Whereas the Week 9 faculty soccer schedule didn’t present as many video games between ranked groups, the up to date AP High 25 ballot may see much more shakeup than the week earlier than because of some impactful outcomes all through the rankings. By the top of Saturday, a complete of six ranked groups took losses in Week 9, opening loads of room for groups to maneuver up on voters’ ballots. That is going to learn groups with gaudy win totals as we hit the ultimate stretch of the season, as simply avoiding a loss could be as helpful as a signature win in terms of rankings motion.
That mentioned, some of the notable actions we’re projecting is from a top quality win that includes a prime 10 crew. Ole Miss went into Norman as an underdog towards Oklahoma, but the Rebels jumped out to an early lead and closed the sport robust to emerge with an eight-point win to enhance to 7-1 on the season. For the reason that solely loss on the season is towards Georgia, in Athens, it is unlikely Ole Miss can transfer larger than No. 5, however search for that voting factors hole to shut as a response to the Rebels gusty win within the rain.
Elsewhere, we’re monitoring whether or not Texas A&M will get any first-place votes after a dominant win towards LSU in Demise Valley in addition to if Indiana’s first-place vote depend will enhance following the second 50+ level win of the season towards a convention opponent. The No. 1 crew within the nation, Ohio State, was off in Week 9, so whereas the Buckeyes have accomplished nothing to surrender floor, additionally they had been unable to make the type of assertion win we noticed from No. 2 and No. 3.
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In fact, with a half-dozen ranked groups shedding, there’s going to be some noticeable modifications within the prime 25 past shuffling inside the highest 10. A number of the most dramatic modifications might be within the again half of the rankings with groups benefiting from low loss counts to see large strikes up both within the ballot or breaking into the rankings after being unranked final week.
This is how we predict the brand new AP High 25 will look on Sunday after Week 9:
1. Ohio State (Final week — 1): The Buckeyes had been off in Week 9 and might be again in motion subsequent week towards Penn State in Columbus.
2. Indiana (2): Earlier this week, Curt Cignetti described UCLA as a 3-0 crew, and it appears clear that the Bruins had the Hoosiers’ consideration as if they had been an undefeated foe. Indiana raced out to a 35-3 halftime lead and by no means let up in a 56-6 victory.
3. Texas A&M (3): A thunderous end in Baton Rouge may result in some first-place votes going the way in which of Texas A&M, which is now 8-0 and staring down the potential for an all-time season in Faculty Station. The Aggies dominated LSU in all three phases on Saturday evening, handing Brian Kelly simply his second-ever loss beneath the lights at evening in Tiger Stadium.
4. Alabama (4): The Crimson Tide acquired bailed out of a troublesome spot at South Carolina thanks partially to the protection delivering an enormous turnover within the fourth quarter that arrange the game-winning rating. Alabama didn’t play its greatest recreation, nevertheless it rose to the event within the crunch time on each side of the ball and escaped Columbia with a win.
5. Georgia (5): The Bulldogs had been off in Week 9 and might be again in motion subsequent week towards Florida in Jacksonville.
6. Ole Miss (8): Saturday’s victory towards Oklahoma in Norman may go down as one of many vital wins of the season as a result of it has completely flipped the postseason outlook for the Rebels and definitely has modified how they are going to be judged within the rankings. Labeled a slight underdog by the oddsmakers, Ole Miss overcame a second-half cost from the Sooners and scored the ultimate 9 factors of the sport to win 34-26. The win helps validate what we count on might be an excellent file on the finish of the season (7-1 for now) and retains Ole Miss within the thick of the SEC title race.
7. Georgia Tech (7): There’s a powerful ceiling for voting factors hole in terms of upward motion, however the Yellow Jackets are persevering with to go each check put earlier than them right here in 2025. Down a number of starters, Georgia Tech rebounded from a gradual begin and walloped Syracuse by a 41-16 rating. Haynes King totaled 5 touchdowns (three passing, two dashing) by the top of the rout, and Brent Key’s crew is now 8-0 on the season and 5-0 in ACC play.
8. Oregon (6): Whereas Wisconsin was not threatening to win, Oregon’s 21-7 victory towards the Badgers was nearer than anticipated for a lot of the night. Voters will not penalize the Geese for a double-digit win, however in terms of tiebreakers amongst one-loss groups (or rising momentum for undefeated groups like Georgia Tech or BYU), this was a recreation that left the door open for challengers inside the highest 10.
9. Vanderbilt (10): The greatest begin since 1941 continues as Vanderbilt improved to 6-1 with a hard-fought 17-10 win towards Missouri. A defensive battle from the beginning, the Commodores blew the sport open with an 80-yard landing run from Makhilyn Younger after which took benefit of a Missouri turnover for the game-winning rating.
10. BYU (11): The reluctance to spice up BYU’s rating might be examined, as a result of now the Cougars are 8-0 after in spectacular rally and notable win at Iowa State. The Cyclones led by double-digits at two totally different factors within the first half, however BYU flipped the sport with turnovers, choosing off Rocco Becht thrice and returning one in all them for a landing. It is unlikely BYU may soar Georgia Tech, however anybody else is inclined to getting previous by a Cougars crew that simply retains discovering methods to win.
