Each week, the Sports' editorial team selects its Top 25 Football Bowl Subdivision college football teams for the Student Media Poll.
The SMP is a nationwide poll featuring 25 student journalists from schools nationwide.
The Post sports staff will break down its ballot each week. Here is a breakdown of the top five, those dropped from the Top 25, and those added.
Top 5
1. Ohio State (11-0)
It has been 2,191 since the defending national champs beat rival Michigan. The Buckeyes can stop the drought against them? Just like last year, Ohio State comes in as the better team, with the best defense in the country, and I believe it can win. Its victory over Rutgers tells a great story of why.
The Buckeyes, without star receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate, were not fazed. Despite an early fumble, freshman running back Bo Jackson was active all afternoon with 110 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. This paired nicely with quarterback Julian Sayin, who had 157 yards passing and two touchdowns in the 42-9 win over Rutgers.
2. Indiana (11-0)
Preparing for rivalry week is never easy for anyone, but having two weeks to do it helps every time. The Hoosiers head to West Lafayette to take on Purdue, who has no wins in Big 10 play this season. Indiana looks to be headed straight toward Indianapolis to play for the conference title in a couple of weeks. This week might be another opportunity for Heisman favorite Fernando Mendoza to add to his incredible numbers.
3. Texas A&M (11-0)
Cupcake Week, as it has grown to be called in the Southeastern Conference, was smooth for the Aggies. They took on Samford and dominated 48-0. Quarterback Marcel Reed had all three of his touchdown passes in the first quarter to lead the way. Texas A&M puts its undefeated season on the line in Austin on Friday night against Texas, who looks to find itself back in the playoff picture by beating the Aggies.
4. Georgia (10-1)
The SEC chunk of the season is over for Georgia, but it still has a lot to play for on rivalry weekend. After demolishing Charlotte over the weekend, the seeding for the College Football Playoffs is wide open for the Bulldogs. A big win over Georgia Tech could cap off a one-loss campaign for it as it looks to remain in the top four of the bracket and receive a bye.
5. Oregon (10-1)
The final month of the season for Oregon was testing, and last week was just another page against USC. The Ducks outplayed a talented Trojan team. They were led by running back Noah Whittington, who had 104 yards and a touchdown in the 42-27 win. The run and pass is pivotal for Oregon as it heads to play Washington in the regular season finale. Oregon needs some help, but a win could still get them in the Big 10 title game.
Who I Added: 23 Tennessee, 24 Pittsburgh and 25 Tulane
The Volunteers took on Florida in Gainesville on Saturday night and played a strong 60 minutes with three rushing touchdowns in the game. They can’t make the SEC title game, but can play spoiler for rival Vanderbilt’s CFP hopes with an upset in Knoxville on Saturday.
The Atlantic Coast Conference title race went from five teams with one conference loss to just three in the span of two weeks. The Panthers are in the driver's seat. After beating Georgia Tech 42-28 on the road this week, Pittsburgh faces another big test when Miami comes to town. If Pittsburgh wins, it is in the ACC title game, but if it loses, it is out.
The CFP committee has made it abundantly clear the winner of the American will represent the Group of Five position in the playoff this year. North Texas is firmly within my top 25, but Tulane is also moving up the ranks. The Green Wave beat Temple on the road by 24 points, and with only one week to play, they need a win to be put into a tiebreaker for an American Conference title appearance.
The Rest of the Top 25
6. Texas Tech (10-1)
7. Ole Miss (10-1)
8. Oklahoma (9-2)
9. BYU (10-1)
10. Alabama (9-2)
11. Miami (FL) (9-2)
12. Notre Dame (9-2)
13. Vanderbilt (9-2)
14. Virginia (9-2)
15. Michigan (9-2)
16. Utah (9-2)
17. Texas (8-3)
18. Arizona State (8-3)
19. North Texas (10-1)
20. SMU (8-3)
21. James Madison (10-1)
22. USC (8-3)
23. Tennessee (8-3)
24. Pittsburgh (8-3)
25. Tulane (9-2)
Who I Dropped: Georgia Tech, Illinois and Missouri
Two losses in three games have depleted what could have been something special for the Yellow Jackets this year. Quarterback Haynes King dazzled and should earn a spot as a Heisman finalist, but the team fell quickly. Now, they play for an outside look for an ACC title shot that would require plenty of help, but more importantly, they can play spoiler for Georgia in Atlanta on Friday night.
Illinois and Missouri started strong this year, but their seasons have gone downhill, and their wins continue to look worse. The Fighting Illini had such high expectations, but after another crushing loss, they look to finish strong against Northwestern before bowl season begins. Missouri, on the other hand, fell to a strong Oklahoma team. The Tigers play the SEC’s worst in Arkansas, and, similarly to Illinois, hope to finish 2025 well.
