Each week, the Sports editorial team selects its Top 25 FBS college football teams for the Student Media Poll.
The SMP is a nationwide poll featuring 97 student journalists from schools across the nation.
The Post Sports will break down its ballots each week. Here are the top five, those it kicked out of the Top 25 and those it added.
Bobby Keegan, Sports Editor
Top 5:
Michigan
Georgia
Ohio State
Florida State
Oklahoma
The big news out of the weekend in college football is the fall of my previous No. 1 ranked Texas to its rival, Oklahoma. As a result, Texas takes the deep fall to No. 9 while Oklahoma enters my top five for the first time this season. Oklahoma has the resume to find themselves in the top five; however, the offense, led by Dillon Gabriel, will have to have some sustained success before I believe the Sooners can be considered a National Championship contender.
With the fall of Texas, Michigan steps into the No. 1 spot for the first time this season. Prior to Week 6, the Wolverines had been dominant but had yet to put together a resume to deserve the No. 1 spot. However, with a 52-10 win over Minnesota to move to 3-0 in the Big 10, Michigan has begun to look like the best team in college football.
Who I added
Wyoming, Air Force, LSU, Louisville
We’ve reached the point in the season where the Mountain West conference needs to be considered an elite conference in college football. With Wyoming, Fresno State and Air Force, the conference deserves to have two teams ranked. With a big win against previously ranked Fresno State, 5-1 Wyoming looks like it can hang with the Top 25. Wyoming takes on Air Force this weekend, facing huge implications in the Group of Five.
As for LSU, the team looked how it should all season long against a previously 5-0 Missouri opponent. Yes, the team has two losses on the year but led by Jayden Daniels, there are not 25 teams better than the Tigers.
Louisville should have been ranked this whole time; a win against Notre Dame to move to 5-0 cemented it as a legitimate top-15 team in football.
Who I dropped
Missouri, Kentucky, Texas A&M, Miami (FL)
Both Missouri and Kentucky entered the week undefeated and each left with a pretty bad loss. It was going to take a miracle for Kentucky to upset Georgia, but in a 51-13 defeat, the team failed to make it close.
Texas A&M entered the week with a real shot at upsetting powerhouse Alabama. The team was simply outmatched in the second half and unable to surmount anything offensively to stay in the top 25.
Miami fell to a very bad Georgia Tech team over the weekend after some abysmal coaching decisions late in the game, which moved it out of my top 25.
Bobby Gorbett, Sports Editor
Top 5:
Michigan
Georgia
Ohio State
Florida State
Oklahoma
Oklahoma's inclusion in the top five shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Sooners’ 34-30 win over the Longhorns is the best win of the season so far; that accomplishment, combined with the Sooners’ undefeated record, firmly cements them as a National Championship contender.
Michigan and Georgia seem to be on a different level than the other elite college football teams. The Wolverines and Bulldogs dominated solid teams this weekend. Meanwhile, Ohio State struggled early on against Maryland.
Who I added
Wyoming, Wisconsin, Utah, UCLA
Wyoming was one of the easiest additions to my top 25. The Cowboys’ defense has been one of the best units in the Group of Five. With wins over Texas Tech and Fresno State and a respectable loss at Texas, Wyoming has one of the best resumes in college football.
I may have overreacted slightly to Utah’s loss to Oregon State in Week 5. This realization was made possible by UCLA’s win over Washington State, which only bolstered Utah’s resume, having already defeated UCLA a few weeks ago. I still have major doubts about the Utes’ offense but as of right now, they’ve done enough to be in the top 25.
UCLA’s aforementioned win over previously undefeated Washington State was one of the most impressive of the weekend. UCLA’s defense has been one of the most improved units in college football at the midway point of the season.
This year’s Wisconsin team, like many that preceded it, has struggled to be exceedingly productive in the passing game. Despite this, Wisconsin managed to start the season with a solid 4-1 record, including its most recent and biggest win over Rutgers.
Who I dropped
Clemson, Kansas, Fresno State, Miami (FL)
Clemson only managed to score 17 points against Wake Forest. Clemson’s lack of progress on the offensive side of the ball forced me to take it out of my top 25. Kansas picked up a win over UCF over the weekend but its loss to Texas looks a bit worse after Texas’ loss to Oklahoma. Fresno State was a bit unfortunate in its loss to Wyoming after losing its starting quarterback due to injury. Look for the Bulldogs to jump back into the top 25 with more solid wins.
Miami’s loss to Georgia Tech was one of the most shocking of 2023. Not only did the Hurricanes lose to a team that was previously 2-3, but it did so when the game should’ve been over. Miami will have a chance to get right back in the top 25 with a win over UNC this weekend.
