This is pretty much the final AP Top 25 Poll of the 2022 season that is going to matter. Why you say? Well, the first rankings of the College Football Playoff will be released on Tuesday and that, of course, is all that really matters going forward. But that does not mean we do not have anything to discuss following this past weekend's slate of games in the college football world. The Tennessee Volunteers and Ohio State Buckeyes each had dominant wins over a ranked conference opponent, and now the two teams are tied for second in the AP Poll.
Meanwhile, the Syracuse Orange dropped their second game in a row to Notre Dame. While it is not a conference loss, they should hope they can pull themselves together before they suffer a third straight loss, which could end their ACC title hopes, and will inevitably kick them out of the rankings. But those are just a few things we saw in Week 9. So, how did everything else play out? Well, look no further!
Biggest Jumps
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No. 13 Kansas State Wildcats (Up 9 Spots)
The Kansas State Wildcats took possession of second place in the Big 12 conference with a shocking 48-0 shutout win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Even more surprising? Kansas State won this game without their starting quarterback Adrian Martinez.
No. 17 North Carolina Tar Heels (Up 4 Spots)
The North Carolina Tar Heels are coming in hot, and if they keep this up, they just might find themselves sneaking into the ACC Championship Game.
No. 19 Tulane Green Wave (Up 4 Spots)
The Tulane Green Wave are 7-1, and one of those wins is over the above-mentioned Kansas State Wildcats, making them the top Group of Five team in all of college football ... for now.
Steepest Falls
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No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys (Down 9 Spots)
Oklahoma State got goose egged on Saturday, and to say it was embarrassing is an understatement. In my opinion, they should have been dropped from the rankings.
No. 20 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Down 10 Spots)
The Demon Deacons' bid for a spot in the ACC title game took a huge blow as they fell to the Louisville Cardinals in a trap game.
New Faces in the Top 25
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No. 23 Liberty Flames
The Liberty Flames take on the Arkansas Razorbacks this weekend, and a win over their SEC opponent could seal the deal for the Flames' bid at a potential New Year's Six Bowl Game.
No. 24 Oregon State Beavers
The Oregon State Beavers' only losses on the season are to the Utah Utes and USC Trojans. The odds of them making the Pac-12 title game are slim but possible.
No. 25 UCF Knights
The UCF Knights, in two weeks have a head-to-head clash with the Tulane Green Wave, and the winner of that game should take the lead as a New Year's Six at-large bid for the Group of Five.
Teams Who Got Bounced
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Kentucky Wildcats (Previously No. 19)
A brutal beatdown at the hands of the Tennessee Volunteers marks their third loss on the season and has them tumbling out of the AP Poll.
Cincinnati Bearcats (Previously No. 20)
The Cincinnati Bearcats' re-appearance in the AP Poll was short-lived as after only two weeks, they see themselves exiting the Top 25 following their loss to the UCF Knights.
South Carolina Gamecocks (Previously No. 25)
This is very disappointing for a team that was starting to make some noise, but with Florida, Tennessee and Clemson left on their schedule, they could still play upset to a few teams' seasons.
What to Watch for in Week 10
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There are only three ranked matchups this weekend, but boy, are they being led off by a heavy hitter.
- The Tennessee Volunteers go on the road, taking on the Georgia Bulldogs. This matchup, between the top-ranked team in the nation and the second-ranked team in the nation is one to watch, in what is most likely a winner take all game in the SEC East.
- The LSU Tigers look to stay hot and take control of the SEC West as they play host to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
- The Wake Forest Demon Deacons and NC State Wolfpack are both two games, and a tiebreaker, out of the ACC Atlantic lead. The two go head-to-head in a guaranteed elimination game.
