Miami and Florida State once held near-annual clashes where both teams were national title contenders. This year, they could not be on more opposite ends of the spectrum. The sixth-ranked Hurricanes (8-0, 4-0 ACC) waltzed to a 36-14 win over the hapless Seminoles (1-7, 1-6 ACC). Miami got a season-high 148 yards and two touchdowns from running back Damien Martinez.

With that, Florida State is guaranteed its fifth losing season in the past seven, an astounding feat considering the Noles went 10-3 and 13-1 in the other two seasons. An ESPN graphic during the game said FSU was the first team since 1956 Maryland to go from an undefeated regular season one year to a 1-6 record the next. But even those Terps stopped the bleeding in their eighth game with a 6-6 tie.

13. With last week’s starting quarterback Jack Tuttle injured, Michigan coach Sherrone Moore turned back to Week 1 starter Davis Warren for the Wolverines’ rivalry game against Michigan State — and it actually worked. Warren (13 of 19 for 123 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions) was no Tom Brady, but he did turn in the most efficient passing performance of Michigan’s season in a 24-17 win over the hated Spartans (4-4, 2-3).

Michigan State won 10 of 14 meetings with the Wolverines from 2008 to ’21, but Michigan (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) has now won three straight and five of the past seven.

14. The first-ever Big 12 Holy War on Nov. 9 will pit two rivals going in opposite directions. No. 11 BYU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) looks better by the week. The Cougars traveled to UCF (3-5, 1-4) on Saturday and ran for 252 yards in an easy 37-24 win. Conversely, preseason Big 12 favorite Utah (4-4, 1-4) has imploded over the last month. In their first game following offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig’s in-season departure, the Utes suffered their fourth defeat, this one the most humbling yet. Quarterback Brandon Rose threw an interception with 1:55 left that allowed Houston (3-5, 1-3) to drive for a walk-off 43-yard field goal to win 17-14.

Both teams are off next week before their first meeting in three years and first with both as power-conference members.

15. Virginia Tech (5-3, 3-1 ACC) was an early-season disappointment, starting 2-3, but has quietly rolled off three consecutive lopsided conference wins. The Hokies’ latest victory, 21-6 over visiting Georgia Tech (5-4, 3-3), was not their finest performance offensively, but their defense flummoxed Yellow Jackets quarterback Zach Pyron to the point where coach Brent Key pulled him for redshirt freshman Aaron Philo. Virginia Tech will need more out of star running back Bhayshul Tuten (17 carries, 79 yards) down the stretch if it hopes to make a late push toward the ACC championship.

16. Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord was having a perfectly fine season until he ran into undefeated Pitt’s “Sharks” on Thursday. Three Panthers linebackers (who gave themselves that nickname in training camp) notched pick sixes in the first half of No. 19 Pitt’s 41-13 blowout of the Orange (5-2, 2-2). McCord threw five picks on the night, allowing the Panthers (7-0, 3-0 ACC) to run away with it despite themselves doing very little on offense.

Pitt, off to its best start since 1982, next faces No. 22 SMU (7-1, 4-0 ACC), which managed to keep its conference record unblemished despite committing six turnovers Saturday night at Duke (6-2, 2-2). The Mustangs prevailed 28-27 in overtime when Manny Diaz opted to go for two and the Blue Devils did not get it.

Of the four remaining ACC teams with undefeated league records — Miami, Clemson, Pitt and SMU — only the Hurricanes face none of the other three in the regular season.

17. Oklahoma’s offensive line has long been a strength under position coach Bill Bedenbaugh, but it is a disaster right now. A week after allowing a school-record nine sacks against South Carolina, the Sooners (4-4, 1-4 SEC) one-upped themselves and allowed 10 in a 26-14 loss at No. 18 Ole Miss (6-2, 2-2). The Sooners, which were still ranked as recently as two weeks ago, get Maine this week but will have to upset Missouri, Alabama or LSU to get bowl-eligible.

18. Washington State reached the 7-1 mark for the first time since the Mike Leach/Gardner Minshew 2018 season with its 29-26 win at San Diego State (3-4). John Mateer, the most exciting quarterback most of the public has never watched, threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns, ran 21 times for 42 yards and caught a two-point conversion on the Cougs’ version of the Philly Special. Wazzu has not faced as strong a schedule as it did in the old Pac-12, but its only loss was at Boise State.

Life post-Pac-12 has not been as kind for Oregon State (4-4), which got drubbed 44-7 at former conference peer Cal (4-4), which is winless in the ACC. It was the third straight defeat for the Beavers, including to 3-5 Nevada. First-year coach Trent Bray has his work cut out rebuilding that roster this offseason.

