Week seven on the college football calendar lacked the chaos of week six, but several conference matchups brought the defeats of more undefeated teams and the Blue Devils made a big move after losing all of their votes two weeks ago.
Duke upsets Georgia Tech, acquires 45 votes
The Blue Devils lost all their votes in the AP Poll after its disappointing road performance Sept. 27 at Miami, but earned 45 back—third most among teams not in the top 25—with a convincing 31-25 win at then-No. 22 Georgia Tech. Backed by a 242-yard rushing performance, Duke dealt the Yellow Jackets their first loss of the season and snapped a 10-game losing streak to Georgia Tech in the process. The Blue Devils will have another chance to strengthen their case for a spot in the top 25 next weekend against Virginia, which now finds itself atop the Coastal Division.
The Yellow Jackets slid out of the top 25, meaning Florida State and No. 24 Clemson are the only ACC teams ranked. All is not well in Tallahassee, though, as the Seminoles lost their top spot in the poll to upstart Mississippi State with their showdown against ACC-affiliated independent and No. 5 Notre Dame looming next week.
The SEC's power balance shifts further to Mississippi
There was no topping last Saturday in the state of Mississippi, but Ole Miss and Mississippi State produced convincing wins against touted conference foes. The Bulldogs passed a serious test with a 38-25 home win against then-No. 2 Auburn, dropping the Tigers from the ranks of the unbeaten by forcing four turnovers. With three straight wins against top-10 SEC teams, Mississippi State has arguably the strongest resume in the FBS and earned the top spot in this week's poll as a result. The Tigers fell to No. 6 after committing four turnovers in the disappointing loss.
The Bulldogs' in-state counterparts have been on a similarly-torrid streak. Entering the week tied with Mississippi State at No. 3, Ole Miss went on the road to then-No. 14 Texas A&M and immediately jumped out to a 21-0 lead. The impressive performance by the Rebels came on the heels of knocking off then-No. 3 Alabama last weekend. Ole Miss stayed at No. 3 in this week's poll, and the Aggies fell to No. 21 after being routed by a Mississippi school for the second straight week.
With its two major schools sitting at a combined 12-0 it's safe to say the power balance in the nation's most cutthroat conference is starting to swing in favor of the Magnolia State, at least for now.
Defense Nowhere in Sight
After watching offenses light up the scoreboard all weekend—with the exception of No. 7 Alabama—it's tough to tell whether the top-25 offenses are just that good, or if their defensive units are just that bad. Of the teams in the top-10 entering Saturday, half allowed 30 or more points.
Then-No. 9 TCU scored 58 points on the road at then-No. 5 Baylor—and lost. The Horned Frogs blew a 21-point fourth quarter lead, falling 61-58 on a game-winning field goal as time expired, and fell to No. 12 in this week's poll as the Bears rose to No. 4 and took control of the Big 12 title race early in conference play.
Notre Dame's defense looked vulnerable in its 50-43 home win against North Carolina that moved the Fighting Irish from No. 6 to No. 5, and then-No. 12 Oregon and then-No. 18 UCLA traded scores in a 42-30 shootout that resulted in the Ducks rising three spots and the Bruins falling out of the poll.
Even top-ranked Florida State had holes on the defensive side of the ball, surrendering 20 points to a Syracuse squad playing without its starting quarterback and losing its grip on the poll's top spot in the process. The porous defense being exhibited across the country bodes increasingly well for Ole Miss and Mississippi State, whose defenses have shown the ability to generate turnovers and stifle potent offenses.
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