Joel Klatt inexplicably keeps Oregon above Miami in latest top-10 rankings

Joel Klatt putting Miami at No. 3 — behind Oregon — in his latest Top 10 rankings doesn't hold up when you compare what they have actually done so far this season.

Klatt's updated top 10 has Ohio State at No. 1, Oregon at No. 2 and Miami at No. 3. That's his prerogative, but it's a step away from what most people in the college football are noticing. For example, the AP Poll moved Miami back to No. 2 on Sunday, ahead of Oregon, after the Hurricanes' road win at Florida State. Many are making the case that Miami could even be No. 1 right now based on what they have shown on the field. And when you look at the resumes, it seems like a head-scratcher for Miami to be No. 3.

Miami just went into Tallahassee and beat No. 18 Florida State, 28–22, behind a superb Carson Beck performance. That's a top-20 road win coupled with September's 26–7 demolition of Florida — who just turned around and upset No. 9 Texas, 29–21 — along wins over Notre Dame and USF (both of which are ranked). The FSU performance also wasn't even as close as the final score indicates. The Canes were up 28-3 going into the fourth quarter, so if you're judging on the eye test then they passed that too.

But if Miami's resume isn't enough, let's take a deeper look into Oregon. The Ducks' marquee win is the thrilling 30–24 double-overtime escape at Penn State. Awesome scene and great win on the road. But seven days later, Penn State lost at previously winless UCLA and has now promptly fell out of the AP Top 25. When your signature win gets devalued immediately, it undercuts the claim that you should sit ahead of a team with multiple quality wins.

Oregon is excellent — and undefeated. But if the argument is that Oregon must be ahead of Miami, it leans heavily on a White Out classic that looks a lot less valuable after Week 6. All of Miami's quality wins have aged in the opposite direction (obviously FSU lost to UVA before facing Miami, but at least they have a ranked win unlike Penn State). Florida is still playing hard and just knocked Texas out of the rankings, USF might just be the Group of Six representative in the CFP, and Notre Dame still has a shot at making the playoff if they win out.

Those are at the very least three quality (whichever ones you count as the three) to Oregon's one quality win. Now, if Oregon secures a win over Indiana this upcoming week, there is a sound argument for the Ducks being back at No. 2 heading into Week 8. But there needs to be a reward for what we have seen so far — which is that Miami has clearly earned the No. 2 spot.