LSU’s road loss Saturday to Vanderbilt, its first loss in the series since 1990, led to a correspondingly notable tumble in the latest national polls.
On a chaotic weekend around the country, the Tigers (5-2, 2-2) suffered the biggest rankings tumble among Power Four teams and teams still within the major top-25 lists.
Coach Brian Kelly’s program returns home No. 20 and No. 19 in the AP and Coaches polls, respectively, heading into its Week 9 date with Texas A&M (7-0, 4-0), which climbed another spot in each to No. 3.
LSU joined last week’s No. 2 Miami (5-1), No. 5 Ole Miss (6-1, 3-1) and No. 7/8 Texas Tech (6-1) among top-10 teams to fall — most notably the highly ranked Hurricanes’ 24-21 loss Friday to previously unranked Louisville (5-1).
But only Memphis (6-1, 2-1) dropped further than LSU, as the American Athletic Conference contender went from the AP’s No. 20 and Coaches’ No. 22 last week to out of the top 25 after suffering its first loss to UAB, 31-24.
South Florida (6-1, 3-0), No. 18 and 20 on the lists, is now again the highest-ranked AAC team, with Navy (6-0, 4-0) and Tulane (6-1, 3-0) just outside the top 25.
Tulane and Navy received the 28th- and 30th-most votes in this week’s AP poll. The Midshipmen edged the Green Wave in the Coaches as the 26th- and 29th-highest vote-getters, respectively.
Coach Jon Sumrall and the Wave visit Memphis on Nov. 8, but are not scheduled to play South Florida or Navy this regular season.
LSU is the ninth of 10 SEC teams in the AP’s top 25 and 10th of 10 in the Coaches, led by Texas A&M, No. 4 Alabama (6-1, 4-0), 5 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) and No. 8 Ole Miss in both top 10s.
The Tigers are the third-highest ranked two-loss team in the AP and fourth-highest in the Coaches behind No. 12/13 Notre Dame (5-2) and No. 17/17 Tennessee (5-2, 2-2) and, in the Coaches, also No. 18 Texas (5-2, 2-1).
Kelly and company’s remaining schedule includes Texas A&M this Saturday before a Halloween-weekend bye, then at Alabama, home vs. Arkansas and Western Kentucky and at Oklahoma.
AP POLL — WEEK 9 (OCT. 19)
1. Ohio State (7-0) — steady
2. Indiana (7-0) — up 1
3. Texas A&M (7-0) — up 1
4. Alabama (6-1) — up 2
5. Georgia (6-1) — up 4
6. Oregon (6-1) — up 2
7. Georgia Tech (7-0) — up 5
8. Ole Miss (6-1) — down 3
9. Miami (5-1) — down 7
10. Vanderbilt (6-1) — up 7
11. BYU (7-0) — up 4
12. Notre Dame (5-2) — up 1
13.Oklahoma (6-1) — up 1
14. Texas Tech (6-1) — down 7
15. Missouri (6-1) — up 1
16. Virginia (6-1) — up 2
17. Tennessee (5-2) — down 6
18. South Florida (6-1) — up 1
19. Louisville (5-1) — previously unranked
20. LSU (5-2) — down 10
21. Cincinnati (6-1) — up 3
22. Texas (5-2) — down 1
23. Illinois (5-2) — previously unranked
24. Arizona State (5-2) — previously unranked
25. Michigan (5-2) — previously unranked
COACHES POLL — WEEK 9 (OCT. 19)
1. Ohio State (7-0) — steady
2. Indiana (7-0) — up 1
3. Texas A&M (7-0) — up 1
4. Alabama (6-1) — up 2
5. Georgia (6-1) — up 2
6. Oregon (6-1) — up 3
7. Georgia Tech (7-0) — up 5
8. Ole Miss (6-1) — down 3
9. Miami (5-1) — down 7
10. BYU (7-0) — up 4
11. Oklahoma (6-1) — up 2
12. Vanderbilt (6-1) — up 6
13. Notre Dame (5-2) — up 2
14. Missouri (6-1) — up 2
15. Texas Tech (6-1) — down 7
16. Virginia (6-1) — up 3
17. Tennessee (5-2) — down 6
18. Texas (5-2) — down 1
19. LSU (5-2) — down 9
20. South Florida (6-1) — up 3
21. Cincinnati (6-1) — up 3
22. Louisville (5-1) — previously unranked
23. Illinois (5-2) — up 2
24. Michigan (5-2) — previously unranked
25. Arizona State (5-2) — previously unranked