Saturday, Oct. 18, marked a historic day in which five teams ranked inside the top seven of the AP Top 25 Poll lost their respective matchups. Losses to No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Alabama, and No. 7 Texas are sure to shift the landsacpe of college football as well as potential at-large bids for the postseason.
The Fighting Irish faced their first ranked opponent of the season in No. 8 BYU on the road, and how far Notre Dame falls down Sunday's rankings remains to be seen. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish are serious contenders for a reason, but the team may lack the necessary experience to feel "battle tested" before a game.
Notre Dame's loss came with some controversy, though, as one second remained on the clock after what appeared to be the final play of the game with the Fighting Irish in striking distance.
How high BYU climbs remains to be seen, but there will likely be a new team at the very top of the polls come Sunday's release. Then-No. 1 Georgia and then-No. 5 Indiana likely don't move much, but their losses will lead to some shuffling in the top five of the AP Poll. Might the Hoosiers move up after a loss after nearly defeating Ohio State? Meanwhile, where the Cougars land after beating Notre Dame will have a cascade effect on the rest of the top 10.
Texas and Alabama could fall out of the top 15 for losing on Saturday, but the depth of the SEC likely keeps the Longhorns and the Crimson Tide closer to the top of the rankings than expected. On the other hand, Tennessee likely jumps into the top 10 while Florida re-enters the rankings.
AP Top 25 Poll Prediction
1. Ohio State
2. Miami
3. Georgia
4. Indiana
5. Ole Miss
6. BYU
7. Tennessee
8. Notre Dame
9. Texas Tech
10. Utah
11. UCLA
12. Alabama
13. Texas
14. Kentucky
15. Iowa
16. Houston
17. USC
18. LSU
19. Wake Forest
20. Missouri
21. Boise State
22. Oklahoma State
23. SMU
24. Northwestern
25. Florida
Should Oregon Ducks Be Ranked?
Whether or not the Ducks can make it back into the AP Top 25 Poll remains to be seen. The team did receive the 27th-most votes in the week 6 AP Poll, placing coach Dan Lanning and company two positions out of the rankings. A win over Nebraska should propel the Ducks back into the top 25, but there may not be much room to climb, even despite the chaos of Sunday. Still, with two early season losses, Oregon has fell considerably after starting the year at No. 2 in the country.
Then-No. 18 Oklahoma State lost to then-No. 20 Houston, but the Cowboys likely stay ranked. As a result, the Ducks have played four ranked opponents, winning two and losing two.
Lanning and company do have more opportunities to make their case as the season goes on, including ranked opponents like No. 25 Northwestern and Ohio State on the schedule.
This article will be updated at approximately 11 a.m. PT when the latest AP Top 25 Poll is released.
AP Top 25 Poll Week 6
1. Georgia
2. Notre Dame
3. Miami
4. Ohio State
5. Indiana
6. Alabama
7. Texas
8. BYU
9. Mississippi
10. Texas Tech
11. Utah
12. UCLA
13. Missouri
14. Tennessee
15. Kentucky
16. Mississippi State
17. Iowa
18. Oklahoma State
19. USC
20. Houston
21. Wake Forest
22. LSU
23 Boise State
24. SMU
25. Northwestern
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