Tomorrow’s Top 25 Today: LSU makes splash while undefeated teams tumble in new college football rankings

The college football rankings could have a new look when they’re up to date on Sunday after greater than a handful of ranked teams took losses throughout Week 8. When all of the scores and outcomes are settled, we should always anticipate some motion in the highest 10 and a return to the AP Top 25 for a surging LSU group that beat beforehand unbeaten Ole Miss handily in the SEC on CBS Game of the Week. 

The Tigers’ 40-25 win in the Magnolia Bowl was this system’s sixth victory in the final seven conferences in this historic rivalry; it additionally prolonged their profitable streak in Death Valley to seven video games. Just like in 2014, Ole Miss confirmed up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, undefeated with hopes of contending for the SEC West solely to depart with a loss. The Rebels will take a step again in the standings and fall in the new AP Top 25 as LSU — now 6-2 total and sitting first place in the SEC West — will return to the nationwide rankings for the primary tie since its one-week displaying earlier this month. 

Ole Miss wasn’t the one group that began the day undefeated however will not have the rankings benefit of that zero in the loss column. Of the 9 teams that entered Week 8 unbeaten, six of them of performed an FBS opponent (Georgia and Michigan have been off, Tennessee performed UT-Martin). Three of the remaining six misplaced. UCLA took its first defeat of the season at Oregon, Ole Miss fell at LSU, and Clemson took down Syracuse. Of course, the matchup between the Tigers and Orange assured that one unbeaten group would lose, nevertheless it was an instance of how powerful it’s to stay undefeated with ugly showings positive to happen alongside the best way. 

AP Top 25 voters have a behavior of slowly sliding up teams that keep away from taking that first loss, ensuing in the sort of excessive rankings the later you get in the 12 months. But with a loss, these teams change into much less particular and extra topic to scrutiny in phrases of high quality wins. In this case, the large shake ups in the college football rankings after Week 8 will likely be as a lot teams like LSU and Oregon making a soar as seeing the place the beforehand undefeated teams land in their rankings fall. 

Here’s how we expect the new AP Top 25 will look on Sunday: 

1. Georgia (Last week — 1): The Bulldogs have been off in Week 8 and will likely be again in motion subsequent week in their annual rivalry recreation towards Florida.

2. Ohio State (2): Though the beginning was sloppy, the Buckeyes tightened up and scored 38 unanswered factors in a 54-10 win towards Iowa. C.J. Stroud threw 4 touchdowns to extend his season complete to twenty-eight, which leads all FBS quarterbacks.  

3. Tennessee (3): The means to easily out-score any menace stays Tennessee’s biggest power. Any menace of an Alabama hangover towards UT-Martin was cured by factors because the Volunteers acquired out to a 52-7 halftime lead and cruised to a 65-24 victory. 

4. Michigan (4): The Wolverines have been off in Week 8 and will likely be again in motion subsequent week towards rival Michigan State. 

5. Clemson (5): While DJ Uiagalelei getting benched for Cade Klubnik generates loads of dialog, I’m cautious of the concept DJU’s struggles towards Syracuse will result in the Tigers getting jumped by Alabama for No. 5. Clemson was nearer to Michigan than Alabama in final week’s voting factors, and although the Tigers didn’t meet the expectations of a two-touchdown unfold, they did win towards a top-15 and beforehand undefeated opponent. 

6. Alabama (6): After getting shredded for 52 factors, Alabama held Mississippi State to only six factors. And after committing a program-record 17 penalties, the Crimson Tide had simply three for 20 yards in a 24-point get-right win.

7. TCU (8): Though the transfer up in the rankings could solely be one or two spots, the Horned Frogs having one thing particular going this season that ought to shift our focus to what they will accomplish at 12 months’s finish. Kansas State is the fourth straight opponent ranked on the time of its loss to TCU, and now this 7-0 group is staring down a conclusion the schedule with largely unranked opponents. Sonny Dykes’ squad has confirmed to be a resilient group, overcoming a double-digit deficit for the second straight week, and now the problem turns into sustaining that edge with out the sort of week-to-week hype that this final month has supplied.  

8. Oregon (10): Bo Nix was one of many large winners of Week 8 as he accounted for 5 touchdowns with the Ducks tearing up UCLA in a 45-30 win. After placing up good numbers towards among the lesser opponents in the Pac-12, this was a gaggle that wanted a top quality win on its profile, and now there is a victory that backs up what Oregon followers have been saying for a number of weeks: Nix, and the Ducks, will not be the group that acquired blown out by Georgia in Week 1. Oregon has improved (as teams do), and out of the blue, a 6-1 file with the one loss coming to No. 1 stands out as top-of-the-line one-loss profiles in the nation. 

