Two more top-five teams fell from the ranks of the unbeaten in week eight, and the Blue Devils got even closer to cracking the top 25 for the first time this season.
Duke climbs to top of Coastal, still can't crack top 25
The Blue Devils ground out a hard-fought 20-13 win against Virginia Saturday, but only slightly reaped the rewards of their victory when the AP poll was released Sunday afternoon, becoming the highest ranked team not receiving votes with 108. With a bye week next weekend, Duke cannot do anything to hurt its stock, but could see its spot near the rankings take a hit ahead of its Nov. 1 game at Pittsburgh depending on what happens throughout the rest of the college football landscape in week nine while the Blue Devils prepare for the Panthers.
Another Top-Five Shuffle
After surviving an upset bid by TCU last weekend with a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback, lightning did not strike twice for Baylor Saturday. The previously-unbeaten Bears fell 41-27 on the road at West Virginia after being outscored by the Mountaineers 14-0 in the final period. Defense was once again Baylor's undoing, as West Virginia scored 40 or more points for the third straight season; this time, it was too much for quarterback Bryce Petty to rally the Bears to victory.
The primetime showdown between No. 2 Florida State and No. 5 Notre Dame did not disappoint. The Seminoles did not hold a lead until late in the fourth quarter, and then withstood a dangerous final drive from a game Fighting Irish squad. Everett Golson converted a fourth-and-18 to keep Notre Dame's hopes alive, and appeared to regain the lead with a touchdown pass with less than 15 seconds to play. But the score was called back for offensive pass interference, and the Fighting Irish turned the ball over on downs to end the game. Florida State has now won 23 straight contests, dealing the Fighting Irish their first loss and dropping them to No. 7 in the polls. Alabama and Auburn replaced Baylor and Notre Dame in this week's top five.
How Quickly They Fall
For a pair of teams that began the season with lofty expectations, the season hasn't quite gone according to plan. Texas A&M romped past South Carolina in Columbia, S.C., in the season opener and vaulted 12 spots to the No. 9 position in the poll. A few weeks later, the Aggies checked in at No. 3. Since then, Kevin Sumlin's squad has dropped three straight, none uglier than Saturday's 59-0 manhandling at Alabama, the first time a Sumlin-led team has been shut out in his coaching career. Stanford began the year at No. 11, but a week two loss to USC at home set the Cardinal back. In the last three weeks, last year's Pac 12 champion has lost two road games to ranked opponents—at Notre Dame and Saturday at Arizona State. With a 4-3 record and 2-2 ledger in conference play, the Cardinal joined the Aggies in plummeting out of the top 25—opening up two spots for Duke to get closer to cracking the top 25.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.