2024 SID Sports Week 10 Rankings

Breaking down the Top 25 and players of the week after Week 10

We’re squarely in playoff race mode as the schedules are full of conference bids and we’ve debuted our Bracketology articles (see this newsletter every Thursday from now on). There weren’t a ton of big upsets this past weekend, but there were some big results that solidified teams’ rankings and cleared up a bunch of tight races.

So let’s get into it. Who’s the Top 25 teams in the nation right now?

SID Sports Week 10 Top 25

1. Oregon 8-0 LW: 1
   The Ducks continue to dominate, this time besting then-No. 23 Illinois 38-9. Dillon Gabriel is putting up some of the best quarterback numbers we’ve seen this season. The Oregon defense is stifling opposing offenses. Jordan James is running the ball effectively. This is a complete, very good Oregon program.

2. Georgia 6-1 LW: 2
   This isn’t the traditional Kirby Smart Georgia team, but they’re still really good. The Dawgs rely, as always, on an elite defense that’s only surrending 16.9 points per game, ranking 13th in the nation. But the offense isn’t the smashmouth teams led by tailbacks like Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Instead, this is Carson Beck’s show and he’s leading an effective offense that averages 297.6 passing yards per game - ranking 13th in the nation - and scoring 33.3 points per game. Beck’s struggled with turnovers at times, but an elite defense can cover that up.

3. Penn State 7-0 LW: 3
   I was really worred for Penn State when I saw Drew Allar go down. I shouldn’t have been, as backup Beau Pribula stepped in and played just as well as Allar did. Penn State took the wind out of the sails of a surging Wisconsin and didn’t elt up. Allar and Pribula combined for 246 yards, two scores and a 81 percent completion rate. The Nittany Lions rushed for 173 yards and a score. Their defense kept Wisconsin under 100 rushing yards and 50 percent completion. Let’s hope Allar is healthy for their upcoming game against Ohio State, but the Nittany Lions may be fine without him.

4. Miami 8-0 LW: 4
   What was labelled ahead of the season as a must-watch, high stakes rivalry game turned into an old fashioned beatdown as Miami trounced 1-7 Florida State 36-14. It was the first ACC game without any dramatics for the Canes, which is a welcome change. Cam Ward didn’t have his best game, but Damien Martinez punished the Seminole defense to the tune of 148 yards and two scores. Even better for Miami fans, the Florida State offense had no answers against the Hurricane defense aside from a quarterback running game that tanked as soon as Luke Kromenhoek left the game. This is a complete team.

5. Texas 7-1 LW: 7
   The Longhorn offense shook off the mistakes from their loss to Georgia and played incredibly well against a very good Vanderbilt team. Quinn Ewers looked like his healthy self aside from two interceptions, the running game was solid and the Longhorns were able to notch a quality 27-24 win. I’m concerned that they had no answers for Diego Pavia, but nobody seems to have any answer for him so I’m not too concerned. Keep an eye on the turnover number, though. If Ewers keeps turning the ball over and letting teams into the game, Texas will falter down the stretch.

6. Tennessee 6-1 LW: 6
   The Volunteers had a week off, so remain in the same slot of our poll. They’ve got three wins over then-top 25 teams (only one remains in this poll). Tennessee’s offense runs through Nico Iamaleava, but tailback Dylan Sampson has been the real star of the show with 838 yards and 17 touchdowns through seven games. If it wasn’t for Ashton Jeanty, Sampson may be getting some Doak Walker buzz at this point. Josh Heupel’s squad also has an elite defense that allows only 11.6 points per game. As long as they remember how to score in the first half, the Volunteers are SEC and National Title threats.

7. Ohio State 6-1 LW: 5
   The Buckeyes drop despite a win because we’re 10 weeks in and I’m not seeing much from them. There’s been three “tough” games on the schedule: Iowa, Oregon and Nebraska. Iowa was a blowout win, a good sign. Oregon was a loss, but they’re the No. 1 team and it was within one score. Nebraska was a puzzling win in a down and dirty game. In all honesty, the Buckeyes are floating by based on on-paper talent. They need to put up or shut up this week against Penn State if they want to be taken seriously.

