2 weeks Ago By Bill Bender
The first three top-five showdowns of the college football season have been epic. Will No. 4 Ohio State at No.
3 Penn State live up to the hype? Of course it will. This will be the 12th time both teams are ranked in the top 10, but just the second time both teams were in the top five. You have to go all the way back to Oct.
5, 1996 for the last top-five showdown between the teams. No. 3 Ohio State beat No.
4 Penn State 38-7 at Ohio Stadium that day, which set the tone for the Buckeyes' dominance in those high-profile showdowns. Penn State coach James Franklin is 1-9 against the Buckeyes, and that includes four top-10 showdowns. Will it mean more if the Nittany Lions win this one? Of course it would, especially in the Big Ten championship chase.
No. 1 Oregon still holds the top spot in Sporting News Top 25 rankings heading into Week 10. The winner of the matchup between Ohio State and Penn State will be on track to face the Ducks in the Big Ten championship game.
MORE: Indiana trying to crash the Big Ten party at the top No. 2 Georgia and No. 5 Texas stayed in the top five.
The Bulldogs were on a bye week, and the Longhorns escaped an upset bid with a 27-24 victory at Vanderbilt. Will there be another top-five showdown in the regular season? That appears doubtful unless No. 8 Tennessee can creep into the top five before their matchup with the Bulldogs on Nov.
16. Perhaps No. 11 Texas A&M – which moved up after a 33-18 victory against No.
18 LSU – could creep into the top five if the Aggies stay unbeaten in SEC play. So enjoy Penn State-Ohio State. We might not get another one of that magnitude until conference championship weekend.
Here is a closer look at The Sporting News top 25 rankings. MORE: Projected College Football Playoff field after Week 9 Sporting News Top 25 rankings for Week 10 Here is a closer look at our latest top 25 ranking heading into Week 10: RANK SCHOOL RECORD PVS WEEK 8 RESULT 1 Oregon 8-0 1 Beat Illinois 38-9 2 Georgia 6-1 2 Bye 3 Penn State 7-0 3 Beat Wisconsin 28-13 4 Ohio State 6-1 4 Beat Nebraska 21-17 5 Texas 7-1 5 Beat Vanderbilt 27-24 6 Miami, Fla. 8-0 6 Beat Florida State 36-14 7 Clemson 6-1 7 Bye 8 Tennessee 6-1 8 Bye 9 BYU 8-0 11 Beat UCF 37-24 10 Notre Dame 7-1 12 Beat Navy 51-14 11 Texas A&M 7-1 14 Beat LSU 38-23 12 Iowa State 7-0 10 Bye 13 Indiana 8-0 13 Beat Washington 31-17 14 Pitt 7-0 15 Beat Syracuse 41-13 15 Kansas State 7-1 16 Beat Kansas 29-27 16 Alabama 6-2 17 Beat Missouri 34-0 17 LSU 6-2 9 Lost to Texas A&M 38-23 18 SMU 7-1 18 Beat Duke 28-17 19 Boise State 6-1 22 Beat UNLV 29-24 20 Army 7-0 23 Bye 21 Ole Miss 6-2 21 Beat Oklahoma 26-14 22 Illinois 6-2 19 Lost to Oregon 38-9 23 Washington State 7-1 29 Beat San Diego State 29-26 24 Colorado 6-2 30 Beat Cincinnati 34-23 25 Missouri 6-2 20 Lost to Alabama 34-0.
