College football rankings: Projecting the AP Top 25 after Week 10
By SDS Staff
Published:
At this point in the 2018 season, Associated Press Top 25 is no longer the ranking of record (which would be the College Football Playoff selection committee rankings), but the media poll still serves as an important voice in the debate which shapes the Playoff poll. The media helps shape that debate by releasing new polls on Sunday afternoon, two-plus days ahead of the committee (Tuesday night).
The headlining game of Week 10 was No. 1 Alabama at No. 4 LSU. The Crimson Tide will obviously stay on top with a 29-0 win over the Tigers in Death Valley.
There’s a case to be made that LSU should see a significant drop. The final score is a blowout. Most betting lines had the Tigers as underdogs by about 14 points. Any way you slice it, it was a disappointing performance from LSU.
LSU probably won’t fall too far, though, because so many teams in the teens also lost on Saturday. The Tigers will likely move below UCF. The media voted the undefeated Knights ahead of a two-loss Florida team in Week 10, look for them to do with the same LSU in Week 11. (The committee will probably have LSU higher than UCF.)
Records reflect completed games.
- Alabama (9-0) def. No. 4 LSU
- Clemson (9-0) def. Louisville
- Notre Dame (9-0) def. Northwestern
- Michigan (8-1) def. No. 14 Penn State
- Georgia (8-1) def. No. 11 Kentucky
- Oklahoma (7-1) leading Texas Tech in fourth quarter
- Ohio State (8-1) def. Nebraska
- UCF (8-0) def. Temple
- Washington State (7-1), leading Cal in second quarter
- West Virginia (7-1) def. No. 15 Texas
- LSU (7-2) lost to No. 1 Alabama
- Mississippi State (6-3) def. La Tech
- Utah State (7-1) favored by 19 at Hawaii, Midnight kickoff
- Fresno State (7-1) leading UNLV in first quarter
- Texas (6-3) lost to No. 12 West Virginia
- Syracuse (7-2) def. Wake Forest
- Boston College (7-2) def. Virginia Tech
- Washington (6-3) leading Stanford in fourth quarter
- Kentucky (7-2) lost to No. 6 Georgia
- Penn State (6-3) lost to No. 5 Michigan
- Michigan State (6-3) def. Maryland
- Florida (6-3) lost to Missouri
- Iowa (6-3) lost to Purdue
- Utah (6-3) lost to Arizona State
- Cincinnati (8-1) def. Navy
Projected to fall out of AP Top 25: No. 17 Houston lost to SMU; No. 23 Virginia lost to Pittsburgh; No. 25 Texas A&M lost to Auburn
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
