Last week was a crazy college football weekend! Only six perfect teams remained after five unbeaten teams – Miami, Ole Miss, Texas Tech, Memphis, and UNLV- finally tasted defeat. Honestly, Ohio State seems untouchable at the moment. But here’s where it gets exciting. Two teams quietly ripping it up are starting to make some buzz as serious threats to OSU. So, there could be a potential shakeup in the upcoming CFP.

Brett McMurphy’s recent post on X revealed that two unbeaten teams are subtly causing a stir as serious threats to Ohio State’s championship. He wrote, “Ohio State is overwhelming favorite to win College Football Playoff via @Kalshi. Next is Alabama, Indiana, Texas A&M, Oregon & Georgia. Surpringly, Texas is the 11th favorite 😳”

You might have dismissed it initially. Ohio State is ranked #1 for a reason, but according to the AP rankings, No. 2 Indiana and No.3 Texas A&M climbed the ladder. You can sense the tension in the air as a mini-showdown looms, and now it’s not just the Buckeyes’ season we applaud.

Ohio State is the overwhelming favorite to win the College Football Playoff via @Kalshi. Next is Alabama, Indiana, Texas A&M, Oregon & Georgia. Surprisingly, Texas is the 11th favorite 😳 pic.twitter.com/jrFwALv6Np

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) October 23, 2025

Let’s start with the Hoosiers. Indiana has been steadily rising to heights that no one expected. The team led by coach Curt Cignetti (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) has a perfect mix of returning players and key transfers, such as defensive back D’Angelo Ponds, wideout Elijah Sarratt, and Cal transfer quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who is now abuzz with Heisman talk.

After Saturday’s 38–13 thumping of Michigan State, Mendoza stated, “Although it’s great that we have a super high ranking at the moment, the rankings don’t matter until the College Football Playoff picture comes out.” Can’t argue with that. The Hoosiers are laser-focused on carrying out every play, and considering their highest-ever first-place votes and No. 2 AP position, Indiana poses a serious threat.

Then there’s Texas A&M, which dominates the season in a way that makes you sit up and take notes. After defeating Notre Dame, Auburn, Florida, and others, Mike Elko’s Aggies (7-0, 4-0 SEC) now have a tough run of games against LSU, Missouri, and the Texas Longhorns. When asked about off-field distractions, like Penn State’s coaching carousel, Elko responded, “It’s a waste of brain space.”

With Cashius Howell leading a pressure-hungry defense and quarterback Marcel Reed heading a potent offense, this is Texas A&M’s finest season in decades. The road to 12-0 is still challenging, but with their present momentum, they can accomplish it. But to do that, they need to defeat the champions.

Ohio State enjoys bye week while preparing for Penn State

With a perfect 7-0 record, Ohio State enjoys a much-needed break before visiting Penn State on November 1. Everyone hyped this showdown as a must-watch going into the season. But honestly, this may turn out to be more of a thrashing than a battle because of how dominating the No.1 Buckeyes have been. FanDuel predicts OSU will win by 17.5 points, the biggest spread since 2021. Yet, Ryan Day stays on his toes.

He remarked, “Everyone is a little different…There’s guys who have played a whole bunch of football …and there’s some young guys that need a whole bunch of football and a whole bunch of reps. So we’ll use the formula that we’ve used in the past for the bye week, but try to give everybody what they need.”

The Buckeyes are a defensive powerhouse. They rank No.1 in points allowed at 5.9 per game and No.2 in total yards allowed. The “Silver Bullets” are evolving into whatever they need to be despite losing key starters. “These guys who have played a lot of football…were able to take some of the new stuff and communicate it to the guys around them to build confidence so that they can go put it on the field,” Day said, praising his players.

With safety Caleb Downs, cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr., and linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese leading the charge, the defense is absolutely elite in dominance even without last year’s depth. But the defense still appears to be shaky at times. With 393 throwing yards, four touchdowns, and an 85.7% completion rate, Julian Sayin had a career night against Wisconsin. But the running game only managed 98 yards. “It was unacceptable,” Day said bluntly. Tegra Tshabola, the right guard, has been inconsistent. The staff has started to consider adjustments.

The Buckeyes may finally have the balance they need to contend with teams with top defensive lines in the closing stretch if they plug in Joshua Padilla, an aggressive, high-floor lineman. Otherwise, Ohio State is all set with Sayin leading the attack and a defense that can shut down anyone.