By mid-November, most college football teams are what they are. But each squad has areas that can be sharpened for the stretch run, especially those in the top 25.

Spots in the rankings can be tenuous, as Washington, Memphis, Iowa and ACC contenders Virginia and Louisville found out the hard way Saturday. Even teams much higher in the rankings, such as Oregon and Vanderbilt, came away from narrow wins with areas to clean up for the all-important games ahead. BYU certainly has things to assess on offense after being held to seven points and only 67 net rushing yards in its first loss of the season, at Texas Tech.

For some, such as Oregon, it’s simply getting healthier at key positions. For others, it might be improving third-down defense or special teams execution or scoring touchdowns in the red zone. As good as Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has been, his deep-ball success is something that needs an upgrade if the Tide continue to roll.

Here’s our weekly look at the top 25 and the areas that will demand attention as these teams look to remain in the rankings. — Adam Rittenberg

Previous ranking: 1

The undefeated and top-ranked Buckeyes could lose out and probably not fall out of the top 25. The biggest question facing the Buckeyes is whether they can earn the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff along with a first-round bye. Ohio State can all but clinch a bye by ending its four-game losing streak against Michigan. After that, the Buckeyes can pretty much wrap up the No. 1 seed by winning the Big Ten championship game, presumably over No. 2 Indiana. With a victory over Texas in its hip pocket, Ohio State has a strong résumé. With a strong finish to the Big Ten slate, the Buckeyes could head into the playoff as the favorite to defend their 2024 national championship. — Jake Trotter

Previous ranking: 3

The Aggies didn’t play incredibly well, but the result was another double-digit win on the road against a ranked opponent, something in which they take solace. Mike Elko said Marcel Reed didn’t have the full playbook at his disposal, and they stuck with a short passing game, with only two of Reed’s throws traveling more than 10 yards. Then they followed a similar plan: line up, run the ball, and dominate up front down the stretch, finishing with 243 rushing yards on 6.3 yards per carry. Elko was frustrated that they also gave up 207 yards on the ground, but the Aggies never relented and allowed Missouri back in the game. A&M has to keep its feet in front of it at 9-0 and No. 3 in the CFP; it has 3-6 South Carolina and 1-9 Samford at home before a trip to Austin to face Texas. The Aggies have scored 30 points or more in eight of their nine games this season, including 49, 45 and 38 the past three weeks, but still can keep growing in the passing game. — Dave Wilson

Previous ranking: 2

The Hoosiers aren’t falling out of the top 25 and are probably bound for their first Big Ten championship game appearance, as they finish the regular season with Wisconsin and Purdue. But Saturday’s escape at Penn State provided plenty of focus items for coach Curt Cignetti and his team. Similar to 2024, late-season offensive line injuries have impacted IU, which surrendered three sacks, eight tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries in its win. Indiana played without starting guard Drew Evans and lost starting tackle Kahlil Benson for a stretch of the Penn State game, although he returned. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza was brilliant in the clutch but also faced a ton of heat. Indiana’s typical lockdown defense gave up eight third-down conversions and three plays of 30 yards or longer in the win, which coordinator Bryant Haines certainly will address. — Rittenberg

Previous ranking: 4

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said the Crimson Tide made just enough plays to defeat LSU 20-9 at home Saturday. But DeBoer and quarterback Ty Simpson were noticeably frustrated with the offense’s inability to get into a rhythm. The Tide’s lack of a consistent running game continues to put too much pressure on Simpson to make big plays in the passing game. The Crimson Tide ranks 14th in the SEC in rushing, gaining 111.9 yards per game. It was worse against LSU’s defense, as the Tide had only 56 rushing yards on 26 attempts. Jam Miller was back and ran eight times for 13 yards; Daniel Hill had 21 yards on seven attempts. If Alabama is going to get past Oklahoma’s menacing defense Saturday and remain in the hunt for an SEC title, it’s going to have to find a way to run the ball more effectively. — Mark Schlabach

Previous ranking: 8

The Bulldogs had one of their better defensive performances in Saturday’s 41-21 victory at Mississippi State, which many Georgia fans feared would be a trap game with next week’s home game against Texas looming. Georgia gave up 322 yards of offense and came up with a season-high three sacks, after totaling only eight in its first eight games. After Mississippi State drove 75 yards for a touchdown on its opening possession, it had only 87 yards of offense the rest of the half. Georgia scored the next 38 points and never looked back. Defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann dialed up plenty of pressure early, helping put Mississippi State in third-and-long situations throughout the first half. With much-improved Arch Manning and the Longhorns coming to Sanford Stadium next week, and another battle against in-state rival Georgia Tech and star quarterback Haynes King still to play in the regular-season finale, Georgia’s defense needs to continue to improve. — Schlabach

