1 Word to Describe Every Top 25 College Football Team Entering November
The margin for error in college football is always small, but November ratchets up the pressure on Top 25 teams.
More rivalry games are on the way. Races for conference titles are getting tight. The best teams in the country may start feeling more nerves as the College Football Playoff rankings are released weekly.
Before the intensity heightens, though, let's take a step back and assess each AP Top 25 program using a single word.
Along with each word is a brief explanation, summarizing key results, upcoming games and opportunities.
25-21. UCF, Oregon State, Liberty, Syracuse, NC State
25. UCF Knights: Strengthened
Due to a surprisingly ugly loss at East Carolina, UCF was at risk of exiting the AAC race. Instead, the Knights bounced back and handed Cincinnati its first conference loss of the campaign. UCF has a road-heavy November slate, but a win at Tulane would be monstrous for the Knights and their pursuit of a conference title in their final season before joining the Big 12.
24. Oregon State Beavers: Lurking
Early losses to USC and Utah have mostly dropped the Beavers from the Pac-12 radar, so they'd need a ton of help to gain a favorable spot in tiebreakers. But the future is looking bright in Corvallis. Of note, freshman backup Ben Gulbranson has guided Oregon State to three wins in relief of injured quarterback Chance Nolan.
23. Liberty Flames: Gliding
Had they edged Wake Forest instead of losing 37-36, the Flames would be demanding more attention. Still, they've quietly built a 7-1 record that is loaded with reasonably close wins, save for a recent smackdown of BYU. Add a victory at Arkansas in Week 10 with a little bit of help from AAC teams beating each other, and Hugh Freeze's team might be the Group of Five representative in a New Year's Six bowl.
22. Syracuse Orange: Reeling
After soaring to the program's first 6-0 start in 35 years, the Orange have dropped games to Clemson and Notre Dame. Plus, quarterback Garrett Shrader left the ND loss with an unspecified injury. Syracuse is desperate for some positive news with an unfriendly three-game stretch at Pitt, home to Florida State and at Wake Forest on the way.
21. North Carolina State Wolfpack: Surviving
The bright side is a 6-2 record has allowed NC State to stay in the rankings for the entire year. The problem is the Wolfpack are without star quarterback Devin Leary, who's set to miss the remainder of the year because of a pectoral injury. NC State, which lost to Syracuse and edged Virginia Tech without him, still has Top 25 clashes with Wake Forest and North Carolina left on the schedule.
20-16. Wake Forest, Tulane, Oklahoma State, North Carolina, Penn State
20. Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Confusing
I would like to add "painfully" to the description, but the headline is one word. So, instead, here's 20 words to let you know I'm adding "painfully" to "confusing." How does an offense play a brilliant game against Clemson and commit eight turnovers at Louisville? And more problematically, how does that complete and utter meltdown happen every year? Wake Forest is a solid 6-2. And the Demon Deacons also make me very confused.
19. Tulane Green Wave: Sneaky
Tulane demanded some attention with a road win over Kansas State, but a loss to Southern Miss quieted the buzz around the Green Wave. Since then, however, they've notched four straight wins and jumped to 7-1. November will show if the Green Wave deserve an NY6 slot, considering they take on UCF, SMU and Cincinnati.
18. Oklahoma State Cowboys: Wounded
Injuries affect every roster. Oklahoma State, though, is dealing with a constant stream of health setbacks to key players. The most notable, of course, is quarterback Spencer Sanders, who's showed immense toughness but has clearly been playing hurt in recent weeks. The team has no idle weekends remaining, so the Pokes will be gritting out November with trips to Kansas and Oklahoma on the radar.
17. North Carolina Tar Heels: Threatening
Don't hand Clemson the ACC championship just yet. North Carolina has a flawed defense, but dynamic dual-threat quarterback Drake Maye has guided the Tar Heels to a 7-1 record with a perfect 4-0 mark in ACC play. North Carolina holds top-10 rankings in yards per snap (7.1), yards per game (502.0) and points per game (41.8).
16. Penn State Nittany Lions: Annoyed
Between the blowout loss at Michigan and late collapse against Ohio State, any hopes of a noteworthy Penn State postseason are effectively gone. Maybe the Nittany Lions win 10 games, but they're in danger of falling behind in a tough division—and a conference that's set to expand—if Michigan and OSU keep winning these matchups.
15-11. LSU, Illinois, Kansas State, Utah, Ole Miss
15. LSU Tigers: Rising
Continuing the trend is imperative, yet there's no arguing LSU's recent performances have been impressive. Since the ugly loss to Tennessee, LSU has smacked Florida and Ole Miss behind 11 total touchdowns from quarterback Jayden Daniels. As a result, the Tigers could take control of the SEC West if they win at home against Alabama in Week 10.
14. Illinois Fighting Illini: Shocking
Entering the season, it seemed Illinois would at least be fighting for bowl eligibility. It's not like the Fighting Illini were expected to finish 2-10 or something. But to hold a 7-1 record with a sweep of Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota in consecutive weeks is both unexpected and fantastic. Illinois is 7-1 and a victory over Purdue away from making the program's first trip to the Big Ten title game.
