NCAA Football Rankings 2015: Predicting Week 9 AP Poll Post-Week 8 Results
Another week of college football is in the books, and another pair of Top-10 teams fell from the ranks of the undefeated. Utah and Florida State were the latest unbeatens to suffer their first defeats, likely opening up two spots in the Top 10 this week.
Aside from those two upsets, it was a relatively uneventful week in the Top 25, so a major shake-up is unlikely.
In the projection of the Week 9 AP poll below, only California (previously No. 20) falls out of the rankings, with Mississippi State rising to take its spot.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| 1 | Ohio State | 8-0 |
| 2 | Baylor | 7-0 |
| 3 | Clemson | 7-0 |
| 4 | TCU | 7-0 |
| 5 | LSU | 7-0 |
| 6 | Michigan State | 8-0 |
| 7 | Alabama | 7-1 |
| 8 | Stanford | 6-1 |
| 9 | Notre Dame | 6-1 |
| 10 | Iowa | 7-0 |
| 11 | Florida | 6-1 |
| 12 | Oklahoma State | 7-0 |
| 13 | Utah | 6-1 |
| 14 | Michigan | 5-2 |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 6-1 |
| 16 | Memphis | 7-0 |
| 17 | Florida State | 6-1 |
| 18 | Toledo | 7-0 |
| 19 | Houston | 7-0 |
| 20 | Temple | 7-0 |
| 21 | Duke | 6-1 |
| 22 | Ole Miss | 6-2 |
| 23 | Pittsburgh | 6-1 |
| 24 | Texas A&M | 5-2 |
| 25 | Mississippi State | 6-2 |
Notable Teams
Clemson
Clemson entered the season ranked 12th in the AP preseason poll and has been on a steady rise throughout the season.
The Tigers made their first major move after a rain-soaked victory over previously undefeated Notre Dame and could be in line for another significant jump after thumping Miami on Saturday.
"Miami’s 58-0 loss to No. 6 Clemson marks the largest margin of defeat in Hurricanes history. Wow.
— Zac Ellis (@ZacEllis) October 24, 2015"
While a victory over Miami isn't what it once was, the convincing manner in which Clemson dismantled the Hurricanes is sure to catch the attention of voters.
The Tigers were ranked sixth in the AP poll a week ago and are sure to move up at least one spot thanks to Utah's loss to USC.
Ohio State
The Buckeyes entered the season with a 97-point lead over second-ranked TCU in the AP preseason poll, but that lead shrunk to just a 12-point advantage over Baylor in Week 8.
While Baylor continues to keep pace, it's safe to assume the Buckeyes' blowout victory at Rutgers was enough to maintain, and possibly extend, their lead.
Over the past two weeks, Ohio State has outscored Rutgers and Penn State by a combined score of 87-17.
"Flood on JT Barrett: "You look at him in the run game ... he is the prototype dual-threat quarterback."
— Garrett Stepien (@GarrettStepien) October 25, 2015"
With the team displaying its dominance in consecutive weeks, and regaining its effectiveness on offense with J.T. Barrett at the helm, Ohio State's detractors can no longer lament its too-close-for-comfort victories.
Memphis
Tulsa kept it relatively close, but Memphis avoided a letdown by pulling away with a victory Friday night.
Quarterback Paxton Lynch has the Tigers continuing their ascent up the rankings as teams ahead of them continue to lose.
"#Memphis QB Paxton Lynch had another money performance last night. Career-best 447 yards passing, 5 TDs (4 passing, 1 rushing) in the win.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) October 24, 2015"
Thanks to losses by Texas A&M and Florida State, the Tigers will likely rise at least two spots this week. But the rankings don't matter much to Memphis right now.
At this point in the season, what matters most to Memphis is a November 14 showdown at Houston, with the winner gaining a significant advantage in the battle for the top-ranked Group of Five team and a berth in one of the New Year's Six bowls.
Ole Miss
It's hard to get excited about Ole Miss after seeing the Rebels lose convincingly against Florida and Memphis. But with a win over Texas A&M, Ole Miss is on the rise and still controls its own destiny in the SEC.
The team will host undefeated LSU on November 21—and will represent the SEC West in the conference title game if it runs the table.
Looking even further into the future, the Rebels' strength of schedule gives them an excellent chance to be the first two-loss team selected to the College Football Playoff if they're able to win out.
The Rebels would have to jump a number of one-loss teams, and possibly even an undefeated team, but by closing out the season with wins against LSU and a likely rematch against Florida in the SEC Championship Game, Ole Miss would enter the playoff as one of the hottest teams in the nation.
A lot has to fall their way, but the Rebels are certainly a sleeper to watch out for in the playoff race.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
