In the wild, unpredictable world of college football, where upsets and surprises seem to be the norm, Miami has just claimed the throne after a rollercoaster Week 6—leaving fans wondering if this is the year the Hurricanes finally break through!
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This season has been anything but predictable, with teams flipping scripts left and right. But one thing's crystal clear at the summit: based on what we've seen on the field, Miami, Ohio State, and Oregon stand out as the most dominant and well-rounded squads right now. Their paths to the College Football Playoff (CFP)—that elite postseason tournament where the best teams battle for a national title—look brighter than most, especially since they haven't faced the brutal gauntlet of SEC schedules that can trip up even the strongest contenders. In fact, according to the latest projections from The Athletic's Austin Mock, all three boast over a 94% shot at making the playoff field, while the next best team trails at just 78%. For beginners, think of the CFP as the big leagues of college football, where only 12 teams get invited to compete for glory.
But here's where it gets controversial: among these powerhouses, Miami's track record is in a league of its own, and it's not even a close call. After their victory over Florida State in Tallahassee on Saturday, the Hurricanes leapfrog to No. 1 in this week's The Athletic 136 rankings. They've racked up impressive wins against Top 25 foes like Notre Dame, Florida State, and South Florida, plus a triumph over a Florida squad that just toppled Texas. Meanwhile, Ohio State and Oregon haven't notched a single win against a top-25 team in these rankings yet—hinting at potential shifts for teams like Texas and Penn State down the line.
What makes Miami so formidable? They're solid in every area: dominating the line of scrimmage (that's the trenches where offensive and defensive linemen battle), excelling at quarterback with sharp decision-making and execution, shining at skill positions like receivers and running backs, and playing lockdown defense. Their remaining schedule isn't a cakewalk, but it's manageable—the toughest test is a road trip to either SMU or Pitt. Locking in a spot in the ACC Championship Game and the CFP seems almost guaranteed, as long as they dodge those shocking upsets that derailed them last year against Georgia Tech and Syracuse. And this is the part most people miss: Miami's history in the ACC, which they joined in 2004 after leaving the Big East, has been a tale of unfulfilled potential. That move was a major win for the ACC, but it led to the Big East's decline, and in the two decades since, the Hurricanes have only made it to the conference title game once without ever claiming the crown. This year feels different—this could be the squad to turn the page and deliver that long-awaited championship.
Now, let's break down this week's The Athletic 136 rankings, where we've seen some major shake-ups.
Alongside Miami's rise, Alabama surges ahead of Indiana following their victory over Vanderbilt. The Crimson Tide have a road loss to a top-25 team (Florida State), but they've also secured two strong wins, including a top-10 triumph at Georgia. Indiana lacks a comparable highlight, though their upcoming trip to Oregon could change that.
Texas Tech rockets to No. 9 after dominating previously unbeaten Houston. The Red Raiders remain undefeated, with every win coming by at least three touchdowns, including tough road victories against Utah and Houston in conference play.
As we hit the mid-season mark, filling out the rest of the top 25 gets tricky—confidence is low here. Missouri faces a crucial challenge hosting Alabama this week, but teams like Mizzou, Tennessee, LSU, and Georgia Tech climb into the top 15 while sitting idle, as several above them stumbled. Vanderbilt doesn't drop much, thanks to a competitive road effort at Alabama. Florida State holds steady in the top 20, with losses only to No. 1 Miami and a narrow overtime defeat at No. 16 Virginia, plus a win over Alabama. Notre Dame might not match that all season. The argument for Florida State over Notre Dame is valid, but I edge the Irish ahead by a spot because they were more in the fight against Miami than the Seminoles were.
USF jumps to No. 21. The Bulls outperformed Notre Dame against Boise State, but the Irish edged them out in their matchup with Miami. Nebraska soars to No. 22 at 4-1; their Week 1 win over Cincinnati gains luster after the Bearcats upset Iowa State. BYU cracks the top 25, though the Cougars haven't faced anyone in my top 60 yet.
Memphis, at 6-0, has a favorable home slate with USF, Tulane, and Navy ahead—keep them on your CFP radar. TCU advances after defeating Colorado, and Washington climbs to No. 31 following a stunning comeback from 20-0 down to beat undefeated Maryland. Idle Tulane inches up as their Duke win looks stronger in hindsight.
And this is the part that might spark debate: Texas and Penn State plummet to Nos. 39 and 40, respectively. As I've noted before, if your best credential is a loss, you can't afford another. Texas fell to Florida, and Penn State was upset by winless UCLA. Neither has a Power 4 win (that's a victory over a team from the Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, or SEC), while Tulane has two. There's still time for the Longhorns and Nittany Lions to rebound, but prestige and preseason hype won't shield them from this drop.
Florida rises after beating Texas, while No. 45 Navy, No. 46 Arizona, and No. 47 UNLV gain ground with wins. The Midshipmen and Rebels are undefeated and still in the CFP conversation.
Clemson bounced back with a rout of North Carolina, but they trail Syracuse due to a head-to-head defeat. Pitt rebounds after a 48-7 thrashing of Boston College. Western Kentucky reaches No. 61 with a win over Delaware.
Old Dominion continues its ascent to No. 67 after a 47-7 victory against Coastal Carolina. Could they be the Sun Belt's top team? They'll test that against James Madison soon. Texas State slips to No. 73 after a heartbreaking last-second loss to Arkansas State.
Temple improves to 3-2 by beating UTSA. First-year coach KC Keeler has already matched the Owls' win totals from each of the last four seasons. UCLA moves up after defeating Penn State, but not too far yet—they trailed until late in the game and have a 35-10 setback to New Mexico. We need more evidence of their potential.
Bill Belichick's North Carolina has dropped all three games against Power 4 opponents by four touchdowns each. They'd be the lowest-ranked P4 team if not for Oklahoma State. Boston College, with a 48-7 loss to Pitt and another to Stanford, is nearly as struggling, though they stayed competitive against Cal and Michigan State.
Oregon State falls to 0-6 after another narrow defeat, this time at Appalachian State. Arkansas State rises to No. 115 with a win over Texas State, but a loss to ULM keeps them below the Warhawks. Ball State shocked Ohio, and Akron topped Central Michigan—the MAC looks wide open. Sam Houston drops after a 37-10 loss to New Mexico State. UMass stays at No. 136 following a 21-3 defeat to Western Michigan, but the upcoming Kent State-UMass game could reshuffle the bottom.
(Photo: Jason Clark / Getty Images)
Oct 6, 2025
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What do you think—does Miami deserve the No. 1 spot, or is Ohio State the real deal? Is the drop for Texas and Penn State fair, or are they due for a comeback? And could a team like Old Dominion surprise everyone in the Sun Belt? Share your opinions and debates in the comments below—we'd love to hear your take!
