It's good to be young. It's even better to be king.
Alabama springs to the top of CBS Sports' College Football Power Rankings this week following an incredible 41-34 win against Georgia thanks to the heroics of two freshmen in the final moments Saturday. Ryan Williams, the 17-year-old phenom who might be the sport's best receiver, snagged and pirouetted his way to a game-winning, 75-yard touchdown while cornerback Zabien Young sealed the Bulldogs' fate with an interception in the end zone in the final seconds.
It was legend-making stuff for the Crimson Tide's freshmen, who pushed coach Kalen DeBoer ahead of Kirby Smart in the SEC's coaching hierarchy while also keeping the Bulldogs below the Tide -- again -- with their ninth win in the last 10 meetings.
Transfer and veteran players usually dominate the sport, but this year it's the freshmen stealing the show. While Williams was speeding past Georgia for 177 yards on six catches, Ohio State phenom Jeremiah Smith continued his tear, snagging a one-handed catch for a touchdown against Michigan State while accounting for 102 yards, including 83 receiving, and two scores to up his total to 364 yards and six scores in four games.
Redshirt freshman Arch Manning continued his great start in place of Quinn Ewers, leading Texas over Mississippi State. His time in the spotlight may end soon with Ewers on the mend.
This was the wildest week yet of the season. Three top-10 teams fell, including two to unranked opponents at home (Ole Miss to Kentucky and Utah to Arizona), and Miami survived at home with the help of ACC replay officials. The CBS Sports College Football Power Rankings reflect the tumultuous week, with a precipitous drop for teams and several fast risers making waves as potential playoff challengers.
No ad available
Let's get to it …
Biggest Movers
7
16
| Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 9-3 | |
We promised Alabama would rocket up the rankings with a win against Georgia. The Tide were dominant in the first half with 30 points, making Georgia's elite defense look pedestrian with three plays of 20-plus yards on the first 10 plays of the game. They then had to weather an insane Georgia rally before freshman phenom Ryan Williams caught a 75-yard touchdown pass to retake the lead late. The Tide still have issues to correct, especially on the back end of the defense, but Jalen Milroe is doing things we've never seen in the sport. He became the first player in the AP poll era with 300 yards passing, 100 yards rushing and two rushing touchdowns against a top-five opponent, according to ESPN. Kalen DeBoer is an incredible 13-2 against teams in the AP top 25. Couple the blowout win at Wisconsin with the best win by any team this season, and it's enough for the Tide to eke out Texas for the No. 1 spot.
| |||
| 2 | -- | 12-2 | |
Arch Manning is great, and he's going to be an elite quarterback, but the Longhorns are better when Quinn Ewers is on the field. Texas did what it needed to do against Mississippi State, but the schedule is about to get tougher, so a healthy Ewers is needed on the field to navigate the Longhorns to an SEC title. The bye week couldn't have landed at a better time. The Longhorns' defense isn't getting enough love, so give them some props for not allowing a single point in the first quarter all season. That's helped Texas to its best point differential (+190) through five games since 1946.
| |||
| 3 | -- | 11-2 | |
No one has challenged Ohio State. The Buckeyes have led by at least two touchdowns at halftime in every game. QB Will Howard was knocked out of the game but returned in the second half against Michigan State, providing the only low spot in a night highlighted (again) by big plays as freshman Jeremiah Smith put on yet another breathtaking performance (five catches, 83 yards, 1 TD; 19 rushing yards, 1 TD). The Buckeyes are big favorites against Iowa, but that Hawkeyes defense will be the biggest challenge yet of the season - and a great litmus test for the program before heading to Oregon on Oct. 12.
| |||
| 4 | -- | 10-3 | |
Tennessee got to take a deep breath during the bye week and heal up a few nicks and bruises. If you're wondering just how impressive the Vols have been this season, consider that Josh Heupel informed quarterback Nico Iamaleava that he "pulled back a tad" against Oklahoma a week ago because of how well the defense played in a double-digit win. These Vols have it all and are true national title contenders.
| |||
| 5 | 4 | 11-2 | |
Georgia didn't look like a top-five team in the first half against Alabama but charged back during a ferocious fourth quarter to take a lead against the Tide. Still, it wasn't enough to overcome four turnovers, and in a year Kirby Smart was supposed to finally exit Nick Saban's shadow, he instead slipped as the former 'Bama boss watched from a suite high above the field carrying his name. Streaks were snapped (42-game winning streak in the regular season and the longest SEC winning streak in history at 28), but the Bulldogs' comeback was enough to keep hope alive that the Bulldogs can win a rematch should they face the Tide again in the SEC Championship Game. Smart dropped to 1-6 against the Tide.
