Time will tell how kind LSU’s first bye was for a team battling injuries and trying to rebound from its first loss of the season.
But high-profile upsets elsewhere in the country have already helped the Tigers (5-1, 1-1) in the national polls.
Coach Brian Kelly’s program climbed two spots in both the AP and Coaches polls following a Saturday in which Penn State (3-2), Texas (3-2), Iowa State (5-1), Vanderbilt (5-1) and Florida State (3-2) all suffered losses — the first three in upsets by unranked opponents.
No. 1 Ohio State continues to top both lists, followed this week by No. 2 Miami (5-0), No. 3 Oregon (5-0), No. 4 Ole Miss (5-0) and No. 5 Texas A&M (5-0) for the AP — and the same group for the Coaches, but with Oregon at No. 2 and Miami at No. 3.
LSU is the sixth SEC representative in each set of rankings behind No. 4 Ole Miss, No. 5 Texas A&M, No. 6 Oklahoma (5-0), No. 8 Alabama (4-1) and Georgia (4-1), which is No. 10 in the AP and No. 9 in the Coaches.
The Tigers are the third-highest one-loss team on both lists behind only Alabama and Georgia.
Penn State and Texas fell entirely from the AP’s top 25, while Florida State tumbled from the Coaches’.
Memphis entered each top 25 for the first time, along with South Florida rejoining the AP’s list and Virginia entering the Coaches’ for the first time.
AP POLL — WEEK 7 (OCT. 5)
1. Ohio State (5-0) — steady
2. Miami (5-0) — up 1
3. Oregon (5-0) — down 1
4. Ole Miss (5-0) — steady
5. Texas A&M (5-0) — up 1
6. Oklahoma (5-0) — down 1
7. Indiana (5-0) — up 1
8. Alabama (4-1) — up 2
9. Texas Tech (5-0) — up 2
10. Georgia (4-1) — up 2
11. LSU (4-1) — up 2
12. Tennessee (4-1) — up 3
13. Georgia Tech (5-0) — up 4
14. Missouri (5-0) — up 5
15. Michigan (4-1) — up 5
16. Notre Dame (3-2) — up 5
17. Illinois (5-1) — up 5
18. BYU (5-0) — up 5
19.Virginia (5-1) — up 5
20. Vanderbilt (5-1) — down 3
21. Arizona State (4-1) — up 4
22. Iowa State (5-1) — down 8
23. Memphis (6-0) — previously unranked
24. South Florida (4-1) — previously unranked
25. Florida State (3-2) — down 7
COACHES POLL — WEEK 7 (OCT. 5)
1. Ohio State (5-0) — steady
2. Oregon (5-0) — steady
3. Miami (5-0) — steady
4. Ole Miss (5-0) — steady
5. Texas A&M (5-0) — steady
6. Oklahoma (5-0) — up 2
7. Indiana (5-0) — up 2
8. Alabama (4-1) — up 3
9. Georgia (4-1) — up 1
10. Texas Tech (5-0) — up 4
11. LSU (4-1) — up 2
12. Tennessee (4-1) — up 3
13. Georgia Tech (5-0) — up 3
14. Missouri (5-0) — up 4
15. Michigan (4-1) — up 5
16. Notre Dame (3-2) — up 5
17. Illinois (5-1) — up 5
18. BYU (5-0) — up 5
19.Texas (3-2) — down 12
20. Vanderbilt (5-1) — down 3
21. Iowa State (5-1) — down 9
22. Penn State (3-2) — down 16
23. Arizona State (4-1) — up 1
24. Virginia (5-1) — previously unranked
25. Memphis (6-0) — previously unranked