The Miami Hurricanes should remain No. 1 for another week and if my predictions are correct, we're looking at a No. 1 vs. No. 3 matchup in South Bend next Saturday.
Some fans might disagree with the Hurricanes remaining in the top spot because they got into a battle on the road against the North Carolina Tar Heels, rallying with a couple of fourth-quarter scores to win 38-35. But, hear me out here, conference road games are tough, especially in the era of expanded conferences that force a lot more travel. The Tar Heels had talent and nothing to lose, so they gave the Hurricanes everything they could handle. That's college football.
So, Miami stays No. 1 and there's some movement happening around my predicted Top 25, especially down at the bottom where quite a few teams are back on the outside looking in.
Predicted AP top 25 poll for Week 10
1. Miami Hurricanes, 38-35 win over North Carolina
2. Georgia Bulldogs, 27-8 win over Florida
3. Indiana Hoosiers, 23-16 win over Minnesota
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 35-13 win over Navy
5. Utah Utes, 49-25 win over Cincinnati
6. UCLA Bruins, 27-0 win over Nevada
7. BYU Cougars, 27-20 win over Arizona State
8. Ohio State Buckeyes lost 30-18 to USC
9. Kentucky Wildcats did not play
10. Alabama Crimson Tide did not play
11. Texas Longhorns, 31-3 win over Mississippi State
12. Ole Miss Rebels, 45-15 win over Auburn
13. Texas Tech Red Raiders, 34-26 win over Arixona
14. Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 51-7 win over Virginia
15. LSU Tigers did not play
16. Tennessee Volunteers did not play
17. Houston Cougars did not play
18. Boise State Broncos, 46-45 win over Texas State
19. USC Trojans, 30-18 win over Ohio State
20. Missouri Tigers, 34-10 win over Arkansas
21. Duke Blue Devils, 47-2 win over Boston College
22. Iowa Hawkeyes, 30-0 win over Wisconsin
23. South Carolina Gamecocks, 42-25 win over Oklahoma
24. Arizona Wildcats lost 34-26 to Texas Tech
25. New Mexico Lobos, 21-16 win over San Jose State
The curious CFP case for Ohio State to stay in the Top 10
I have the Buckeyes dropping from No. 2 to No. 9 after a 30-18 loss to USC. It was a weird game because Ohio State gained over 450 yards with backup quarterback Luke Fahey grabbing the reins. When you look at the stat sheet, the Buckeyes did everything necessary to win on the road except score enough points.
The Buckeyes are a good team and, with Julian Sayin in the lineup, they are a legitimate championship threat. But they are going to have to win these final four games. Oregon isn't great this year, but they are going to be a pain in the tail next week and the Ducks have nothing to lose.
This is the final AP Poll that will matter. The first CFP rankings will be released on Tuesday, and we will transition from caring about this poll to caring about that one. Will Ohio State be in the top 12? Probably. But the CFP held a major injury against Florida State. Why should the Buckeyes get special treatment? And if the CFP "snubs" Ohio State, will Ryan Day destroy that program like Mike Norvell has destroyed the Seminoles? One can only hope.
Anyway, it'll be interesting to see where the first CFP rankings shake down. Miami should be No. 1 in those initial rankings, but there's no guarantee. However, the Hurricanes will be No. 1 in the AP Poll when it drops this afternoon.
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