AP College Football Poll 2014: Official Top 25 Rankings and Week 9 Projections
Another week of college football, another shakeup in the Top 10 of The Associated Press Poll.
That's been the story of the 2014 season thus far, and it didn't change with an interesting slate of results in Week 8. Baylor was sent tumbling out of the top echelon by a stunning upset loss to West Virginia, while the Alabama Crimson Tide reintroduced themselves to the Top Four with an emphatic win over Texas A&M.
However, those weren't the only changes in the most recent poll. Here's a look at how the AP voters currently see the Top 25 teams followed by projections for the biggest games set to sway the rankings in Week 9.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| 1 | Mississippi State | 6-0 | Mississippi State |
| 2 | Florida State | 7-0 | Florida State |
| 3 | Ole Miss | 7-0 | Ole Miss |
| 4 | Alabama | 6-1 | Alabama |
| 5 | Auburn | 5-1 | Auburn |
| 6 | Oregon | 6-1 | Notre Dame |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 6-1 | Michigan State |
| 8 | Michigan State | 6-1 | Oregon |
| 9 | Georgia | 6-1 | Georgia |
| 10 | TCU | 5-1 | TCU |
| 11 | Kansas State | 5-1 | Kansas State |
| 12 | Baylor | 6-1 | Ohio State |
| 13 | Ohio State | 5-1 | Baylor |
| 14 | Arizona State | 5-1 | Arizona State |
| 15 | Arizona | 5-1 | Arizona |
| 16 | Nebraska | 6-1 | East Carolina |
| 17 | Oklahoma | 5-2 | Nebraska |
| 18 | East Carolina | 5-1 | Oklahoma |
| 19 | Utah | 5-1 | USC |
| 20 | USC | 5-2 | Utah |
| 21 | Clemson | 5-2 | Marshall |
| 22 | West Virginia | 5-2 | Clemson |
| 23 | Marshall | 7-0 | West Virginia |
| 24 | LSU | 6-2 | UCLA |
| 25 | UCLA | 5-2 | Duke |
Week 9 Projections
No. 1 Mississippi State at Kentucky
You can spin this game as a trap for the No. 1-ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs pretty easily. Kentucky comes into this game a perfect 5-0 at home. The Wildcats just suffered a miserable 41-3 loss at the hands of LSU, but that game was in Baton Rouge. This one will be in Lexington.
Then there's the fact that Mississippi State isn't exactly a program that is used to sitting atop the polls. The Bulldogs have been impressive to this point, but this is the first time since their ascension up the rankings that they will play an unranked team on the road.
But once you pull back the layers of narrative and spin, a simple truth remains: This game shouldn't be close. The Bulldogs should have no problem covering the 13-point spread, per Odds Shark.
Kentucky's 5-0 record at home may look nice on paper, but those five wins have come against UT-Martin, Ohio, Vanderbilt, South Carolina and UL-Monroe. Not exactly a murderer's row.
To see the true disparity between these two teams, one has to look at a metric that actually takes their play into consideration. For instance, Football Outsiders' F/+ rankings currently have Mississippi State at No. 2 while Kentucky comes in at No. 59. And those have yet to account for the Wildcats' loss to LSU.
Mississippi State has proven its one of the top teams in the country. There's nothing to see here. This will be a routine blowout.
Prediction: Mississippi State 42, Kentucky 10
No. 3 Ole Miss at No. 24 LSU
There's a reason that College GameDay will be headed to LSU this week. There's no more intriguing game on the docket than Ole Miss heading down to Tiger Stadium looking to preserve their undefeated record.
The Rebels have done everything in their power to prove they deserve their lofty No. 3 ranking. However, after Texas A&M's recent collapse, it's difficult to make the argument they have a quality win on the road.
This is their opportunity to change that.
The Tigers aren't your typical Les Miles squad. The defense is ranked just 54th in the nation in yards allowed per play, according to TeamRankings.com. But that didn't stop them from giving the No. 1-ranked Bulldogs their most difficult test to date when they visited the Bayou Bengals.
But much like Ole Miss' in-state rival, a closer look at the numbers reveal another mismatch:
| 5.8 (43) | Offensive Yards Per Play | 5.5 (57) |
| 4.0 (3) | Defensive Yards Per Play | 5.2 (54) |
| 35.4 (23) | Offensive Points Per Game | 32.7 (36) |
| 10.6 (1) | Defensive Points Per Game | 19.4 (11) |
It may be strange to see Ole Miss near the top of the college football world, but it's a spot the team has earned. A strong win in a hostile environment should be just what Bo Wallace and the Rebels need to silence any remaining doubters.
Prediction: Ole Miss 24, LSU 10
No. 20 USC at No. 19 Utah
A pivotal Pac-12 South battle between the USC Trojans and Utah Utes is just one of two games between ranked foes this week. And if the conference's late-night battles have been any indication, it should be a perfect matchup to end the evening.
While both teams have one loss in the crowded division, there's a lot at stake in this game. The loser will be at a serious disadvantage in the race to likely play Oregon in the conference championship game.
The difference-maker in this game is likely to be Utah running back Devontae Booker. As Bruce Feldman points out, the junior has been sensational lately:
With the USC defense ranking a pedestrian 69th in country in rushing yards allowed per attempt at 4.4, via TeamRankings.com, the Trojans will find it difficult to get off the field consistently.
That will be the difference in a game that won't be decided until the fourth quarter.
Prediction: Utah 20, USC 17
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