8. Texas A&M 7-1 LW: 14
   Welcome to the Top 10, Aggies! It’s been a Year One masterclass for Mike Elko as the Aggies knocked off then-No. 11 LSU 38-23 in Bryan-College Station. It started with Conner Weigman struggling as the Aggies only posted seven first-half points, but Elko made a switch to Marcel Reed and it was a completely different team. With Reed on the field, the Aggies roared back to the tune of 21 unanswered second-half points to take the lead and never looked back. I’ve said Weigman struggles under pressure. Reed doesn’t as much and operates perhaps the most dangerous team rushing game in the nation. With Reed under center, Texas A&M has a clear path to an SEC-defining Lone Star Showdown.

9. BYU 8-0 LW: 10
   Another week, another BYU win. The Cougars this time took care of UCF 37-24 and held a lead the entire way. We saw a more balanced attack from BYU as tailback L.J. Martin topped the century mark for the second consecutive week and senior Hinkley Ropati added 83 yards of his own. UCF’s third quarterback, Dylan Rizk, did play well against the BYU secondary, which worries me, but if the Cougar offense can keep playing like this, BYU shouldn’t be worried.

10. Iowa State 7-0 LW: 9
    The Cyclones got jumped because, in all honesty, BYU should’ve been ranked above them anyway. That’s not to say Iowa State isn’t having a great season, though. They’re undefeated with all roads leading to a hyped Farmageddon matchup against Kansas State to close the regular season. This is a balanced offense that’s led by sophomore signal caller Rocco Becht coupled with an elite defense. Iowa State is only allowing 14.4 points per game, ranking ninth in the nation, which is good enough for their top-50 offense to blow past their competition.

11. Indiana 8-0 LW: 12
    Turns out missing Kurtis Rourke isn’t enough to derail the WINdiana train. The Hoosiers sit as one of three unbeaten Big Ten programs after a solid 31-17 win over Washington. Tayven Jackson was a step down from Rourke’s great play, but Curt Cignetti’s Hoosier defense made Will Rogers look pedestrian with a 16.6 QBR and two inteceptions. It’s time to start taking Indiana seriously.

12. Clemson 6-1 LW: 8
    Listen, the Tigers did nothing wrong to deserve their drop in the rankings. But there are other programs with more impressive resumes that bumped ahead of Clemson. I’ll give the Tigers a ton of credit, though, for turning their season around after a bad Week One loss to Georgia. Cade Klubnik is playing like a top-five quarterback and should be generating some Heisman buzz with 1,836 yards, 20 touchdowns and only three interceptions. The defense is giving up too many points for my liking, but with the offense scoring 42.0 points per game - fifth in the nation - I’m not too concerned about that.

13. Notre Dame 7-1 LW: 13
    The win over Texas A&M looks better each week, but a 51-14 win over ranked Navy says a lot. Navy’s Blake Horvath still carved up the Irish defense on the ground, but Navy’s defense had no answer for Notre Dame’s offense. Riley Leonard posted a 90 QBR with 178 yards and two touchdowns passing whill adding 83 yards and score on the ground. Jeremiyah Love topped the century mark with 102 yards and two scores. The Notre Dame secondary shut down the Navy passing attack without top corner Benjamin Morrison. Notre Dame may be on the outside of the playoff picture, but if they keep winning, conference chaos could gift them a spot in the field of 12.

14. Boise State 6-1 LW: 15
    It was a close one, but the Broncos won the Group of Five Game of the Year so far over UNLV 29-24. Ashton Jeanty was held to just 128 yards and one touchdown on 33 carries - his worst game on the season, believe it or not - but the Hesiman favorite looked banged up all day. Quarterback Maddux Madsen was the real star of the show here, with an effective 209 yards and one touchdown passing and 58 yards and one score rushing. The Bronco defense struggled to contain UNLV’s Hajj-Malik Williams on the ground, but they could rein in his passing game enough to eke out the win. Six sacks help with that.

15. SMU 7-1 LW: 16
    Duke may not be the most huped opponent, but the Blue Devils were 6-1 heading into the game with SMU. Despite struggles from quarterback Kevin Jennings - three touchdowns and just over 50 percent completion rate - Rhett Lashlee’s Mustangs were able to grab a solid overtime win for the ACC race. Duke did whatever they wanted to the SMU defense besides score, but that wasn’t enough. SMU’s run-and-shoot worked as tailback Brashard Williams tallied 17 rushing yards and two scores - including the overtime touchdown that put SMU on top. It all came down to a two-point conversion stand by the SMU defense that forced a Maalik Murphy incompletion to seal the win on the road. Overall, a solid performance in the face of an ugly quarterback showing. Good teams find ways to win.

