Did Jeremiah Smith’s Record-Breaking Day Push Ohio State to No. 1?

  • October 4, 2026

This past Saturday, Alabama defeated Mississippi State, who in turn took down Missouri, who bested Florida, who conquered Ole Miss, who overcame LSU… well, you see how it goes.

The level of competitive balance across college football, particularly inside the SEC, appears to have reached an all-time high—largely driven by the arrival of athlete compensation deals and the ease of the transfer portal. These shifting dynamics have broken the absolute control once held by traditional powerhouse programs.

Is this shift a negative development? Absolutely not!

However, it certainly complicates the process of putting together midseason rankings. While Florida falls out of our standings, Ole Miss clings to a spot by a thread. Missouri remains on the outside looking in, and Mississippi State has also tumbled out of the rankings. This shakeup opens doors for newcomers such as Tennessee (remember, the Volunteers went toe-to-toe with top-tier Texas recently) and Indiana (yes, we are well aware they have faced an easy schedule so far!).

Ultimately, the dust will settle as the season progresses.

Speaking of sorting things out, did you catch the drama from Friday night? Pittsburgh staged an impressive comeback to defeat Virginia Tech, maintaining an undefeated 5-0 record and prompting coach Pat Narduzzi to insist his squad deserves a spot in the Top 25. Meanwhile, Northwestern celebrated the debut of its stadium by thoroughly dismantling Penn State (suggesting Matt Campbell’s rebuilding project might require a bit more patience).

Minnesota secured a home victory against Michigan for the first time since the 1970s (marking PJ Fleck’s inaugural win against the Wolverines during his decade-long tenure with the Gophers), Ohio State dominated Iowa with a blowout performance at Kinnick Stadium, and Purdue ended a drought of more than 1,000 days without a Big Ten victory by triumphing at Illinois.

On the coaching hot seat front, Mike Norvell earned some breathing room as Florida State easily handled Virginia, whereas Shane Beamer (with South Carolina falling to Kentucky in overtime) and Mike Locksley (as Maryland squandered an early advantage against Nebraska) saw their positions grow more precarious.

But enough preamble! Let’s dive into the Top 10 rankings…

This week: Idle

Upcoming game: vs. Oklahoma (Dallas)

Texas boasts a pair of the most impressive victories nationwide, having knocked off Ohio State and won on the road against Tennessee. Quarterback Arch Manning and his teammates enjoyed a well-deserved bye week ahead of their yearly clash with the Sooners in Dallas. Though several other programs can make a strong case for the pinnacle, Steve Sarkisian’s squad retains the top position for another week. The big question is whether they can sustain it, as their subsequent five matchups following Oklahoma are all against teams currently sitting in the AP Top 25, highlighted by consecutive games against top-10 opponents Florida and Ole Miss.

This week: Defeated Iowa 31-14

Upcoming game: vs. Maryland

What Jeremiah Smith is doing right now is bordering on the absurd. It is hard to recall any wide receiver in college football history launching their season with this level of dominance: racking up 617 yards, 33 receptions, and seven touchdowns across just five games. His stellar performance on Saturday at Kinnick Stadium—where he hauled in 11 passes for 206 yards—completely blew open a matchup that had remained competitive through the first three periods. Iowa simply lacked the offensive capacity to match strides with the Buckeyes, and their defensive unit ultimately collapsed in the final stretch. Keeping Smith under wraps for an entire game is an impossible task!

IOWA CITY, IA - OCTOBER 3: Ohio State Buckeyes wideout Jeremiah Smith #4 strikes a "Heisman Pose" during the second half of the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium after setting the school's career receiving touchdown record on October 3, 2026. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

Jeremiah Smith flashes the Heisman pose following one of his two touchdown receptions against Iowa this Saturday. (Matthew Holst/Getty Images)

(Matthew Holst via Getty Images)

This week: Defeated Clemson 41-13

Upcoming game: Bye week

Miami is showcasing an imposing blend of size, speed, and sheer physicality. It raises the question: could this squad actually surpass last year’s team that reached the national title game? Though quarterback Darian Mensah and wideout Malachi Toney garner most of the headlines, the real foundation of this team lies in its dominant offensive and defensive lines, along with the bruising running style of Mark Fletcher. Additionally, keep an eye on playmaker Cooper Barkate, the former Harvard pass-catcher who moved to Duke before joining Mensah in transferring to Miami ahead of this season.

