Top College Football Resumes: Texas, Florida State ranking high

While the big question at the top of the Associated Press poll on Sunday was whether Georgia should remain No. 1 or Michigan should take over, the question here at the Resume Rank Home Office is whether the Bulldogs or Wolverines should crack the top 10.

Just as with the AP poll, Who You’ve Played and How You’ve Played matter. But because preseason expectations and recent (non-2023 season) history don’t count here, Who You’ve Played becomes even more important. Michigan has been incredible in any How You’ve Played metric. The Wolverines have dominated every opponent so far, and they looked better Saturday at Nebraska than they looked previously. Georgia’s How You’ve Played is a little more spotty. South Carolina and Auburn took double-digit leads on the Bulldogs before Georgia came back and won.

At the moment, neither have the combination of Who You’ve Played and How You’ve Played to make this list. But if Michigan’s How You’ve Played stays as consistent as it has been, there will be no choice but to include the Wolverines. And Georgia’s Who You’ve Played gets a big boost Saturday when Kentucky comes to Sanford Stadium.

By season’s end, this ranking probably will look an awful lot like the AP Poll and the CFP selection committee rankings. But for now, it’s best to enjoy the swings.

Here is the Resume Ranking through Week 5 of the college football season:

1. Texas (5-0)

The win at Alabama looks even better the better Alabama gets. Plus, the Longhorns handled their business against Kansas. It would have been more fun — and a bigger challenge — had Jalon Daniels been healthy, but seeing Texas once again dominate an inferior opponent is a step forward for a program that hasn’t always been able to do that recently. Next up is Oklahoma in what could be the first of two meetings with the Sooners.

2. Florida State (4-0)

The Seminoles didn’t do anything wrong to drop one spot. They didn’t even play Saturday. This move was more to recognize that the Texas win in Tuscaloosa is the best win anyone has so far this season. The good news for the Seminoles is they have quality wins against LSU and Clemson that will keep them ranked high. Duke and Miami should give Florida State a chance to add to the resume.

3. Ohio State (4-0)

The Buckeyes’ win at Notre Dame looks even better after the Fighting Irish gutted out a win at Duke. Next up for Ohio State is a trip to Maryland. The Terrapins are 5-0 and have scored at least 31 points in every game this season.

4. Penn State (5-0)

The Nittany Lions started slow Saturday but then dominated Northwestern in the second half. They remain Iowa’s only loss, and West Virginia’s surprising 2-0 start in Big 12 play only makes Penn State’s win against the Mountaineers look better.

5. Oregon (5-0)

The Ducks fell behind Stanford 6-0 and wound up winning 42-6. Oregon and Washington now have a week off before they face one another in Seattle on Oct. 14. The winner of that game might top this list on Oct. 15.

6. Washington (5-0)

The Huskies got out of Tucson with a one-score win that wasn’t quite that close, but last year’s Washington team would attest that leaving the state of Arizona with a win is far superior than leaving with a mystifying loss like the one the 2022 Huskies suffered at Arizona State. Still, this was the first game that Washington didn’t utterly dominate.

7. Washington State (4-0)

The Cougars had Saturday off, but the best part of their weekend came Friday night when Oregon State — which just lost in Pullman — suffocated Utah in Corvallis. Wazzu returns to action Saturday against UCLA in the Rose Bowl.

8. Miami (4-0)

Auburn and Arkansas struggling to block Texas A&M’s defensive front only make Miami’s performance against that group look even better. The Hurricanes open ACC play this week against Georgia Tech, but the true challenge starts Oct. 14 with back-to-back games against North Carolina and Clemson.

9. Kentucky (5-0)

It was tough to judge the Wildcats prior to Saturday because of who they’d played, but an utter annihilation of Florida — featuring 280 rushing yards by Ray Davis — suggests Kentucky can push teams around up front. Can the Wildcats push around Georgia in Athens on Saturday? Probably not, but if they play the way they did Saturday, they have a chance to win. (Conversely, the Bulldogs may finally be able to crack this list by beating Kentucky.)

10. Notre Dame (5-1)

The Fighting Irish needed a 95-yard drive engineered by QB Sam Hartman to beat Duke, but they got it. Notre Dame is one play from topping this list, and the Irish have plenty of chances to climb — starting with a visit to 5-0 Louisville this week.