Josh Furlong's AP Top 25: Texas adds to resume as Florida takes giant leap in rankings

AMES, Iowa — The deeper we get into the season, the less we know about every team — or is it that any team is beatable right now?

There is yet to be a team that has fully separated itself from the pack, though Texas is doing as good of a job as anybody with two wins over Top 25 teams — most notably a win on the road against Tennessee.

Beyond that, there's a lot of uncertainty around the country, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Indiana looked human, Oregon came to life with a backup QB, and the transitive property calculations have already made for some interesting scenarios.

The following is the ballot I submitted to the Associated Press that will be counted in the consensus rankings that will be released Sunday afternoon.

1. Texas

Texas somehow wanted to give away its No. 1 spot in a wacky ending on the road against Tennessee, but the Longhorns managed to stay on top in a game it controlled for much of the morning. Texas is far from perfect, but they're the best we've got at this point. How long can Texas stay atop the chart?

2. Miami

A 52-3 blowout win over Central Michigan isn't going to tell us much, but Miami features two players with legitimate Heisman considerations in Malachi Toney and Darian Mensah.

3. Notre Dame

Notre Dame took care of business against a fellow Power Four team, and made Purdue look outclassed in every facet of the game. CJ Carr contributed four total touchdowns in a blowout win.

4. Georgia

Georgia is really good, but Oklahoma is also very, very, very, very bad — like very bad. On the bright side, it made the Bulldogs' day fairly easy, especially when John Mateer gifted Georgia points left and right.

5. Ohio State

Jeremiah Smith is a cheat code, and he showcased that in full form Saturday. The star wide receiver made Illinois defenders his play toy as he amassed four total touchdowns and 217 receiving yards on 12 catches. Ohio State is more than Smith, but it's tough to acknowledge anybody else after that performance.

6. Florida

Hello, Gainesville! I ranked the Gators in the bottom five of my top 25 rankings last week, but it was far from enough. Florida made Ole Miss look second class after an entertaining win over LSU last week. It seems Jon Sumrall was the right fit to take over for the Gators. It's a significant jump in my ballot, but honestly well deserved after the hot start.

7. Indiana

Indiana was seemingly in control all game, but a Friday night scare gave the Hoosiers something to think about going into next week. Northwestern is a much-improved team, but Indiana struggled to put them away. There isn't much worry about Indiana in my mind, but maybe they're more human this season than last. Even then, the roster is littered with talent.

8. Alabama

Keelon Russell is the real deal for Alabama and made South Carolina pay with his four passing touchdowns and another rushing touchdown to overwhelm the Gamecocks. With Russell under center, Alabama is likely underrated at No. 8, but there's plenty of time for upward movement.

9. BYU

The bye week served BYU well, with a one-spot increase in my ballot. This week's opponent, TCU, doesn't appear to be too much of a challenge after another loss. Congrats on the future win.

10. Utah

When Utah's offense is clicking, it looks fairly tough to beat — even with an new-look offensive line that isn't fully settled. But in back-to-back weeks there have been some struggles in the third quarter. Is it a crack in the foundation or a small blip on the radar? Either way, Utah has been pretty tough to beat and holds a 10-game streak of scoring 30+ points — the longest active streak in the FBS.

In consideration (alphabetical): Auburn, James Madison, Louisville, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota State, Pittsburgh, SMU, Virginia Tech

If you can't see my full ballot below, click here.

Think you can do better? Create your own Top 25 ballot with the KSL Sports Fan Top 25 poll here.

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