19. While Boise State-UNLV was the G5 focal point this weekend, watch out for Tulane, which has been largely forgotten since losing to Kansas State and Oklahoma in September. The Green Wave (6-2, 4-0 AAC), which built a 45-24 lead against North Texas (5-3, 2-2) and won 45-37, look like the team to beat in the AAC. They’ve scored 40-plus in four of their past five games. Sophomore running back Makhi Hughes ran for a career-high 195 yards Saturday, his third straight 100-yard game and fifth of the season.

Tulane, one of three undefeated teams in conference play along with Army and Navy, must now turn around and visit 3-5 Charlotte on Halloween night, after the 49ers nearly knocked off 7-1 Memphis on Saturday.

20. Finally, for all the sound bites, controversies and KFC commercials, Deion Sanders’ Colorado tenure is officially a success. The Buffs (6-2, 4-1) have reached six wins for the first time since 2016 following a 34-23 win over Cincinnati in which the sensational Travis Hunter caught nine passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns and broke up four passes.

Colorado will make a bowl for just the third time since 2008, which is exactly what the school hired Deion to do. But at this point, it should aim higher. The Buffs do not face any of the Big 12’s three ranked teams — BYU, Iowa State or Kansas State — down the stretch. They do, however, face Utah, Kansas and Oklahoma State, a combined 2-13 in Big 12 play.

Colorado playing in the Big 12 title game with a CFP berth on the line is no longer an unrealistic scenario. Prepare accordingly.

(Photo of Beau Pribula: John Fisher / Getty Images)

Editor’s note: The Athletic 134 is a weekly ranking of all FBS college football teams.

It’s time to take notice of BYU.

The Cougars are undefeated and have delivered Kansas State and SMU their only losses of the season. Yet BYU remains outside the top 10 in both the AP and Coaches polls. But not here. BYU is up to No. 7 in this week’s edition of The Athletic 134.

I’m surprised the Cougars haven’t gotten more love. They’re undefeated at 7-0 and have two really good wins, both of which are better than the best wins of Iowa State (Iowa) and several other teams around their place in the polls. They’ve actually been in my top 10 for weeks.

Perhaps it’s because BYU has twice played on Friday nights, or because its 38-9 win against Kansas State was a 10:30 p.m. kickoff on a Saturday. Yes, the Cougars have played some close games and needed a late touchdown to beat Oklahoma State, but this team and especially this defense looks legit, now 13th in yards per play allowed.

You should also take notice because the second half of the schedule is manageable. BYU and Iowa State don’t play each other in the regular season. The Cougars already beat K-State and won’t play 5-2 Colorado. If the Big 12 wants to get two teams into the College Football Playoff, BYU would likely be one of them.

We’re more than halfway through the season, and we’re still getting surprise results that shake up the rankings. Here is this week’s edition of The Athletic 134.

1-10

Georgia slides up to No. 2 after its win at Texas, while the Longhorns fall to No. 6 because their best win at this point is a sliding Michigan team or a sliding Oklahoma. The Bulldogs’ loss to Alabama keeps them from the top spot, especially after the Tide lost again and are now ranked next to Boise State, which Oregon beat.

Miami jumps Ohio State after its win at Louisville, but the Ohio State-Penn State game in two weeks will be another shakeup game.

Tennessee and LSU jump into the top 10 after the Vols beat Alabama and the Tigers beat Arkansas 34-10. Tennessee and LSU’s resumes are incredibly even, but Tennessee has the better Best Win, so the Vols get the slight edge.

11-25

I’d been a little skeptical of Indiana’s ceiling after beating up on bad teams, but Saturday’s 56-7 demotion of Nebraska has turned me into a believer, moving the Hoosiers to No. 11. The bad news: Quarterback Kurtis Rourke is out indefinitely with a thumb injury. But the path to 10 or even 11 wins is there. Iowa State slips two spots mostly due to the performances turned in by Tennessee, LSU and Indiana on the same day that the Cyclones needed to rally late to survive UCF.

Illinois is the only newcomer to the top 25, back after a 21-7 win against Michigan to move to 6-1.

26-50

Teams just outside the top 25 took all kind of losses this week. As a result, Syracuse, UNLV, South Carolina, Memphis, Army, Duke and Cincinnati make big jumps into the top 35. Michigan State also jumps to No. 39 after a 32-20 win against Iowa. Next up is a Michigan-MSU game that could have major bowl implications for both.

