Predicting the AP top 25 college football rankings for Week 10

As we survey the damage from another very active Saturday of games across the country, let's look ahead to the AP top 25 college football rankings for Week 10

Who's moving up? Who's moving down?

Note: this isn't our ranking of the best teams, but our prediction for how top 25 voters will slot them in the official poll

Predicting the AP top 25 college football rankings for Week 10

College football rankings: Predicting the AP top 25 poll for Week 10 — Ron Chenoy | Imagn

Dropping out: USF 18, LSU 20, Illinois 23, Arizona State 24

25. USC. AP voters kept the Trojans in the 26 slot last week with 97 total votes, but losses by lower-ranked teams could provide some room to get back in.

24. Houston. Willie Fritz wins football games. End of story. The Cougars went on the road and took down reigning Big 12 champ Arizona State to improve to 7-1, with that one loss against league favorite Texas Tech.

23. Navy. After lingering around the outside of the top 25, this should be the week when there’s enough movement for voters to finally include the undefeated Midshipmen in their quest to get attention for the Group of Five spot in the playoff.

22. Memphis. Ranked two weeks ago before a puzzling loss against UAB, the Tigers should be ranked again after taking down then-No. 21 USF in what could be an important result in the American once the selectors meet in the weeks to come.

21. Michigan. The return of lead back Justice Haynes predictably paid dividends for the Wolverines in a double-digit win against rival Michigan State, allowing for a minor positive improvement in their place in this week’s rankings.

20. Texas. It looked like the Longhorns were about to get cooked on the road by a Mississippi State team that was winless in the SEC, but a 24-point fourth quarter rally and a touchdown in overtime prevented that, albeit at a cost as Arch Manning left the game with a head injury.

19. Missouri. Not only did the Tigers lose a second game on the year after a seven-point decision at Vanderbilt, but they also watched quarterback Beau Pribula leave the game on a cart after a lower body injury as their playoff hopes slip away.

18. Oklahoma. Not since the last time the Sooners played the Rebels had they allowed 300 passing yards in a game, but they were ultimately unable to hold their late one-point lead, falling to 2-2 in SEC competition and facing arguably college football’s toughest remaining schedule. It’s possible OU won’t be ranked in a couple weeks.

17. Louisville. Isaac Brown had 205 yards and a touchdown as the Cardinals got past a surprisingly-resilient one-win Boston College, improving to 6-1 overall with a 3-1 mark in ACC competition, and the win over Miami is still a solid resume-booster.

16. Virginia. They very nearly gave Bill Belichick his first win against an ACC team in an overtime result at Chapel Hill, but the Cavaliers held firm, stopping the Heels just inches from the end zone on a two-point try to preserve their perfect conference record, becoming the 10th team to win three OT games in a season since 1996.

15. Cincinnati. Brendan Sorsby had his fifth game of the season with 2 passing TDs and a rushing score as the Bearcats handled Baylor by a 41-20 count to strengthen stay locked in a two-way tie atop the Big 12 standings with a date at confident Utah next.

14. Tennessee. Joey Aguilar led an offensive blitzkrieg that eclipsed 500 total yards and stacked up 56 points against rival Kentucky, improving to 6-2 with basically no margin for error going forward with dates against Oklahoma and Vandy and at Florida.

13. Texas Tech. Coming off a loss to Arizona State, the Red Raiders needed some style points, and a hapless Oklahoma State gave them such an opportunity, as the Big 12’s current favorite rolled in a 42-0 result.

12. Notre Dame. Off this past weekend, the Fighting Irish are on a five-game winning streak since that 0-2 start, and have averaged 42 points in those wins, most recently against ranked USC to stay in the College Football Playoff picture.

11. BYU. Down by two touchdowns in the second quarter, the Cougars came alive after that, outscoring Iowa State by a 31-3 count on the road to preserve their undefeated record, setting up a massive Big 12 clash against current league favorite Texas Tech.

10. Miami. AP voters may dock the Hurricanes enough votes for a modest drop from 9 in order to compensate for an expected rise for Ole Miss after its win at Oklahoma.

9. Vanderbilt. After picking up a key 17-10 win against ranked Missouri at home, the Commodores improved to 7-1, winning a seventh game before November for the first time since 1915 and has three wins against AP ranked opponents for the first time ever.

8. Oregon. We forecast a modest drop for the Ducks given Ole Miss’ signature win and their own lackluster showing in a win against a terrible Wisconsin team. AP voters like winning statement games in the SEC more than winning ugly in the Big Ten.

7. Georgia Tech. Haynes King went over 300 yards passing with 5 all-purpose touchdowns and the Jackets tacked on 239 more yards on the ground to smash Syracuse, staying undefeated and going 5-0 in ACC play for the first time ever, staying in contention for this league’s title race.

6. Ole Miss. Lane Kiffin had never won a road game against a ranked SEC opponent, but that changed with a signature victory at Oklahoma, overcoming one of college football’s top defenses, erasing a late deficit, and the Rebels sit squarely in the playoff race and not expected to play another ranked team again in the regular season.

5. Georgia. One of several teams off this weekend, the Bulldogs are riding high after that win against Ole Miss last time out, which looks even better now, and head into the Cocktail Party against directionless Florida.

4. Alabama. Talk about an escape, as the Crimson Tide rallied from an eight-point deficit to come back and score off a huge late fumble to take down South Carolina on the road and avoid what would have been a costly upset, instead winning their seventh-straight game and are 5-0 in the SEC.

3. Texas A&M. This should be the No. 2 team in the rankings in our view coming off a very authoritative win at LSU, but it’s more likely that most voters will keep the top-two as is, but not without the Aggies peeling off some first-place votes.

2. Indiana. AP top 25 voters gave the Hoosiers 6 first-place votes after Miami’s loss a week ago, and they might fork over a few more this week after IU smashed UCLA by 50 points at home, seemingly en route to the Big Ten title game and with no more ranked teams on their schedule.

1. Ohio State. Idle this past weekend, college football’s reigning national champs stay in pole position in the AP rankings as we finish out the October action heading into a home date against Penn State that was supposed to mean a lot more than it appears to now.

More: AP top 25 teams moving up, down in Week 10