Football’s first full weekend in November saw several AP top 25 teams rested, but that doesn’t mean there was much action across the country as some of college football’s postseason contenders were on the field for to prove Saturday’s matches.

Happy Valley didn’t match its name for the home team in the opening window as a battle of the Big Ten’s top-four rivals saw one team looking to end a long losing streak against its rival while the other hoped to avoid what would have been a costly second loss.

Other results from Statement Saturday saw seven ranked teams lose on the field, including SEC and ACC stunners in the Palmetto State and an undefeated ACC contender fail to pass a critical primetime road test.

Which teams will be on the move in the AP 25 college football rankings this week?

Let’s take a shot at predicting who’s going up and who’s going down in the polls heading into Week 11.

Last week’s ranking: no. 3

This is starting to get monotonous. Especially since it felt different this year.

More than a few analysts predicted Penn State would finally get one in Ohio State, coming in undefeated, playing at home and with more breathing room thanks to the extended playoff.

Instead, it was another sluggish performance on both sides of the ball that led to an eighth straight loss to the Buckeyes, not so much raising as directly answering questions about head coach James Franklin’s performance against high-profile opponents .

Franklin went 1-13 against top-five AP opponents, including 11 straight losses, just 3-18 against top-10 teams and fell 1-10 against Ohio State.

On four drives inside the red zone, the Nittany Lions managed 2 field goals and no touchdowns, scoring just 6 total points inside the 20.

The touchdown was a botched attempt by Penn State’s offense to punt from the Buckeyes’ 3 and then 2, a four-play skid that ended with a turnover on downs and ended effectively the team’s hopes of getting the ball again.

Only twice in Andy Kotelnicki’s career as an offensive coordinator has his team been kept out of the playoff zone, and Jim Knowles is responsible for both: in 2021 against Knowles’ defense at Oklahoma State and Saturday against the Buckeyes.

In a four-team playoff era, a loss would mean the virtual end of Penn State’s national title hopes, but with no ranked teams on the schedule going forward, an 11-1 finish is more than possible, and with it , could come into College Football Playoff consideration.

As for now, the top 25 AP voters will punish the Nittany Lions for not living up to their potential as the No. 3, but they might not be too hard on their ballots given recent precedent.

Texas stayed in the top five after losing to Georgia as the No. 1 team a few weeks ago, and while that may be too much to ask, Penn State should hang on to a top-10 spot.

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Last week’s ranking: no. 4

It’s hard to overstate how important a win like this was for Ohio State.

The pressure was on: an Oregon loss was still high, head coach Ryan Day was under intense criticism for his record against high-profile opponents, and a second loss would have given the selection committee even more ammunition to keep this team away from the playoffs.

Will Howard was the first to admit he didn’t play a spectacular game, throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown on his first pass, fumbling as he neared the goal line on a turnover that led to a touchback and missing what would have been. they were one touchdown throw away in the first half.

But he also ran two touchdown drives, and after the Buckeyes’ 2-yard defensive statement, the quarterback was instrumental in sealing the victory, leading the last drive to run out the clock and running for the last one himself to win. it.

It might not be the type of offense we’ve come to expect from Ohio State this season, but this team can still take down one of its top conference rivals and plays a more physical brand of football that could be very useful down the stretch as we approach the postseason.

Winning Ohio State could create a dilemma for some top 25 AP voters. Normally, wins by team no. 1 and no. 2 would imply that Oregon and Georgia, respectively, would stay put.

But some ballots might entertain the Buckeyes at No. 2, given that the team played to a 1-point road loss against that No. 1, won on the road against team no. Florida.

Our bet is that those top two teams don’t move and Ohio State moves into the No. 3 ranking previously held by Penn State.

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Last week’s ranking: no. 18

Pitt was one of eight teams remaining undefeated in college football coming into Saturday, but there were some questions about the quality of competition behind the 7-0 record.

Playing on the road against a one-loss SMU, the Panthers hoped, would alleviate those concerns and put their ACC title hopes on a firmer footing.

But the offense couldn’t generate much momentum, scoring 3 points in the first half, and the defense was largely unable to contain the Mustangs’ skill weapons in a 48-25 loss.