Is it weird that we’ve stopped talking about Colorado right as the Buffs became a solid team? Colorado is 5-2 and No. 38 after a 34-7 win against Arizona, which comes after a last-minute loss to Kansas State and a win against UCF. It’d be a shocker if Colorado didn’t go bowling, which is another improvement for coach Deion Sanders.

No. 46 Florida and No. 47 Virginia Tech also move into the top 50 after handling Kentucky and Boston College, respectively. Utah continues to slide and is now just hanging onto No. 50 after losing to TCU.

51-75

USC has tumbled to No. 52 after blowing another 14-point lead and losing at Maryland to drop to 1-4 in Big Ten play. No. 53 Rutgers lost a shocker to UCLA and dropped out of the top 50.

Louisiana continues to sneak around the top of the Sun Belt, now No. 60 after beating Coastal Carolina to move to 6-1 overall, while Georgia Southern took control of the Sun Belt East in beating James Madison and moves up to No. 63 from No. 82. Toledo is up to No. 68 after beating Northern Illinois.

No. 65 NC State and No. 66 Cal are the toughest teams to rank. NC State recently lost to Wake Forest but turned around and beat Cal, which is 0-4 in ACC play by a total of nine points. If the Golden Bears could make a field goal, their record would be completely different.

76-100

Baylor jumps to No. 76 after a surprising 59-35 win against Texas Tech. Texas State drops to No. 77 after a loss to Old Dominion. Auburn blew a double-digit lead against Missouri, dropping to 2-5, and slips to No. 80.

No. 82 Western Michigan is actually atop the MAC at 3-0 after beating Buffalo, which has defeated Toledo and NIU. Marshall jumps up to No. 81 because the Herd have a win against WMU and beat Georgia State last week.

The bottom of the Power 4 is bunching together. Purdue is the lowest of the group at No. 95, but Florida State is just ahead at No. 94 after losing to Duke for the first time ever. No. 93 Mississippi State has played Georgia and Texas A&M competitively in recent weeks, while Houston slides back down to No. 89 after a 42-14 loss to Kansas.

101-134

New Mexico has won three games in a row after a 50-45 barnburner against Utah State to move up to No. 106 in Bronco Mendenhall’s first year. UTSA’s win against Florida Atlantic bounces the Roadrunners back up to No. 110.

UTEP got its first win of the season, beating FIU, to move up to No. 129. That leaves the FBS with just two winless teams: Kennesaw State and Kent State.

The Athletic 134 series is part of a partnership with Allstate. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

(Photo: Chris Gardner / Getty Images)

Editor’s note: The Athletic 134 is a weekly ranking of all FBS college football teams.

“You could not live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me.”

When Nick Saban retired, many wondered whether Alabama would take a step back. It had to, right? The greatest coach in the history of the sport was gone. Surely the days of the Alabama dynasty had finally ended. Georgia had emerged as the new Alabama.

But like Thanos, Bama may be inevitable. After a 41-34 win against Georgia, the Tide have returned to the No. 1 spot in the Athletic 134 rankings.

It’s Alabama’s first time atop these rankings since the 2022 preseason. That year, Georgia took over one week in after plastering Oregon, and the Tide haven’t been back to No. 1 since then.

But it turns out when you let head coach Kalen DeBoer scheme up some stuff for elite-level talent, he can do a lot. Jalen Milroe looks like the best quarterback in the country. After the wild swings of the Game of the Year, I don’t exactly know how to feel about both teams. Alabama had a 28-0 lead and also blew a 28-0 lead. Georgia overcame that deficit on the road. But in the end, it’s the best win of the season for any team, so Alabama moves up from No. 7 to No. 1.

Georgia falls to No. 3, and not solely because of this result. The Week 1 blowout of Clemson looks better with each week. The Bulldogs’ schedule doesn’t get easier, however, with a trip to No. 2 Texas just a few weeks away.

Here is the latest edition of The Athletic 134.

1-10

I’m aware the SEC has the top four spots here. I don’t expect that to be the case by the end of the season. But so far, Alabama beat Georgia, Texas beat Michigan, Georgia beat Clemson and Tennessee beat NC State and Oklahoma. So that’s how it is right now. Ohio State’s big games are coming up, and the Buckeyes will move up if they win.

Miami slips to No. 8 after needing an overturned Hail Mary to beat Virginia Tech, and Penn State beat a ranked Illinois team to move up to No. 7. I don’t think the ceiling is very high for Michigan after it held on to beat Minnesota, but the Wolverines’ win against USC last week means they’re going to stay around here until something changes.

