It’s a new era of college football. 

When the College Football Playoff committee starts releasing rankings later this season, they aren’t going to be the end-all, be-all given the new seeding rules of the 12-team field. But the rankings are still fun and people are still going to fight over them. They still matter. 

So, every weekend, after the dust settles from the games, I’m going to unveil my updated top 10. Here is the latest edition: 

1. Oregon (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten)

Oregon was supposed to face its second huge test in Big Ten play Saturday with a road game at Michigan. The Wolverines, though, have turned out to not be very good this year. There was no challenge. The Ducks continued their hot streak with a 38-17 win to stay undefeated. Oregon not only has won all nine of its games, but it also has quality wins over Boise State and Ohio State. The win over the Buckeyes looks even better now. Oregon is a virtual lock to make the College Football Playoff now.
Last week’s rank: 1

2. Ohio State (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten)

Ohio State was at a crossroads coming into this week. Its last two games were a loss against Oregon and a near-loss to Nebraska. The offensive line was in shambles. And Ryan Day still had much to prove in terms of winning the high-profile matchups the Buckeyes have to have. In a 20-13 win at Penn State on Saturday, the Buckeyes seemingly found a new offensive line alignment that should work for them down the stretch of the season. Ohio State is still the most talented team in college football and now it has a quality win under its belt. It’s lone loss was by a point on the road to the No. 1 team in these rankings.
Last week’s rank: 5

3. Georgia (7-1, 5-1 SEC)

Georgia’s results this season continue to be confusing. Yes, the Bulldogs wound up beating Florida by 14, but it was a tie game in the fourth quarter. The Gators, who lost quarterback D.J. Lagway in the first half, were able to remain competitive in the game despite having a fractured offense. We’ve seen what Georgia at its best looks like with its win over Texas, but we’ve also seen the ugly side of Georgia. Carson Beck threw three interceptions against Florida and the Bulldogs offense wasn’t explosive for a large portion of the game. We know Georgia could win the national title this year. Can it be trusted?
Last week’s rank: 2

4. Texas (7-1, 3-1 SEC)

Three weeks ago, most analysts thought this Texas team was the best team in college football. Then the Georgia game happened. Then the close win over Vanderbilt game happened. Texas didn’t have a game Saturday, so it took the week to get healthy and refocused for the last run of its schedule. The problem with Texas, though very good, is it doesn’t have any quality wins and got blown out in their lone game against a good team. Texas will still have plenty of opportunity to prove itself when it travels to Texas A&M at the end of the year. Texas has a real shot at the SEC title game in its first year of being in the conference. 
Last week’s rank: 3

5. Miami (9-0, 5-0 ACC)

For a while in Miami’s win over Duke, it felt like there was a dark cloud hanging over the Hard Rock Stadium. Duke was moving the ball with ease, and all of the weird breaks were going in favor of the Blue Devils. Then Miami’s offense turned it on and the Hurricanes blew Duke off the field, eventually winning 53-31. Backed by quarterback Cam Ward, Miami has one of the best offenses in football. The defense? It feels like it’s going to cost Miami a game eventually. But the Hurricanes have made it to 9-0 for a reason. They are a dangerous team in the ACC with a clear route to the conference title game.
Last week’s rank: 6

6. Penn State (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten)

The narrative around Penn State is going to be about how James Franklin can’t win the big one after it lost to Ohio State in front of a record crowd Saturday. There is no avoiding it. But in the 12-team era of the College Football Playoff, this loss doesn’t knock the Nittany Lions off track for other goals. It’s going to need help to get into the Big Ten title game, but not all is lost. The glass-half-full view? Penn State was two yards away from tying the game against the Buckeyes with less than six minutes remaining on the clock. Penn State fans may be down in the dumps, but this is a very good football team that still has a chance to win in December.
Last week’s rank: 4

7. Indiana (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) 

Indiana was trailing Michigan State 10-0 early in the game Saturday and those thoughts started to creep into your head. Was this when Indiana was going to come down to earth? Well, the Hoosiers didn’t. The final score was 47-10. Indiana hasn’t had the roughest path for a Big Ten schedule, but it has won every single game on its schedule by 14 or more points. Anyone who watches this team knows it’s legit. We have to wait a few weeks, but Ohio State-Indiana may be appointment television. The Hoosiers have a realistic shot of coming out of nowhere and making the Playoff.
Last week’s rank: 9

8. BYU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) 

It was a good week for BYU to have off. The Big 12 kind of exploded Saturday, with Iowa State and Kansas State both losing. The Cougars, meanwhile, are still unbeaten on the year and are now the only team in the Big 12 to not have suffered a loss in conference play. Quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been electric this year and the Cougars have a manageable schedule moving forward. Next weekend, it has to travel to Utah for a rivalry game, which is always tricky. But if BYU gets through that, the final three games on its schedule are Kansas, Arizona State and Houston. 
Last week’s rank: 8

9. Tennessee (7-1, 4-1 SEC)

Tennessee hasn’t been playing beautiful football during the past month, but the Volunteers keep winning games in the SEC. Saturday, it got an ugly win over Kentucky. It also has a win over Alabama, which is going to carry weight when the College Football Playoff committee releases its first rankings on Tuesday. The Volunteers have a ton of potential, but they also make you feel like they could drop a random game to just about anyone. Will Tennessee put it together or fall short? We’ll get a nice little glimpse of what this team is capable of when it travels to Georgia on Nov. 16.
Last week’s rank: 7

10. Notre Dame (7-1) 

Notre Dame had an off week this week, but its signature win over Texas A&M took a hit when South Carolina blew out the Aggies. Still, the Irish have rebounded nicely from the embarrassing loss to NIU by putting together six consecutive wins, five of which were blowouts. Notre Dame has games against Florida State, Virginia, Army, and USC still left on its schedule. If it wins them all — which seems likely — the Irish will be in the College Football Playoff. 
Last week’s rank: 10