NCAA Football Rankings 2017: Predicting Top Movers in Week 9 Post-Week 8 Results
The college football world was shaken by upsets in Week 7, but things settled down in Week 8.
The overwhelming majority of the ranked teams cruised to easy victories on Saturday, so we shouldn't see too much shakeup in the AP Poll this week.
None of the serious playoff contenders lost, so the top of the rankings will likely remain intact. But losses by USC and Michigan will shake up the middle tier of the poll.
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Here's a look at the projected updated rankings, which will be released on Sunday afternoon, followed by a breakdown of a few of the biggest movers of the weekend.
1. Alabama
2. Penn State
3. Georgia
4. TCU
5. Wisconsin
6. Ohio State
7. Clemson
8. Miami FL
9. Notre Dame
10. Oklahoma
11. Oklahoma State
12. Washington
13. Virginia Tech
14. Washington State
15. N.C. State
16. South Florida
17. Michigan State
18. UCF
19. Auburn
20. LSU
21. USC
22. Stanford
23. West Virginia
24. Memphis
25. Iowa State
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
It was baffling to see Notre Dame ranked behind USC heading into Saturday night's showdown, but that situation will clearly be rectified in the polls this week after the Irish's 49-14 drubbing of the Trojans.
When Notre Dame lost to Georgia in Week 2, the Bulldogs were ranked 15th, and it seems as though many voters failed to adjust their opinion of Notre Dame based on the fact Georgia has cruised to a 7-0 start.
Sometimes it takes a prime time performance to catch the attention of the masses, and Notre Dame certainly accomplished that on Saturday night. The Irish put up 497 yards of total offense and forced three turnovers against the Trojans.
Such a dominating performance will certainly push Notre Dame into the top 10, but the question is: How high will they climb?
Undefeated Miami sits at No. 8, which means most voters will likely pencil in the one-loss Irish right behind them. And if both teams keep winning, we'll be treated to a classic matchup on November 11 when the Irish pay a visit to the Hurricanes.
USC Trojans
USC continues to sleep walk through the 2017 season, falling short of expectations on a near weekly basis. They've managed to squeak out wins in most matchups, but Notre Dame was not going to let the Trojans hang around with their sloppy performance.
Some voters may consider dropping USC out of the top 25 entirely, but the Trojans will likely be saved by their win over Stanford.
The Cardinal, who also have two losses, were ranked No. 22 last week, so it will be tough for many voters to justify dropping USC behind a team they already defeated in convincing fashion.
LSU Tigers
After losing at home to Troy, it looked like a lost season for LSU, and many Tigers fans were already lamenting the team's decision to hire head coach Ed Orgeron.
Since that shocking defeat, however, the Tigers have rallied to pull off three wins in SEC play, including a 40-24 victory over Ole Miss on Saturday.
Derrius Guice, who has been batting injuries this season, led the way against the Rebels, picking up a season-high 276 yards on 22 carries.
If Guice is back to full strength, LSU may have what it takes to continue this hot streak through the remainder of the season. After a bye next weekend, the Tigers will travel to Alabama for their toughest test of the season.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
