College Football Week 7 AP Poll Reaction

After a crazy weekend of action, the AP Poll has plenty of shifting within the top 25. Some teams, like Alabama and Clemson, displayed dominance offensively. While others, including LSU and Oklahoma, faltered under the pressure of big games.

Risers

Texas (+10)

Going into the weekend, most college football watchers had the Red River Rivalry of Texas vs Oklahoma circled on their TV schedule. In a total shootout, Texas won 48-45 off of a late field goal by kicker Cameron Dicker. It was a traditional Big-12 game, no defense was seen for most of the game. But, it was Texas' defense that won them the game. With two fumbles and an interception, the turnovers were they key for the longhorns. Starting at 19 this week, Texas finally cracked the top 10 grabbing the number 9 spot on the AP Poll. Texas now faces Baylor (4-2) at 2:30 on Saturday.

Florida (+8)

The Gators won a hard fought battle with LSU on Saturday, winning 27-19. The game was clinched when Brad Stewart got a pick-six late in the fourth quarter. Two of Florida's touchdowns were short runs, with one right after a trick play. Defense was key for the Gators, holding LSU to 4-17 on third down conversions. The one thing that may hold them back these next few weeks is penalties, having 11 for 116 yards in the game on Saturday. Now the Gators travel to Vanderbilt for a game at 11:00 this weekend.

Most of the top 12 from last week

With big teams like Oklahoma, LSU, and Auburn falling last weekend, plenty of teams hopped a few ranks. Including Notre Dame (+1), UCF (+2), West Virginia, Penn State, and Washington (all +3), these teams benefited from the downfall of a few. If none of the top 10 lose the next few weeks, it will be interesting how the College Football Playoff Committee will rank them after week 8.

Droppers

Auburn (-13)

Going into the array of week 6 games, few had Auburn losing to unranked Mississippi State on Saturday. The Tigers lost 23-9 due to a uninspired performance. The one positive was the special teams unit, blocking a field goal attempt. But on the negative side, the defense let Miss. State QB Nick Fitzgerald run wild, totaling 195 yards and 2 TDs. Also, the Auburn offense got stopped multiple times by the Bulldogs defense, only accumulating a little over 300 yards. The Tigers have a chance to rebound this week at home vs Tennessee.

Stanford (Now unranked, was 14)

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. At the beginning of the season, it appeared that Stanford could challenge Washington for the PAC-12 title. But, with their loss on Saturday 40-21 against Utah, their College Football Playoff and PAC-12 title chances are fading away. With Heisman hopeful RB Bryce Love out again on Saturday, every game is a must win now. The Cardinals now travel to Arizona to face the Sun Devils of Arizona State.

Two big guns, and a reality check

I have already touched upon two of the two teams I am going to talk about, so I will keep it brief. LSU (-8) lost against Florida away, which in reality isn't such a horrible loss. They still have a chance to win the SEC and go on to play in the Playoff, so it is not time to panic yet in Baton Rouge. For Oklahoma (-4) the reality is they lost a hard fought game against a rival. The one thing is, it was at home. If it was away, you could dismiss it easier, but at home is less of an excuse. The Sooners just need to utilize the bye week. And finally, Kentucky (-5). A team nobody would even dream of being in the rankings, even win more than a few games at the beginning of the season, finally showed some cracks in their walls. Losing 20-14 in OT versus Texas A&M, Kentucky didn't have a bad game. Personally, I think they just got tired. But hey, maybe the Wildcats getting their first loss will release some pressure, and they can just let it loose the rest of the season.

Full rankings:

1. Alabama (6-0) (-)

2. Georgia (6-0) (-)

3. Ohio State (6-0) (-)

4. Clemson (6-0) (-)

5. Notre Dame (6-0) (+1)

6. West Virginia (5-0) (+3)

7. Washington (5-1) (+3)

8. Penn State (4-1) (+3)

9. Texas (5-1) (+10)

10. UCF (5-0) (+2)

11. Oklahoma (5-1) (-4)

12. Michigan (5-1) (+3)

13. LSU (5-1) (-8)

14. Florida (5-1) (+8)

15. Wisconsin (4-1) (+1)

16. Miami (Fl) (5-1) (+1)

17. Oregon (4-1) (+1)

18. Kentucky (5-1) (-5)

19. Colorado (5-0) (+2)

20. NC State (5-0) (+3)

21. Auburn (4-2) (-13)

22. Texas A&M (4-2) (NR)

23. South Florida (5-0) (NR)

24. Mississippi State (4-2) (NR)

25. Cincinnati (6-0) (NR)

Out of rankings: Stanford (14), Michigan State (20), Virginia Tech (24), Oklahoma State (25)