Amway College Football Poll 2014: Complete Week 9 Rankings Released

Another week, another huge shakeup at the top of the Amway Coaches Poll.

Just a week after Notre Dame remained in the Top Five, the Irish fell after losing to Florida State. Baylor also dropped in the rankings following a 14-point loss to West Virginia.      

Several programs jumped up in the polls, with one familiar team making it back inside the Top Five. Alabama throttled Texas A&M, 59-0, to send the Aggies out of the Amway Poll and the Crimson Tide back into the College Football Playoff conversation.

Here's a look at the Amway Coaches and Bleacher Report Top 25 rankings.

Pos.	Amway Coaches Poll	Bleacher Report Top 25
1	Mississippi State (36)	Mississippi State (13)
2	Florida State (22)	Florida State (5)
3	Ole Miss (4)	Ole Miss (1)
4	Alabama	Alabama
5	Michigan State	Auburn
6	Auburn	Notre Dame
7	Oregon	Michigan State
8	Notre Dame	Oregon
9	Georgia	Georgia
10	TCU	TCU
11	Kansas State	Kansas State
12	Ohio State	Ohio State
13	Baylor	Baylor
14	Arizona State	Arizona State
15	Arizona	Arizona
16	Nebraska	East Carolina
17	East Carolina	Nebraska
18	Oklahoma	Oklahoma
19	Utah	USC
20	Clemson	Utah
21	USC	Marshall
22	Marshall	Clemson
23	LSU	West Virginia
24	Minnesota	UCLA
25	West Virginia	Duke

Reaction

The premier matchup on Saturday led to some of the most interesting responses from around college football.

Florida State has routed opponents in the past two seasons, but it finally faced a stiff test against Notre Dame. Contests with Oklahoma State, Clemson and even NC State were trying for the Seminoles, but none of those opponents was even in the Top 20 at the time they played.

Not only did the win in Tallahassee convince voters that this Florida State team truly belongs, but it's also a huge boost for the team's confidence. Bryan Fischer of NFL.com notes what the victory did for the national perception of the Noles:

FSU comes away with a much-needed signature win, but Notre Dame was convincing even in the loss. A pass interference call at the end of the game gashed any hopes of a win for the Irish after having Florida State against the ropes all night.

Dropping the game may hurt their chances of making the College Football Playoff, but the Irish can still boast a moral victory after Saturday night. If Notre Dame can run the table the rest of the way, Kyle Rowland of the Journal Gazette believes it should be playing for a title:

Needless to say, Notre Dame isn't out of the playoff picture. However, several SEC teams have the upper hand after Week 8.

Mississippi State and Ole Miss remain in the Top Three of the Amway Poll, with the Rebels serving as the only Mississippi team playing on Saturday. Ole Miss responded to its high ranking with a rousing victory against Tennessee to move 7-0.

Offensive excellence was evident for Ole Miss, but it was the defense that stole the show with four turnovers and allowing just 191 total yards—zero of which came on the ground. College GameDay provides a look at the statistics for the Rebels against the Volunteers:

Ole Miss wasn't the only SEC team making waves, as Alabama made a huge statement on Saturday. The Tide rolled over the Aggies at home with a 59-0 victory behind Blake Sims' 322 total yards and four total touchdowns.

ESPN Stats & Info notes just how lopsided the victory was in a historical sense for the Tide:

So much for questioning Bama's dominance this season. It appears Sims is just fine under center and even has his bravado back after the victory, per Michael Casagrande of AL.com.

"It was very big for us," Sims said. "I think we grew a lot of confidence back and we're just happy with the way we performed today."

Though the Tide and several other programs are exuberant after Week 8, the season is far from over. Several games remain for the top teams, including a huge showdown between Mississippi State and Alabama on Nov. 15.

Changes to the rankings are on the horizon yet again, but there's no telling how the playoff picture will look in a few weeks. Expect plenty of fireworks and even more excitement moving forward as the polls continue to shift each week.  

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