College Football Power Rankings: Week 10 (2021)
The biggest games of the weekend did not disappoint – especially Michigan vs. Michigan State. Thanks to a 16-point comeback victory by the Spartans, they now control their own playoff destiny. Winning out is far easier said than done, but if they manage to navigate the rest of their schedule without a loss, Michigan State should be looking at their first playoff berth since 2015.
Georgia racked up another dominating win in conference play, stifling the Gators to the tune of a 34-7 victory. They’re the clear-cut top team in the country, and could still secure a playoff berth even with a loss. Alabama and Ohio State are most likely the two other playoff teams if the season ended today, with Oklahoma and Cincinnati the first two on the outside looking in. Oklahoma has been too up-and-down all year to put in the top four and Cincinnati hasn’t looked great against inferior competition since beating Notre Dame.
There were plenty of ranked teams to fall in Week 9, so let’s see how the Week 10 power rankings shake out.
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College Football Power Rankings Week 10
* (NR) = not ranked in last week's power rankings
Big Movers
Auburn Tigers
The SEC gauntlet is brutal, but Auburn has done a nice job of navigating it thus far. They're 6-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play with games against Texas A&M and Alabama still ahead of them; so there's a long way to go. However, Auburn's only two losses are in Happy Valley on a failed fourth and goal to then-10th ranked Penn State. And to top-ranked Georgia. If they can find a way to finish up their schedule winning three of four, they'll be in a prominent bowl game.
Baylor Bears
The Bears are a tremendous story under Dave Aranda. They were 2-7 last year in Aranda's first season after coming over from LSU, but this year has been a completely different story. Baylor is 7-1 with wins over Iowa State, BYU, and Texas, and Aranda has more recruits on the way. The Bears are going to be a factor in this conference moving forward.
Ole Miss Rebels
It was really tough to move the Rebels down given what they were faced with on Saturday. They were down three receivers, Matt Corral came in on a bum ankle and hurt the other one during the game, and they still were in the game essentially to the end at Auburn. Their defense isn't championship-level, but it also wasn't bad against the Tigers. We all know Lane Kiffin teams are going to score points, but if Ole Miss wants to be a national factor moving forward, he's got to build a stout defense.
Iowa Hawkeyes
How the mighty have fallen. We all knew Iowa's number-two ranking wasn't going to last long, it was just a matter of how long. They've now lost back-to-back games with a bye sandwiched in-between, and have mustered just 14 points against Purdue and Wisconsin. The offense poses basically no threat of a big play, and the defense can't be expected to carry the load for this team this deep into the season and for this long each game. A team once with playoff aspirations, Iowa is now a loss away from saying goodbye to all hopes of a solid bowl game.
Newcomers
Houston Cougars
The Cougars dropped Week 1 to Texas Tech, and then went on a six-game win streak against some questionable competition. Many doubted their chances against SMU on Saturday, but the Cougars beat the Mustangs at their own game - they outscored them. A kickoff return touchdown with 30 seconds left sealed the deal and put the Cougars firmly in the driver's seat to face Cincinnati in the AAC title game. They're 7-1, and 5-0 in conference play.
BYU Cougars
The Cougars almost cracked the top-10 of my power rankings just a few weeks ago, but a few losses sent them tumbling down and eventually out of the top-25. Well, they're back thanks to a 66-point outburst against the Virginia Cavaliers. BYU was always a tough, beat-you-up kind of team, but this was a whole new side of the Cougars and one that could come in handy down the stretch as they'll need as many style points as possible.
Random Musings
Michigan State Spartans
How about Sparty? Michigan State is 8-0 for the first time since 2015; ironically the last time they reached the College Football Playoff. Kenneth Walker III is an absolute stud of a running back, their tempo on offense gave the Michigan defense all sorts of problems, and Mel Tucker is an outstanding coach. Michigan State could have folded the tent down 16 points in the second half, but they didn't. They fought back to secure a monstrous win over their biggest rival.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Just about a month ago, I toyed around with putting Penn State at number two in my rankings. Then Sean Clifford got hurt, and it all came crashing down in Happy Valley. That injury caused the Nittany Lions to lose to Iowa, and sure Clifford's been back for both subsequent losses, but the wind has been taken out of this team's sails. The defense is still good, but the offense isn't making enough plays. Playoff hopes are gone, conference title hopes are gone, New Year's Six bowl hopes are gone, and they've still got Michigan and Michigan State left to play. This could be a bumpy ride to the finish.
Bet $10, Win $150 on Week 10 Contests Regardless of Outcome! >>
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