Where Alabama, Tennessee fell and Texas A&M rose

Saturday was a reminder that college football Saturdays, which look lame on paper, often generate the most drama.

Like two top 5 teams (Alabama and Tennessee) losing to Vanderbilt and Arkansas, and Texas A&M crushing Missouri. My weekly vote for the Associated Press Top 25 felt like a crapshoot outside of the top two (Texas and Ohio State).

Where I ranked Alabama

Even though the Crimson Tide has fallen from the top spot in my rankings, I still believe they are the best team with a single loss. So where should I place them compared to the undefeated teams?

I think Oregon did enough to get ahead of Alabama. The same goes for Miami. The Hurricanes' comeback at Cal was remarkable, especially given the kickoff after dark and the fact that it was the Golden Bears' biggest game in a long time.

Then came my demarcation line. Penn State is still perfect, but the strength of the Nittany Lions' schedule is ranked 95th nationally, and a narrow win over Bowling Green last month gives me cause for reflection. Penn State's major games are just around the corner, starting with this week against USC. At this point, I'm not confident in placing the Nittany Lions ahead of Alabama. That means Bama fell to fifth place, one spot ahead of Georgia.

Another factor I considered: Based on the game's stats, ESPN's analysis showed Vanderbilt had less than a 2% chance of pulling off the upset. This suggests that it was a statistical anomaly.

Where should Tennessee be ranked?

The volunteers were in a similar boat. Tennessee was one of the most impressive teams with three losses and a double-digit win at Oklahoma. But the 14-3 lead in the second half is concerning.

I chose to bump the Vols two spots to seventh (again, just ahead of Penn State). Part of my decision was based on the fact that Arkansas (4-2) could be good; The Razorbacks' narrow loss to Texas A&M looks better after the Aggies beat Missouri.

That 31-point triumph moved the Aggies up 13 spots to 12th on my ballot. Part of that jump is a product of what happened elsewhere (losses at USC and Michigan), but Texas A&M has bounced back nicely from its loss to Notre Dame in Week 1.

Other AP Top 25 Thoughts

Clemson moved from fourth to 11th after winning by double digits at Florida State. I wouldn't be surprised if the Tigers make the playoffs.

Indiana improved eight spots to 16th. The Hoosiers are 6-0 and have beaten every opponent by at least two points. A weak schedule weighs on them, but it's hard to keep racking up double-digit wins like that.

Michigan dropped 10 spots but remained in my 22nd spot after the loss in Washington. Why? Because the Wolverines have wins against USC and Minnesota (who just beat USC). I think the Trojans are worth ranking, and advanced metrics tend to agree. If I want to rank USC, I have to rank Michigan given these relevant accomplishments.

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SMU's win at Louisville put the Mustangs on my ballot and knocked Louisville out of the running. Arizona was eliminated after a loss to Texas Tech. Utah is gone too; The loss to Arizona looks worse and the best win was against an Oklahoma State team that had lost three straight.

My final spots went to Pitt and Vanderbilt at 5-0. The Commodores earned this ranking by beating Alabama, of course, but I also based it on their two losses (one in the second overtime against Missouri, another in the final 15 seconds against Georgia State). Among the other teams I considered: Army, Navy, Colorado, Tulane, Washington, Arkansas and Illinois.

Matt Baker's AP Top 25 pick

1.Texas

2. Ohio State

3.Oregon

4. Miami

5.Alabama

6. Georgia

7. Tennessee

8. Penn State

9. Mississippi

10. Notre Dame

11.Clemson

12. Texas A&M

13. LSU

14. Iowa State

15.BYU

16.Indiana

17. Kansas State

18. Missouri

19.Oklahoma

20. Boise State

21. SMU

22.Michigan

23. U.S.C

24. Pitt

25. Vanderbilt