Previous ranking: 9

The Red Raiders aced their greatest test yet Saturday with a 29-7 win over unbeaten BYU. Coach Joey McGuire’s squad was ready for the national spotlight in a must-win game for his squad’s Big 12 title hopes. Texas Tech’s defense was excellent again with 11 third-down stops and three takeaways while holding BYU to a season-low 67 rushing yards. This would’ve been a real blowout if the Red Raiders hadn’t struggled to finish drives in the red zone, with touchdowns on only two of seven red zone opportunities. That’s one critical area where this team can keep improving, especially as quarterback Behren Morton continues to get back in rhythm after sitting out two games because of a hairline fracture in his right fibula. — Max Olson

Previous ranking: 6

The Rebels took care of business in a 49-0 rout of The Citadel at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Ole Miss had 603 yards of offense, including 151 rushing yards. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss completed 29 of 33 passes for 333 yards with three touchdowns. Defensively, the Rebels had their way against the FCS team, holding the Bulldogs to only five first downs and 106 yards of offense. It was the first time since 2014 that Ole Miss held an opponent to fewer than 150 yards of offense. With Florida coming to Oxford, Mississippi, next week, Ole Miss’ biggest focus might be maintaining its focus. Rebels coach Lane Kiffin is being mentioned as a potential candidate at Florida, which fired coach Billy Napier on Oct. 19. With a potential CFP appearance and SEC title still in play, the Rebels need to eliminate distractions. — Schlabach

Previous ranking: 5

After hovering on the fringes of the top 10 in the first CFP standings, the Ducks solidified their place with their best win of the season against Iowa. But there are challenges ahead, especially with USC and Washington still on the schedule, and a shorthanded receiver corps. The Ducks ran the ball effectively with multiple backs against Iowa, finishing with 261 yards and averaging 7.3 yards per rush. Quarterback Dante Moore made several clutch throws on the winning drive, but he will need to be sharper for Oregon to keep up with USC and Washington. If wide receivers Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr., and top tight end Kenyon Sadiq remain out, Oregon will need to develop other reliable pass catchers. The Ducks also will look to make more fourth-down stops after Iowa converted three of four attempts, including a go-ahead touchdown with 1:51 left. — Rittenberg

Previous ranking: 10

A 49-10 domination of Navy was the latest easy win for the Irish, who’ve won seven straight — all by double digits — since an 0-2 start. Notre Dame faces a ranked Pitt team this week — probably its last serious potential stumbling block between now and a playoff bid — which means Saturday’s showdown with the Panthers is do-or-die. The Irish are averaging 9.5 yards per dropback this season, second best nationally, while Jeremiyah Love and the ground game have continued to impress. The key to beating Pitt will probably come down to protecting CJ Carr. Notre Dame’s O-line has been exceptional after a shaky Week 1 against Miami, but Pitt is fifth nationally in tackles for loss and the Panthers figure to be particularly aggressive in trying to rattle Carr. — David Hale

Previous ranking: 7

BYU’s impressive run of doing just enough to win finally came to an end at Texas Tech, during which its offensive limitations were on full display. As effective as true freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier has been at times this season, that usually sprouted from the run game — either with him or LJ Martin. This is just not a team built to play from behind and score quickly. The Cougars are still in the playoff mix, but they didn’t look like a playoff team in Lubbock on the biggest stage they’ll get during the regular season. BYU needs more from its passing game if it can win its way to a possible rematch with Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game. — Kyle Bonagura

Previous ranking: 13

The Longhorns are getting right at the right time, and had a bye week to rest up and fine-tune. Arch Manning threw 328 yards in Texas’ past game against Vanderbilt, second most in his career after the 346 the week before against Mississippi State. Manning has grown up this season, coach Steve Sarkisian said, but so has his offensive line, allowing Manning time to work through reads. Two of the Longhorns’ biggest stars who got off to slow starts have been on fire: receiver Ryan Wingo (273 of his 593 yards this season have come in the past two games) and edge rusher Collin Simmons (6½ sacks the past four games). With four SEC teams ahead of them in the CFP rankings, this week’s trip to Georgia is essentially a play-in game. Win, and all of a sudden, things get really interesting for the preseason No. 1 team. — Wilson

