Blue Through and Through College Football Rankings: Week 10

For the first time this year, the #1 team held on to its spot.  Even though Alabama edged closer with its third win over a Top 25 team, they cannot claim two wins over Top 10 teams as Clemson can.  

There was little movement, which is typical of an accurate ranking barring upsets.  Ohio State scored its second win over a Top 25 team and third impressive win, but has the anchor of a loss to the #14 team around it.  No one else ranked ahead of the Buckeyes has a loss to a team ranked that low.

Troy would be ranked ahead of Boise State using the same logic (Boise State has a loss to the #22 team), but Troy doesn't have any wins over teams considered for the Top 25, and that will hamper any further movement.  Boise State doesn't have any bad losses, unlike all the teams ranked below them except Troy and three-loss teams Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas and Florida State.   

Wyoming has a bigger win than every team ranked below them.

LSU and Arkansas have the misfortune of losing to three Top 10 teams.

By logic, South Florida, Navy, Houston and Oklahoma (each with two losses) have to be ranked in that order because of head-to-head results.

Colorado has to be ranked ahead of Washington State because they have the same biggest win (over Arizona State) and Colorado's losses were to #3 Washington and USC while Washington State lost to #12 Boise State and FCS Eastern Washington.  Neither can be ranked ahead of the teams ahead of them because they both lack an impressive win and they have a loss to a non-Top 25 team. 

While Utah is in that same category (no impressive win and a bad loss, Utah has to be ranked ahead of Colorado because the Utes beat USC while Colorado lost to them.  Utah, however, has to be ranked ahead of every team behind it either because of a more impressive win (and USC is surging), less losses, or less damaging losses.

(Note:  the rankings are based on logic rather than hype or potential.  Teams with the same record are judged by their biggest wins and their losses, if any.  Impressive wins over Top 25 teams are more important than other wins, and losses to Top 25 teams hurt far less than other losses.

The "Biggest Win" refers to the highest-ranked win; generally, only ranked teams and teams being considered are listed.  Sometimes, as in the case of Western Michigan, they don't have a win over teams in these rankings, and it is unknown at this time which of their listed wins is the biggest.)

