Iowa Jumps To #1 In Computer Rankings - Alabama, A&M, Oklahoma Follow

September 19, 2021 by Staff

Not because of who they beat but rather because the top teams are so tight, Iowa hurdled from 5th to 1st in the latest FBS Congrove Computer Rankings Top 130 released within minutes of the conclusion of the San Jose State-Hawaii game early Sunday morning.

The Hawkeyes' lead is a slim 0.87 points over Alabama, and the Tide have a mere .30-point separation from 3rd-place Texas A&M. Oklahoma sits just .10 points behind the Aggies.

Michigan made a dramatic jump from 18th to 6th while Penn State climbed from 14th to 7th and Georgia rocketed  from 25th to 8th.

Ole Miss also made a move, rising from 21st to 11th, and Cincinnati soared from 35th to 14th.

At the other end of the spectrum, Indiana plummeted from 9th to 42nd after losing to Cincinnati as the Hoosiers dropped to 1-2.

Arizona State fell from 13th to 40th, and UCLA crashed from 10th to 34th after falling to Fresno State.

Oregon is the only team in the PAC-12 with an unblemished record. By contrast, independent BYU is 3-0 vs. the PAC-12 and rose from 60th to 41st with its win over Arizona State.

Other big movers included Arkansas (from 45th to 22nd) and Michigan State (52nd to 33rd).  Miami made a free-fall from 16th to 56th on the heels of a 38-17 home loss to the Spartans, and Utah dropped like a rock from 20th to 54th with a second straight loss.

SEC teams hold 4 o the top 11 spots, and 6 places among the top 25.

The Big Ten has three teams in the top 7, and 5 in the top 17.

The Big 12 has 6 in the top 21.

The PAC-12 has just two teams in the top 31, but 2 of those are among the top 8.

The ACC has 4 in the top 25, but North Carolina outranks Clemson with the Tar Heels 15th and the Tigers 20th.  Clemson fell 3 spots with its narrow win over Georgia Tech while UNC rose 9 places with its convincing win over Virginia.

This is going to be interesting to watch as conference play begins to heat up. So far, 87 of the 123 teams that belong to a conference haven't played a single conference game. Only 34 of 130 teams that comprise the FBS remain undefeated.

Boston College and Wake Forrest are the only schools in the ACC that are unscathed, Conversely, 5 of 7 teams in the Big Ten East are unbeaten. 6 of the 10 members of the Big 12 have yet to lose a game, and 4 SEC West schools are 3-0.

Every MAC and CUSA team has at least 1 loss with the exception of UTSA.

See the complete Top 130.