Power Rankings: Indiana climbs into Top 3; four new teams join the Top 25

Ohio State allowed a whopping 16 points astatine Illinois, 7 much than it had successful immoderate different crippled this season, and the Buckeyes were ticked disconnected astir it.

"Definitely bothers me," antiaircraft lineman Kayden McDonald said. "If we privation to beryllium the champion defence successful the country, we can't fto radical score."

As the midpoint of the 2025 play arrives, adjacent the astir ascendant portion connected the astir ascendant squad is looking for areas to improve. This has mostly been a play of imperfections and invalidated predictions. Don't look straight astatine the preseason polls oregon you'll harm your eyes.

Week 7 highlighted immoderate problems, from Oklahoma's discourtesy to Tennessee's third-down defence (and offense) to LSU's wide sloppiness to Ole Miss' inability to decorativeness drives. And that's conscionable successful the SEC. Oregon backmost Dante Moore looked shaky successful a 10-point nonaccomplishment to Indiana, and Indiana backmost Fernando Mendoza threw an disfigured pick-six successful the victory. Michigan's usually dependable defence had nary answers for Jayden Maiava, King Miller and USC, which has its ain flaws but looked precise crisp against the Wolverines.

We're astatine the halfway point, and our latest powerfulness rankings analyse the biggest obstacles facing the apical teams. -- Adam Rittenberg

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

Previous ranking: 1

There's not overmuch to nitpick astir the Buckeyes, who are 6-0 and person outscored their opponents 221-41, ne'er facing morganatic information of a loss. But Ohio State's tally crippled remains a enactment successful advancement aft losing TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins to the NFL from the nationalist title team. The Buckeyes averaged conscionable 2.9 yards per transportation successful Saturday's triumph astatine Illinois, with lone 1 unreserved longer than 10 yards. CJ Donaldson reached the extremity portion twice, and Ohio State's violative enactment generated bully question aboriginal on, but the explosive runs didn't come.

"We request to spell and look to see: Is it a blocking issue? Is determination a unit issue?" manager Ryan Day said. "We've got to look astatine each those things. But I thought the violative l...