There will be a new No. 1 in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll.
Voters won’t have to look far. After Texas lost 27-24 to Oklahoma, Georgia will slide up from No. 2 after a 20-17 win at Alabama.
This was the
first close game of the year for the Bulldogs, who had won five in a row by at least 24 points. The win in Tuscaloosa may also be the best single win by any team this season, rivaled only by the Longhorns’ win at home last month against Ohio State .
The Longhorns’ fall in this week’s poll won’t stop ahead of the Buckeyes despite the head-to-head win. But that win, and to a lesser extent their defeat of Tennessee, will keep them in the top 10.
Here’s how the top 10 of this week’s poll should look:
1. Georgia (6-0)
The win will put Georgia at No. 1 and paint the Bulldogs as the team to beat for the national title. There’s also something meaningful about the program’s first regular-season win in the series since 2007. That was Nick Saban’s first year, right before he kicked off his dynasty. Is this a turning point in the series for Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs?
2. Notre Dame (6-0)
After playing around last week against North Carolina, the Irish took a 37-0 halftime lead against Stanford and never looked back for a 58-7 win. They’ve found something in freshman back Jonaz Walton, who had a 97-yard scoring dash and 181 yards overall.
3. Miami (5-0)
The Hurricanes avoided the week's chaos at home on a bye. Florida State, Pittsburgh and North Carolina are up next. Win, win, win. Things don’t get serious until playing Notre Dame on Nov. 7.
4. Indiana (6-0)
Winning 20-17 at Nebraska demanded two late touchdowns and a key defensive stop in the final minute. This is still the best win of the year for Indiana by far, and maybe even a way to finetune some things before playing Ohio State on Saturday.
5. Ohio State (5-1)
The Buckeyes might be favored to win in Bloomington. Ohio State has gotten back on track after the loss in Austin, highlighted by more brilliant stuff by Jeremiah Smith, and might be seen as the odds-on favorite to win the whole thing if the playoff started today.
6. Texas (4-1)
The Longhorns have an issue at quarterback. What can UT do about Arch Manning, who has not and may not take the next step in his development? His two interceptions in the fourth quarter meant the difference: one was a pick-six and the second set up the game-winning field goal.
7. Brigham Young (5-0)
Beating Iowa State 24-10 won’t do much to answer the questions around BYU. For one: Are the Cougars any good? They did beat a good Arizona team. But BYU has also looked pedestrian against the Cyclones and last week against TCU. The answer to this question will come this weekend after the Cougars match up with the Irish.
8. Texas Tech (5-0)
Texas Tech is an unknown, too, though it does have a win against No. 19 Houston and a win against Oregon State that looks much better now than it did than last month. But the Red Raiders don’t even have BYU on the schedule, so the question of whether they’re truly for real will be unanswered until early December at the earliest.
9. Alabama (5-1)
Alabama really shouldn’t move a spot after losing by a field goal at home, though voters are very likely to drop the Tide behind the two unbeaten Big 12 teams. The outlook for the Crimson Tide remains good with the SEC contenders falling by the wayside.
10. Mississippi (4-1)
The Rebels will climb back into the top 10, replacing Lane Kiffin and LSU, after a 52-17 win at Vanderbilt. It’s seems more and more like Florida just got Ole Miss on an emotional letdown a few weeks ago, leading to a road loss that looks random since the Gators’ losses to Missouri and South Carolina.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will be No. 1? College football poll ranking projection after Week 6 upsets
