NCAA Football Rankings 2015: Week 10 Predictions Based on Latest Results
Week 9 provided plenty of drama in college football, but ultimately we were left without any significant shake-up in the rankings.
A number of teams suffered Halloween scares—most notably Stanford and Notre Dame—but everyone in the Top 20 of the AP poll eventually pulled out victories.
As a result, there's likely to be little movement in the rankings, but the projected Week 10 AP poll is listed below, with a breakdown of how a few notable teams fared and what the voters may be thinking about their placement this week.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| Rank | Team | W-L |
| 1 | Ohio State | 8-0 |
| 2 | Baylor | 7-0 |
| 3 | Clemson | 8-0 |
| 4 | LSU | 7-0 |
| 5 | TCU | 8-0 |
| 6 | Michigan State | 8-0 |
| 7 | Alabama | 7-1 |
| 8 | Stanford | 7-1 |
| 9 | Notre Dame | 7-1 |
| 10 | Florida | 7-1 |
| 11 | Iowa | 8-0 |
| 12 | Oklahoma State | 8-0 |
| 13 | Utah | 7-1 |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 7-1 |
| 15 | Memphis | 8-0 |
| 16 | Michigan | 6-2 |
| 17 | Florida State | 7-1 |
| 18 | Houston | 8-0 |
| 19 | Ole Miss | 7-2 |
| 20 | Toledo | 7-0 |
| 21 | Mississippi State | 6-2 |
| 22 | UCLA | 6-2 |
| 23 | Texas A&M | 6-2 |
| 24 | Temple | 7-1 |
| 25 | North Carolina | 7-1 |
Notable Teams
Clemson
A week before its showdown with Florida State, it's no surprise that Clemson almost got caught looking ahead and ended up in a tight battle with North Carolina State.
While the defense was a disappointment at times, quarterback Deshaun Watson was on top of his game and continues to build a Heisman campaign, as Bleacher Report's Greg Wallace discussed.
"Deshaun Watson had 6 total TDs today for undefeated Clemson. He’s on a roll lately. Will be in Heisman contention if he beats FSU next week.
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) November 1, 2015"
Even if some voters are inclined to hold this closer-than-expected 56-41 outcome against Clemson, the Tigers will likely maintain their hold on the No. 3 spot in the AP poll. Clemson entered the weekend with a 38-point lead over No. 4 LSU, which was idle.
Clemson hosts Florida State in Week 10, and the Tigers have controlled the rivalry as of late. Clemson has won five of its last six home games against the Seminoles.
Florida
With a 27-3 win over Georgia, Florida has all but wrapped up the SEC East.
Technically, Florida still needs one more win to officially clinch, but it would take losses against Vanderbilt and South Carolina for the Gators to relinquish their stranglehold on the division.
With just one loss and a likely battle with either LSU or Alabama in the SEC Championship Game awaiting, Florida remains a viable contender to reach the College Football Playoff—a remarkable statement given where this team was a year ago under Will Muschamp.
Regardless of where the Gators end up in the bowl picture, Jim McElwain should be a strong candidate for the various coach of the year awards this offseason.
Temple
What will the voters do with one-loss Temple?
Typically, a loss would knock the No. 21 team out of the rankings, but Temple likely won over a lot of non-believers with its 24-20 performance against Notre Dame.
"Big respect tonight for @temple_fb. They should not drop in the rankings after that performance.
— Desmond Howard (@DesmondHoward) November 1, 2015"
The Owls defense slowed the Notre Dame as much as any team did this season, holding C.J. Prosise to a season-low 25 yards on 14 carries.
While voting trends likely dictate that Temple falls a few spots, it's tough to make an argument that this performance wasn't worthy of one of the 25 best teams in the nation.
Fortunately, Temple will have another opportunity to win over the voters against Memphis on November 21. With a win over the Tigers, the Owls could potentially re-enter the picture as a candidate to represent the Group of Five schools in one of the New Year's Six bowls.
Duke
Like Temple, Duke is another losing team that voters will need to make a tough call on this week.
The Blue Devils lost 30-27 on a controversial last-second kick return, which replays show should have been ruled dead long before the eventual game-winning score.
"Oh my https://t.co/sKlelDsi5W
— Mark Schlabach (@Mark_Schlabach) November 1, 2015"
Had the officials noticed the Miami player's knee down, Duke would clearly remain in the Top 25. But because they missed the call, the Blue Devils will likely drop out of the rankings.
Duke fans have a legitimate gripe with the outcome and their likely fall from the Top 25, but voters will also be forced to consider that the Blue Devils let the game reach that point.
One week after Clemson dismantled the Hurricanes, the Blue Devils allowed Miami to hang around long enough to fall victim to a wild last-second play—not exactly the performance of a strong Top 25 candidate.
Fortunately for Duke, it still controls its own destiny in the ACC.
The Blue Devils are tied with Pittsburgh behind North Carolina in the ACC Coastal but will play both teams in the final three weeks of the regular season.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
