Memphis WR makes unreal one-handed TD grab (0:17)Memphis’ Cortez Braham Jr. hauls in a one-handed touchdown grab to increase the Tigers’ lead against Tulsa. (0:17)
Ohio State’s defense has been nothing short of spectacular, holding opponents to five points per game. The Buckeyes offense has been more potent as of late, but there are areas to improve, just like there are with many units.
This season has been one of inflated quarterback expectations, from Texas’ Arch Manning to Florida’s DJ Lagway to Penn State’s Drew Allar to LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier to Clemson’s Cade Klubnik. Those QBs and many others have time to get fully right, but they will need to perform better and receive more help from those around them.
A new group of standout quarterbacks has emerged, including Oregon’s Dante Moore and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, and one-time Heisman favorite Carson Beck has found a different level at Miami. But no offense has it all figured out right now.
As we examine another reshuffled Top 25 in this week’s Power Rankings, we focused on the offenses, what’s working and what still needs work as the halfway point of the season approaches. — Adam Rittenberg
This spring, Illini offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr. outlined how explosive plays were the next step for the unit.
“We’re going to have a little bit more vertical speed in what we’re doing to stretch the defense than what we did [in 2024],” Lunney told ESPN. “We might have a little more down-the-field, stretch-the-defense threat.”
Since his poor performance against Mississippi State on Sept. 6, quarterback Sam Leavitt has inched back toward the player who earned some preseason Heisman buzz. But if the Sun Devils are going to be a serious player in the Big 12, those inches need to turn into full strides. Cam Skattebo isn’t walking through that door and the next games — Utah and Texas Tech — might be the toughest left on the schedule. — Kyle Bonagura
The offense wasn’t the issue in the Cyclones’ 38-30 loss to Cincinnati. They moved the ball well enough through the air (314 yards) and on the ground (151) yards to win most games. But they were simply gashed up front, surrendering 7.6 yards per carry for a total of 260 rushing yards. That’s a tough formula to win with. Coming into the season, Iowa State’s defensive line was a concern and at the midway point of the regular season, that has not changed. — Bonagura
For the second straight week, Cincinnati was hitting on all cylinders on offense, showcasing a balanced attack that could turn the team into a real threat in the Big 12. In its 38-30 win against Iowa State, three players — Evan Pryor, Tawee Walker and Brendan Sorsby — combined for 264 yards on 33 carries, while Sorsby added 214 through the air. In a pair of Big 12 games, the Bearcats — one of four unbeaten teams in conference play — have amassed 1,082 yards of total offense. — Bonagura
The Buckeyes could crank up the rushing attack. Ohio State ranks ninth in the Big Ten with 171.6 rushing yards per game and 10th in rushes per attempt going for 10 or more yards (15.2%). Freshman Bo Jackson, who’s averaging 7.5 yards per carry after not getting a touch in the opener against Texas and taking over as the primary ball carrier ahead of James Peoples and CJ Donaldson, has since given the Buckeyes a jolt (Jackson now has 30 carries over the past two games). Ohio State getting more big plays out of the running game will be key down the line to fully complement Jeremiah Smith & Co. through the air. — Jake Trotter
The Hurricanes have shown the ability to play smashmouth football and connect on explosive plays in the passing game in their 5-0 start. But they also have gone through lulls on offense that have turned double-digit leads into games that ended a little too close for comfort. It happened again in a 28-22 win over Florida State. Miami jumped out to a 28-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter. In that final quarter, Miami had 17 total yards, one first down and went 0-4 on third down. Against Florida and Notre Dame, Miami also had double-digit second-half leads before both teams made it a one score game as well. Miami did enough in all three of those games to win. But Miami coach Mario Cristobal also acknowledged after the game, “We’ve got a long ways to go.” — Andrea Adelson
Aside from the health of quarterback John Mateer, who remains sidelined after right hand surgery, the clearest point of improvement has to be a Sooners run game that began Week 6 ranked 105th nationally in yards per game (125.3) and 112th in yards per attempt (3.6). Saturday’s 44-0 win over Kent State saw the most productive performance of Cal transfer Jaydn Ott’s brief Oklahoma career (11 carries, 49 yards). But the Sooners still only mustered 4.5 yards per attempt against a Golden Flashes defense that entered the day with the nation’s No. 134 run defense, and Oklahoma has yet to have a running back go for more than 100 yards in a game this fall. Mateer has often been the program’s most effective runner this fall. Among the few silver linings of his injury is the opportunity for the Sooners to get their ground game sorted without him, something Oklahoma desperately needs in order to weather a brutal SEC schedule and remain a bona fide playoff contender. Between Ott, veteran Jovantae Barnes and underclassmen Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson, the Sooners surely have enough backfield talent. But as Oklahoma prepares to meet Texas in Dallas next weekend, it’s still waiting for a No. 1 running back — or simply a legitimate running game outside of Mateer — to emerge. — Eli Lederman
