Predicting BYU's Ranking in the AP Poll After Chaotic College Football Weekend

While BYU had Saturday off after a win on Friday night, chaos reigned across the college football landscape. The Cougars, who came into the week ranked no. 23, watched as five teams ranked ahead of them suffered losses. In this article, we'll predict BYU's ranking in the upcoming AP Poll.

The Floor

These are the five ranked teams that lost on Saturday:

• #7 Penn State (UCLA)
• #9 Texas (Florida)
• #14 Iowa State (Cincinnati)
• #16 Vanderbilt (Alabama)
• #18 Florida State (Miami)

Since there is some distance between BYU and the teams that lost, there is a decent chance that a few of those teams will remain ahead of BYU in the polls.

Additionally, #24 Virginia took down previously undefeated Louisville on the road. There's a scenario where Virginia leapfrogs BYU in the ranking.

Despite all that, we think BYU will still move up at least a few spots in the polls.

Floor: #21 in the AP Poll

The Ceiling

In the best-case scenario, AP voters will take Penn State and Texas all the way out of the top 25. Neither the Longhorns nor the Nittany Lions have beaten a P4 opponent this season, they both have two losses, and they both lost to teams with combined previous records of 1-7.

They do not deserve a ranking next to their names at this point in the season.

Additionally, Florida State should drop below BYU after suffering a second loss in as many weeks.

If there's something we've learned about the AP voters, it's that they punish Big 12 teams for suffering their first loss. There is a real chance Iowa State drops all the way down to the 23-25 range.

Then there's Vanderbilt. The Commodores probably don't deserve to be dropped too much in the rankings, but they don't have the brand power to buoy them after a loss. Like Iowa State, there's a chance they drop to the 23-25 range.

In the best-case scenario, BYU could surpass all five teams that lost on Saturday.

Ceiling: #18

Prediction

We believe BYU should surpass Florida State, Penn State, Texas, and Iowa State in the polls. Whether it's the pollsters only dropping three of those teams belor BYU or Virginia leapfrogging the Cougars, we like BYU's chances to move up three spots and crack the top 20.

Prediction: #20