FAYETTEVILLE — 1 Alabama
2 Clemson
3 Oklahoma
4 Penn State
5 Washington
6 Georgia
7 Michigan
8 Ohio State
9 TCU
10 Wisconsin
11 Miami, Fla.
12 Auburn
13 Washington State
14 USC
15 Virginia Tech
16 Oklahoma State
17 Louisville
18 South Florida
19 Florida
20 Notre Dame
21 West Virginia
22 Central Florida
23 San Diego State
24 Utah
25 North Carolina State
Dropped out: Mississippi State, Duke
Hey social media swarm: We can't just stick Alabama and Clemson in a microwave, punch in "high" and hit the start button. But if feels like it.
When you watch those two teams, combatants in the last two CFP championship games, their defensive speed jumps off the screen. It will take a monumental effort for anybody to knock off either of the two over the next two months. They are the clear No. 1 and 2 for me this week.
Oklahoma stayed at No. 3, while Penn State slipped up a notch to No. 4 again after USC lost at Washington State. I dropped the Trojans to No. 14, a slot behind the Cougars.
Georgia, which destroyed Tennessee 41-0 in Knoxville, won't get Alabama in the regular season, but if the Dogs can beat Florida on Oct. 28 there's a strong possibility they'll see the Crimson Tide in Atlanta. I moved Georgia up three spots to No. 6, just behind Washington, which has won its five games by an average margin of 33 points. Idle TCU is up two spots to No. 9 ahead of a Big 12 showdown with West Virginia, which is up to 21 in my rankings.
The second 10 in my poll is led by a couple of intriguing teams that are looking stronger every week: Miami (Fla.), and Auburn. Hurricane Irma threw a wrench into the Hurricanes' early season, but they pulverized Duke on the road and look stout. Auburn held Clemson to 14 points and appears to have its offense chugging pretty good despite injuries to key personnel.
Mississippi State fell all the way out from No. 18 after its second blowout loss in a row. That smashing of LSU looks like fool's gold now. Also out is No. 25 Duke.
New entries for me this week are No. 20 Notre Dame, whose home loss to Georgia is looking better and better, and No. 25 North Carolina State, who Dino Babers will tell you is better than LSU.
I dropped LSU and Memphis out of my rankings last week after wins and I'm glad I did as both sets of Tigers laid eggs on Saturday.
Temperature alert this week in the volatile SEC: Boil in Knoxville and Baton Rouge; simmer in Auburn, College Station, Fayetteville, Gainesville and other Villes -- for now.
In the Group of 5 sweepstakes, South Florida leads at No. 18, followed by No. 22 Central Florida and No. 23 San Diego State.