Nearly all of our writers’ rankings are the same after college football’s elite flexed their muscles this week.
Alabama marched into Baton Rouge for revenge after a tough loss to LSU last season. The Crimson Tide wasted no time, racking up 35 points in a little more than a quarter of play on their way to a 55-17 victory. Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith were once again an unstoppable duo: Smith caught eight balls from Jones for 231 yards and three touchdowns; Jones finished the day with four passing touchdowns in the win.
It was Senior Day at Notre Dame, and Ian Book celebrated by putting together one of his best performances under center for the Fighting Irish. Book finished Saturday with five touchdowns (three passing and two rushing) to lead Notre Dame to a 45-21 victory over Syracuse. The win pushed his career record to 30-3 for the Irish, making him the winningest quarterback in Notre Dame history.
Ohio State and Clemson both took care of business with big wins on Saturday. The Tigers led Virginia Tech only 17-10 at halftime but turned it on in the second half and outscored the Hokies 28-0 to close out the game 45-10. In similar fashion, the Buckeyes finally got back on the field after a couple of weeks off and didn’t miss a beat. Justin Fields posted four total touchdowns, and Ohio State routed Michigan State 52-12.
The Buckeyes still have the most votes for the fourth-place team, but Cincinnati and Texas A&M remain just outside the top four, waiting for a team to slip up. Cincinnati was on a bye this week, while Texas A&M used a third-quarter comeback to win at Auburn 31-20.
Like last week, Alabama and Notre Dame remain the only unanimous selections this week.
Andrea Adelson: 1. Alabama, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Clemson, 4. Ohio State
Kyle Bonagura: 1. Alabama, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Clemson, 4. Ohio State
Bill Connelly: 1. Alabama, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Ohio State, 4. Cincinnati
Heather Dinich: 1. Alabama, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Clemson, 4. Ohio State
David M. Hale: 1. Notre Dame, 2. Alabama, 3. Clemson, 4. Cincinnati
Sam Khan Jr.: 1. Alabama, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Clemson, 4. Texas A&M
Chris Low: 1. Alabama, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Clemson, 4. Ohio State
Harry Lyles Jr.: 1. Alabama, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Clemson, 4. Ohio State
Adam Rittenberg: 1. Alabama, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Clemson, 4. Ohio State
Alex Scarborough: 1. Alabama, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Clemson, 4. Ohio State
Mark Schlabach: 1. Alabama, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Ohio State, 4. Clemson
Tom VanHaaren: 1. Alabama, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Clemson, 4. Ohio State
Dave Wilson: 1. Alabama, 2. Notre Dame, 3. Clemson, 4. Ohio State