Joel Klatt releases updated Top-10 rankings following Week 11

Following the first weekend with playoff rankings out, Joel Klatt has updated his own ratings in college football with an all-new edition of a Top-10.

Two upset outcomes from Saturday had a significant impact on lists across the sport, including this one from Klatt.

With that, Klatt has all but one spot in his ranking going to teams either in the Big Ten or the SEC. An independent is then in the final spot with those in the Big 12 and the ACC only being among the honorable mentions this week.

Here’s how Klatt’s latest rating looks from his tweet of them early on Sunday:

1. Oregon Ducks

Oregon remained at No. 1 for Klatt as they moved to 10-0 with a 39-18 win over Maryland. It wasn’t even one of the Ducks’ better outings of the year and they still took it by three scores over the Terrapins

That has Oregon just two games away from a potential undefeated finish in their first season in the Big Ten. They’re also, at this point, essentially certain to make the College Football Playoff with those final pair of games also likely to determine that they’ll be represented in the Big Ten Championship.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State stayed at No. 2 as well after their first blowout in a month with a 45-0 shutout of Purdue. Their offense doubled them up in almost every statistic while their defense forced two turnovers and held for their second scoreless effort of the season.

The Buckeyes are still in contention for a spot in the Big Ten Championship. Both of their final two games will decide that in Columbus with one being before them this upcoming weekend at Northwestern.

3. Texas Longhorns (+1)

Texas was the first team to move up with a slot up into the top-three. They did so after their best outing in almost a month with a 49-17 win over Florida on The 40 Acres, including a career-outing from Quinn Ewers while also forcing three turnovers by the Gators.

The Longhorns are also in really solid standing to make it into the SEC Championship during their debut season in the Southeastern Conference. There’s still three games to go, though, including two on the road against rivals with the one in their finale being versus one of the other top team in the league standings.

4. Indiana Hoosiers (+2)

Indiana remained undefeated at 10-0 this weekend and, with that, moved into the top-five for Klatt. IU earned that with their closest outcome of the year in a 20-15 win over Michigan in Bloomington.

Now, the Hoosiers have two games left to decide their final standing both in conference play and for the playoff. That includes two weeks between now and the biggest game of their year following their second bye when they go to play Ohio State in what’ll be an unlikely matchup in the Top-10 from The ‘Shoe.

5. Tennessee Volunteers (+2)

Tennessee closed out the top-five by moving up two slots this weekend following a 33-14 win over Mississippi State. Their offense, while dealing with a halftime switch at quarterback, still posted over 450 total yards of offense while their defense forced two turnovers in the 19-point win on Rocky Top.

The Volunteers will now play in the biggest game of their season when they go to play Georgia in Athens on Saturday. That’ll determine whether they can play in the conference championship and have a chance to have a bye in the playoff or be a little less certain with an at-large berth in the CFP.

6. Penn State Nittany Lions (+2)

Penn State put themselves back in the win column, and up two spots in this ranking because of it, with a 35-6 victory in their White Out over Washington. They did so with an offensive outing where they were up 28-0 at halftime before finishing with a total of 486 yards.

The Nittany Lions will now be very favored in each of their final three of this season with them very likely to be at 11-1. That should be enough to have some chance to be in the Big Ten Championship while also being enough for an at-large berth in the College Football Playoff.

7. Alabama Crimson Tide (+2)

Alabama also moved up two spots after keeping their season alive with a massive win at 42-13 over LSU in Death Valley. ‘Bama rolled early and ran often in the bayou, especially so with the use of the legs of Jalen Milroe.

The 29-point win over the Tigers kept the Tide’s chances, although long anyway, intact to be in the SEC Championship in Atlanta. It also will keep them well within the playoff rankings with three games to go as the finish is there for them to be at 10-2.

8. Ole Miss Rebels (Prev. Unranked)

Ole Miss moved themselves into Klatt’s rankings entirely after one of the more significant results of the season with a 28-10 win over Georgia in The Grove. They’re now the first team not named Alabama and outside of the playoff to beat the Bulldogs in the regular season since 2020.

Now, after a month of their playoff hopes being all but lost, the Rebels are in the race again at 8-2 with two left that they’ll be favored in following their bye. That gives them some control of their postseason plans back with the path there to be at 10-2 by season’s end.

9. Georgia Bulldogs (-6)

Georgia was the biggest loser of the weekend for Klatt with a six-slot drop as the only team to fall in the Top-10 because of the 18-point loss in Oxford. Besides being one of their first regular-season losses in some time, it was their most lopsided loss of any kind since the SEC Championship in 2019.

The ‘Dawgs now have no margin for error from here with three weeks left in the season. That might be fine when looking at their final two but is definitely a difficult spot to be in with them coming off this one going into this weekend’s game when they’ll host the Volunteers.

10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (HMs)

Notre Dame rounded out the Top-10 for Klatt after being an honorable mention last week in the ranking. That comes after their second-largest win of the year with a 52-3 blowout of Florida State yesterday in South Bend

The Fighting Irish have done what they’ve needed to do over the last two months since their lone loss to stay in it for the playoff. That’s all they’ll need to do over the final three games too to finish at 11-1 and very likely make it into the CFP.

Honorable Mentions

BYU Cougars
Miami Hurricanes
Boise State Broncos
SMU Mustangs
Colorado Buffaloes