College Football Week 9 AP Poll Reaction

This week was decently entertaining. With only two big upsets, there was some movement but not even close to previous weeks. With that, some teams are demanding that their resume is respected, while others are fighting for a shot. This will be the final week of AP Poll Reaction before I start doing my reaction and predictions off of the College Football Playoff Committee rankings. So here is my reaction to the Week 9 AP Poll.

Risers

Washington State (+11)

I guess having ESPN's "College Gameday" at your home can give you good luck. Going into their matchup with Oregon, few had the Cougars winning. But at the end of the night, they won 34-20, significantly helping their chances of winning the PAC-12. They are now ahead of state rival Washington, who is now 15. With notable conference games against Stanford and Washington remaining, Washington State has a good shot of winning the PAC-12, and maybe even a spot in the Playoff. Also being the only one-loss team in the PAC-12 remaining helps their prospects.

Michigan (+1)

I know I know, why is Michigan on here who only moved up on spot on the rankings? Well, there weren't many other teams who gained more than one spot on the rankings (Kentucky, Florida, and Wisconsin), but I thought they didn't deserve to be talked about. So, I decided to pick Michigan because of their victory over Michigan State on Saturday. The rivalry game was amazing to watch and showed that the Wolverines are no team to mess with. With Ohio State losing to Purdue, Michigan can now be the top team in the BIG TEN. The one thing that I fear about them is their opening game loss to Notre Dame, because if they don't lose, then the Fighting Irish may be ahead of them come end of the season.

Appalachian State (NR)

Not many people saw it coming when Appalachian State was ranked in the new rankings. Most people are asking, "How in the world are they in the rankings?". Well, let me explain. First game, they lost to Penn State in OT, which is a good result for a team of their caliber. Since then, they have outscored their opponents 231-49. I am sorry, but wow, just wow. With their ranking of 25th this week, it is the first time the school has been ranked in its formation in 1928. With mostly Sun Belt Conference games remaining, their goal should be to stay in the rankings and get into a decent bowl game. Maybe they will turn into a school like UCF?

Honorable mentions: Kentucky (+2), Florida (+2), Stanford (NR), and Utah (NR)

Outside of the top 25, but winners: Nebraska, Purdue, Texas Tech, and Temple

Droppers

Ohio State (-9)

Nobody guessed that Ohio State would lose to Purdue on Saturday. But, it still happened. The Buckeyes lost 49-20, losing their perfect record. Purdue's aggressiveness was just too much for them, and Ohio State could never counter it. They had their worst game of the season, and it was sadly now, and not at the beginning of the season. They will have games against Michigan State and Michigan to prove their worth. If they lose to Michigan, their hopes for the Playoff are gone.

Oregon (-7)

Week after week, the Ducks of Oregon have been improving constantly. But they hit a roadblock in their game against Washington State. They just didn't look like themselves. It was a mixture of their offense not being as consistent and their defense again showing that there is work needed to be done. It was a rough week, and they can now only look at the Playoff from outside. I would have my eye on them for next season though if most of the base team stays.

NC State (-6)

I am going to keep this one short because I saw this coming entering the weekend. Facing one of the top teams in the country can really boost a resume if you win, but can also show that you are not worthy if you lose. It is a double-edged sword. NC State embarrassedly lost to Clemson 41-7, with QB Ryan Finley finally having a slump. There is a good chance that NC State will stay in the rankings and be in a great bowl game.

Honorable mentions: Cincinnati (now unranked, was 20), Miss State (now unranked, was 22), and Michigan State (now unranked, was 24)

Outside of the top 25, but losers: Arizona State, Tulsa, FAU, and Rutgers

Full rankings:

1. Alabama (8-0) (-)

2. Clemson (7-0) (+1)

3. Notre Dame (7-0) (+1)

4. LSU (7-1) (+1)

5. Michigan (7-1) (+1)

6. Texas (6-1) (+1)

7. Georgia (6-1) (+1)

8. Oklahoma (6-1) (+1)

9. Florida (6-1) (+2)

10. UCF (7-0) (-)

11. Ohio State (7-1) (-9)

12. Kentucky (6-1) (+2)

13. West Virginia (6-1) (-)

14. Washington State (6-1) (+11)

15. Washington (6-2) (-)

16. Texas A&M (5-2) (+1)

17. Penn State (5-2) (+1)

18. Iowa (6-1) (+1)

19. Oregon (5-2) (-7)

20. Wisconsin (5-2) (+3)

21. South Florida (7-0) (-)

22. NC State (5-1) (-6)

23. Utah (5-2) (NR)

24. Stanford (5-2) (NR)

25. Appalachian State (5-1) (NR)

Dropped out of rankings: Cincinnati (20), Miss State (22), and Michigan State (24)