The Mississippi State Bulldogs (14) may be the team to watch this season, as they are coming off winning a major upset over the LSU Tigers (17) and heading into a grueling SEC schedule.
In week five of the Associated Press' Top 25 College Football poll, Mississippi St. is the jump of the week, rising 12 places after being unranked. Victims of their 34-29 upset in Baton Rouge, LSU dropped the farthest, nine places.
Mississippi St. now has the chance to climb even higher. After their bye week this weekend, the Bulldogs host the Texas A&M Aggies (6) and the Auburn Tigers (5) back-to-back. They also play road games against the Alabama Crimson Tide (3) in week 10 and Ole Miss Rebels (10) in week 12.
The Bulldogs got out to a nice lead against LSU, taking a 31-10 lead into the fourth quarter, surviving a 19-point output from their opposition in the final quarter.
Also making its way onto the rankings this week was the East Carolina Pirates (23) following a 70-41 drubbing of the UNC Tar Heels. East Carolina is also off this weekend and will start its AAC schedule the following weekend hosting SMU.
Aside from Mississippi St. and LSU, no team moved up or down by any more than three places and 11 teams stayed where they were a week ago. Whereas the poll's top five has been unchanged from the preseason rankings, the top seven teams stood pat.
Despite losing Jameis Winston to a one-week suspension, Florida State held down the top spot, though they lost three of the 37 first place votes they had last week. In order, Oregon, Alabama, Oklahoma, Auburn, Texas A&M and Baylor followed the Seminoles just as they did a week ago.
Despite going 3-0, UCLA (11) has dropped from their seventh overall preseason ranking, but rose for the first time this season, moving up one place.
