It’s all about the U now. Darian Mensah, Malachi Toney and the Miami Hurricanes have survived “spooky szn” unscathed, which is more than any SEC team and all but one Big Ten team can say. Furthermore, in the spirit of their unofficial patron saints’ best album, this offense is proving that it can be as nasty as it wants to be, and the defense hasn’t had the drop off that many of us predicted either. The Hurricanes wore their throwbacks to honor the 2001 national championship team, arguably the greatest college football team of all time, last Saturday. More broadly, they’ve honored them all season with their dominant play.

1. Miami (7-0) (Power: 1, Resume: 3, Last Week: 3)

It would take an epic collapse for this team to miss the playoffs now. Hell, it would take a major collapse for this team not to end up with a first-round bye.

2. Alabama (6-2) (Power: 4, Resume: 4, Last Week: 1)

Alabama retains a spot this high because the peaks it hit were legitimately “best team in the country” high. The problem is this team is too young, too inconsistent and now, too banged up to hit those highs I fear. This team’s best football seems behind it, and I expect them to continue to fall in the rankings in the coming weeks.

3. Notre Dame (6-1) (Power: 2, Resume: 9, Last Week: 2)

The bye was much needed after a tough and controversial loss to BYU, but playoffs still seem like a lock if they can be competitive with Miami and win the others.

4. LSU (6-2) (Power: 3, Resume: 13, Last Week: 8)

Sam Leavitt looked fully healthy on Saturday, which will be critical to this team’s playoff aspirations. Like Alabama, LSU is capable of hitting “best team in the country” peaks, but the floor is lower than the other contenders.

5. Ohio State (6-1) (Power: 5, Resume: 12, Last Week: 7)

The Buckeyes might be the best team. They are one terrible quarter away from being perfect…the problem is those kinds of quarters have happened to Ryan Day teams at the worst possible times before.

6. Texas (6-0) (Power:8, Resume: 6, Last Week: 12)

What is this team? It’s not uncommon for college team’s quality of play to vary widely week-to-week. This team does it quarter-to-quarter and drive-to-drive. The defense is legit. The offense is meh if they can’t run over, through and around you.

7. Georgia (6-1) (Power: 6, Resume: 16, Last Week: 10)

I don’t understand what happened against Auburn, except to accept Kirby’s “hangover from a physical and emotional beating of a game the week before” argument. My response to that is: “What do you think the playoff games are going to be?”

8. UCLA (7-0) (Power: 14, Resume: 1, Last Week: 5)

The ceiling is clearly lower without Nico Iamaleava. The offense has become a little gimmicky without him. The defense and running game can still take the Bruins a long way.

9. Indiana (7-1) (Power: 7, Resume: 8, Last Week: 9)

Literally a foot from still being undefeated, but it’s obvious this offense isn’t a national championship offense. The defense gives the Hoosiers a chance to beat anyone.

10. BYU (6-1) (Power: 12, Resume: 5, Last Week: 6)

Fortunately for BYU, Texas Tech took it on the chin even worse than they did on Saturday. The Holy War was already going to be a banger, but now it’s going to have real playoff implications.

11. Houston (6-2) (Power: 9, Resume: 10, Last Week: 4)

The other Big XII Coogs have come up just short in their two major tests of the season. Unfortunately in a crowded and relatively unheralded Big XII, that probably is enough to eliminate them from the playoff conversation.

12. Utah (7-0) (Power: 13, Resume: 7, Last Week: 18)

The Utes passed their first major test of the season. After being shut out by Houston in the first half, a 21-point second half was enough to stay unbeaten. Last week kicked off a tough four-week stretch for the Utes (Houston, Cincinnati, BYU and Arizona) and the margin for error isn’t the same as it is for SEC and Big Ten teams and Notre Dame, unfortunately and unfairly.

13. Ole Miss (5-2) (Power: 11, Resume: 11, Last Week: 11)

That’s two losses now where the Rebels have lost the game because they got dominated at the line of scrimmage. Those are the kinds of things that make a team untrustworthy in the playoffs, of course now Ole Miss’s path to even making the playoffs is be perfect and hope for some chaos.

14. Wake Forest (6-1) (Power: 15, Resume: 14, Last Week: 17)

Jake Dickert isn’t getting enough credit nationally for how good this team is.

15. Oklahoma State (5-2) (Power: 10, Resume: 21, Last Week: 19)

Drew Mestemaker continues to make his case to be QB1, but the Cowboys likely had their playoff hopes dashed by the inexplicable opening week loss to Tulsa.

16. Kentucky (7-1) (Power: 27, Resume: 2, Last Week: 15)

This is a classic power ranking vs. resume example. The resume is great. Only having a 9-point point differential is less great. Will Stein was right though, the ‘Cats are winners.

17. Florida (5-2) (Power 16, Resume: 15, Last Week: 20)

Who is this team? Are they the team that trounced Ole Miss and beat Texas on the road? Are they the team that got blown out by Missouri and South Carolina? No wonder Jon Summrall barely sleeps.

18. Tennessee (6-2) (Power: 17, Resume: 18, Last Week: 13)

Quarterback play is really holding this team back.

19. Texas Tech (6-1) (Power: 29, Resume: 17, Last Week: 14)

A loss like this felt like it had been coming for a while. The path to the Big XII title game is still there. That’s probably the only path to the playoffs too.

20. UCF (4-3) (Power: 18, Resume: 31, Last Week: 23)

I’ll be honest. I wasn’t sure what my rankings kept seeing in this team. Clearly, they knew what they were talking about.

21. Arizona (6-1) (Power: 23, Resume: 20, Last Week: NR)

Noah Fifita is balling out. Arizona is quietly in the Big XII mix. Opportunities for some louder wins are coming.

22. Northwestern (6-1) (Power: 25, Resume: 24, Last Week: NR)

The new Ryan Field looks sick. Chip Kelly’s “multiple” offense looks sick.

23. Oregon (4-3) (Power: 19, Resume: 33, Last Week: 16)

I’m not sure why Oregon remains ranked at this point. Without Dante Moore, this is a rudderless team. Even with Dante Moore, they are a fringe top 25 team at best.

24. Missouri (5-2) (Power: 32, Resume 22, Last Week: NR)

This is a classic 8-4 SEC team. Can they win games they shouldn’t? Yes. Will they lose games they shouldn’t? Also, yes.

25. Wisconsin (5-2) (Power: 28, Resume: 27, Last Week: NR)

Luke Fickell is probably saving his job. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad for the Badgers long term.

First Five Out: SMU, Louisville, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Mississippi State

The Dropouts: James Madison, Mississippi State, Auburn, North Carolina

Cover Photo Courtesy of Michael Ochs/The Miami Times