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.
Robert Keegan III, sports editor
Top Five
Texas
Alabama
Ohio State
Georgia
Tennessee
Who I dropped: Memphis, Oklahoma State, Utah, Arkansas
A lot changed in the top 25 this week after several wins from unranked teams over ranked opponents and ranked opponents losing for the first time.
Oklahoma State was the most obvious of the four teams after it lost back-to-back games and looked lost on offense in both.
Utah is the most questionable of these decisions, but I stand by it. The Utes only have one loss on the season, but they just don't have the big win that many other top 25 teams have. Since Cam Rising’s injury, Utah has been a different team — a team that isn’t good enough to contend with the top 25.
Who I added: Pitt, BYU, Texas A&M, Kansas State
Some of these additions are a bit overdue. BYU and Kansas State have been playing great football all season, but now each has a ranked win that establishes them as contenders in college football.
Pitt has a Heisman contender at quarterback in Eli Holstein and has played great football all year.
Texas A&M finally crawls back into the top 25 after a Week One loss against Notre Dame. A ranked win against Arkansas this past weekend was proof enough that the Aggies are all the way back.
Logan Adams, sports editor
Top Five
Alabama
Texas
Ohio State
Georgia
Tennessee
Who I dropped: Texas A&M, Memphis, Oklahoma State
Last week, Texas A&M was nothing more than a formality, while Memphis keeping its spot after a loss to Navy can be chalked up to a mistake on my end. Both teams got wins this weekend but didn’t look as certifiably top 25 as the team’s coming in this week.
Oklahoma State has now suffered back-to-back losses. Last week’s against Utah seemed much more reasonable, keeping them in my top 25, however, with both teams from last week’s matchup finding themselves on the wrong end of a beatdown — Oklahoma State losing 42-20 to Kansas State and Utah losing 23-10 to Arizona — I couldn’t reason Oklahoma State in the top 25 any longer.
Who I added: BYU, Kentucky, UNLV
BYU has been on an absolute tear through the Big 12, picking up two wins against Kansas State and Baylor in back-to-back weeks. In what was the biggest loss of the season for any team so far, Kentucky knocked off Ole Miss, a former top five team. The Wildcats’ defense has been incredible, with future NFL players lining their front seven.
UNLV, which made headlines this past week not through its play, but through its controversies, has been quietly seeing success on the field. Down their starting quarterback, the Rebels continue to dominate with a 59-14 win over Fresno State.
Charlie Fadel, staff writer
Top Five
Alabama
Texas
Ohio State
Tennessee
Miami (FL)
Who I dropped: Utah, Oklahoma State
Two Big 12 contenders fell this past weekend, both to good teams. Oklahoma State lost big against Kansas State, who jumped up significantly in my rankings. Sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson has the Wildcats offense purring through six weeks of the season.
Utah lost at home to a very good Arizona team this weekend. The Utes are missing their longtime starting quarterback in Cam Rising and it showed this weekend. Freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson had a rough game, throwing for two interceptions en route to defeat.
Who I added: UNLV, Boise State
A couple of groups of five playoff contenders are finding their way into the rankings this week with Boise State and UNLV joining the pack. The Rebels had to deal with some NIL drama this week as quarterback Matthew Sluka left the team after not being paid the $100,000 in NIL money that UNLV reportedly promised.
That didn’t affect new starter Hajj-Malik Williams however, as he stepped in and picked 301 total yards and four total touchdowns in a blowout over Fresno State.
Boise State is the best group of five teams in the country right now, and running back Ashton Jeanty is maybe the best player in the entire country. He and the Broncos could very well find themselves in the new expanded college football playoff by the end of the regular season.
