Each week, the Sports' editorial team selects its Top 25 FBS college football teams for the Student Media Poll.
The SMP is a nationwide poll featuring 97 student journalists from schools nationwide.
The Post Sports will break down its ballots each week. Here are the top five, those dropped from the Top 25 and those added.
Logan Adams, Sports Editor
Top Five
Texas
Ohio State
Georgia
Penn State
Miami (FL)
There’s no right answer for what the top five looks like anymore, and that's just the story of modern college football. Four of these five teams are undefeated, yet only Texas and Ohio State have exemplified what a contender looks like after Georgia lost to Alabama. Of course, Vanderbilt happened to Alabama.
Miami struggled to beat Cal in one of the funniest games to keep up with on social media but remains undefeated, boosting itself into a top-five spot. Penn State vs Oregon as the second Big Ten representative is a true toss-up, but I give the edge to Penn State, potentially preemptively knocking Oregon for its upcoming game against Ohio State.
Who I dropped: UNLV, Illinois, USC, Michigan
UNLV was an “I guess” addition to the top 25 after a flip-floppy week at the bottom of last week's poll. After a shootout loss to Syracuse in overtime, ending 41-44, the guess has been proven incorrect.
Illinois, USC and Michigan all disappointed the Big Ten in losses. USC and Michigan tallied their second of the year, just five games in, while Illinois was outmatched by Penn State in a defensive game.
Who I added: Nebraska, Pitt, SMU, Texas A&M
Nebraska and Texas A&M make their way back onto the poll, somewhat by default for Nebraska after a fairly unimpressive week from the Big Ten as a whole. Texas A&M has seemingly hit its stride and flew up the rankings accordingly after dismantling Missouri.
SMU and Pitt were last week's additions for a lot of polls, but I’d rather be late than never put them in my top 25. Pitt has been walking into 30+ points and the same goes for SMU. Both defenses have conceded large point totals throughout the season, but so far, the offense has won out.
Charlie Fadel, Staff Writer
Top Five
Texas
Ohio State
Oregon
Miami (FL)
Penn State
After an insane weekend of college football, I decided to stick with the five best undefeated teams, meaning Miami and Penn State sneak into the top five. The only two teams that have looked consistently deserving of the top five have been Texas and Ohio State.
The Buckeyes will face their biggest challenge of the season next week in Eugene against Oregon. That game will be a make-or-break contest with real playoff implications for two of the top teams in the nation.
Who I dropped: Arizona, USC, UNLV, Louisville
Arizona lost a late-night thriller at home against Texas Tech. The once-feared offense with Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan has slowed down in recent weeks. USC was upset on the road by a good Minnesota team.
UNLV lost a Friday night overtime classic at home against Syracuse. The Orange picked up a much-needed ranked win. The Rebels playoff chances are shot after that loss. Louisville lost in a competitive ACC matchup against SMU to lose its second game in a row. The Cardinals are an experienced bunch and still have a chance in the ACC.
Who I added: SMU, Pitt, Syracuse, Nebraska
SMU and Syracuse got big wins over previously mentioned ranked teams, with the standout performance from those games going to Orange quarterback Kyle McCord. The former Ohio State letdown looks like a completely different player this season.
Pitt is still undefeated after beating North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Saturday. Pat Narduzzi’s squad will surely compete for an ACC title by the end of the year. Nebraska is back in the top 25 after winning a 14-7 slugfest against a solid Rutgers squad. This team will only continue to improve with freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola at the helm.