16. Alabama 6-2 LW: 17
    Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama shook off their rust from the past three weeks to notch a crucial get-right win to stay in the SEC and playoff race. Jalen Milroe still has some things to figure out in the passing game after posting a 16-for-26, 215 yard line on the day, but the Alabama rushing attack did enough. Justice Haynes led the team with 79 yards and a score, Milroe and Jam Miller were effective averaging 4.5 and 4.4 yards per carry respectively and three combined socres, and freshman Richard Young had a massive 62 yard run. Alabama’s defense showed up big, forcing a shutout amid a horrid passing day for Brady Cook and Drew Pyne.

17. Kansas State 7-1 LW: 18
    The Sunflower Showdown often produces some wild results, but Kansas State was able to take care of business against cross-state rival Kansas in this year’s iteration. Avery Johnson’s development continues to progress, this time with a 253 yard, two score day passing while adding 67 yards and a score on the ground. Tailback D.J. Giddens was his usual talented self, racking up 102 yards on the day. The Wildcat defense struggled to stop Devin Neal and Jalon Daniels on the ground, but came up big when it mattered, dropping Daniels for a one yard loss on fourth and seven with a minute left. Credit to Chris Tennant, who nailed a 51-yard field goal with 1:42 left to give Kansas State the win.

18. Ole Miss 6-2 LW: 19
    From halftime on, this game was all Rebels. Oklahoma took a 14-10 lead into the locker rooms, but Lane Kiffin must’ve said something special at halftime because Ole Miss dominated with a 16-0 second half to win 26-14. Jaxson Dart had his best game in the month of October with 311 yards and a score with a 73 percent completion rate and only one sack. Speaking of sacks, Jackson Arnold couldn’t get anything going because Ole Miss’s defense was in the backfield all day. The Rebels notched 10 sacks and 15 tackles for loss on the day, headlined by Suntarine Perkins’ four sacks. J.J. Pegues and Princely Umanmielen also posted multiple sacks. This Ole Miss transfer defensive line is coming in nicely.

19. Pittsburgh 7-0 LW: 22
    Eli Holstein bounced back from two rough weeks and the Panther defense embarrassed Kyle McCord, picking off the Syracuse quarterback five times with three pick sixes in a 41-13 rout. Pittsburgh’s offense didn’t need to do much with the defense scoring 21 points on the day, so their 217 total yards are a bit of a misnomer. It was short fields galore for the Panthers, which leads to less total yards. I was happy to see Holstein right the ship after a couple of rough outings. Even though this wasn’t his best, it was a step back to the right direction with 108 yards, two scores and no picks. If the Panthers stay hot, we could see some fireworks in the ACC race.

20. LSU 6-2 LW: 11
    LSU got outclassed by Texas A&M. Plain and simple. I don’t know where the Tiger offense disappeared to after halftime, but Brian Kelly needs to pull his team out of that hole stat. The running game was nonexistent - 35 yards on 22 carries - Garrett Nussmeier threw three second-half interceptions and the Tigers floundered when they needed it the most. With their SEC schedule landing Alabama at Death Valley in two weeks, LSU needs to get right if they want to stay in this fight.

21. Army 7-0 LW: 25
    Their arch-rival Navy floundered, but Army is still alive and well in the rankings game. The Black Knights were off ahead of a Commander-in-Chief Cup game against Air Force this weekend. On the season, Army has the nation’s most dangerous rushing attacki wtih 359.1 yards per game and top ten scoring offense (40.7 points per game - ninth) and defense (12.4 points per game - sixth). Bryson Daily has 909 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground and is expertly running this triple option scheme. Right now, as the cream of the American crop, Army has the best non-Boise playoff odds in the Group of Five.

22. Washington State 7-1 LW: Next Five Out
    It took some fourth-quarter heroics, but Wazzu keeps winning behind a 15-point comeback to down San Diego State 29-26. John Mateer is thriving as the heart and soul of this Cougar team with four total scores on the day - two passing and two rushing. Washington State’s only loss is to Boise, but they’ll need Texas Tech to push the Big 12 race if they want a chance at a playoff bid, as the Red Raiders are the only quality win on this docket.

