As the 2024 college football season goes into October, we showcase all the teams still in the running for an undefeated season.
After 9 weeks of play, only 8 of the FBS teams remain unbeaten. Five conferences have teams in the current list of six teams with none loss in the season, the Big ten has three of them, the Big twelve, ACC and the American has two while one belongs to American. It was in Week 8 when Georgia knocked out Texas that the SEC lost what remains its last final undefeated team.
For the listing is based on the teams of the latest announced AP Top 25 poll.
No. 1 Oregon
Record: 8-0 (5-0 Big Ten)
Last game: Defeated Illinois, 38-9
Last undefeated season: 1916 (7-0-1, won Rose Bowl)
Ducks stay unbeatable with Week 9 triumph over Illinois. Oregon was slow out of the gate this season, but the Dan Lanning led team seems to now be rolling after their Week 7 win against Ohio State. In the Week 8, The Ducks continued with their impressive performance defeating a team that had only won one match, Purdue. Having dispatched of Illinois in week five the Ducks will travel to Ann Arbor on the 2 nd of November to face the Wolverines. This last two games is the last two ranked games of the Oregon’s season, and provided they come out of these games unscathed then they will should be playing for the Big Ten championship in December.
No. 3 Penn State
Record: 7-0 (4-0 Big Ten)
Last game: Defeated Wisconsin, 28-13
Last undefeated season: 1994 (12-0, won Rose Bowl)
The Nittany Lions as usual came from behind in a Week 9 match and defeated Wisconsin. In their Week 7 match Southern California faced a determined James Franklin who came from being down 20-6 in the second half to win a nose to nose match by 33-30 in overtime. The Nittany Lions will face their most difficult game of the season next week at home against the Buckeyes as they will aim for ending Ohio State’s winning streak that started in 2016.
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No. 6 Miami (Fla.)
Record: 8-0 (4-0 ACC)
Last game: Defeated Florida State, 36-14
Last undefeated season: Year: 2001 Level: 12-0, won BCS National Championship
The Canes overpowered their other state counterparts Florida State in a game filled with 66 thousand fans to maintain their winning form in a Week 9 clash. The week before that, Miami escaped a shooting gallery against Louisville to improve its record to 7-0. Cam Ward lead the passing attack in the air with 319 yards and four touchdowns on 21 completions. That is followed by the Canes as they take on Duke on the 2nd of November.
No. 10 Iowa State
Record: 7-0 (4-0 Big 12)
Last game: Defeated UCF, 38-35
Last undefeated season: N/A
This is not the team that anyone would have wished to see here but be it Iowa State has been playing good footballs. This season, the Cyclones are ranked for the first time since the 2021 season, and they have played just once, narrowly beating the UCF. Matt Campbell’s team made Week 7 its first six-game winning streak since 1938 and after defeating the Knights on Nov., the Cyclones will play against the Red Raiders on Nov. 2.
No. 11 BYU
Record: 8-0 (5-0 Big 12)
Last game: Defeated UCF, 37-24
Last undefeated season: 1984- (C13-0, national champions)
After a tough first season in the Big 12, Cougars have already matched their conference victories in the 2023 campaign. They have two ranked wins already in Kansas State and SMU, and Kalani Sitake’s team had a close shave against Oklahoma State in week 8. That way the Cougars preserved their unblemished record at UCF for a Week nine triumph. BYU will be on the road again when they face Utah the next week on the 9th of November.
No. 13 Indiana
Record: 8-0 (5-0 Big Ten)
Last game: Defeated Washington, 31-17
Last undefeated season: 1945 (9-0-1)
Continuing a rejuvenated showing in Week 9, Indiana grabbed a 31-17 win over Washington. Even with ESPN College Gameday coming to town, Curt Cignetti was able to keep his Hoosiers on point and extended his perfect record for the year. Indiana will be going ahead to Michigan State the next year as it moves toward a possible shot at the Big Ten Championship game.
No. 19 Pittsburgh
Record: 7-0 (3-0 ACC)
Last game: Defeated Syracuse, 41-13
Last undefeated season: 1976: 12-0, national champions
The Panthers did not have a bad year at all in the previous season of 2023 with a 3-9 record but transfer redshirt freshman Eli Holstein has brought a spark into this Pitt offense. Stroud has passed for 1,808 yards and 17 touchdowns and in week seven sealed victories against the Bengals, Mountaineers, and the Golden Bears. Pitt will be on the road at SMU on Nov. 2.
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No. 23 Army
Record: 7-0 (6-0 American)
Last game: Defeated East Carolina, 45-28
Last undefeated season: 1958 (8-0-1)
The Black Knights are averaging better than 38 points per game, and you don’t believe it, but Army has the longest winning streak in FBS football at 11. In its first seven games, Army should be primed to roll through the season until Nov. 23rd and Notre Dame. The Irish have been defeated and should the Black Knights achieve the near impossible, then come late November the country may be talking of Army in a 12-team playoff.
