by Wayne Root
Thursday, Sep 24, 2026After a little over three weeks, we have a general sense of just how good most of the 138 college football teams are. If I were to guess, the NIL and portals are making things interesting.
We can see a pattern with some (UCLA, Mississippi State, and Alabama), while others (Ohio State, LSU, Louisville) might have a loss, but whatever – we’ve got it. And then there’s Indiana. Of course we’ll give the defending national champs the benefit of several doubts, but Alabama roasted the Kentucky team that just beat Texas A&M. Indiana has beaten North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky.
Everyone fell all over themselves to love Miami after beating Stanford and Florida A&M, and what happened when it faced Wake Forest? It had to work. So for now, a quarter of the way into the season, here’s our always-fluid call on who the 25 best teams in college football are.
1. Texas Longhorns
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: at Tennessee
Arch Manning needs to be more consistently accurate, but Cam Coleman is playing like the superstar receiver he is, the defense held up fine against a good UTSA team, and the Ohio State win will only look better and better as the year goes on. Texas holds onto the No. 1 spot in the rankings after avoiding a letdown and defeating UTSA 30-6. Arch Manning finished with 164 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding 50 yards on the ground, helping the Longhorns remain unbeaten after their previous statement victory over Ohio State.
Steve Sarkisian was especially pleased with his defense, which controlled the game and prevented UTSA from finding the end zone despite some questions about Texas’ offensive performance.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
Record: (2-1)
Up Next: Illinois
There you go, Ohio State. You got the Texas game out of your system. Now keep that offensive focus and explosion going week after week, and there will be confetti waiting to fall on you in Las Vegas in late January. Julian Sayin threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns as the Buckeyes overwhelmed their opponent offensively and quickly removed any possibility of an upset.
Ohio State’s defense was even more impressive, limiting Kent State to only 134 total yards while forcing three turnovers in the blowout win. The performance was enough for Crain
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: at Purdue
Notre Dame stays at No. 3 after pulling away from Michigan State for a 27-10 victory and avoiding an upset that could have dramatically changed its early-season outlook. Nolan James Jr. carried much of the workload on the ground, rushing 26 times for 121 yards and a touchdown as the Fighting Irish wore down the Spartans. That was a nice win over Michigan State. The conditions were awful, Pat Fitzgerald’s bunch got physical, and just like it did against Wisconsin, the offensive line took over. It was a professional-caliber win by a phenomenally talented team.
4. Georgia
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: Oklahoma
Georgia turned the Razorbacks into pulled pork in an efficient 45-17 victory that was more lopsided than that score indicates. When you treat a conference opponent like a G6 team, you’ve officially demonstrated your dominance over the league. Or maybe Arkansas is just that bad.
Georgia remains at No. 4 following a comfortable 45-17 win over Arkansas to begin SEC play. Quarterback Gunner Stockton was efficient through the air, completing 10 of 13 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown while also showing his ability as a runner with 97 rushing yards. The Bulldogs were never seriously threatened as they handled an Arkansas program searching for answers and continued their unbeaten start.
5. Ole Miss Rebels
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: at Florida
Trinidad Chambliss was outstanding again, completing 33 of 48 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns while also scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a 14-yard run in the fourth quarter. The Rebels handled all of the emotion surrounding Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford and came away with a signature victory against a top-ranked opponent. The Rebels beat a great-looking Louisville and took down an LSU that might still win the national title if it gets its stuff together a bit faster. There are issues – the leaky secondary is going to be a problem – but if Trinidad Chambliss can pull off a win at Florida next week in what should be one of the season’s wildest shootouts, few will be able to match this team’s body of work.
6. LSU Tigers
Record: (2-1)
Up Next: Texas A&M
LSU takes the largest tumble in the rankings this week, falling seven spots after Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford ended with a 32-24 loss to Ole Miss. The Tigers found themselves in a 24-7 halftime hole before making a push in the second half, but they could not complete the comeback against the Rebels. You think we’re jumping off the Lane Train now? Hardly. Ole Miss needed everything in the bag in an all-time grievance game to pull that off. It would be nice if quarterback Sam Leavitt were far, far sharper, but this has the look of a team that needs a bit more tuning, and then – uh oh.