Previous ranking: 11

Wins in two of their final three games would almost certainly ensure a top-25 finish for the 7-2 Sooners. The question is what path they take. Oklahoma’s playoff hopes probably hinge on the outcome of next weekend’s trip to one-loss Alabama. From there, back-to-back home games against Missouri and LSU look much more manageable now than they did at the start of the season. The key to all three of those games will be the play of quarterback John Mateer, whose accuracy and passing metrics have dipped significantly since he underwent right hand surgery in late September. Playoff or not, this has been a positive fall for the Sooners as Oklahoma has rebounded from a 6-7 finish in 2024 and Brent Venables has coached himself off the hot seat. A strong finish over the final three weeks of the regular season would not only keep the Sooners in the top 25 but should bode well as Oklahoma looks to build on its momentum this offseason. — Eli Lederman

Previous ranking: 17

The Utes were off over the weekend but are in an interesting playoff position, coming in at No. 13 in the initial playoff rankings. What this means is that it’s possible for the Utes to win out, miss the Big 12 title game and still have a decent shot at a playoff spot with a 10-2 record. It gets complicated because their two losses are to Texas Tech and BYU, meaning they would be evaluated against at least one of them for an at-large spot. But this is the beauty of the playoff format. Utah has everything to play for late in the year. — Bonagura

Previous ranking: 16

After giving up only 34 combined points against LSU and Missouri in October, Vandy’s defense has sprung some leaks in November. The Commodores gave up 34 points and 7.1 yards per play in a loss at Texas a week ago, and on Saturday they were hit for 38 points and 6.9 yards per play against a previously moribund Auburn offense. They still have playoff hopes at 8-2, and they get a much-needed bye week now. But against an improving Kentucky team and an explosive Tennessee team, the defense will desperately need to find its legs again. Quarterback Diego Pavia and the offense came through against Auburn and can keep up in track meets, but they’ll need a little help, especially against Tennessee. — Bill Connelly

Previous ranking: 19

The Hurricanes beat Syracuse 38-10 thanks in large part to a newfound creativity with their offensive playcalling that had been missing for the bulk of the season. Malachi Toney threw a touchdown pass to Carson Beck; Beck threw a touchdown pass to offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa and off the Canes went to victory. It was a welcome change to see Miami open up its playbook a little bit more to get some momentum going for an offense that had become stagnant. Miami needs to continue to do that to keep defenses on their toes after the Hurricanes had grown somewhat predictable with their preference to run between the tackles. Without Mark Fletcher Jr. and CJ Daniels — two of their best playmakers on offense — Miami found a way to win and that is a good sign for the remainder of the season. — Andrea Adelson

Previous ranking: 15

An off week came at an opportune time for the Yellow Jackets, as their prime ACC competition stumbled in Week 11, leaving the door wide open for Georgia Tech to make it to the conference title game. ESPN’s FPI now gives the Jackets the best odds of winning the ACC (35.2%) with a date against 1-9 Boston College next up on the docket. Tech’s playoff profile, should it not with the ACC, is still a bit thin, with its best win — Clemson — looking far less impressive than it did in September. But Georgia Tech’s last two games of the season are against ranked foes — Pitt and Georgia — and winning both probably would assure the Jackets of a playoff berth, regardless of what happens in the conference championship game. — Hale

Previous ranking: 20

In its 38-17 win over Northwestern on Friday night, USC again won a game in which it relied on the run. For the fourth time in five games, the Trojans had at least 30 rushing attempts or more and were led by King Miller, a former walk-on, who now has three games of at least 100 rushing yards. Miller’s ascension has given Lincoln Riley’s offense a blueprint in which it doesn’t have to rely so much on Jayden Maiava‘s passing game the way Riley has in past seasons with different quarterbacks (Maiava himself has six touchdowns on the ground this season) — in fact, this season, USC ranks inside the top 25 in the country in rushing yards per game and top 10 in rushing yards per attempt. Three wins away from a likely berth in the CFP and its defense showing signs of improvement, the final stretch might not come down to the Trojans’ gamebreakers at wide receiver such as Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane but rather it’s the rushing attack, which could be what finally gets them over the edge. — Paolo Uggetti

Previous ranking: 21

At 7-2, the Wolverines remain a stealth playoff contender. Both of their losses (at Oklahoma, at USC) came against ranked opponents on the road. And though they don’t have any true noteworthy wins, that opportunity is coming Nov. 29. If the Wolverines can somehow knock off No. 1 Ohio State for a fifth straight year, they would become an intriguing playoff possibility (pending whether they also advance to the Big Ten championship game, where they could earn an automatic berth). Wins the next two weeks at Northwestern and at Maryland would almost assuredly keep Michigan in the top 25, regardless of what happens against Ohio State. But another victory over the Buckeyes also would hand the Wolverines a compelling playoff résumé. — Trotter

