On the heels of a 49-14 boat race of USC in South Bend, Indiana, Notre Dame jumped four spots to No. 9 in the latest edition of the Associated Press Top 25 college football rankings and has established itself as a realistic threat to make a push for the College Football Playoff. The 6-1 Fighting Irish have won five straight after a one-point loss to No. 3 Georgia, have a bona fide Heisman Trophy contender in running back Josh Adams and coach Brian Kelly has responded well to an offseason loaded with pressure.

Meanwhile, USC and Michigan suffered the two biggest falls in the latest edition of the poll. The Trojans dropped 10 spots to No. 21 as a result of the lackluster performance, and the Wolverines dropped from No. 19 to out of the top 25 completely due to a 42-13 loss at No. 2 Penn State in which the offense couldn't keep up with the high-octane Nittany Lions.

The only new member of this week's AP Top 25 is Iowa State, which snuck into the No. 25 spot.

Here's how the new AP Top 25 looks heading into Week 9.

Dropped from rankings: Michigan (previously No. 19)