College Football Rankings 2012: Teams That Must Dominate to Rise in AP Poll

The latest release of the AP poll had the typical SEC suspects lingering at the top and not many surprises based on Week 8's action. That makes it more important for teams lurking on the fringe of national title contention to step up and dominate this weekend.

Some undefeated teams are still on the outside looking in thanks to one-loss teams from better conferences jumping them. Other one-loss teams from those very conferences must continue their ascent with quality play to justify their superior ranking.

Here are a few teams that must crush their opponents to leave an impact on the polls at week's end.

No. 7 Oregon State

One encouraging piece of news coming out of Beavers practice on Monday is that starting quarterback Sean Mannion took snaps exclusively with the No. 1's, according to The Oregonian's John Hunt.

That only seems to corroborate the assertion of Angie Machado, owner and publisher of BeaverBlitz.com. She cited sources in the loop with head coach Mike Riley that Mannion would start against the Washington Huskies this Saturday:

"

Sources close to program say Riley will go back with Sean Mannion as starting QB this week vs. Washington. Practice kicks off at 11 today.

— Angie Machado (@AngieMachado1) October 22, 2012"

The sophomore has shown drastic improvement this season and was a big reason for Oregon State's 7-0 start. Cody Vaz played well in his absence, but Mannion looks slated to return to action in what should be an interesting road test.

While the Beavers' record is as impressive as any, they must come out and make a statement by running UW out of the stadium. They leaned heavily on their defense to force four turnovers in last week's 21-7 win against Utah.

With Mannion back in the fold, the offense should run a bit smoother and produce more big plays. The team's signature win at BYU by 18 points looks better in light of Notre Dame's difficulty with the Cougars at home. But otherwise, the Beavers have simply not been as dominant as the other top-tier, undefeated teams.

Washington recently gave USC a scare at Husky Stadium and will be looking to play spoiler again in this one.

In order for the Beavers to have a shot at leapfrogging one-loss LSU, they must come out firing in Seattle.

No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners

Talk about an opportunity for a one-loss team to vault themselves into the national championship picture. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish—ranked fifth in the AP—come into Norman to face what is easily their toughest opponent of the season.

Manti Te'o and the ND defense have stifled offenses all season, but Landry Jones and Co. are of a different breed than any of the Irish's competition to date.

With a high-powered, balanced offense and a stout defense in their own right, the Sooners are the most complete one-loss team in the nation, with the only blemish on their record being a five-point loss to No. 3 Kansas State—not a bad resume.

Facing the 13th-ranked secondary in the country against the pass, Jones will have his work cut out for him. But Oklahoma clearly has the advantage under center.

As long as the physical, athletic front seven can somewhat slow down the Notre Dame running game, the Sooners should have a great chance to win this one.

As Jason Kersey of NewsOK.com reports, impact senior defensive tackle Stacy McGee will return to play against Notre Dame. Combine that with the return of fellow senior Casey Walker on the defensive interior, and the chances of stuffing the Irish rushing attack increase significantly.

If the Sooners manage to beat the Irish by 10 or more, they could easily ascend to the Top Five—and maybe even further with the very top teams facing tough, ranked tests.

No. 10 USC Trojans

Record-setting performances by QB Matt Barkley and WR Robert Woods should give Lane Kiffin's crew plenty of confidence entering a road game at Arizona.

A seven-point road loss to Stanford knocked USC off the No. 1 pedestal early on, but all hope is far from lost. A huge opportunity at home against No. 4 Oregon awaits next week. First, though, the Trojans must prove they mean business by adequately dispatching the Wildcats in Tuscon.

Other than its blowout loss in Eugene to the Ducks, Arizona has played extremely tough against the best teams on its schedule, such as Oregon State and Stanford.

This has all the makings of a "trap" game for the Trojans, and the media will be ready to pounce on the team if such a perceived thing occurs. Barkley is in the final year of his tenure as a four-year starter and shouldn't allow his team to slip up.

Sitting at No. 10 in the AP isn't the worst spot to be in at this point in the year.

However, a dominant performance is necessary to jump postseason-ineligible Ohio State and keep hope alive that these 2012 Trojans won't fall short of the lofty expectations set for them in the preseason.