| |||
| 6 | 1 | 10-3 | |
Hey, even the great teams need a little luck to stay perfect. Virginia Tech's Fail Mary, which was ruled a touchdown on the field, was overturned after a replay review, rewarding the Hurricanes a 38-34 comeback win in a game they trailed by double digits. Cam Ward overcame three turnovers, leading a game-winning drive with under 2 minutes remaining, and threw for 300-plus yards for the sixth straight game dating back to his time at Washington State. The Hurricanes next travel across the country to Cal for an intriguing matchup against a solid defense.
| |||
| 7 | 3 | 12-2 | |
Penn State's defense stepped up again, shutting out Illinois after the first quarter to pick up a 21-7 win in the first meeting between the schools as top-20 teams since 1959. The defense limited Illinois to 1.1 yards per rush and to 219 total yards, the Illini's lowest total since 2019. Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton again carried the Nittany Lions with 196 combined rushing yards and they scored all three touchdowns.
| |||
| 8 | 1 | 13-0 | |
Dillon Gabriel wasn't at his best, throwing a pick six, but Oregon still picked up its largest win at UCLA in school history in its Big Ten opener. Jordan James rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown, while Tez Johnson caught 11 passes for 121 yards and a pair of scores. The defense was great as the Ducks scored on their first five possessions as well. The date with Ohio State in two weeks looms large on the horizon.
| |||
| 9 | 2 | 9-3 | |
Missouri was out of sight and out of mind on its bye week. The Tigers haven't necessarily been overly impressive with Boston College and Vanderbilt pushing them to their limit at home. The road trip to Texas A&M, which has been sneaky good in close games against Notre Dame (loss) and Arkansas (win), is a massive challenge this week. It's easy to understand why the Tigers are only slight favorites according to the oddsmakers in Las Vegas.
| |||
| 10 | 2 | 10-4 | |
Remember when Georgia broke teams? Well, that's not the case for Clemson. It seems that the season-opening loss has only reinvigorated the Tigers, who look the part of a playoff team and potential ACC champion. Cade Klubnik has scored 16 touchdowns and thrown 12 touchdowns against only one interception in the three games since the opener. Also, congrats to Dabo Swinney for tying Bobby Bowden for the most career wins by an ACC coach (173) with the 40-14 domination of Stanford.
| |||
| 11 | 2 | 7-5 | |
Michigan knows exactly what it is on offense, and that's fine against overmatched opponents, but what happens when teams with comparable talent appear on the schedule in the Big Ten? We'll worry about that later this week against Washington on the road, but for now the Wolverines carry a 22-game winning streak against unranked teams following a 27-24 win at Minnesota. Kalel Mullings has supplanted Donovan Edwards as the team's top running back, surpassing 100-plus yards for a third straight game. He's the first Michigan Man to do that - and score two touchdowns or more in three straight - since 2003.
| |||
| 12 | 2 | 7-6 | |
Perhaps USC plays at its best when trailing? The Trojans were booed by fans at the Coliseum at halftime but rallied from an 11-point deficit to cruise to a 38-21 win against Wisconsin - their second straight rally in as many weeks but this on clinching their first Big Ten win. Miller Moss threw for 308 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for another score.
| |||
| 13 | 2 | 8-4 | |
Garrett Nussmeier threw for a career-high 409 yards in a blowout of South Alabama. It was a solid win against a Jaguars offense that had torn apart Northwestern State and Appalachian State, scoring a combined 135 points entering the game. LSU won 42-10. The Tigers get a bye week before hosting Ole Miss for what might prove to be a playoff elimination game.
| |||
| 14 | 2 | 11-3 | |
Iowa State shut out the worst team in the Big 12 on the road as Matt Campbell became the all-time wins leader in school history (57). The Cyclones returned one of the more experienced teams in the country, especially in terms of production, and it's showing up with complete performances each week. The Cyclones are allowing only 7.3 points per game and are 4-0, their best starts since 2000.
| |||
| 15 | 9 | 9-3 | |
Ugh. Lane Kiffin did nothing to eradicate the "all flash, no substance" takes that have plagued his career with a disappointing 20-17 loss to Kentucky. The Rebels lost to an unranked team at home as a top-10 team for the first time since 1970. It's acceptable to expect Kentucky's defense to challenge the Rebels, but holding an offense that averaged 55 points per game to only 17 at home is flabbergasting. Kentucky is now 3-30 all-time against top-six teams in the AP poll. Ole Miss is still capable of being a playoff team, but with LSU and Georgia remaining on the schedule, Kiffin can't afford another misstep.
