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Yahoo Top 10: Five undefeated teams remain after chaotic end to Week 10
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Yahoo Top 10: Five undefeated teams remain after chaotic end to Week 10

What if I told you that Miami and SMU are tied in the ACC standings? Or that BYU alone led the Big 12? And what about this nugget: Five SEC teams suffered a league loss at the top of the conference.

Saturday was wild. Five ranked teams lost to unranked opponents: No. 10 Texas A&M (South Carolina), No. 11 Iowa State (Texas Tech), No. 11 Clemson (Louisville), No. 17 K-State (Houston) and No. 24 Illinois (Minnesota). Three undefeated teams remained, including Penn State (Ohio State).

The surprises left us with some crazy and unexpected results at the Power Conference. A&M’s loss leaves the SEC without an undefeated team in league play and the Big 12 only has one undefeated team (BYU). In the ACC, the Hurricanes and Mustangs now just have to prevail in order to meet in the ACC Championship Game (neither play a ranked team for the rest of the season, nor do they play each other). The Big Ten is Oregon (expected) and Indiana (unexpected).

The Cyclones, Nittany Lions and Panthers all fell from the undefeated ranks, leaving five perfect teams in the FBS: Oregon, Miami, BYU, Army (yes, Army) and Indiana (yes, Indiana).

And what about the Group of Five? Louisiana (Sun Belt), Boise State (Mountain West) and Tulane (American) all won weekday games and remain in the running for the CFP’s G5 entry spot. On Saturday, Army joined them and kept their dream season alive with a win over Air Force and an 8-0 record. But Navy and Memphis likely catapulted themselves out of CFP contention with surprise losses to Rice and UTSA, respectively.

With another win on Saturday, Oregon maintained its place in the Big Ten. (Aaron J Thornton/Getty Images)With another win on Saturday, Oregon maintained its place in the Big Ten. (Aaron J Thornton/Getty Images)

With another win on Saturday, Oregon maintained its place in the Big Ten. (Aaron J Thornton/Getty Images)

But enough of this talk. Let’s go to the top 10!

This week: Beat Michigan 38-17

Next week: vs. Maryland

You’ve had a good day offensively if your quarterback throws for 294 yards, your running back runs for 117, and your receiver catches 149 yards in passes. That’s what the Ducks had against a talented Michigan defense. Oregon has gotten better as the season has progressed. Dan Lanning’s team appears to be the most complete in football at the moment.

This week: Beat Florida 34-20

Next week: at Ole Miss

Even with a third-string quarterback, the Gators exposed the Bulldogs. This is worrying. QB Carson Beck threw three interceptions and Georgia needed a late interception to seal the deal. The game was tied with five minutes left! Still, Kirby Smart’s group has some of the best wins of the year (against Clemson in Texas). And there’s another opportunity for a quality win next week in Oxford.

This week: Beat Penn State 20-13

Next week: vs. Purdue

On the shoulders of a stellar defensive performance — including a goal-line stand — Ryan Day and the Buckeyes passed the Beaver Stadium test (again). QB Will Howard also got his comeuppance against his hometown team. It wasn’t pretty, but Howard “willed” Ohio State to a big win, he said. Day’s group fell in their first top-five road game of the season (at Oregon) last month. That wasn’t the case on Saturday.

This week: Beat Duke 53-31

Next week: at Georgia Tech

The Blue Devils and former Miami coach Manny Diaz visited Hard Rock and led 28-17 midway through the third quarter. And then the hurricanes blew through in a big way. Over the next quarter and a half, they outscored Duke 36-3, led by QB Cam Ward, who hit receivers for 66- and 49-yard touchdowns.

This week: Beat Michigan State 47-10

Next week: vs. Michigan

The ninth act of The Curt Cignetti Show featured the Hoosiers’ first deficit of the season. Have no fear. QB Kurtis Rourke and Co. were down 10-0 and ended the game with a 47-0 run. It was the seventh time in nine games that Indiana — now 9-0 — eclipsed the 40-point mark. Cignetti’s team will face its two toughest defensive tests over the next two weeks: a home game against Michigan and an away matchup at Ohio State.

This week: Lost 20-13 to Ohio State

Next week: against Washington

An 11th straight loss to an AP Top 5 team won’t keep the Nittany Lions out of the Top 10. In fact, they may have proven that they are playoff-caliber when paired with the Buckeyes. However, there are problems. Like outside assault weapons that don’t bear the name Tyler Warren. James Franklin needs to find more options for his QB as the season progresses.

This week: Bye

Next week: in Utah

Holy war is looming. But this fight won’t be the top-25 showdown many predicted earlier this season. The Utes enter the game on a four-game losing streak, but there’s nothing like a good rivalry game to liven them up. How good would it feel for Utah to be the team that could end BYU’s undefeated streak? The Cougars have played with fire a bit this season, particularly in a thrilling matchup against Oklahoma State.

This week: Bye

Next week: vs. Florida State

There’s nothing to see here. Only the Irish are in the best position to secure a spot in the expanded playoffs. Notre Dame has four games left and only one of them, Army, is counted. Get ready: An 11-1 Notre Dame team will clinch a playoff spot and maybe even host a game as a No. 5-8 seed. Keep in mind that in the 12-team format, the Irish cannot secure any of the top four seeds or a first-round bye. These are reserved for conference champions only.

This week: Bye

Next week: against Florida

The Longhorns re-emerge in our top 10 after this Saturday’s upset. Are they top 10 material? Texas’ best win might come at Vanderbilt. But they still have plenty of opportunities ahead of them, including facing the Aggies at the end of the season. First, a home game against a Gators team that is playing better.

This week: Beat Pitt 48-25

Next week: Bye

Surprised? Don’t be. The Mustangs have won at Louisville and Duke and just defeated the previously undefeated Panthers. They are real. Their only loss is a three-point home loss to our No. 7 team, BYU. Rhett Lashlee’s team prevailed over Boise State to secure our final top 10 spot. We like the Broncos too! It was close.

Dropped out: Clemson (6), Texas A&M (10)

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