7. Indiana Hoosiers
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: Northwestern
We all get the drill. Indiana plays someone obnoxiously mediocre, Curt Cignetti says something quirky about how his team will unapologetically beat the holy stuffing out of them, and then we move on. Quarterback Josh Hoover threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns, continuing a strong start to the season for an Indiana offense that has rarely been challenged during non-conference play. Turbo Richard added another explosive element on the ground, rushing for 149 yards and a touchdown as the Hoosiers controlled the game throughout. The drop is more reflective of movement around Indiana than anything the Hoosiers did wrong, as they remain unbeaten and comfortably
Northwestern, at Rutgers, at Nebraska – lather, rinse, repeat until Ohio State comes to town.
8. Miami Hurricanes
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: Central Michigan
Quarterback Darian Mensah continued his strong start to the season, throwing for 220 yards and three touchdowns as he added another productive outing to his early Heisman Trophy résumé. The Hurricanes were unable to completely put Wake Forest away early, but they did enough to remain undefeated and continue building momentum against conference competition. Wake Forest is good, it was a road trip, and not to get mystical or anything, but Friday night games tend to be strange – it’s like teams are thrown off their rhythm. It’ll be all about focus through a quirky-tough ACC run after this week’s layup against Central Michigan.
9. USC Trojans
Record: (4-0)
Up Next: Oregon
Okay, so the defense is way-shaky, but it was the first road trip of the season, it was on the other side of the country, and a desperate Rutgers team threw everything, including the kitchen sink, at the Trojans. Whatever … Oregon is coming to town next week.
10. Mississippi State
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: Missouri
Mississippi State makes its first appearance in the Top 10 after earning a 41-34 road victory over South Carolina and continuing its impressive start to the season.
Quarterback Kamario Taylor delivered another big performance, throwing for 251 yards and four touchdowns while overcoming one interception in Columbia. Fluff Bothwell provided balance with 115 rushing yards on 21 carries as the Bulldogs completed another strong road showing. Mississippi State has now put itself firmly on the national radar, with its early-season success
We can see a pattern with some (UCLA, Mississippi State, and Alabama), while others (Ohio State, LSU, Louisville) might have a loss, but whatever – we’ve got it. And then there’s Indiana. Of course we’ll give the defending national champs the benefit of several doubts, but Alabama roasted the Kentucky team that just beat Texas A&M. Indiana has beaten North Texas, Howard, and Western Kentucky.
Everyone fell all over themselves to love Miami after beating Stanford and Florida A&M, and what happened when it faced Wake Forest? It had to work. So for now, a quarter of the way into the season, here’s our always-fluid call on who the 25 best teams in college football are.
1. Texas Longhorns
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: at Tennessee
Arch Manning needs to be more consistently accurate, but Cam Coleman is playing like the superstar receiver he is, the defense held up fine against a good UTSA team, and the Ohio State win will only look better and better as the year goes on. Texas holds onto the No. 1 spot in the rankings after avoiding a letdown and defeating UTSA 30-6. Arch Manning finished with 164 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding 50 yards on the ground, helping the Longhorns remain unbeaten after their previous statement victory over Ohio State.
Steve Sarkisian was especially pleased with his defense, which controlled the game and prevented UTSA from finding the end zone despite some questions about Texas’ offensive performance.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
Record: (2-1)
Up Next: Illinois
There you go, Ohio State. You got the Texas game out of your system. Now keep that offensive focus and explosion going week after week, and there will be confetti waiting to fall on you in Las Vegas in late January. Julian Sayin threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns as the Buckeyes overwhelmed their opponent offensively and quickly removed any possibility of an upset.
Ohio State’s defense was even more impressive, limiting Kent State to only 134 total yards while forcing three turnovers in the blowout win. The performance was enough for Crain
3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: at Purdue
Notre Dame stays at No. 3 after pulling away from Michigan State for a 27-10 victory and avoiding an upset that could have dramatically changed its early-season outlook. Nolan James Jr. carried much of the workload on the ground, rushing 26 times for 121 yards and a touchdown as the Fighting Irish wore down the Spartans. That was a nice win over Michigan State. The conditions were awful, Pat Fitzgerald’s bunch got physical, and just like it did against Wisconsin, the offensive line took over. It was a professional-caliber win by a phenomenally talented team.