13. Kansas State Wildcats: Entertaining
Can I please stop predicting Kansas State games? [Editor's note: no]. After scoring 10 points in a home loss to Tulane, the Wildcats shredded Oklahoma for 550 yards and 41 points on the road. They squandered an 18-point lead at TCU, then shut out Oklahoma State. Sure, why not? I simply do not know what to expect from the 'Cats on a week-to-week basis, so they're pulling me in every week.
12. Utah Utes: Positioned
Although the best-case scenario of a College Football Playoff trip has likely vanished, 6-2 Utah remains a strong Pac-12 contender. Star quarterback Cam Rising deserves much of the credit, although backup Bryson Barnes just led the Utes to a victory at Washington State when an unspecified injury sidelined Rising.
11. Ole Miss Rebels: Curious
How do you feel about Ole Miss? Sure, the schedule has been favorable, but an 8-1 record is very difficult to attain. Simultaneously, the Rebels lost by 25 points at LSU and clipped a struggling Texas A&M team. Now, they're set to host Alabama after an idle weekend. If you're not sold on Ole Miss, you're not alone. However, the opportunity to convert any doubters is right ahead of the Rebels.
10-6. UCLA, USC, Oregon, TCU, Alabama
10. UCLA Bruins: Stable
Although the loss at Oregon stung the Bruins, they're still 7-1 with a straightforward path to the Pac-12 Championship Game. UCLA, which last appeared in that contest in 2012, closes the season with Arizona State, Arizona, USC and Cal. All of those opponents are 3-5 except for USC—and UCLA hosts the rivalry—so this is a friendly final month.
9. USC Trojans: Competent
The obstacle that will determine USC's season is whether both sides of the ball can excel against top competition. The offense has mostly held up its side of the bargain, and the defense—which saved USC at Oregon State—has endured a few rough games and a whole lot of injuries. While the Trojans are clearly a higher-tier team behind star quarterback Caleb Williams, are they championship-level good?
8. Oregon Ducks: Thriving
Oregon supporters have heard the same old thing for weeks. However, there's a difference between losing a game to a top-ranked team and losing by 46 points while looking completely overwhelmed. Oregon went from a shockingly uncompetitive squad to the Pac-12 front-runner thanks to an incredible breakout surge from quarterback Bo Nix and a dominant victory over UCLA.
7. TCU Horned Frogs: Dependable
TCU has a clear identity. It's an offense-driven team capable of withstanding a shaky defensive effort and early deficits. Comebacks have been commonplace for the Horned Frogs, who've put together a surprising run to 8-0 behind Heisman Trophy contender Max Duggan. The trend of close games is concerning, but TCU has survived so far.
6. Alabama Crimson Tide: Familiar
While the road is always a little different, Alabama's current status is awfully recognizable. As dominant as the program has been under Nick Saban, the Crimson Tide only have two undefeated years. They've consistently dropped one game yet made a College Football Playoff run anyway. Perhaps it doesn't happen in 2022, but the 7-1 Tide are in a familiar spot.
5-1. Clemson, Michigan, Tennessee, Ohio State, Georgia
5. Clemson Tigers: Adequate
Given the recent benching of quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, there's a key storyline to monitor at Clemson. However, it'd be unfair to both Uiagalelei and the Tigers to ignore what's otherwise been a solid year. The offense has quiet spells, and the defense isn't as dominant as expected. Still, the Tigers need a single ACC win to clinch the Atlantic Division, and UNC is seemingly the only obstacle between Clemson and a return to the CFP.
4. Michigan Wolverines: Persuasive
The offense needs to start finishing red-zone opportunities with touchdowns instead of field goals. But do the Wolverines have the best defense in the nation? Maryland is the only opponent to crest 300 yards or even 17 points on this suffocating Michigan unit.
T-2. Tennessee Volunteers: Overpowering
Led by Heisman Trophy candidate Hendon Hooker, this offense leads the FBS in yards (553.0) and points per game (49.4). Plus, the Vols are third nationally at 7.4 yards per snap. Even if the team falls at Georgia to open November, a high strength of schedule will be a major appeal on Tennessee's possible CFP resume.
T-2. Ohio State Buckeyes: Close
Following the victory at Penn State, Ohio State is 8-0 with three favorable games on the horizon. It'd be stunning if Northwestern, Indiana or Maryland put a blemish on the Buckeyes' year before they host rival Michigan in a potential showdown of undefeated teams on the final weekend of the regular season. Ohio State is so close to earning its shot at redemption for last year's letdown at U-M.
1. Georgia Bulldogs: Cruising
Since a scare at Missouri, the Dawgs have crushed Auburn, Vanderbilt and Florida by a combined score of 139-30 with only a momentary concern in the final game. They'll carry the hot streak into the massive clash with Tennessee. While a win is obviously the team's preferred outcome, UGA should stick in the CFP race either way.