AP Top 25 Rankings for Week 9: Texas Jumps, BYU Sinks in College Football Poll

More chaos on the field means more changes in the AP top 25 ballot coming out of Week 8 and another rotation of would-be contenders in the updated college football rankings.

Thirty percent of the top ten lost their games, including two of the last undefeated teams in the Big 12, and seven teams in the poll couldn’t seal the deal, offering voters plenty of consequential decisions moving into the final football action in October.

Miami saw its first-place vote share increase from 40 to 59 this week after a loss by No. 2 BYU, which had 20 such votes last time out, while Ohio State came away with 10 during its idle weekend.

AP Top 25 Rankings for Week 9

First-place votes in parentheses

1. Miami (59)
2. Ohio State (10)
3. Georgia
4. Indiana
5. Notre Dame
6. Utah (1)
7. UCLA
8. BYU
9. Kentucky
10. Alabama
11. Texas
12. Ole Miss
13. Texas Tech
14. Wake Forest
15. LSU
16. Tennessee
17. Florida
18. Houston
19. SMU
T-20. Boise State
T-20. Northwestern
22. Arizona
23. Missouri
24. Oklahoma State
25. Wisconsin

What we got right, and wrong: Our prediction for the AP top 25 poll

Teams That Took a Dive in the Poll

AP Top 25 College Football Rankings for Week 9 — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Losers in the SEC and Big 12, respectively, Ole Miss and Texas Tech (Down 5) saw their playoff chances take a serious hit, although the Rebels’ loss at ranked Texas is worth more in CFP currency than the Red Raiders dropping one at unranked Cincinnati.

Coming off the big win over the Crimson Tide, suddenly Tennessee (Down 5) is taking a hit after getting outclassed by unranked South Carolina on the road. They play solid defense and can run the ball, but the Vols need to get more at quarterback.

Houston (Down 4) now has two losses to a pair of the best teams in the Big 12, a 2-point decision at Texas Tech and now a close defeat to conference leader Utah.

Pollsters took a hard look at BYU (Down 6) and thought enough of a loss at unranked UCF to put the Cougars back behind the Notre Dame team they beat last week.

AP Top 25 Risers in Week 9

AP Top 25 College Football Rankings Poll For Week 9 — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Voters have reacted emotionally to everything Texas (Up 8) has done this season, and that includes awarding it the biggest jump in the rankings in Week 9 after taking out Ole Miss. That buys Arch Manning and the Longhorns some good headlines this week.

Utah (Up 4) just missed out on cracking the top-five, but saw its vote share increase 260 points after moving into first place in the Big 12.

Wisconsin was unranked all season, but after manhandling USC at home in a three-TD win, they moved to 5-2, bounced the Trojans from the poll, and got themselves in. Luke Fickell’s team has genuinely improved this fall and likely saved his job.

Teams Receiving Votes

AP top 25 voters gave these teams votes, but not enough to make the rankings this week. So long to Iowa and USC after their road losses on Saturday.

Better luck next time: Iowa 76, New Mexico 41, Cincinnati 11, Oregon State 10, South Carolina 8, Minnesota 7, USC 7, UTSA 1, Virginia Tech 1.

Rankings: Coaches Poll | ESPN Top 25

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