9. Oklahoma State (11): One week after falling in double time beyond regulation to TCU because of being unable to attain sufficient factors late in the sport, it was the Cowboys who received the fourth quarter in a 41-34 victory over Texas. Oklahoma State outscored Texas 17-0 over the ultimate 16 minutes of the sport, and the protection got here up when it counted with a game-sealing interception. 

10. USC (12): The Trojans have been off in Week 8 and will likely be again in motion subsequent week at Arizona. 

11. Wake Forest (13): Sam Hartman was electrical because the Demon Deacons returned from the off week in type with a 43-15 residence win towards Boston College that noticed the star quarterback account for six complete touchdowns and throw for 314 yards in the victory.  

12. UCLA (9): The Utah win gives a ground for the Bruins’ drop, and for the reason that AP Top 25 voters have dubbed Utah a top-15 group with two losses, there may be not an expectation we see UCLA fall too far in the rankings.  

13. LSU (NR): There was already a big quantity of voter help for the Tigers in final week’s balloting as LSU checked in at No. 27 behind a Purdue group that misplaced at Wisconsin and fewer than 30 voting factors behind No. 25 Tulane. So after not simply beating Ole Miss however imposing its will after halftime in the 45-20 win, LSU is poised to be the highest-ranked two-loss group in the nation.

14. Ole Miss (7): Now being judged towards one-loss and two-loss teams, the Rebels may see a steep drop in the rankings. The finest win on the profile is a 22-19 residence victory towards Kentucky, and the next-best win is a debate between Troy and Auburn. 

15. Penn State (16): AP voters generally have “sticker shock” actions because of wins that appear out of line with pregame expectations. Penn State was almost on upset alert as a house favourite of lower than a landing towards Minnesota, however the Nittany Lions delivered the precise sort of efficiency wanted to flush out reminiscences of final week’s Michigan loss and construct anticipation for subsequent week’s showdown with Ohio State. Will the 45-17 win be sufficient to leap forward of one-loss teams (like UCLA, Ole Miss) that took defeats in Week 8? We’re predicting no, however its near cracking the highest 12. 

16. Utah (15): The Utes have been off in Week 8 and will likely be again in motion on Thursday evening at Washington State. 

17. Illinois (18): The Fighting Illini have been off in Week 8 and will likely be again in motion subsequent week at Nebraska. 

18. Kentucky (19): The Wildcats have been off in Week 8 and will likely be again in motion subsequent week at Tennessee. 

19. Syracuse (14): AP voters have been sluggish to offer consideration to Syracuse throughout its undefeated begin, and that normally outcomes in a fast knock down after a loss. Two issues ought to assist present a ground for Syracuse from a rankings perspective, the primary is how shut the Orange got here to pulling off the street upset in Death Valley and the second is the head-to-head win towards NC State, which is in hazard of getting jumped on some ballots however ought to nonetheless stay in the highest 25 on Sunday. 

20. Kansas State (17): Quarterback accidents — the Wildcats have been all the way down to their third sign caller in the loss at TCU — will likely be considered by the voters to stop falling all the best way out of the rankings … simply not sufficient to keep away from getting knocked down a few spots. 

21. Cincinnati (21): Teams like South Carolina and Liberty have been hoping SMU’s late flurry of scores and 2-point attempt to tie would end result in a Bearcats loss and open spot in the highest 25. However, the Bearcats protection, which total had a robust efficiency in the 29-27 win at SMU, got here up with the game-winning cease on the 2-point try to hold the Bearcats ranked at 7-1. 

22. North Carolina (22): The Tar Heels have been off in Week 8 and will likely be again in motion subsequent week towards Pittsburgh.

23. NC State (23): The Wolfpack have been off in Week 8 and will likely be again in motion on Thursday evening towards Virginia Tech. 

24. Tulane (25): Like Cincinnati, Tulane needed to maintain off a late cost, however not like the Bearcats, the lead the Green Wave had constructed (35-0) left a lot of Memphis’ scoring to be unofficially logged as rubbish time scores. 

25. South Carolina (NR): The Gamecocks confronted a big margin in voting factors from the highest 25 reduce off, however in phrases of rating, they have been tied for twenty eighth with UCF, who misplaced handily at ECU on Saturday evening. But it wasn’t simply losses by Purdue and UCF that opened the door for South Carolina’s first AP Top 25 look since 2018, it was how South Carolina jumped throughout Texas A&M early and held the Aggies off late in the 30-24 win. 

Projected to drop out: Texas (20), Mississippi State (24)