AP Top 25 voter Greg Luca found himself at the center of the latest poll debate after putting Mississippi State at No. 10 in Sunday’s AP Top 25, even though the Bulldogs had just taken a 56-23 loss at home to Alabama.
Luca addressed the reaction in an article that ran Sunday in the San Antonio Express-News, and he laid out why he bumped Mississippi State up six spots from No. 16 despite the blowout defeat. The Bulldogs ultimately landed at No. 17 in the actual AP Poll, but Luca’s ballot had them much higher.
“So, how did I possibly rank them at No. 10, eight spots higher than last week and seven spots higher than the AP consensus? Well, selecting the 25 best teams is an inexact science, and the AP gives voters wide latitude to select which criteria carry the most weight.
The one exception? ‘Pay attention to head-to-head results.’”
That line was the key to Luca’s approach. He said he uses a clean-slate method each week and, in this case, sorted the one-loss SEC teams by their head-to-head results.
The choice drew plenty of criticism online, but it was only one voter’s ballot. And in the broader picture, Mississippi State was still slotted at No. 17 in the new poll after suffering its first loss of the season to an Alabama team that remains unbeaten and is now ranked No. 6.
Whatever the ranking debate, the Bulldogs still have the same task ahead of them: win games in 2026.
In Other News...
Mississippi States Heisman Buzz Suddenly Feels Fragile After Alabama
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor had been part of the early Heisman conversation after a strong start to the 2026 season, joining a group of rising names that also includes Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith, Miami quarterback Darian Mensah, Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell and Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr. Through five weeks, the national picture has started to settle a little, with Texas still sitting atop the AP Top 25 and the usual October pressure beginning to separate the real contenders from the early buzz.
For Mississippi State, the appeal is obvious: a quarterback getting mentioned in the same breath as some of the sports biggest stars is the kind of momentum that can change a seasons feel overnight. But with Alabama now in the mix and the national spotlight only getting harsher, Taylors Heisman case suddenly looks far less secure than it did a week ago, and the Bulldogs know the coming stretch will tell whether this is lasting traction or just an early-season flash. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Just Got A Brutal Reminder Of The Alabama Gap
Mississippi State ran into a sharp reminder of just how deep Alabamas roster can go in a 56-23 loss, the kind of game that left the Bulldogs chasing answers well before the final whistle. It was not just the usual stars doing damage, either. Alabama spread the recognition around after the win, with several players earning conference weekly honors for their work on both sides of the ball.
Keelon Russell, Josh Ford, JD Martin, Xavier Griffin, Dijon Lee Jr., Torin Craig and the defensive line all landed player of the week recognition, while Lorcan Quinn and Cooper Mollison were honored for special teams. For Mississippi State, the takeaway was less about a single matchup and more about the wider gap it still has to close if it wants to compete with a Tide team that can keep rolling out impact performances from all over the field. [Read more 🡒]