FAYETTEVILLE — While its top 5 compatriots Clemson and Ohio State engaged in nail biters, behemoth Alabama destroyed Tennessee in Knoxville to further cement its status at No. 1. Clemson deserved an L for its sloppy performance but dodged it with North Carolina State's missed field goal on the final play of regulation. I dropped the Tigers behind three idle unbeatens -- Washington, Michigan and Texas A&M -- into 6th on my ballot. In my poll, Texas A&M at Alabama on Saturday is a top 5 showdown.
Unbeaten and under-the-radar West Virginia rose nine spots to No. 10 for me after spanking Texas Tech 48-17 in Lubbock. Holding the Red Raiders to 17 at home is no easy feat. The Mountaineers' schedule gets tougher in the second half.
Arkansas outlasted Ole Miss 34-30 in another worthy installment in what has become quality entertainment in the second tier of the SEC West. The Razorbacks moved up seven spots to No. 15 as the second-highest two-loss team behind No. 12 Florida State. I've got idle Auburn at No. 16, so the Hogs should be facing their fifth top 20 opponent on Saturday.
The Rebels -- now the best three-loss team in the nation!! -- slide to No. 22, a spot behind new entrant LSU, which projects as a beast the rest of the way after the transition to Coach O. Respect to Ole Miss. I'd like to see where unbeaten Nebraska or West Virginia would be sitting if they had an SEC West schedule like that of the Rebels or Hogs.
Tennessee's narrow escape days are behind them after the Bama beat down. Now we now why Butch Jones insisted "that game has to be played" regarding the postponed LSU at Florida game. The Razorbacks will have the Vol Nation at their backs when they host Florida on Nov. 5 after their open date. Speaking of the Gators, I've got them at No. 13.
Despite a loss in overtime at Clemson, I penciled in North Carolina State at No. 25, making the Wolfpack and LSU new entries on my weekly ballot.
Virginia Tech followed up its rousing 34-3 rout of North Carolina with an absolute clunker of a 31-17 loss at Syracuse. The Hokies and yo-yoing Arizona State fell off my ballot.
Tom Murphy's Top 25
1 Alabama
2 Ohio State
3 Washington
4 Michigan
5 Texas A&M
6 Clemson
7 Louisville
8 Baylor
9 Nebraska
10 West Virginia
11 Houston
12 Florida State
13 Florida
14 Utah
15 Arkansas
16 Auburn
17 Wisconsin
18 Tennessee
19 Oklahoma
20 Boise State
21 LSU
22 Ole Miss
23 Miami
24 Western Michigan
25 North Carolina State
Dropped out: Virginia Tech, Arizona State