The Red Raiders continued their torrid start, going 5-0 for the first time since 2013, winning all of them by more than 20 points for the first time since 1953-54, as they beat Houston 35-11. Tech had 549 yards and held Houston to 269 as Behren Morton threw for 345 yards and J’Koby Williams had his first two-TD game rushing for 107 yards on 19 attempts. What’s scarier for opponents is Tech went just 1-for-6 on red zone touchdowns and missed two field goals, with Morton saying after the game that there’s another level the Red Raiders can reach that nobody has seen yet. — Wilson
The Crimson Tide’s offensive output in their 30-14 victory against Vanderbilt was a snapshot of what coach Kalen DeBoer believes the unit could be. Alabama piled up 486 yards of offense and went 7-for-15 on third down. Quarterback Ty Simpson threw for 340 yards, and Jam Miller ran for 136 with one touchdown in his best game of the season. Simpson distributed the ball to a bunch of playmakers: Ryan Williams caught six passes for 98 yards with one score; Germie Bernard had five catches for 82 yards with one score; and Isaiah Horton had four receptions for 66 yards. Tight end Josh Cuevas had a couple of big third-down catches. When Williams is focused and isn’t dropping passes, it’s nearly impossible for opponents to account for all the Tide’s options. There’s still plenty to clean up — Simpson was upset at himself for taking four sacks. He admitted he needs to get rid of the ball faster or throw it away to take pressure off his offensive line. — Mark Schlabach
Although the Volunteers are off to a 4-1 start, quarterback Joey Aguilar believes they can be even more explosive going forward as he continues to master Josh Heupel’s system. On throws of 20 or more air yards this season, Aguilar is 10-of-19 for 443 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. Getting that deep shot element back in the Vols’ offense has been a big deal after Nico Iamaleava went 13-of-44 on throws of 20-plus yards this past season. The wide receiver room was a bit of a question mark entering 2025, but Chris Brazzell II has been outstanding as the fourth-leading receiver in FBS and second-year wideouts Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley have stepped up as well. They’ll try to light up an Arkansas defense led by an interim DC this week before it’s time to hit the road and take on Alabama. — Max Olson
An off week came at the right time for the Yellow Jackets, which Brent Key admitted went into their Week 5 matchup with Wake Forest running on fumes. Still, Georgia Tech survived that one and continues to rise in the rankings as others tumbled in Week 6. While the schedule remains manageable, and the Jackets have ample weapons, there is a push to get the passing game going with more consistent success. Eric Rivers, Malik Rutherford and Isiah Canion have all had their moments, but it has been up and down. The lack of explosiveness downfield showed early against Wake, and if Georgia Tech wants to keep Haynes King from taking 20 hits a game, distributing the ball better as a passer will be critical. — David Hale
Illinois has shown a significantly better downfield passing game this fall, and again in Saturday’s win at Purdue, as Hank Beatty’s 62-yard touchdown catch put the Illini on the board, and quarterback Luke Altmyer averaged 20.5 yards per completion. But Illinois’ running game hasn’t had the same big-play success. The Illini entered Saturday having only one game with a run of more than 26 yards. Although they had three rushing touchdowns against Purdue, including a 25-yarder from Ca’Lil Valentine, the team finished with just 117 yards on 41 carries (4.9 yards per carry). Illinois hasn’t averaged more than five yards per carry against an FBS opponent, and likely will need to hit big run plays this week against Ohio State to have a chance for the upset. — Rittenberg
For the first time all season, Virginia could not establish its ground game in a 30-27 overtime win over Louisville. The Cards held Virginia to a season-low 88 yards on the ground. So, instead, Virginia relied on its defense and timely plays from quarterback Chandler Morris to win. Despite the low rushing total, Virginia remains one of the best rushing teams in the country, averaging over 200 yards per game on the ground. And the Cavaliers have done it despite losing multiple starters and reserves to injury. Still, they have been able to find players to step up and a running back rotation that includes J’Mari Taylor, Xavier Brown and Harrison Waylee. Morris has made some plays, but he also takes some gambles that have led to turnovers and mistakes in the first six games. However, his leadership is undeniable, and he has lifted the Virginia offense to its best production under Tony Elliott. — Adelson