23. Memphis 7-1 LW: Next Five Out
    It wasn’t the prettiest win, but a win is a win. The Tigers weathered a torrid 21-point Charlotte fourth quarter to narrowly escape with a 33-28 win with a 24-yard touchdown strike from Seth Henigan to Roc Taylor with 49 seconds on the clock. It wasn’t Henigan’s best game by any stretch of the imagination - 20-for-32, 212 yards, two scores, one interception - but tailback Mario Anderson Jr. continues to put this team on his back. Anderson got the ball 32 times, turnign that into 141 yards and a score. I’ve said all season that Memphis’s defense is suspect, however, and we saw that when they inexplicably decided not to show up in the fourth quarter and let Charlotte into the game. They’ll need to sort that out for the American title race.

24. Colorado 6-2 LW: Next Five Out
    Look out, here come’s Coach Prime’s Buffaloes. Colorado’s 34-23 win over Cincinnati firmly entrenches them in the Big 12 title race. As you can expect, it’s all offense in Boulder as Shedeur Sanders torched Cincinnati for 323 yards and two touchdowns with only five incompletions. Isaiah Augustave provided a solid running option with 91 yards and a touchdown and Travis Hunter was unstoppable. The Bearcats only got to Sanders once for a sack. As long as he’s upright, the Buffs have a shot against anyone in the nation.

25. Tulane 6-2 LW: Unranked
    The top of the American is getting crowded now with Tulane joining the rankings. Despite the narrow 45-37 scoreline against North Texas, the Green Wave were in control most of the way witha a 21-point first quarter. Quarterback Darian Mensah had as many touchdowns as incompletions - three - and tailback Makhi Hughes torched the Mean Green defense for 195 yards and a score. While Chandler Morris did pass for 449 yards on the Tulane defense, if Jon Sumrall can get that figured out, Tulane may be a dark horse playoff threat.

Next Five Out: Vanderbilt, Illinois, Navy, Louisiana, Louisville

Vandy was this close to knocking off Texas, but it wasn’t meant to be. Still, a three-point loss isn’t enough to fully chase the Commodores from these rankings. Diego Pavia is yet to be stopped, even if he threw two inteceptions this game. Stop Pavia and you can stop Vandy. Illinois has the makings of a good team, but they don’t show in the big moments. With losses to only Penn State and Oregon on their docket, Bret Bielema needs to prepare his team for these moments better. Luke Altmyer looked confused all game and the defense, which has played well all season, had no answer for the Oregon offense. Navy was overmatched, plain and simple, against Notre Dame. So they might not be able to throw against higher quality teams, that’s nothing new. The option still worked, but it’s not built for a comeback bid. This is a great Navy season, don’t let one loss to Notre Dame spoil that (plus, quality loss?). We haven’t talked much Sun Belt this season and that’s on me. But have you seen Louisiana? The Ragin’ Cajuns are 6-1 with solid wins over App State, Wake Forest and Coastal Carolina. Ben Wooldridge is a top-20 quarterback with 1,785 yards, 15 touchdowns and four picks. Finally, Louisville returns to us, albeit in a much dimished state. They’re still alive in the ACC following a win over Boston College, but we’ll get more into that in the Bracketology piece. The Cardinals will go as far as Tyler Shough will take them, but is this is ceiling?

Players of the Week

Finally, let’s get into some of the best individual performances of this week.

1. Jarquez Hunter, RB, Auburn
   Auburn’s biggest story is Hugh Freeze and the team’s struggles, but Hunter had the game of his life against a really good Kentucky defense. In the 24-10 win, Hunter toted the rock 23 times - a season high - for 278 yards and two scores. It was only his second game this season over 100 yards, with the first coming September 7 against California, and first with multiple scores.

2. Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado
   It was a win or go home game for Colorado and Hunter delivered with nine catches for 153 yards and two scores. On the defensive side of the ball, Hunter locked down Tory Johnson with four pass defenses and posted two tackles. He’s been resting more to prolong his season so he looked as fresh as ever in the key win over Cincinnati.

3. Suntarine Perkins, LB, Ole Miss
   Ole Miss is an offensive first team under Lane Kiffin, but Perkins flipped that script against Oklahoma. The sophomore edge rusher tortured the Sooner offense with 11 total tackles and four sacks. No matter where he lined up, Oklahoma had no answer for him.

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