Thankfully, the importance of the AP Poll has diminished with the creation of the College Football Playoff selection committee and their top-25, but there's little doubt that the AP rankings are still used in those deliberations and in other debates.While the committee technically is supposed to evaluate teams based on their own terms, it's highly unlikely that they don't use the AP Poll in some capacity, at least in their first set of rankings.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.
If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom."Ranked wins" has become a common talking point, particularly among fans, coaches, and administrators of a certain conference.
And this week's poll makes it easy to see why.WILL THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF SELECTION COMMITTEE'S NEW RULES MAKE THEIR RANKINGS BETTER?Kamario Taylor No.1 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs warms up before the game at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Sept.
26, 2026.(Getty Images)First, the most obvious example: Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs entered the week ranked No.16, moving up eight spots after beating a very questionably ranked Missouri Tigers team.
They hosted Alabama in Starkville, an opportunity to show they deserve to be a top-10 team and legitimate College Football Playoff contender.Instead, the Tide rolled.The final score at 56-23 somehow doesn't do justice to how thoroughly Alabama dismantled Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs had a whopping 70 plays, only gaining 302 total yards for a dismal 4.3 yards per play.Meanwhile, Alabama racked up 483 yards on just 61 plays, for nearly eight yards per play.The Tide moved the ball into the MSU red zone seven times, scoring touchdowns on all seven tries.
They had 12.7 yards per passing attempt, four rushing touchdowns, had eight sacks or tackles for loss, and two deflections.Even with two fumbles lost, they won the tu...