College Football Rankings 2017: Projected Week 5 AP Top 25 Poll
By Zach Bigalke
Yes, Mississippi State lost big on the road against No. 11 Georgia for their first loss of the season. After taking down LSU last weekend, Dan Mullen‘s team had no answer for the hosts in the battle of the Bulldogs on Saturday. But with everything else that happened around the country, Mississippi State will cling to a spot near the bottom of the AP Top 25 when it is released.
Starting quarterback Nick Fitzgerald was held to 130 total yards of offense. Mississippi State’s offense failed to reach 300 yards on the day and never made it into the endzone. On the other side of the ball, Mississippi State allowed 400 yards and four touchdowns by Georgia.
They enjoyed a surge from unranked all the way into the teens of the AP Top 25. Mississippi State will fall back down into the mid-20s this week, but they will stay in the polls thanks to concurrent stumbles by other teams around them. It is hardly the most convincing way to remain ranked, but for a program like the one in Starkville there is no shame in remaining ranked however it is possible.