NCAA Football Rankings 2021: Predicting Week 10 Movers Based on Latest Results

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Al Goldis/Associated Press

There was a ton of hype heading into Saturday’s Michigan-Michigan State matchup. The No. 8 Spartans were hosting the No. 6 Wolverines, and both Big Ten rivals entered the day with 7-0 records. ESPN’s College GameDay emanated from East Lansing, further setting the stage for the crucial clash.

And the game more than lived up to its lofty expectations.

Michigan State junior running back Kenneth Walker III scored five touchdowns in leading the Spartans to the 37-33 win that will move them even further up the AP Top 25 poll.

Michigan, which will likely fall a couple spots down the rankings, wasn’t the only Top 25 team to lose Saturday. No. 9 Iowa, No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 12 Kentucky, No. 17 Pittsburgh, No. 19 SMU, No. 20 Penn State, No. 21 San Diego State and No. 22 Iowa State were all defeated, so there should be some major movement in the poll.

With Week 9 action complete, here’s a look at the projected rankings, along with more on several teams that should be on the rise.

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Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

1. Georgia (8-0)

2. Cincinnati (8-0)

3. Alabama (7-1)

4. Oklahoma (9-0)

5. Michigan State (8-0)

6. Ohio State (7-1)

7. Oregon (7-1)

8. Notre Dame (7-1)

9. Michigan (7-1)

10. Wake Forest (8-0)

11. Texas A&M (6-2)

12. Oklahoma State (7-1)

13. Auburn (6-2)

14. Baylor (7-1)

15. Ole Miss (6-2)

16. Iowa (6-2)

17. BYU (7-2)

18. Kentucky (6-2)

19. UTSA (8-0)

20. Coastal Carolina (7-1)

21. NC State (6-2)

22. Houston (7-1)

23. Louisiana (7-1)

24. SMU (7-1)

25. Pittsburgh (6-2)

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Al Goldis/Associated Press

Michigan State remained undefeated with its big win over Michigan, and the Spartans should consequently move ahead of the Wolverines in the AP Top 25 poll. They also should be deserving of passing a couple other teams considering the type of victory they recorded.

Ohio State and Oregon each already has one loss this season, so don’t be surprised if Michigan State passes both and moves into the No. 5 spot. Although the Buckeyes haven’t lost a Big Ten game, they were tested Saturday, when they held on for a 33-24 win over Penn State, which already had two losses.

It doesn’t matter whether Michigan State or Ohio State is ranked higher at this point. The Spartans and Buckeyes are set to face off Nov. 20, and there’s a good chance that neither team loses before then. The winner of that game will likely finish first in the Big Ten East and advance to the conference championship game.

For now, the Spartans deserve to be one spot ahead of the Buckeyes because of their statement victory against the Wolverines. Walker proved that he should be among the Heisman Trophy favorites, while Michigan State continued its quest to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time since the 2015 season.

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Butch Dill/Associated Press

Since falling to 4-2 with a loss at Georgia on Oct. 9, Auburn has bounced back in a big way. It notched an impressive road win at Arkansas a week later and then knocked off No. 10 Ole Miss on Saturday, picking up a 31-20 win at home.

The Tigers were ranked No. 18, so they are likely to move up a handful of spots. They clearly deserve to be ahead of the Rebels, and they should jump a couple other teams that lost Saturday, such as Kentucky and Pittsburgh. So expect to see Auburn end up around the No. 13 spot.

That means the Tigers will be the fourth-best SEC team behind only Georgia, Alabama and Texas A&M. And with how they have played in their past two games, that’s a deserving honor. On Saturday, Auburn amassed 483 total yards of offense, with quarterback Bo Nix passing for 276 yards and a touchdown and running back Tank Bigsby rushing for 140 yards and a score.

The Tigers will have more opportunities to move up the rankings in November, as they still have matchups with Texas A&M and Alabama among their final four regular-season games. They will need to keep their momentum going if they hope to beat the Aggies on the road in Week 10.

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George Frey/Associated Press

BYU fell out of the AP Top 25 poll in mid-October after losing back-to-back games to Boise State and Baylor. The Cougars then notched a 21-19 win at Washington State, which earned them the No. 25 ranking. And they should be moving up quite a few spots this week.

The offense was incredible Saturday night, as it outlasted Virginia for a 66-49 win. The Cougars had 734 total yards, with quarterback Jaren Hall passing for 349 yards and three touchdowns and running back Tyler Allgeier rushing for 266 yards and five scores.

Considering how many ranked teams lost Saturday, it wouldn’t be surprising to see BYU climb as high as the No. 17 spot. Not only did it play well, but Virginia was a two-loss team that had won four straight games and has been playing well of late.

The Cougars aren’t going to get into the CFP this season. However, they could keep moving up the poll and have a strong finish to the year, especially because their final three regular-season games are against unranked opponents (Idaho State, Georgia Southern and USC).