Lane Kiffin: Ole Miss has 'a lot to fix' ahead of Oklahoma
Lane Kiffin said Ole Miss needs to improve ahead of what he called a big test at Oklahoma in Week 9.
- Four teams in the top 10 lost over the weekend, which will cause a major shake-up in the US LBM Coaches Poll.
- Indiana, Texas A&M and Georgia Tech are expected to move up in the rankings after key wins.
- Miami, Mississippi State, Texas Tech and LSU are among the top-ranked teams with losses.
Get ready for Survey of LBM Trainers in the USA shake.
Four teams in last week's top 10 lost last weekend, starting with Miami's terrible and difficult loss to Louisville on Friday evening. That opens up a spot for Ohio State, the undisputed No. 1 after another Big Ten upset.
Mississippi joins the hurricanes who lost to Georgia; Texas Tech, which was stunned late Arizona; and LSU, which lost to Vanderbilt for the first time since 1990.
This will result in a refresh of the top five and the emergence of at least two new teams in the top 10. Georgia Techwhich shows the best start to a season in decades.
Here's what the poll's top 10 coaches should look like when the new top 25 is released later Sunday:
1. Ohio State (6-0)
Buckeyes knocked off Wisconsin 34-0 and handed Badgers back-to-back home shutout defeats for the first time since 1968. Ohio State has the best defense in the country, and the offense isn't too bad. Things will only get better as quarterback Julian Sayin gets more comfortable.
2. Indiana (7-0)
The Hoosiers will take another step up in the rankings and replace Miami. Indiana avoided an upset of Oregon by beating Michigan State 38-13 behind Fernando Mendoza's 332 yards passing and four touchdowns.
3. Texas A&M (7-0)
A&M led Arkansas 21-6 in the second quarter, but allowed a pair of touchdowns before halftime and then couldn't put the Razorbacks back until taking a knee with nine seconds left. While not impressive, a 45-42 win would put A&M ahead of many one-loss SEC teams and likely result in their highest ranking since 1995.
Ty Simpson threw two more touchdowns as the Crimson Tide extended their winning streak to six games. defeating Tennessee 37-20. Alabama deserves to be the highest ranked team in the country with one loss thanks to wins over the Volunteers and Georgia.
5. Georgia (6-1)
Down 35-26 after three quarters against Mississippi. The Bulldogs dominated the fourth and won 43-35.. Gunner Stockton was outstanding and the game was hot, but the biggest takeaway from the win was Georgia's elite play in the final 15 minutes.
6. Oregon (6-1)
Oregon bounced back from its loss to Indiana by taking some frustration out on poor Rutgers, jumping out to a 42-3 halftime lead en route to a 56-10 rout. The Ducks will be in the Big Ten and playoff race until the very end.
7. Miami (5-1)
Carson Beck's four interceptions were the deciding factor in Louisville's 24-21 win. That's part of Beck's story from last season, when he struggled with turnovers as a starter at Georgia. While this may be a one-off for the ACC's most talented team, the loss shows that Miami can't simply sweep past the conference's best teams.
8. Georgia Tech (7-0)
The Yellow Jackets would move into the top 10 with a 27-18 win over Duke and start 7-0 overall for the first time since 1966 and 4-0 in the ACC for the first time in 27 years. Tech struck first with a long punt return for a touchdown, but held the Blue Devils back until two long scoring drives in the fourth quarter.
9. Mississippi (6-1)
A loss to Georgia would cause Ole Miss to drop in the rankings, although the nature of the loss was nothing special. But a loss to Oklahoma next week in Norman could hurt the Rebels and pose a potential problem when the playoff selection committee begins comparing playoff candidates in early December.
10. Brigham Young (7-0)
It would be a four-point jump for the Cougars after beating Utah 24-21. That's enough to pass BYU Oklahoma with one loss and ahead of Notre Dame with two losses after the Fighting Irish beat Southern California.