1-1   Clemson (9-0) shut out Syracuse 54-0; Biggest Wins: #5 Louisville 42-36, #10 Auburn 19-13, #13 Troy 30-24 and Florida State 37-34
2-2    Alabama (8-0) blanked #25 LSU 10-0; Biggest Wins: #12 Texas A&M 33-14, #23 Tennessee 49-10, #24 Arkansas 49-30, LSU 10-0
3-3   Michigan (9-0) blitzed Maryland 59-3; Biggest Wins: #8 Wisconsin 14-7, #14 Penn State 49-10 and Colorado 45-28
5-4   Washington (9-0) crushed California 66-27; Biggest Win: #19 Utah 31-24
6-5    Louisville (8-1) lambasted Boston College 52-7; Biggest Win: Florida State 63-20; Lost to #1 Clemson 42-36
8-6    Ohio State (8-1) blew out #16 Nebraska 62-3; Biggest Wins: #8 Wisconsin 30-23 in overtime, #16 Nebraska 62-3 and Oklahoma 45-24; Lost to #14 Penn State 24-21
7-7   Western Michigan (8-0) whipped Ball State 52-20; Biggest Win: Northwestern 22-21 or Eastern Michigan 45-31
10-8   Wisconsin (7-2) topped Northwestern 21-7; Biggest Wins:  #16 Nebraska 23-17 in overtime and LSU 16-14; Lost to #3 Michigan 14-7 and #6 Ohio State 30-23 in overtime
4-9   Texas A&M (7-2) was upset by Mississippi State 35-28; Biggest Wins: #10 Auburn 29-16, #23 Tennessee 45-38 in two overtimes and Arkansas 45-24; Lost to #2 Alabama 33-14 and Mississippi State 35-28
11-10 Auburn (7-2) edged Vanderbilt 23-16; Biggest Wins:  #24 Arkansas 56-3 and LSU 18-13; Lost to #1 Clemson 19-13 and #9 Texas A&M 29-16 
14-11  West Virginia (7-1) creamed Kansas 48-21; Biggest Win: TCU 34-10; Lost to #20 Oklahoma State 37-20
12-12 Boise State (8-1) got by San Jose State 45-31; Biggest Win:  Washington State 31-28; Lost to #22 Wyoming 30-28
17-13 Troy (7-1) outpointed Massachusetts 52-31; Biggest Win:  Southern Mississippi 37-31; Lost to #1 Clemson 30-24
20-14 Penn State (7-2)  pounded Iowa 41-14; Biggest Win:  #6 Ohio State 24-21; Lost to #3 Michigan 49-10 and Pittsburgh 42-39
18-15  Virginia Tech (7-2) squeaked by Duke 24-21;  Biggest Win:  #17 North Carolina 34-3; Lost to #23 Tennessee 45-24 and Syracuse 31-17
9-16  Nebraska (7-2) was ripped by #6 Ohio State 62-3; Biggest Win: #22 Wyoming 52-17; Lost to #6 Ohio State 62-3 and #8 Wisconsin 23-17 in overtime
19-17  North Carolina (7-2) smashed Georgia Tech 48-20; Biggest Win: Florida State 37-35; Lost to #15 Virginia Tech 34-3 and Georgia 33-24
13-18   Baylor (6-2) was slaughtered by TCU 62-22; Biggest Win: #20 Oklahoma State 35-24; Lost to TCU 62-22 and Texas 35-34
21-19 Utah (7-2) did not play; Biggest Win: USC 31-27; Lost to #4 Washington 31-24 and California 28-23
22-20 Oklahoma State (3-2) pulled out a 43-37 win over Kansas State; Biggest Win:  #11 West Virginia 37-20; Lost to #18 Baylor 35-24 and Central Michigan 30-27
15-21 Florida (6-2) was rolled by #24 Arkansas 31-10; Biggest Win: Georgia 24-10; Lost to #23 Tennessee 38-28 and #24 Arkansas 31-10
23-22 Wyoming (7-2) blasted Utah State 52-28; Biggest Win:  #12 Boise State 30-28; Lost to #16 Nebraska 52-17 and Eastern Michigan 27-24
25-23 Tennessee (6-3) blanked Tennessee Tech 59-7; Biggest Wins: #15 Virginia Tech 45-24 and #21 Florida 38-28; Lost to #2 Alabama 49-10, #9 Texas A&M 45-38 in 2 OT's and South Carolina 24-21
-----24  Arkansas (6-3) smothered #21 Florida 31-10; Biggest Wins:  #21 Florida 31-10 and TCU 41-38; Lost to #2 Alabama 49-30, #9 Texas A&M 45-24 and #10 Auburn 56-3
24-25 South Florida (7-2) was idle this week; Biggest Win: Navy 52-45; Lost to Florida State 55-35 and Temple 46-30

Dropped Out:  LSU

Also Considered:
Navy (6-2) nipped Notre Dame 28-27:  Biggest Win:  Houston 45-40; Lost to #25 South Florida 52-45 and Air Force 28-14 
LSU (5-3) lost to #1 Alabama 10-0; Biggest Win:  Mississippi 38-21 or Southern Mississippi 45-10;  Lost to #1 Alabama 10-0, #8 Wisconsin 16-14 and #10 Auburn 18-13 
Houston (7-2) ; Biggest Win: Oklahoma 33-23; Lost to Navy 45-40 and SMU 38-16
Oklahoma (6-2) :  Biggest Win:  TCU 52-46; Lost to #6 Ohio State 45-24 and Houston 33-23
Colorado (6-2) was idle; Biggest Win:  Arizona State 40-16; Lost to #3 Michigan 45-28 and USC 21-17
Washington State (7-2) whipped Arizona 69-7; Biggest Win:  Arizona State 37-32; Lost to #12 Boise State 31-28 and Eastern Washington 45-42
Florida State (6-3) came from behind to beat North Carolina State 24-20; Biggest Win:  #24 South Florida 55-35; Lost to #1 Clemson 37-34, #5 Louisville 63-20 and #17 North Carolina 37-35
San Diego State (8-1) shut out Hawai'i 41-0; Biggest Win: California 45-40 or Utah State 40-13; Lost to South Alabama 42-24