11-25

BYU jumps up to No. 12 after beating Baylor, but its earlier win against SMU continues to look better after the Mustangs moved to 4-1 with a 42-16 beatdown of Florida State. (Last weekend’s K-State win looks better, too). Clemson is up to No. 13 and still rolling since Week 1 after a 40-14 win against Stanford.

Utah drops from No. 9 to No. 17 after a 23-10 loss to Arizona. It’s really hard to place the Utes because we don’t know when (or if) injured quarterback Cam Rising will come back. Notre Dame inches up to No. 18 after beating Louisville. The loss to Northern Illinois continues to look worse, but the wins against Louisville and Texas A&M help. Indiana continues to roll, up to No. 19 after a 42-28 win against Maryland.

Ole Miss drops from No. 5 to No. 20 after a 20-17 loss to Kentucky. The Rebels just don’t have any good wins to offset the loss and make a case for a higher ranking. They’ve beaten Furman, Middle Tennessee, Wake Forest and Georgia Southern. Oklahoma is back into the top 25 after a comeback win at Auburn. Undefeated UNLV is back in after beating Fresno State 59-14, and Boise State enters the top 25 after beating Washington State 45-24.

26-50

Texas A&M’s win against Arkansas moves the Aggies up to No. 29. Navy’s 41-18 win at UAB slides the Midshipmen up to No. 31. Rutgers moves up to No. 32 after beating Washington on Friday night, and Arizona is up to No. 33 after the win against Utah. It’s Arizona’s 31-7 loss to Kansas State a few weeks back that keeps the Wildcats from being higher for now.

Oklahoma State tumbles from No. 20 to No. 37 after a 42-20 loss to K-State. The Cowboys are 0-2 in Big 12 play and needed a late comeback to beat Arkansas. Kentucky’s win against Ole Miss moves the Wildcats up to No. 39, but Week 2’s blowout loss to South Carolina keeps the Wildcats behind the Gamecocks for now.

Colorado jumps from No. 67 to No. 44 after a 48-21 win at UCF, easily the most impressive performance of the Deion Sanders era.

51-75

No. 55 NIU is now 0-2 since its Notre Dame upset, but the Huskies stayed close in a 24-17 loss to NC State, which moves up to No. 54. Virginia Tech actually ticks up two spots to No. 56 after its overturned Hail Mary loss to Miami, given the nature of that finish. Army is 4-0 and up to No. 62 after its third consecutive win against an Owls team (FAU, Rice, Temple).

Sam Houston jumps from No. 91 to No. 68 after a 40-39 win against Texas State to move to 4-1. Since an 0-8 start as an FBS program last year, the Bearkats are 7-2 in their last nine games.

76-100

Kansas drops to No. 80 after falling to 1-4. The Jayhawks entered the weekend with three consecutive one-score losses, but their latest setback was a 38-27 loss to TCU. Florida State tumbles again down to No. 81 after a blowout loss at SMU.

Louisiana moves up to No. 84 after beating Wake Forest, which drops to No. 88. UConn makes a big jump up to No. 86 after a dominant 47-3 win against Buffalo. The Huskies are definitely trending up over the last three weeks. Georgia State drops out of the top 50 to No. 85 after losing to Georgia Southern, dampening the value of the win against Vanderbilt. USF may be beat up after a tough nonconference schedule, dropping to No. 87 after a 45-10 loss to Tulane.

East Carolina beat UTSA 30-20 to move up to No. 92. Purdue and Mississippi State kept it close with Nebraska and Texas, respectively, in the first half, but they remain the lowest-ranked Power 4 teams at No. 98 and No. 99. Purdue fired offensive coordinator Graham Harrell on Sunday.

101-134

ULM is up to No. 101, now 3-1 after beating Troy. That’s already an improvement on last season’s 2-10 record for first-year coach Bryant Vincent. Bowling Green competed well with Penn State and Texas A&M but drops to No. 105 after losing to previously winless Old Dominion. Wyoming also got its first win of the season, over Air Force, to move up to No. 119, while Air Force drops to No. 120 with Navy coming up next.

San Diego State falls to No. 112 after a last-second field goal loss to Central Michigan. Charlotte beat Rice in a wild finish to move to 2-3 and get up to No. 124.

We’re down to just three winless teams, and they make up the bottom three. They also each have losses to FCS programs, after Kennesaw State lost 24-13 to UT Martin. Kent State remains at No. 134. The Golden Flashes played Eastern Michigan close in the box score, but four turnovers led to a 52-33 loss.

The Athletic 134 series is part of a partnership with Allstate. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

(Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)