This week: Defeated Mississippi State 56-23

Upcoming game: vs. Georgia

While Mississippi State signal-caller Kamario Taylor captured most of the media attention leading up to kickoff, it was Alabama’s Keelon Russell who took over once the game started. Russell put on a clinic, throwing for 285 yards and three touchdowns as the Crimson Tide cruised to a dominant, comprehensive victory (highlighted also by a defensive pick-six). His most remarkable contributions came on crucial third downs, where he completed 6 of 7 passes for 146 yards and two scores. It is officially time to insert Russell and Alabama back into the national title conversation.

This week: Defeated North Carolina 37-26

Upcoming game: vs. Stanford

A persistent talking point early in the season had been Notre Dame’s inability to establish a consistent ground game. However, Jonaz Walton silenced those concerns by rushing for 120 yards on 23 attempts in Chapel Hill, while freshman quarterback CJ Carr delivered a four-touchdown performance. Though North Carolina managed to move the ball effectively at times against the Fighting Irish defense—which is a slight cause for concern—the outcome rarely seemed in jeopardy thanks to Carr’s highly efficient display (connecting on 21 of 29 attempts). When the offense stalled, Carr’s deep-passing ability saved the day, highlighted by scoring strikes of 39 and 28 yards.

This week: Defeated Vanderbilt 38-14

Upcoming game: at Alabama

Is the college football world overlooking Gunner Stockton? While his season statistics might not be eye-popping—largely because the Bulldogs haven’t needed him to carry the entire load—he has quietly thrown 10 touchdowns against just one interception. He put his full potential on display Saturday against Vanderbilt, throwing for 295 yards on a highly efficient 78.1% completion rate. Meanwhile, Kirby Smart’s defensive unit looks as formidable as ever (hardly a surprise). They held the Commodores to just a single offensive possession exceeding 35 yards. Next on the agenda is a massive showdown in Tuscaloosa.

This week: Defeated Auburn 24-14

Upcoming game: at Arkansas

The Volunteers face some pressing concerns, particularly a quarterback dilemma that escalated on Saturday. Head coach Josh Heupel opted to bench true freshman Faizon Brandon in favor of backup George MacIntyre, who managed to complete 8 of 10 passes during a grueling contest that saw Tennessee trailing 7-3 at halftime. Fortunately, the Vols’ defense rose to the occasion, supported by a standout performance from running back DeSean Bishop. Bishop carried the load with 34 rushing attempts for 230 yards and three touchdowns, ultimately securing the win. Don’t forget that this Tennessee squad went toe-to-toe with top-ranked Texas, who defeated Ohio State—proving this defense is the real deal.

This week: Idle

Upcoming game: vs. Kansas

Finding Utah in the Top 10 might turn some heads, but they earned their spot by completely dominating Arkansas (even if the Razorbacks are struggling) and securing a decisive victory over Iowa State on the road in Ames. Admittedly, their strength of schedule is not the most demanding. However, quarterback Devon Dampier and debut head coach Morgan Scalley have built a resume strong enough to warrant this ranking, particularly when stacked against other potential contenders whose schedules have been heavily questioned.

This week: Defeated Rutgers 47-15

Upcoming game: at Nebraska

Although Northwestern stands as their toughest test to date, the Hoosiers make their top-10 debut following a dominant rout of Rutgers. TCU quarterback Josh Hoover has thrown four scoring passes. He now has accumulated 15 on the year without throwing a single interception. We will gain a much clearer picture of this team’s true caliber very shortly. Indiana is set to hit the road next week to face Nebraska, presenting them with their first genuinely challenging opponent of the season.

This week: Idle

Upcoming game: at Vanderbilt

During their last outing, the Rebels hardly resembled a top-tier contender as the Florida Gators routinely cut through their defense. Still, it would be premature to dismiss Pete Golding’s squad just yet. Lest we forget, they still boast one of college football’s elite signal-callers—potentially the very best—in Trinidad Chambliss. The burning question remains whether the Rebels successfully utilized their bye week to patch up their defensive vulnerabilities. They will certainly need to, with matchups against ranked opponents Missouri and Texas looming on the horizon.