AP Top 25 risers and fallers: Texas A&M moves up 10 spots

This wild college football season continues, after an exciting and entertaining Week 6. We had shootouts galore, and the AP Top 25 saw some shakeups entering Week 7.

Let’s take a look at the rankings and see which college football teams helped and hurt their poll standings most.

Rising: Texas A&M

Last week's ranking: 21st. This week: 11th.

The Aggies jumped up the rankings this week, thanks to a fourth-quarter comeback win against the Florida Gators on Saturday.

Down 38-31 with just more than six minutes remaining, A&M quarterback Kellen Mond led his team on a four-play, 75-yard drive that was capped with a 51-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. Unfortunately, the recipient of that touchdown, star wide receiver Caleb Chapman, was lost for the season with an ACL injury on the play.

On Florida’s ensuing drive, the Gators fumbled, and Mond led A&M down the field again, which set up a game-winning, 26-yard field goal as time expired.

The win puts Texas A&M at 2-1, with their lone loss to Alabama. The Aggies' next three games look winnable, and with only two ranked teams remaining on their schedule, they are in a great position to keep pressure on the Crimson Tide.

Falling: Florida

Last week's ranking: Fourth. This week: 10th.

The Gators were upset about the A&M crowd's affect on the Aggies in their upset win. After the game, Florida head coach Dan Mullen complained about the home-field advantage, and publicly asked his athletic director to open Ben Hill Griffin Stadium to full capacity, despite COVID concerns.

In an ironic twist, the Gators will now have to wait a while to have any crowds, as their home game with LSU has been postponed, after practices were cancelled Tuesday and Wednesday because of a COVID breakout within the program.

Their next game will now be in 10 days, against Missouri, followed by a bye week (for now) and then a rivalry game with Georgia.

Rising: Iowa State

Last week's ranking: 24th. This week: 20th.

The Cyclones picked up their third consecutive win with a 31-15 defeat of Texas Tech. They have bounced back from an opening-game defeat to Louisiana-Lafayette, but this was their first victory by more than one score.

After they allowed an early touchdown, the Cyclones shut down the Red Raiders offense for more than three quarters and outscored Texas Tech 31-0 in that span.

Quarterback Brock Purdy had his best game of the season, with more than 300 yards and two touchdowns through the air. However, he also attempted nearly as many passes in this game (43) as he did in his previous two combined.

Iowa State will now have a week off to rest and plan, before the biggest game of its season. The Cyclones will travel to Stillwater to take on unbeaten, seventh-ranked Oklahoma State next weekend.

Falling: LSU

Last week's ranking: 17th. This week: Unranked

For the first time in three years, the Tigers are not in the AP Top 25. A 45-41 defeat to Missouri made LSU the first defending champion in nearly a decade to be unranked at any point in the following season.

LSU is 1-2, as injuries, opt-outs, and departures to the NFL continue to leave massive gaps on its roster.

The loss to Missouri was sealed when LSU was unable to convert on four straight plays from the 1-yard line inside the final minute.

Major questions are being asked of defensive coordinator Bo Pelini. Mississippi State threw for more than 600 yards against LSU in the season opener, and the Bulldogs’ last two opponents (Arkansas and Kentucky) have held them under that number in two games combined.

Those questions, and LSU’s absence in the polls, will continue for at least another week, as their game with Florida has been postponed.

Falling: Miami

Last week's ranking: Seventh. This week: 13th.

The Hurricanes came crashing back to earth with a 42-17 defeat to Clemson on Saturday, as it took them more than 26 minutes to get on the scoreboard.

They scored only one offensive touchdown, which came midway through the fourth quarter, with the game already decided. Their only other touchdown came as the first half ended, on a blocked field goal attempt returned for a touchdown.

It was a horrible game for Miami quarterback D’Eriq King, who threw for only 121 yards, no touchdowns, and completed fewer than half of his pass attempts. He also threw two interceptions and fled a relentless pass rush all night.

The Miami defense was gashed for 550 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown run on the second play of the second quarter.

Miami will try to regroup for a game against Pittsburgh this weekend and stay among the top teams in a competitive ACC.

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