College Football AP Top 25: Week 7

There are certain charms emphasized in college football that truly make it the special game that it is: small towns, proud communities, boisterous university bands and of course, the AP Top 25.

Dating back to the 1930s, the AP poll is a timeless American tradition that typically releases every Sunday afternoon during the season. Ranking the best FBS schools in the nation, respected college football broadcasters and writers collectively assemble the list, keeping in mind whole bodies of work.

In some seasons (or entire epochs, even), the AP Top 25 does not offer much parody. Still, 2023 has already shown to be a year where the competition feels a little closer together.

Entering this Saturday's slate (CFB Week 7), let's have a look at the current college football AP poll, along with which universities stand out at their spots.

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*Denotes team unranked in previous week

Most noteworthy, the Oklahoma Sooners surged up seven spots and into the top five after outlasting the hated-rival Texas Longhorns. Speaking of the 'Horns, they plummeted six spots to No. 9 after the 34-30 loss last weekend in Fair Park.

Of course, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish suffered this week's biggest free-fall, cascading 11 spots down to No. 21 after losing at the Louisville Cardinals. Reciprocally, Louisville moved up 11 positions to No. 14.

Underrated

(#7) Washington Huskies

Up in Seattle, the No. 7 Washington Huskies have built a thoroughly good football program. Under the prowess of star lefty signal-caller Michael Penix Jr., the Huskies are cooking with gas and enjoying the tasty results. At 5-0 straight up (SU), Washington is currently one of three undefeated Pac-12 teams, but I think they stand a favorable shot to outlast the others.

At FanDuel Sportsbook, Washington is priced at 2-to-1 to win the 2023-24 Pac-12 championship game. Additionally, the Huskies are sixth in the country on ESPN's latest SP+ rankings. Penix possesses the skills to keep UDub at the top; he yields the second-best QBR (91.6) in FBS to this point. However, their toughest test of the season looms this weekend. Can Penix show out in Eugene against the rival No. 8 Oregon Ducks?

Overrated

(#10) USC Trojans

The No. 10 Southern California Trojans actually fell one spot in the AP poll despite holding on to a 43-41 triple-overtime victory versus the Arizona Wildcats. Led by Heisman Trophy frontrunner Caleb Williams, everyone knows USC can score at a prolific rate. The Trojans' 51.8 PPG is currently best in FBS, but their defense has become too reliant on super performances from the O. Can head coach Lincoln Riley finally address it?

Excluding Week 2 against the Stanford Cardinal, USC has an average margin of victory of only 7.7 points in conference games. At 6-0 overall, Southern Cal remains undefeated for now, but the road gets tougher ahead. This week, the Trojans will play their first ranked opponent of 2023 at rival No. 21 Notre Dame. From there, the reigning Pac-12 champion No. 16 Utah Utes come to Los Angeles.

The Baby Bear's Porridge

(#1) Georgia Bulldogs

Like Goldylocks eventually discovered, the baby bear's porridge is just right, and so too is this team's ranking in my opinion.

All hail the mighty No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs. En route to college football's first national title three-peat since World War II, UGA has rolled to a 6-0 record in 2023. In that span, the Bulldogs are winning by an average margin of victory of 27.7 PPG. Only the Auburn Tigers have finished within a single-score of Georgia this season, ultimately losing 27-20.

At the moment, UGA shows up at fourth (24.3) of all FBS programs on ESPN's College Football Power Index. When comparing that to referenced SP+ rankings, Georgia is second (24.2 rating) in the country. Considering their defense is playing as stout as ever (allowing just 13.0 PPG in 2023), I am -- once again -- buying the hype with the Bulldogs.

Of course, when it comes down to it, can junior quarterback Carson Beck make the big-time throws needed to vanquish top SEC teams? His QBR of 83.3 is third best in the conference right now.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.