Biggest Risers

South Alabama +11 spots
Georgia Tech +9 spots
Arkansas State +9 spots
Louisiana +8 spots
BYU +8 spots
Army +7 spots

The biggest riser comes out of the Sun Belt – but it isn’t one of the three SBC teams that upset Big 12 opponents – its South Alabama. The Jaguars upset Southern Miss as 12-point underdogs in week one (a bigger upset than Louisiana’s win) and then almost did it again last week as 11.5-point underdogs against Tulane. I said in my Sun Belt preview that you could see the potential in the South Alabama team, and they are proving it much earlier than I could’ve expected.

Biggest Fallers

Kansas State -12 spots
Southern Miss -9 spots
Florida State -7 spots
Navy -7 spots

The biggest faller is, of course, Kansas State. The Wildcats took on an Arkansas State team that was shorthanded due to COVID stouts, at home, with fans in the stands, and blew it. The offense looked sluggish and the defense couldn’t stop Jonathan Adams. The ‘Cats Big 12 opener against Oklahoma in two weeks is looking like it could be ugly.

Biggest Performances of the Week

1. Georgia Tech beating Florida State 16-13 in Mike Norvell’s debut
2. Arkansas State shocking K-State down a dozen players
3. Louisiana proving they are for real @ Iowa State
4. Coastal Carolina taking down Kansas for the second year in a row

A note before we get into the rankings – they are designed not to overreact to a one-game sample size – so, for example, you will notice Iowa State being ranked ahead of Louisiana. That is to be expected. If both teams continue to play like they did Saturday in the coming weeks, expect the Ragin’ Cajuns to pass the Cyclones sooner rather than later.