Kentucky back in AP Top 25 at No. 15 after overtime win over LSU

Kentucky is ranked again. A 35-34 overtime win over No. 10 LSU at Kroger Field on Saturday night moved the Wildcats from outside the poll to No. 15 in Sunday's AP Top 25. The 11-spot jump puts them just one place ahead of Mississippi State.

On3's Kentucky Sports Radio reported the move shortly after the poll came out. KSR's Zack Geoghegan has followed the Wildcats' up-and-down treatment from voters this season, and he summed up Sunday's result this way: "Those cowards over at the AP Poll can't ignore Kentucky football anymore."

The complaint has a basis. Kentucky was No. 24 a couple of weeks ago after beating South Alabama at home. It then dropped out of the poll entirely, even though its next game was a 35-34 overtime road win at South Carolina. Beating a top-10 team leaves voters no room for that kind of debate. Will Stein's team is now 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the SEC. The Coaches Poll moved the same way, lifting Kentucky eight spots from No. 25 to No. 17.

LSU paid for the loss. The Tigers fell 12 spots, from No. 10 to No. 22, and are now 4-2.

Next up: a trip to Norman

Kentucky can't spend long on the ranking. The Wildcats travel to Oklahoma (3-2) on Saturday, Oct. 17, for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on SEC Network. The Sooners are just outside the Top 25. They received 44 points, which works out to 30th, and they are coming off a 27-24 home upset of then-No. 1 Texas, which fell six spots to No. 7.

The market still prefers the home team despite the rankings. Oklahoma is favored at -233 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, and by 6.5 points on the spread. The best sportsbook price on the Sooners is -262 at Pinnacle. The total is 43.5. The full board is on our Kentucky at Oklahoma odds page.

The stakes are clear for Kentucky. Halfway through the regular season, KSR notes, the Wildcats are being talked about as a College Football Playoff contender. A win in Norman would add a third straight quality result to a résumé that already includes overtime wins at South Carolina and against LSU. A loss would hand voters a reason to cool on them again.

LSU tries to regroup

LSU has a quick turnaround at home. No. 16 Mississippi State (4-1) visits Baton Rouge for a noon ET kickoff on ESPN. The Bulldogs are ranked six spots higher, but the Tigers are favored at -355 on Novig and by 11.5 points, with a total of 58.5. The best sportsbook price on LSU is -400 at FanDuel. Prices for that game are on our Mississippi State at LSU odds page.

The SEC holds a big share of the new poll. Georgia moved up to No. 1, with Alabama at No. 6, Ole Miss at No. 9, Texas at No. 7, Missouri at No. 13 and Tennessee at No. 14. Kentucky sits just behind that group, and a road win at Oklahoma would make a strong case that it belongs with it.