4. Georgia
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: Oklahoma
Georgia turned the Razorbacks into pulled pork in an efficient 45-17 victory that was more lopsided than that score indicates. When you treat a conference opponent like a G6 team, you’ve officially demonstrated your dominance over the league. Or maybe Arkansas is just that bad.
Georgia remains at No. 4 following a comfortable 45-17 win over Arkansas to begin SEC play. Quarterback Gunner Stockton was efficient through the air, completing 10 of 13 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown while also showing his ability as a runner with 97 rushing yards. The Bulldogs were never seriously threatened as they handled an Arkansas program searching for answers and continued their unbeaten start.
5. Ole Miss Rebels
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: at Florida
Trinidad Chambliss was outstanding again, completing 33 of 48 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns while also scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a 14-yard run in the fourth quarter. The Rebels handled all of the emotion surrounding Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford and came away with a signature victory against a top-ranked opponent. The Rebels beat a great-looking Louisville and took down an LSU that might still win the national title if it gets its stuff together a bit faster. There are issues – the leaky secondary is going to be a problem – but if Trinidad Chambliss can pull off a win at Florida next week in what should be one of the season’s wildest shootouts, few will be able to match this team’s body of work.
6. LSU Tigers
Record: (2-1)
Up Next: Texas A&M
LSU takes the largest tumble in the rankings this week, falling seven spots after Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford ended with a 32-24 loss to Ole Miss. The Tigers found themselves in a 24-7 halftime hole before making a push in the second half, but they could not complete the comeback against the Rebels. You think we’re jumping off the Lane Train now? Hardly. Ole Miss needed everything in the bag in an all-time grievance game to pull that off. It would be nice if quarterback Sam Leavitt were far, far sharper, but this has the look of a team that needs a bit more tuning, and then – uh oh.
7. Indiana Hoosiers
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: Northwestern
We all get the drill. Indiana plays someone obnoxiously mediocre, Curt Cignetti says something quirky about how his team will unapologetically beat the holy stuffing out of them, and then we move on. Quarterback Josh Hoover threw for 273 yards and two touchdowns, continuing a strong start to the season for an Indiana offense that has rarely been challenged during non-conference play. Turbo Richard added another explosive element on the ground, rushing for 149 yards and a touchdown as the Hoosiers controlled the game throughout. The drop is more reflective of movement around Indiana than anything the Hoosiers did wrong, as they remain unbeaten and comfortably
Northwestern, at Rutgers, at Nebraska – lather, rinse, repeat until Ohio State comes to town.
8. Miami Hurricanes
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: Central Michigan
Quarterback Darian Mensah continued his strong start to the season, throwing for 220 yards and three touchdowns as he added another productive outing to his early Heisman Trophy résumé. The Hurricanes were unable to completely put Wake Forest away early, but they did enough to remain undefeated and continue building momentum against conference competition. Wake Forest is good, it was a road trip, and not to get mystical or anything, but Friday night games tend to be strange – it’s like teams are thrown off their rhythm. It’ll be all about focus through a quirky-tough ACC run after this week’s layup against Central Michigan.
9. USC Trojans
Record: (4-0)
Up Next: Oregon
Okay, so the defense is way-shaky, but it was the first road trip of the season, it was on the other side of the country, and a desperate Rutgers team threw everything, including the kitchen sink, at the Trojans. Whatever … Oregon is coming to town next week.
10. Mississippi State
Record: (3-0)
Up Next: Missouri
Mississippi State makes its first appearance in the Top 10 after earning a 41-34 road victory over South Carolina and continuing its impressive start to the season.
Quarterback Kamario Taylor delivered another big performance, throwing for 251 yards and four touchdowns while overcoming one interception in Columbia. Fluff Bothwell provided balance with 115 rushing yards on 21 carries as the Bulldogs completed another strong road showing. Mississippi State has now put itself firmly on the national radar, with its early-season success
