The Louisiana State University Tigers fired coach Brian Kelly following a blow-out loss to Texas A & M. That 49-25 walloping on Saturday dropped the Tigers out of the AP rankings. LSU’s second quarter lead was short-lived, as Texas A&M went on to outscore them 35-7 in the second half. That means the Crimson Tide may spend this weekend off wondering which LSU it will face when Alabama resumes play on November 8th. The Tigers’ running backs coach Frank Wilson will step in for Kelly.
Voters for the APR Top 25 apparently were watching as LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, was sacked five times for losses totaling 44 yards during that brutal Texas A & M game. Nussmeier was pulled late in the fourth quarter for backup quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., who was then sacked twice during LSU’s final offensive possession. The Tigers are now unranked.
Overall, the top six college football teams in the AP Top 25 remained unchanged this week, including Alabama at number four. But not all was quiet in the rankings: The Big 12 has five teams in the poll for the first time this season, Vanderbilt earned its highest ranking in 88 years and the news that LSU dropped out.
BYU leads the Big 12 at No. 10, a one-spot promotion, followed by No. 13 Texas Tech, No. 17 Cincinnati, No. 22 Houston and No. 24 Utah. It’s Houston’s first time in the Top 25 since 2022. No. 9 Vanderbilt and No. 10 Miami — which is tied with BYU — swapped spots, thanks to Vanderbilt’s 17-10 win over then-No. 15 Missouri.
The Commodores earned a storyline of its own, with its highest ranking in 88 years this week, coming in at No. 9 after a 17-10 win against The Tigers. The program is off to its best start since 1941, when the Commodores went 8-1 to begin the season and 8-2 overall. Saturday’s victory came down to the final moments as Diego Pavia broke the tie with 1:52 on the clock, running the ball in for a 1-yard rushing touchdown. Missouri backup quarterback Matt Zollers launched a Hail Mary from the 45-yard line in the final seconds of the game, finding receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. inches short of the end zone and solidifying the win for Vanderbilt.
Week 10 features several pivotal matchups that could alter the playoff race. Number five Georgia faces Florida in a historic rivalry game. No. 9 Vanderbilt heads to No. 20 Texas, which could be without quarterback Arch Manning. No. 14 Tennessee hosts No. 18 Oklahoma in a matchup between two playoff hopefuls. And No. 17 Cincinnati travels to No. 24 Utah in a Big 12 clash.
Meanwhile, No. 8 Georgia Tech and No. 13 Texas Tech hope to avoid trap games against unranked opponents. Ohio State remains the favorite to win the national championship at 5-2 odds, per BetMGM Sportsbook. Indiana continues to build momentum and has the second best odds at 7-1. Alabama is close behind at 8-1. Texas A&M rounds out the top four contenders at 9-1.
