NCAA Football Rankings 2014: Week 9 Standings for College's Top 25 Teams

It took a late decisive penalty to tilt things in their favor, but the Florida State Seminoles overcame the test of all tests from Notre Dame Saturday in the nightcap of what was another incredible week of college football. 

The Fighting Irish threw what looked to be a game-winning touchdown with seconds left on 4th-and-goal, but it was called back for offensive pass interference. Everett Golson threw the next ball through the end zone, and the victory was secured, as NCAA Football shows:

Although there is plenty of football left to be played, Saturday's game was for a College Football Playoff spot—at least for now—and the gameplay reflected that in a back-and-forth thriller. If they put 60 more minutes on the clock, it wouldn't be surprising to see these two go down to the wire again—but thankfully for Florida State, that won't be happening. 

Top-ranked Mississippi State wasn't in action, with a much-deserved bye after three straight Top 10 victories, but Ole Miss took care of business for the state and continued its hot streak with a 34-3 drubbing of Tennessee, as the Rebels' team Twitter recounted:

The Rebels didn't start out hot, as the Volunteers took a 3-0 lead in the second quarter, but the big plays inevitably came from Bo Wallace and Co. After two late first-half touchdowns, the Rebels cruised late thanks to a dominant defensive effort.

Not all teams in the Top Five were so fortunate Saturday against lesser conference competition—like fourth-ranked Baylor, who fell on the road at West Virginia, 41-27.

But when one falls, another rises. Kansas State and TCU both picked up big-time victories in Top 15 conference showdowns to threaten Baylor atop the Big 12 for what could be an outside College Football Playoff spot. 

A few teams on the outskirts of the Top 10 made statements as well, with Oregon and Georgia leading the way. The Ducks ousted Washington at home, 45-20, while the Bulldogs overcame Arkansas in a 45-32 victory.

With so many big-time matchups on tap, there were many Top 25 teams that fell throughout Saturday's slate, and it will have a far-reaching impact on the rankings. Here's how the Top 25 did throughout the weekend.

Rank	Team	Week 8 Result
1	Mississippi State	Idle
2	Florida State	Defeated Notre Dame 31-27
3	Ole Miss	Defeated Tennessee 34-3
4	Baylor	Lost to West Virginia 41-27
5	Notre Dame	Lost to Florida State 31-27
6	Auburn	Idle
7	Alabama	Defeated Texas A&M 59-0
8	Michigan State	Defeated Indiana 56-17
9	Oregon	Defeated Washington 45-20
10	Georgia	Defeated Arkansas 45-32
11	Oklahoma	Lost to Kansas State 31-30
12	TCU	Defeated Oklahoma State 42-9
13	Ohio State	Defeated Rutgers 56-17
14	Kansas State	Defeated Oklahoma 31-30
15	Oklahoma State	Lost to TCU 42-9
16	Arizona	Idle
17	Arizona State	Defeated Stanford 26-10
18	East Carolina	Idle
19	Nebraska	Defeated Northwestern 38-17
20	Utah	Defeated Oregon State 29-23
21	Texas A&M	Lost to Alabama 59-0
22	USC	Defeated Colorado 56-28
23	Stanford	Lost to Arizona State 26-10
24	Clemson	Defeated Boston College 17-13
25	Marshall	Defeated FIU 45-13

The Associated Press Top 25 poll can be found here. 

CFP Outlook After Week 8

Mark Wallheiser/Associated Press

With Mississippi State and Ole Miss emerging as the two heavyweights from the SEC early this season, Saturday's Week 8 slate figured to show us just who the real CFP contenders were behind them.

Florida State's win over Notre Dame will keep the Seminoles in the four-team group atop college football, and the quality of victory should keep the team at No. 2. Here's a look at how the current Top Four should look when Sunday's standings are released:

Rank	Team
1	Mississippi State
2	Florida State
3	Ole Miss
4	Auburn

Spectacularly enough, the SEC is set to assume three of the Top Four spots in the rankings. And it could very well be four of five, with Alabama's 59-0 drubbing of Texas A&M allowing the Crimson Tide to re-enter the discussion.

But the conference can thank No. 4 Baylor for opening up that spot. The Bears' 41-27 loss at West Virginia on Saturday should see Art Briles' team plummet out of the Top Four, as College GameDay recounted:

Ole Miss just kept rolling against Tennessee, showing that it can come out sluggish and still dominate a decent team—a must for any serious championship contender to get through the season unscathed.

As for that last spot, it looks to be a duel between Auburn and Alabama that won't truly be decided until the Iron Bowl at the end of the season. But for now, Auburn's road defeat of Kansas State—who just beat Oklahoma—looks awfully good, as Fox Sports' Clay Travis noted:

Should both the Tigers and Tide go without a second loss until the Iron Bowl, that could be a play-in game for the SEC championship as well as the CFP.

But for now, despite both teams from Alabama remaining very alive in the hunt for the national title, the spotlight remains focused on the state of Mississippi. While the Iron Bowl hasn't lost its luster, the Egg Bowl is looking to be much more of a national title-impacting affair at the moment.