NCAA Football Rankings 2021: Predicting Week 11 Poll for Top 25 Teams

The Michigan State Spartans learned the same hard lesson that the Iowa Hawkeyes were taught against the Purdue Boilermakers.

The third-ranked Spartans fell on the road in Indiana as Purdue earned its second win over a top-three team this season.

Michigan State's unexpected loss will drop it from No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings. It will likely fall at least three spots—and possibly more depending on how the selection committee views the defeat.

Saturday's most surprising result opens the door for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Cincinnati Bearcats and others to leap into the top four ahead of Week 11.

There will be plenty of change beneath the national title contenders since six programs ranked between Nos. 12 and 25 lost Saturday.

Week 11 Poll Predictions

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1. Georgia (9-0)

2. Alabama (8-1)

3. Oregon (8-1)

4. Ohio State (8-1)

5. Cincinnati (9-0)

6. Michigan State (8-1)

7. Michigan (8-1)

8. Oklahoma (8-0)

9. Notre Dame (8-1)

10. Oklahoma State (8-1)

11. Texas A&M (7-2)

12. Wake Forest (8-1)

13. BYU (8-2)

14. Ole Miss (7-2)

15. Auburn (6-3)

16. NC State (7-2)

17. Baylor (7-2)

18. Wisconsin (6-3)

19. Iowa (7-2)

20. San Diego State (8-1)

21. Pittsburgh (7-2)

22. Houston (8-1)

23. UTSA (9-0)

24. Coastal Carolina (8-1)

25. Arkansas (6-3)

Michigan State Will Likely Drop 3 Spots

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Michigan State's tumble will likely take it to No. 6.

The Spartans should drop beneath Ohio State, Oregon and Cincinnati since they lost to an unranked Purdue team Saturday. However, Mel Tucker's team should not drop too far because of the head-to-head win it earned over the Michigan Wolverines in Week 9.

Michigan opened this year's CFB Playoff rankings at No. 7, and its upward movement Tuesday should be stunted by the Spartans' fall to No. 6.

There is a possibility that the Spartans drop to No. 5 in front of Cincinnati because the playoff committee clearly does not value Group of Five teams. However, the undefeated Bearcats deserve the boost to No. 5 because they are one of the few undefeated teams left in the FBS.

While Saturday's loss hurt, Michigan State still has a path to the playoff. The Spartans need to win out to get in as a one-loss Big Ten champion.

Michigan State plays Ohio State on November 20 and it takes on Penn State the week after. If it wins both games, it would have a chance to play its way into the playoff through the Big Ten Championship Game.

For that to happen, Michigan State needs to shore up a defense that conceded 73 points in its past two games. It likely will not be able to beat Ohio State in a high-scoring affair because of the Buckeyes' well-rounded offensive depth chart.

Texas A&M Should Benefit from Win over Auburn

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The Texas A&M Aggies are playing their way into a New Year's Six bowl.

Jimbo Fisher's team completed its sweep of SEC West teams from Alabama by beating the Auburn Tigers at home Saturday.

Texas A&M is firmly planted in second place in the SEC West behind Alabama, and there is an outside chance that it makes the SEC Championship Game if Auburn beats the Crimson Tide on Nov. 27. Even if that does not happen, Texas A&M could finish the regular season in the top 10 and play in a New Year's Six bowl as an at-large team.

The loser of the projected SEC Championship Game between Alabama and Georgia will likely go to the Sugar Bowl. If A&M finishes in the top 10, it should qualify for one of the at-large spots and play one of the other top-10 squads, such as Notre Dame or Wake Forest.

Texas A&M is not out of danger. It has to go on the road to play Ole Miss in Week 11 and visit LSU in two weeks later. If A&M navigates those two divisional games, it should be a lock to play in one of the best bowl games around. The Aggies would have three victories over top-15 programs on their resume if that is the case.