| |||
| 16 | 7 | 11-2 | |
We've been high on the Hoosiers thus far, and it's great to finally see the rest of the world buy what we're selling. Indiana pulled away with 21 straight points to beat Maryland 42-28, and did so despite committing four turnovers. First year coach Curt Cignetti promised us he'd win - and win big - at Indiana, but the way he is doing it in his first season is incredible. The Hoosiers are 5-0 for the first time since 1967 and have scored 30-plus points in every game, the best five-game stretch since 2000. Their scoring average (48.8) has jumped 26.6 points from last season. Tougher competition awaits after a trip to Northwestern.
| |||
| 17 | 3 | 12-1 | |
Notre Dame is still on track after that early season loss to Northern Illinois, but several injuries on defense in a 31-24 win against Louisville led to some frustration, and it remains to be seen if sacks leader Boubacar Traore will miss extended time. The Irish started hot on offense, grabbing a 21-7 lead, but then went stagnant (again) as it has most of the season. Riley Leonard, however, quieted some boo birds with a season-high two touchdown passes.
| |||
| 18 | 4 | 8-4 | |
We're still high on Iowa, which gets a chance to solidify itself in the rankings with a trip to Ohio State this week (if the offense shows any life on the road).
| |||
| 19 | 2 | 11-2 | |
BYU never seemed to be in danger against Baylor - until it was. The Cougars built a 21-point lead early, but Baylor chipped away and had multiple opportunities to tie or take the lead in the fourth quarter. BYU's defense stood strong, forcing a punt, a turnover on downs and a game-sealing interception on the Bears' final three possessions. Baylor, which has won three games as underdogs, is 2-0 in conference play for the first time since it was in the Mountain West in 2009.
| |||
| 20 | NR | 9-4 | |
The Big 12 is wild and wide open. A week after a lackluster loss at BYU, Kansas State returned home and drilled Oklahoma State 42-20. Avery Johnson scored a career-best five touchdowns against a Cowboys program that has seemingly regressed despite returning most of their stars from last season's run to the Big 12 Championship Game. Can K-State show up on the road in two weeks and beat surging Colorado?
| |||
| 21 | NR | 12-1 | |
Ashton Jeanty is a magician, a feisty running back with the same build and tackle-breaking ability of a 5-foot-9 Emmitt Smith and a burst of speed that is unmatched in the Mountain West. He rushed Saturday for 259 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-17 win against previously undefeated Washington State. He's averaged 10-plus yards per rush attempt in three of four games this season. As long as he's healthy, Boise State will be the favorite to snag the Group of Five's bid in the playoff. He might also hoist the Heisman Trophy if he continues this incredible pace (211.3 yards per game).
| |||
| 22 | NR | 11-3 | |
Turns out UNLV doesn't need Matthew Sluka, the quarterback who departed the program amid confusion over his NIL compensation. Campbell transfer Hajj-Malik Williams looked like the better quarterback Saturday in a 59-14 trouncing of Fresno State, throwing for 183 yards and rushing for 119 yards while scoring four touchdowns.. The Rebels can pick up their third win against a power conference team this week when Syracuse comes to Las Vegas.
| |||
| 23 | NR | 4-8 | |
Arizona still has a lot of firepower, and when it's clicking, not many in the Big 12 can slow it down, and that includes the nation's best defense. Arizona upset top-10 Utah in a result that didn't necessarily surprise us. The Utes are noticeably different without veteran quarterback Cam Rising, whose week-to-week status remains a mystery, and it finally showed up in the loss column Saturday. The Wildcats might not be a top-25 team in a couple of weeks, but they bounced back nicely after a disappointing loss at Kansas State.
| |||
| 24 | 16 | 5-7 | |
Does Cam Rising beat Arizona? Probably. Freshman Isaac Wilson threw two interceptions and failed to score points on Utah's only two trips inside the red zone during the 23-10 loss last week. The Utes were also 0-for-4 on fourth-down conversions. Whether Rising starts in two weeks will determine the course of the season, and because his status is unclear, we can only judge what the team is now without him. That led to a drastic drop in this week's rankings.
| |||
| 25 | 8 | 8-4 | |
Louisville fell short in its first opportunity to prove itself worthy of the playoff in the loss to Notre Dame. The Cardinals grabbed an early 7-0 lead after a Notre Dame fumble but struggled to slow the Irish. After some turnovers, they suddenly fell behind 21-7 and found themselves fighting and clawing the rest of the way on the road without three starters. Only two top-25 teams remain on the schedule, including Miami.
| |||