ESPN shakes up Top 25 Power Rankings after turbulent Week 7 of college football

After a crazy Week 7 of college football that saw four top 10 teams fall, ESPN released an updated version of its top 25 power rankings. No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Georgia remain in place after the Buckeyes had a bye and the Bulldogs shut out Vanderbilt, but spots 3-10 saw major movement since last week.

Tennessee moved into the No. 3 spot after its big win against Alabama, surpassing Michigan and Clemson in the process. Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker threw for five touchdowns in the 52-49 victory, putting Tennessee squarely in the Playoff conversation. The Crimson Tide fell to No. 9 as a result of the loss.

TCU also moved up from No. 12 to No. 7 following a 43-40 victory against Oklahoma State in double overtime. The Horned Frogs (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) are the only undefeated team left in the Big 12, and face Kansas State, the No. 15 team in the rankings, on Saturday.

Additionally, USC and Penn State both fell in the rankings to No. 10 and No. 17, respectively, after suffering losses this past week. See below for ESPN’s full top 25 power rankings following Week 7.

ESPN Top 25 Power Rankings following Week 7 of college football

1. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-0)
2. Georgia Bulldogs (7-0)
3. Tennessee Volunteers (6-0)
4. Michigan Wolverines (7-0)
5. Clemson Tigers (7-0)
6. Ole Miss Rebels (7-0)
7. TCU Horned Frogs (6-0)
8. UCLA Bruins (6-0)
9. Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1)
10. USC Trojans (6-1)
11. Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-1)
12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-1)
13. Oregon Ducks (5-1)
14. Utah Utes (5-2)
15. Kansas State Wildcats (5-1)
16. Syracuse Orange (6-0)
17. Penn State Nittany Lions (5-1)
18. Kentucky Wildcats (5-2)
19. Texas Longhorns (5-2)
20. Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1)
21. Cincinnati Bearcats (5-1)
22. Purdue Boilermakers (5-2)
23. Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-2)
24. NC State Wolfpack (5-2)
25. North Carolina Tar Heels (6-1)

Illinois could be one rising team to look out for, as the Fighting Illini moved into the No. 20 spot after being unranked last week. They are currently 6-1 and on a five-game winning streak after a 26-14 victory against Minnesota in Week 7.

Fans should also take note of Syracuse, which is off to a 6-0 start and has already notched wins against two other teams in the power rankings, NC State and Purdue.

Kentucky moved back into the top 25 after bouncing back from a Week 6 loss against South Carolina with a 27-17 win against Mississippi State. North Carolina, which is on a three-game winning streak and coming off of a rivalry win against Duke, rounds out the list at No. 25.