Alabama, Notre Dame, Iowa climb in CFB Power Rankings after Week 10

These rankings generally get more rigid as the season goes on. One big win can boost a team high in the early weeks because it represents such a large portion of what we know about a team at the time. As the season goes on, each game makes up a progressively smaller portion of the available knowledge about a team: one-eighth after the team’s eighth game, one-ninth after the team’s ninth game and so on.

Week 10, however, is an exception to the rule. With the many huge showdowns between College Football Playoff contenders and surprising upsets, the rankings have swung sharply—even though one result only solidified the team at the top of the list.

• NADKARNI: Three thoughts on AP poll after Week 9 | Complete AP Top 25

1. Clemson Tigers

PREVIOUS: 1

RECORD: 9-0

Last week: Beat Florida State 23-13Next week: Saturday at Syracuse

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

PREVIOUS: 5

RECORD: 8-1

Next week: Saturday at Mississippi State

3. Baylor Bears

PREVIOUS: 3

RECORD: 8-0

Next week: Saturday vs. Oklahoma

4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

PREVIOUS: 11

RECORD: 8-1

Next week: Saturday vs. Wake Forest

5. Iowa Hawkeyes

PREVIOUS: 9

RECORD: 9-0

• BECHT: What we learned from Week 10

6. Oklahoma State Cowboys

PREVIOUS: 14

RECORD: 9-0

Next week: Saturday at Iowa State

7. LSU Tigers

PREVIOUS: 2

RECORD: 7-1

Next week: Saturday vs. Arkansas

8. Ohio State Buckeyes

PREVIOUS: 6

RECORD: 9-0

Next week: Saturday at Illinois

9. Florida Gators

PREVIOUS: 4

RECORD: 8-1

Next week: Saturday at South Carolina

10. Stanford Cardinal

PREVIOUS: 10

RECORD: 8-1

• ELLIS: McCaffrey is Heisman contender

11. Utah Utes

PREVIOUS: 12

RECORD: 8-1

Next week: Saturday at Arizona

12. TCU Horned Frogs

PREVIOUS: 7

RECORD: 8-1

Next week: Saturday vs. Kansas

13. Michigan State Spartans

PREVIOUS: 8

RECORD: 8-1

Next week: Saturday vs. Maryland

14. Michigan Wolverines

PREVIOUS: 16

RECORD: 7-2

Next week: Saturday at Indiana

15. Oklahoma Sooners

PREVIOUS: 17

RECORD: 8-1

• TCU's loss to OSU shakes up the Big 12

16. North Carolina Tar Heels

PREVIOUS: 20

RECORD: 8-1

Next week: Saturday vs. Miami

17. Houston Cougars

PREVIOUS: 18

RECORD: 9-0

Next week: Saturday vs. Memphis

18. Northwestern Wildcats

PREVIOUS: 22

RECORD: 7-2

Last week: Beat Penn State 23-21Next week: Saturday vs. Purdue

19. Temple Owls

PREVIOUS: 24

RECORD: 8-1

Last week: Beat SMU 60-40Next week: Saturday at South Florida

20. Navy Midshipmen

RECORD: 7-1

• Navy dashes Memphis's CFP hopes

21. Wisconsin Badgers

PREVIOUS: 25

RECORD: 8-2

Last week: Beat Maryland 31-24Next week: Bye week

22. Memphis Tigers

PREVIOUS: 13

RECORD: 8-1

Last week: Lost to Navy 45-20Next week: Saturday at Houston

23. Mississippi State Bulldogs

RECORD: 7-2

Last week: Beat Missouri 31-13Next week: Saturday vs. Alabama

24. Florida State Seminoles

PREVIOUS: 21

RECORD: 7-2

Last week: Lost to Clemson 23-13Next week: Saturday vs. NC State

25. Toledo Rockets

PREVIOUS: 19

RECORD: 7-1

Last week: Lost to Northern Illinois 32-27Next week: Tuesday at Central Michigan

Dropped out: Ole Miss, Texas A&M
Next five: USC, UCLA, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, BYU