Previous ranking: NR

The Panthers find themselves in a four-way tie atop the ACC standings following their idle week. They’ve won five in a row, are scoring 40 points per game and have the No. 11 passing offense in FBS since they turned to true freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel at the start of October. No ACC title contender has a tougher remaining schedule than the Panthers with Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Miami up next, so the week off landed at an ideal moment for Pat Narduzzi’s squad. Their young QB will learn from his three red zone turnovers against Stanford last week and must play great situational football under pressure for his team to make a run to the ACC title game. — Olson

Previous ranking: 14

The overtime loss to Cal in Week 11 was a brutal blow for a Cardinals team that hasn’t lost a game by more than a touchdown in two years but looked entirely flat. With Isaac Brown out because of an injury, the ground game was less explosive, and Cal used the opportunity to turn up the pressure on quarterback Miller Moss, who struggled badly, completing just 20 of 38 throws with no touchdowns and a pick. Moss has now thrown an interception in five of his past six games, and it has been more than a month since he topped 250 yards passing. The Cardinals’ next two games — Friday vs. Clemson and Week 13 at SMU — are both potentially fraught matchups, and without a more balanced attack, a once-promising season could crumble quickly. — Hale

Previous ranking: 12

The Cavaliers have not been nearly as explosive on offense, nor dominant in the run game over the past five weeks, and that includes a 16-9 setback to Wake Forest in which quarterback Chandler Morris was knocked out of the game in the second quarter after taking a hard hit to the head. Virginia also turned the ball over three times — an area in which it had excelled and allowed it to win so many close games this season. Virginia has to find a way to get back to controlling the ball on offense, something we have seen in limited stretches since its big win over Florida State. Whether Morris will play next week against Duke is a big question. Daniel Kaelin had two of the turnovers, and threw incomplete passes in the end zone with a chance to win the game. If Morris does start Saturday, Virginia will have a full week to get him ready. — Adelson

Previous ranking: 23

Tennessee’s biggest area of focus is the same thing it has been for a while — defense. Pick your category: The Vols are 61st in yards allowed per play (5.39), 98th in yards allowed per game (395.9), 114th in scoring defense (31.1 points per game) and 120th in completion rate allowed. The fact they’re 6-3 with tight losses to two ranked teams tells you how explosive their offense can be, but with games remaining against ultra-efficient Vanderbilt and all-or-nothing Florida, they’ll have to make at least a few stops if they want to win out and create some late positivity from an up-and-down season. — Connelly

Previous ranking: 25

The Hawkeyes were seconds away from closing out a win that would have put them on the outer edges of the CFP radar. But they couldn’t finish off Oregon in a game in which they were outplayed in areas where they normally thrive. Iowa gave up its highest rushing total (261) since 2022 and its highest yards-per-rush against average since 2014. The Hawkeyes also made an uncharacteristic special teams error, as a bad snap led to a safety and the game’s first score. Iowa can’t afford slip-ups in its areas of strength, and must be sharper this week at USC and at Nebraska on Nov. 28. The Hawkeyes also must continue to grow their downfield passing attack, which flashed at times in the Oregon game, as quarterback Mark Gronowski had completions of 40 and 38 yards. — Rittenberg

Previous ranking: NR

The Mean Green defense has stepped up since a 63-36 loss to South Florida, holding each of its past three American Conference opponents to 20 points or fewer. First-year defensive coordinator Skyler Cassity has pulled off one of the more impressive turnarounds in FBS this season in building a top-10 pass defense in Denton. But North Texas’ No. 130-ranked run defense has been tested quite a bit in conference play and still has to face Rice’s gun option attack on Nov. 22. The offense of coach Eric Morris led by quarterback Drew Mestemaker will continue to command the headlines, but Cassity’s defense playing with consistency and getting stops in November will help determine if this team can get into the CFP. — Olson

Previous ranking: NR

With only one conference loss, Cincinnati remains in the mix in the Big 12, with three tough games remaining: Arizona (6-3), BYU (8-1) and TCU (6-3). After being blown out by Utah, it’s hard to see the Bearcats winning out to reach the Big 12 title game, but it’s well within the realm of possibility. Quarterback Brendan Sorsby is having one of the best seasons of any quarterback in college football and he’ll continue to help give his team a chance the rest of the way. — Bonagura