WSU enters AP poll at No. 25 ahead of College GameDay’s debut in Pullman
Oct 14, 2018, 12:12 PM
Gardner Minshew and the WSU Cougars have cracked the AP Top 25. (AP)
(AP)
The WSU Cougars will be ranked when ESPN’s College GameDay makes its long-awaited debut in Pullman.
View the complete AP and Coaches rankings
WSU cracked the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday, just in time for the No. 25 Cougars to play host to a No. 12 Oregon team next Saturday that jumped up five spots after beating the UW Huskies in overtime. UW fell to No. 15 from No. 7 after its loss in Eugene.
The AP poll also had a new look behind No. 1 Alabama after four of the top eight teams lost, with Ohio State reaching No. 2, LSU jumping back to No. 5 and Michigan moving into the top 10 for the first time this season.
College GameDay’s trip to Pullman is 15 years in the making. Cougar fans have made it a tradition to get the ‘Ol Crimson WSU flag on camera during each episode of the ESPN program as part of a campaign to bring the show to the Palouse.
Let's do this @WSUCougars! pic.twitter.com/ltQnldNd7B
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 14, 2018
UP
All the losses up and down the rankings meant plenty of movement. Joining LSU and Michigan as teams that gained at least four spots were:
– No. 12 Oregon jumped five after beating Washington in overtime.
– No. 17 Texas A&M moved up five after edging South Carolina on the road.
– It was a good week to be idle and watch teams plummet. No. 14 Kentucky and No. 16 North Carolina State each gained four spots in an idle week, and No. 20 Cincinnati moved up five.
DOWN
– No. 13 West Virginia lost at Iowa State and fell seven spots after reaching a season high last week.
– No. 15 Washington dropped eight spots after losing at Oregon.
– No. 18 Penn State’s second straight close home loss, this time to Michigan State, dropped the Nittany Lions 10 spots.
– No. 23 Wisconsin, which started the season ranked fourth, dropped eight spots after its second loss.
OUT
– Colorado reached No. 19, racking up wins against a weak schedule, but USC manhandled the Buffaloes in Los Angeles and now they are unranked.
– Miami, which started the season at No. 8, is out altogether after losing at Virginia.
– Auburn, which started the season ninth, is out and no longer receiving votes after getting beat at home by Tennessee and falling to 4-3.
IN
– Iowa surged into the rankings for the first time this season at No. 19.
– No. 24 Michigan State is back in after a week out.
– No. 25 Washington State moved in just in time to host ESPN’s College GameDay for the first time ever with Oregon coming to town. Getting to Pullman, Washington, is notable for the show because for years it has been followed around by Wazzu fans waving the ‘Ol Crimson school flag.
CONFERENCE CALL
A week after the Southeastern Conference placed a season-high eight teams in the poll, the SEC lost one and the Big Ten gained two. The ACC has only two ranked team for the first time since Oct. 4, 2015, when Clemson was No. 6 and Florida State was No. 12. The Tigers played for in the national championship game that season.
SEC – 7 teams.
Big Ten – 6.
American – 3.
Big 12 – 3.
Pac-12 – 3.
ACC – 2.
Independent – 1.
RANKED vs. RANKED
No. 16 North Carolina State at No. 3 Clemson. The ACC’s only ranked and unbeaten teams meet in a game that will likely go a long way toward settling the Atlantic Division.
No. 22 Mississippi State at No. 5 LSU. This will be the fourth ranked team the Tigers have faced – though two (Miami and Auburn) are no longer.
No. 6 Michigan at No. 24 Michigan State. Another chance for Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines to flipped the narrative.
No. 12 Oregon at No. 25 Washington State. The Ducks look to make it an Evergreen State sweep.
Ralph D. Russo of The Associated Press contributed to this report.
