DALLAS, Sporting Alert – Following their disappointing setbacks at the weekend, could we see Arizona State falling and Stanford making way in the AP Top 25 college football rankings this week.
The two programs entered the opening week as recognized ranked teams, but suffered losses in their respective fixtures and look well on course to be punished in the top 25 rankings.
Expected To Be Booted From Top 25
No. 21 Stanford was shocked 16-6 by a very spirited Northwestern side tallied 330 total yards and held its opponents to just 240 in that same category in the low scoring contest.
The Wildcats (1-0) were also significantly better at carrying the ball on the ground, out-rushing the Cardinal 225-85 in a game they were picked to lose by most of the college football experts.
Northwestern also dominated the possession 31:52-28:08, which helped to keep Stanford away from the end zone.
Also falling in Week 1 was No. 15 Arizona State which suffered at the hands of Texas A&M.
The Aggies scored a 38-17 victory over the Sun Devils, including putting up 21 points in the fourth quarter.
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It was the first time since losing 48-10 to then-No. 10 Nebraska in the 2002 campaign, Arizona State was opening its season with a defeat, as Texas A&M recorded 425 total yards, including 247 passing yards in the victory.
This was the second successive season the Aggies were knocking off a top 25 ranked program to start the term, following its commanding 52-28 victory over the then-No. 9 South Carolina last year.
During the win on Saturday, Kyle Allen threw for 198 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another score, while Christian Kirk took six catches for 106 yards, including returning a punt 79 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter for Texas A&M.
Kyler Murray, who replaced Allen in the second quarter, threw for 49 yards and ran for 69 yards.
Shuffles In The College Football Rankings
The win for the Aggies over Arizona State has certainly paved the way for adjustments in the next AP top 25 college football rankings which will be released on Tuesday.
But while Stanford is expected to drop from the list the Sun Devils are expected to hang on – which means either Northwestern or Texas A&M will have to wait for another slip up to get into the 25.
Many experts believe the Aggies will be the one to replace Arizona State and the Texas-based club could be ranked as high as No. 19 or No. 20.
At the same time, there are also calls for the likes of Mississippi State and Utah who scored wins on the opening week and are expected to have a very good season – to earn places in the Top 25 as well.
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