College football rankings: Big Ten overtakes SEC as college football’s top conference

3. Big 12

That Oklahoma-Texas game was a thing of beauty. It had everything. Well, unless you’re a Texas Longhorns fan. Then you are devastated. Building a 21-point lead in the first quarter on the road and holding it to the point where they had an 18-point lead going into the fourth quarter is never a game a team like Texas should lose. Yet, they did. Bad look for the Longhorns, but it actually helps the Big 12. Oklahoma feels like they have new life, and they are still undefeated by the luckiest of margins. Around the conference, Neal Brown won’t give up on his quarterback, and Baylor destroyed them for that sin. Meanwhile, TCU got a win on the road against Texas Tech. Overall, Oklahoma is the big story here.

2. SEC

Georgia got every first-place vote in the most recent AP Top 25, but that doesn’t matter. The Big Ten has five of the top ten teams in the country, including number two who just beat a top-five team in Penn State. Meanwhile, Georgia and Alabama are still holding it down for the SEC, but no other team is in the top ten. It’s unheard of for the SEC to have just two teams in the top ten. Kentucky is ranked 11th, but they face Georgia next week. 13th-ranked Ole Miss takes on Tennessee on the road after that ridiculous game with Arkansas. Seven total teams are ranked, but the top-heavy depth of the Big Ten is undeniable.

1. Big Ten

It seemed impossible, but after Alabama’s loss and Ohio State’s win, it only felt inevitable. The top of the Big Ten is really, really good. The Buckeyes got back to their dominant ways against Talia Tagovailoa and the Maryland Terrapins. They are back in the College Football Playoff conversation. Iowa is the second-best team in the country according to the rankings. Their come-from-behind win against Penn State was legendary. Michigan is ranked in a “scary” territory because this comes with expectations, something not really following the Wolverines all season. They get a week off after escaping Nebraska. Michigan State is a team that’s hard to pin down, but they are in the top ten. They are 6-0 and facing an Indiana team that is looking for a season-defining upset. Even Wisconsin had a “get-right” game against Illinois. The Big Ten is thriving, and this is a great look for them.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.