Call it a trifecta for Ohio State.
No. 1 in the CFP Rankings. No. 1 in the AP poll. And No. 1 in the College Sports Social Pulse™, the University of South Carolina’s weekly ranking of which teams, players and coaches are making the biggest impact online.
The Buckeyes are riding high on social media following their 38-14 thumping of Big Ten rival Penn State. The Nittany Lions landed at No. 3 in the Pulse rankings this week.
But it’s the SEC that remains the emotional heartbeat of college football. Georgia climbed to No. 2, and five more SEC programs – Texas, LSU, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and Oklahoma — landed in the Top 10.
“Even with Ohio State and Penn State taking two of the top three slots, it’s the SEC that’s dominating the conversation online,” said Clay Owen, professor of practice at the USC College of Information and Communications.
Top 10 Teams – Week Ten, 2025
- Ohio State
- Georgia
- Penn State
- Texas
- LSU
- Vanderbilt
- Ole Miss
- Oklahoma
- Oklahoma State
- Arizona
Alabama dropped out of the Top 10 following a bye week.
When it comes to players, it’s Arch Manning and Ty Simpson from the SEC at the top, but one university — Ohio State — dominates the player rankings. The Buckeyes’ Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and Caleb Downs are all in the Top 10.
Top 10 Players – Week Ten, 2025
- Arch Manning –Texas
- Ty Simpson – Alabama
- Julian Sayin – Ohio State
- Jeremiah Smith – Ohio State
- Caleb Downs – Ohio State
- Jeremiyah Love – Notre Dame
- Carson Beck – Miami
- Diego Pavia – Vanderbilt
- Tommy Castellanos – Florida State
- Fernando Mendoza – Indiana
The 2025 college football season will go down as one of the most turbulent for head coaches in the history of the game. And this week’s Pulse rankings bear that out.
“Lane Kiffin continues to be 2025’s most consistent voice online,” said Owen. “But the Pulse rankings of Hugh Freeze, Dabo Swinney, and Deion Sanders are testaments to this season’s turmoil. The Pulse makes one thing clear: coaching chaos fuels social discussion.”
Top 10 Coaches – Week Ten, 2025
- Lane Kiffin – Ole Miss
- Hugh Freeze – Auburn
- Steve Sarkisian –Texas
- Matt Rhule –Nebraska
- Kirby Smart –Georgia
- Dabo Swinney – Clemson
- Deion Sanders – Colorado
- Eliah Drinkwitz – Missouri
- Rhett Lashlee – SMU
- Kyle Whittingham – Utah
Methodology
The College Sports Social Pulse analyzes millions of public social media posts each week across X, Instagram, Reddit and other platforms. Using a proprietary formula blending engagement, sentiment and conversation volume, it identifies who’s winning the online conversation each week.
Week Ten measures digital activity from Oct. 28 - Nov. 3, capturing the energy, intensity and storylines driving college football’s emotional landscape in real time.
About the College Sports Social Pulse™
Developed by the University of South Carolina’s Social Media Insights Lab, the Pulse tracks the shifting heartbeat of college football fandom. Using data-driven analysis, it reveals which teams, players, and coaches are commanding the national conversation — regardless of what the scoreboard says.