Tomorrow's Top 25 Today: USC, Clemson playoff profiles improve amid jumps in college football rankings - CBS Sports

Start or Sit (NFC Home Games).

If a few plays (or even just a couple kicks) had different results, the AP Top 25 voters would be faced with a difficult challenge sorting out the carnage in their updated ballots. .

That's not to say the voters job will be easy in the wake of Saturday's results. .

The debates about body of work against recent results will be on full display with the slotting of Tennessee after a stunning 63-38 loss at South Carolina.

The Rebels are 8-3 and fell just one score short of toppling last week, when looking for quality wins voters must determine how valuable close wins against Kentucky and at Texas A&M are compared to other three-loss teams. .

Ohio State (2): The Buckeyes could catch a few more first-place votes after pouring on the points late in a 43-30 win at Maryland, but voters tracking scores through the day will note that this was a three-point game deep into the fourth quarter.

Freshman running back Dallan Hayden had a breakout performance with 146 yards and three touchdowns, all of them after halftime as Ohio State overcame an early deficit and took control of the game in the third quarter. .

With Tennessee falling and USC impressing down the stretch as it clinched a spot in the Pac-12 Championship Game, the Trojans should jump two-loss LSU into the fifth spot.

Up next is a trip to College Station to face Texas A&M, then the SEC Championship Game against Georgia. .

Clemson (9): With a 40-10 win against Miami, the Tigers have now won 40 consecutive home games.

Thanks to some of Saturday's results elsewhere, things are looking up for Clemson's CFP chances.

This marks only the ninth 40-game home winning streak in FBS history, the first since Nebraska won 47 straight home games from 1991-98. .

Kansas State (19): Winners of three in their last four, the Wildcats are closing in on a Big 12 Championship Game spot after putting 41 points on the board in the first half and defending an early lead en route to a 17-point win at West Virginia.

Beating USC has provided some rankings strength that was overriding losses to Florida and UCLA, but now that Utah enters the debate of three-loss teams following a loss to Oregon, the head-to-head edge for the Bruins could determine how these teams stack up in the rankings. 

Tulane (21): A Thursday night AAC showdown with SMU was expected to be a tough test for the Green Wave in the wake of last week's close loss to UCF, but the Mustangs turned the ball over five times and Tulane seized the spotlight opportunity with a 59-24 win that should impress the voters

Coastal Carolina (23): Saturday's game against Virginia was canceled as the school and community took Saturday to honor the three UVA players killed in last weekend's tragic on-campus shooting

North Carolina (13): The best thing North Carolina has going for it in terms of the rankings is only having two losses after falling 21-17 at home to Georgia Tech

Oregon State (25): The Beavers have now won eight games for the first time since 2012 after a convincing 31-7 road victory over Arizona State

Texas was not only one of the top vote-getters in last week's balloting outside the top 25, but there will be some "sticker shock" for voters who might have expected Saturday's game at Kansas to be a potential upset spot and instead saw a dominant 55-14 Longhorns win

UCF (17): There is going to be a drop for UCF on every ballot after the 17-14 home loss to Navy, but the Knights will likely receive enough votes to stay inside the top 25

Now 8-3, UCF does have wins against Tulane and Cincinnati but losses to Louisville, ECU and Navy

The Midshipmen were 3-7 heading into the game, handing the Knights their worst loss of the season

Still, UCF is a team with only three losses and two wins against other teams in the top 25.