The margin of defeat against the top-ranked team on Pitt’s schedule will give AP voters pause, but probably not enough to knock this team out of the rankings entirely.

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Last week’s ranking: no. 20

On the other side of that disaster in the Metroplex, the Mustangs impressed with a balanced and aggressive offensive game plan that overwhelmed a stout Pittsburgh defense in an emphatic victory.

The win moves SMU to second in the ACC standings and to an 8-1 record, facing three very winnable games against BC, at Virginia and against Cal.

And with other teams higher in the rankings losing games, there should be plenty of room for the Mustangs to move up the rankings, almost certainly into the top 15.

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Kansas State and Iowa State entered this weekend as Big 12 title contenders, but after stunning losses against unranked opponents, both are falling in the rankings and have trouble moving into November.

Both were within striking distance of making a run at the Big 12 championship, but were knocked down in a big way after being upset by Houston and Texas Tech, respectively.

Iowa State was ranked 11th and off to its best start since 1938, one of two undefeated teams left in the conference and poised to make a run at the Big 12 title and, by proxy, the playoffs.

Now, the Cyclones have no real margin for error going forward in a crowded field near the top of the Big 12, with Colorado sitting right behind in the standings.

Ditto for Kansas State, which was ranked No. 17 in this week’s poll but whose solid, rushing attack, ranked No. 9 in the FBS this weekend, hit a wall against the overlooked Cougars.

K-State finished with just 89 yards on the ground and a paltry 2.6 yards per carry average, and the offense scored just 3 points in the second half while allowing 14 in the fourth quarter alone.

AP voters will likely drop the Cyclones out of the top 15, while the Wildcats risk dropping out of the poll at worst and falling into the bottom five at best.

Don’t look now, but Colorado is suddenly tied for second in the Big 12 standings with a 4-1 conference record and 6-2 overall.

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Last week’s ranking: no. 5

With one of the top four teams in the AP rankings having to lose this weekend, the fifth-ranked Hurricanes were expected to move up in the poll, provided they win out.

And while Duke made that a much weaker proposition than predicted, leading Miami 28-17 in the third quarter on the road behind an inspired performance, it was up to Cam Ward to revive the Canes’ fortunes, and he did all season.

Midway through the third quarter, Ward led Miami on a 36-3 run that reminded everyone once again that this offense can score at will when it puts its mind to it.

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Last week’s ranking: no. 10

There are no more undefeated teams in SEC play after Texas A&M collapsed on the road in a stunning 44-20 loss at South Carolina to fall to 5-1 in the conference.

Quite the disappointment for the Aggies, whose superb defense failed to live up to its reputation on the road, allowing over 500 total yards while its offense didn’t score a single point in the second half.

That will cause AP’s top 25 voters to reevaluate where A&M sits in the rankings, the third half of which is due for major changes after several ranked teams lost.

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– Clemson fell flat after its bye week, unable to get much going in a surprise home loss to unranked Louisville, and will fall out of the No. 11 spot.

– Ole Miss looks to move up in the rankings after hammering Arkansas in a 63-31 upset as Jaxson Dart had 6 touchdown passes and the Rebels moved to 3-2 in SEC play with Georgia.

– Boise State will take advantage of other poll moves from top-ranked teams that have lost after beating San Diego State 56-24 and falling to 7-1 with a loss to No. 1 Oregon.

– Indiana should garner more votes in the Week 11 rankings after coming back from a 10-0 deficit to beat Michigan State on the road, moving to 9-0 for the first time in program history and out of contention for good in the College Football Playoff.

– Vanderbilt received votes last week, but could be back in the rankings this week after a 10-point win at Auburn that moves the ‘Dores to 3-2 in SEC play.

– Missouri could fall out of the rankings after clinging to the No. 25 last week despite a 34-0 loss in Alabama as AP voters couldn’t find replacements to fill out their ballots.

– Ditto for Illinois, which should have fallen out of the polls last week and almost certainly will this week after falling to 6-3 after a second straight loss.

– Minnesota, the team that beat the Illini on the road, could enter the rankings this week after winning its fourth straight game and sitting at 4-2 in Big Ten play.

More… When the AP 25 chart comes out

And… predicting the AP 25 for Week 11

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