11. Miami (9): The Hurricanes had lower than a 100-point benefit on Vanderbilt and BYU, so any sways in momentum among the many voters may result in a shuffle. Contemplating Vanderbilt’s ranked win, BYU bettering to 8-0 and Miami getting off to a gradual begin (earlier than finally cruising to a win), it is doable some spots get traded across the fringe of the highest 10.
12. Notre Dame (12): The Preventing Irish had been off in Week 9 and might be again in motion subsequent week at Boston Faculty.
13. Texas Tech (14): The Purple Raiders wanted a get-right win after a irritating loss at Arizona State, they usually drew the best opponent with Oklahoma State coming to Lubbock. It was all Texas Tech from the soar, beginning with a 99-yard landing on the opening kickoff, and the Cowboys didn’t present a lot resistance within the 42-0 win.
14. Tennessee (17): The Vols offense supplied fairly the response from final week’s loss at Alabama, rolling up 504 yards of offense and 56 factors towards a Kentucky crew that had beforehand fared nicely towards among the extra gifted groups within the SEC. Rankings shakeups elsewhere will result in a slight bump up, however no main strikes within the rankings for a Tennessee crew that’s now 6-2 with a skinny margin for error the remainder of the way in which.
15. Cincinnati (21): The Bearcats are tied with BYU in first place of the Large 12 standings with a 5-0 file in league play and now have gained seven straight video games after beating Baylor 41-20 at residence. It is the primary seven-game profitable streak for the reason that Bearcats made the Faculty Soccer Playoff in 2021, and now that is the goal given the crew’s function within the Large 12 title race. The remaining schedule is difficult with highway journeys to Utah and TCU in addition to a house date towards the aforementioned Cougars, however all the things is on the desk for Scott Satterfield’s crew heading into the ultimate third of the season.
16. Virginia (16): If voters needed to knock Virginia a spot or two on their ballots, there’s some purpose given the final two weeks’ performances. The Wahoos had been double-digit favorites towards each Washington State and North Carolina but gained each video games by a mixed three factors, so it is honest to notice that this 7-1 crew has not performed to expectations since beating Louisville. Nonetheless, that win towards Louisville is a key to any poll shakeup, so there’s not a lot room to maneuver down.
17. Louisville (19): The Cardinals discovered a troublesome check in a letdown spot after beating Miami with Boston Faculty bringing 4 quarters of battle regardless of coming into the sport with a 1-6 file. Louisville fortunately may rise the regular hand of star working again Isaac Brown, who totaled 205 yards dashing within the win.
18. Texas (22): Do not look now, however Texas nonetheless has all the things forward of it and might nonetheless obtain its preseason targets because of a comeback time beyond regulation win at Mississippi State. The Longhorns had been removed from environment friendly and misplaced Arch Manning to harm late within the recreation however discovered a method to come again from a 17-point fourth quarter deficit to enhance to 6-2 total and 3-1 in SEC play.
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19. Oklahoma (13): The Sooners, in concept, mustn’t see an enormous drop from shedding a crew that might be knocking on the door of the highest 5 heading into Week 10. However the competitors for rating spots is way much less aggressive when you’ve got one loss than when you’ve got two, and now at 6-2 we’re projecting Oklahoma to be tied to its loss to Texas and its win towards Michigan for placement on most ballots.
20. Missouri (15): There might be a slight drop coming for Missouri because of the crew’s second loss, however there’s additionally a dampened outlook down the highway after shedding quarterback Beau Pribula to harm. True freshman Sam Zollers stepped up in a troublesome spot, and now he is tasked with guiding Missouri the remainder of the common season as they cling on to slimming CFP hopes.
21. Michigan (25): With Justice Haynes again within the lineup, Michigan leaned on its floor recreation to energy by means of a troublesome begin at Michigan State and draw back for a decent double-digit win towards Michigan State.
22. Memphis (NR): It isn’t going to be powerful for AP voters to throw Memphis proper again on their ballots because the Tigers had been at No. 22 simply two weeks in the past earlier than the upset loss to UAB. Although getting shocked by the Blazers netted zero voting factors final week, storming again from a late deficit to take down South Florida will get them again within the 20s on a majority of ballots.
23. Navy (NR): It is time for the final unranked undefeated to interrupt into the highest 25. Navy was thirtieth in voting factors final week, and after dealing with enterprise towards FAU is now 7-0 total and 5-0 in convention play. The remaining schedule contains showdowns towards the remainder of the contenders within the American, so this could get sorted out on the sector however for now voters mustn’t preserve the door shut on one other robust begin from the Midshipmen.
24. Houston (NR): The Cougars needed to maintain on and almost let a 24-point lead go on the highway at Arizona State, however with some key stops late, Willie Fritz’s crew was in a position to enhance to 7-1 total. This crew’s solely loss on the season has been to Texas Tech, so grading this as a prime 25 resume within the sport ought to be a no brainer.
25. Utah (NR): Like Memphis, the Utes had been a crew that had been inside the highest 25 simply final week and solely bounced due to a 24-21 loss to BYU. With the Cougars persevering with their profitable methods and Utah continuing to blow out Colorado (and doing so with a backup quarterback), it is doubtless they fall again into favor with the AP voters as one of many prime two-loss groups within the nation.
Projected to drop out: No. 18 South Florida, No. 20 LSU, No. 23 Illinois, No. 24 Arizona State
