With four teams in the top 10 of the US LBM Coaches Poll taking a loss this weekend, there was bound to be a fresh look at the top-10 this week. And sure enough, the rankings got a little bit of a makeover, and Penn State was among the teams benefitting from the changes.
Penn State moved up two spots this week from no. 7 to no. 5. The Nittany Lions are off to a 5-0 start after its Week 6 victory over UCLA. Penn State moved ahead of Alabama and Tennessee after both SEC powers suffered a loss this week. Alabama fell five spots from no. 2 down to no. 7 after being stunned on the road by Vanderbilt. Tennessee dropped from no. 4 down to no. 9 after losing to Arkansas.
Texas remains the top team in the coaches poll this week and received 44 first-place votes. Ohio State moved up a spot to no. 2 and received 11 first-place votes. Oregon jumped up three spots from no. 6 to no. 3, leapfrogging no. 4 Georgia in the process amid the changes in the coaches poll.
The Big Ten is home to six teams ranked in the top 25 of the US LBM Coaches Poll. In addition to Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State, other Big Ten teams ranked this week in the coaches poll include no. 20 Indiana, no. 21 Michigan (down 11 spots from no. 10 after its loss at Washington), and no. 23 Illinois. USC dropped out of the coaches poll after its loss at Minnesota.
Here is the full US LBM Coaches Poll for Week 7.
| Ranking | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Longhorns | 5-0 | 1,364 (44) |
| 2 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 5-0 | 1,330 (11) |
| 3 | Oregon Ducks | 5-0 | 1,215 |
| 4 | Georgia Bulldogs | 4-1 | 1,174 |
| 5 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 5-0 | 1,163 |
| 6 | Miami Hurricanes | 6-0 | 1,085 |
| 7 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 4-1 | 1,035 |
| 8 | Ole Miss Rebels | 5-1 | 935 |
| 9 | Tennessee Volunteers | 4-1 | 856 |
| 10 | LSU Tigers | 4-1 | 839 |
| 11 | Clemson Tigers | 4-1 | 818 |
| 12 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 4-1 | 807 |
| 13 | Iowa State Cyclones | 5-0 | 695 |
| 14 | Texas A&M Aggies | 5-1 | 564 |
| 15 | BYU Cougars | 5-0 | 549 |
| 16 | Oklahoma Sooners | 4-1 | 541 |
| 17 | Utah Utes | 4-1 | 479 |
| 18 | Missouri Tigers | 4-1 | 473 |
| 19 | Kansas State Wildcats | 4-1 | 360 |
| 20 | Indiana Hoosiers | 6-0 | 358 |
| 21 | Michigan Wolverines | 4-2 | 224 |
| 22 | Boise State Broncos | 4-1 | 213 |
| 23 | Illinois Fighting Illini | 4-1 | 179 |
| 24 | Pittsburgh Panthers | 5-0 | 170 |
| 25 | SMU Mustangs | 5-1 | 123 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 15 USC; No. 22 Louisville; No. 23 UNLV;
Others Receiving Votes
USC 102; Nebraska 68; Army West Point 36; Navy 26; Colorado 16; Kentucky 12; Arizona 12; UNLV 11; Texas Tech 8; Virginia 7; Washington 5; Liberty 5; Vanderbilt 4; Rutgers 3; Arkansas 3; Tulane 2; Louisville 2; Iowa 2; Syracuse 1; Arizona State 1
Penn State will be on the road this week at USC. USC falling out of the rankings takes some of the luster off the matchup, but this will still be an important game for both Penn State and USC as well as the Big Ten title picture and College Football Playoff hunt.
Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.