Wisconsin is about to cash in on one of the weekend’s biggest blowouts.
After hammering Michigan State 31-3, the Badgers are the lone new addition projected for the AP Top 25 this week, with the Spartans’ collapse helping open the door. Michigan State’s showing was another rough reminder of how far that program has fallen, with injuries, coaching and talent issues all piling up at once. Wisconsin, meanwhile, gets rewarded for taking care of business in emphatic fashion.
The fallout doesn’t stop there. Mississippi State is expected to tumble out after getting blown out at home by No.
7 Alabama in a game that was supposed to tell the voters something real about the Bulldogs. Instead, it likely sends them right back out of the rankings after a fast rise in.
The source frames it as a program still needing plenty of rebuilding.
That Alabama win is part of a packed week at the top of the poll. Miami went into Clemson and left with a double-digit victory.
Ohio State handled No. 14 Iowa.
Missouri rolled Florida. Kentucky erased a double-digit deficit to beat South Carolina in overtime.
Those results are pushing the picture at the top tighter and sharper, even if there won’t be a new No. 1.
The projected top end still starts with Texas at No. 1, followed by Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami and Ohio State. Alabama is slated to move up to No. 6, with Indiana sliding to No.
- BYU is set for a climb to No. 8 after going to TCU and surviving a tough Big 12 test, while Ole Miss and LSU round out the rest of the top 10.
Behind them, the rest of the projection looks like this: Texas Tech at No. 11, Utah at No.
12, Missouri at No. 13, Florida at No.
14, Oregon at No. 15, Tennessee at No.
16, USC at No. 17, Oklahoma State at No.
18, Kentucky at No. 19, Houston at No.
20, SMU at No. 21, Boise State at No.
22, UCLA at No. 23 and Iowa at No. 24.
The article’s read on the week is pretty clear: voters are going to be tougher on the teams that flopped in prove-it spots and more generous to the ones that came through. Iowa, Florida and Mississippi State are all in line for bigger drops. Missouri, Kentucky and Wisconsin should be the biggest movers in the other direction.
The SEC remains heavy at the top of the poll, and the Big Ten is still right there, though the gap should shrink a bit once Wisconsin gets added and Mississippi State falls away. With a few top-10 swaps and at least one new ranked team, Week 6 is shaping up to bring a little movement without a full shakeup.
In Other News...
Michigan State Suddenly Has Bigger Questions Than Just One Ugly Loss
The 31-3 loss to Wisconsin left Michigan State with more to sort through than a bad afternoon on the scoreboard. Joe Rossis defense drew scrutiny for how easily the game got away, but the offensive side may have created even more concern, with the Cam Fancher package not providing the spark the Spartans needed and the entire operation looking stuck far too often.
Cam Fanchers non-contact leg injury only adds another layer to the uncertainty. Michigan State now has to think about reshuffling its approach, and that could mean more touches for younger receivers and a fresh look at the play-calling, because the current formula is not giving the Spartans enough answers. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State's Wisconsin Loss Exposed Problems Fans Can't Ignore
Michigan States latest loss to Wisconsin left plenty to sort through, and not much of it was comforting for a team still trying to find its footing. The Spartans had trouble controlling the line of scrimmage, couldnt generate enough from the passing game, and continued to come up short in the kinds of situations that decide close games, especially on third and fourth down.
There were a few encouraging signs to hang onto, including a strong punting effort and cleaner football overall with fewer penalties and no turnovers. Still, the bigger picture is hard to ignore: the defense had too many problems getting off the field, the offense lacked reliable production at wide receiver, and the issues that showed up in Madison are the kind that can linger if they are not fixed quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Spartan Nation Is Running Out Of Patience With This Offense
The frustration around Michigan States offense only grew louder after a 31-3 loss to Wisconsin, a result that left the Spartans looking stuck on the wrong side of the same problems. The defense gave the team stretches to hang around, but the offense could not do enough with them, settling for just a field goal in a game that quickly turned into an uphill climb.
For Spartan Nation, the patience is wearing thin because this was not just another ugly finish, it was another day when the attack failed to capitalize on the moments that mattered. The criticism spilling out afterward centered on both the coaching and the inability to turn defensive stops into anything resembling momentum, and until that changes, the noise around this unit is only going to get louder. [Read more 🡒]