• Washington joins the top four: After beating USC in an absolute shootout, the Huskies leap Florida State into the current College Football Playoff.
• Kansas rises: The Jayhawks now place 15th in this ranking after finishing 24th a week ago.
• Oklahoma State and Iowa make the top 25: After not being ranked last week, the Cowboys and Hawkeyes crack the top 25 this week.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
We’re already three-quarters of the way through the college football regular season, meaning it’s crunch time for teams to stake their claim to the College Football Playoff.
Here’s a look at how we’d rank the top-25 teams in the country heading into Week 11. Please note that this is not the same as PFF’s power rankings.
1. Georgia Bulldogs (Record: 9-0)
Week 11 Matchup: vs. No. 10 Ole Miss Rebels
Georgia survived a scare from No. 12 Missouri on Saturday, escaping with a 30-21 victory. Carson Beck continued to show why he’s one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the country. His 90.0 passing grade this season ranks sixth among all signal-callers in the country. Making that even more impressive is the fact that his top target, Brock Bowers, has missed the past two games due to an ankle injury.
While the Tigers were the best team the Bulldogs have played all season, they will hold that title for just a week. Georgia hosts a top-10 team in Ole Miss this Saturday.
2. Michigan Wolverines (Record: 9-0)
Week 11 Matchup: at No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions
For the ninth time in nine games, Michigan beat up a weaker opponent as it handled Purdue, 41-13, on Saturday. The Wolverines have won every game this season by at least 24 points, partially due to the fact that they still haven’t faced a top-25 team in PFF’s power rankings.
Michigan’s nine opponents this season
| Opponent | Scoring Margin | Current Record | Current PFF Ranking |
| East Carolina | 27 | 1-8 | 121st |
| UNLV | 28 | 7-2 | 63rd |
| Bowling Green | 25 | 5-4 | 88th |
| Rutgers | 24 | 6-3 | 51st |
| Nebraska | 38 | 5-4 | 57th |
| Minnesota | 42 | 5-4 | T-28th |
| Indiana | 45 | 3-6 | 100th |
| Michigan State | 49 | 3-6 | 78th |
| Purdue | 28 | 2-7 | 75th |
That all changes starting this weekend. Michigan faces two top-10 teams in the final three weeks, Penn State and Ohio State.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (Record: 9-0)
Week 11 Matchup: vs. Michigan State Spartans
Rutgers had Ohio State on the ropes this past weekend, as the Scarlet Knights trailed by just five in the fourth quarter. Two touchdowns from Marvin Harrison Jr. were enough for the Buckeyes to slam the door shut on a potential upset and escape with a 35-16 victory.
While C.J. Stroud dominates in his rookie campaign for the Houston Texans, his replacement in Columbus has been solid but unspectacular. Kyle McCord has as many turnover-worthy plays (12) as big-time throws this year, and his 74.6 grade ranks just 66th among FBS quarterbacks.
4. Washington Huskies (Record: 9-0)
Week 11 Matchup: vs. No. 14 Utah Utes
The Washington-USC over/under was the highest among all games this weekend at 75.5, and the over still hit by nearly 20 points. In a game that produced 1,087 yards of total offense, Washington outlasted USC 52-42.
Michael Penix Jr. outdueled reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams in the shootout and staked his claim as one of the top contenders for this year’s award. The sixth-year senior tossed two big-time throws without any turnover-worthy plays in the victory and his 91.4 passing grade on the season is third among all signal-callers in the country. He’ll face a much stingier defense this Saturday in Utah,
5. Florida State Seminoles (Record: 9-0)
Week 11 Matchup: vs. Miami (FL) Hurricanes
Despite being without his top two receivers, Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, Jordan Travis still threw for 360 yards with a pair of big-time throws in a 24-7 win over Pittsburgh.
While other top playoff contenders have difficult stretches to close out the season, the Seminoles are simply in the mode of “Don’t screw it up”. Florida State doesn’t play a ranked team until at least the ACC Championship Game, as it must face Miami (FL), North Alabama and Florida to close the season.
6. Texas Longhorns (Record: 8-1)
Week 11 Matchup: at TCU Horned Frogs
Texas squandered a 20-point lead to then-No. 23 Kansas State before squeaking by with a 33-30 overtime victory.
Even though the Longhorns blew a massive lead, it was still an impressive win considering starting quarterback Quinn Ewers was once again out due to a shoulder injury. While Maalik Murphy has won two games in his stead, his performance has left plenty to be desired. The redshirt freshman has just a 52.4 passing grade this season with four big-time throws and six turnover-worthy plays. If Ewers is unable to go against TCU, it might be wise for head coach Steve Sarkisian to give Arch Manning a shot. The true freshman was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 class and is the next in line to the Manning quarterback dynasty.
7. Alabama Crimson Tide (Record: 8-1)
Week 11 Matchup: at Kentucky Wildcats
In what ended up being an epic duel between dual-threat quarterbacks, Jalen Milroe and Alabama emerged victorious over then-No. 14 LSU, 42-28. The redshirt sophomore ran for 155 yards and four touchdowns against the Tigers, earning an 84.5 grade in the process.
Milroe’s development this season has been extraordinary. Since being benched in Week 3, his 90.2 grade is fifth among all quarterbacks in the country.
8. Oregon Ducks (Record: 8-1)
Week 11 Matchup: vs. USC Trojans
Speaking of quarterbacks with incredible growth, that’s precisely what Oregon has in Bo Nix. The fifth-year senior endured a tumultuous three years at Auburn to begin his career but has blossomed into one of the nation’s best signal-callers after moving to Eugene. Nix’s 91.6 passing grade this season paces all quarterbacks in college football, as does his 85.1% adjusted completion rate. If Nix and the Ducks continue their success the rest of the season, a Heisman could be featured in his trophy case.
9. Penn State Nittany Lions (Record: 8-1)
Week 11 Matchup: vs. No. 2 Michigan Wolverines
After a sluggish two weeks that included a loss to Ohio State and a close win over Indiana, Penn State rebounded in a big way with a 51-15 victory over Maryland on Saturday. Drew Allar finished with a career-high 91.3 grade on the day as the sophomore tossed a pair of big-time throws with no turnover-worthy plays.
The Nittany Lions will need him and the rest of the team to find similar success this weekend as they take on undefeated Michigan in the Wolverines’ first true test of the season.
10. Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 8-1)
Week 11 Matchup: at No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs
Ole Miss has quietly put together a very impressive resume thus far, beating current top-25 teams like LSU and Tulane while only losing to Alabama on the road.
Jaxson Dart is having a similarly underrated year, as his 91.0 grade is sixth among all quarterbacks in the country. Both he and the Rebels have a chance to make some serious noise this weekend against the defending back-to-back champs in Georgia.
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