3 teams most likely to jump into AP Top 25 after Michigan’s loss to Illinois

Being right on the edge of the AP Top 25 is thrilling. A solid win makes you think that your team could sneak into the rankings the following week, and that's always fun. Unless, of course, you started the season at number one.

In that case, being on the edge of the top 25 is probably a little disappointing. Luckily, none of these teams started the season at number one in the country, so with Michigan's loss to Illinois and presumed tumble out of the Top 25, one new team will leap into the rankings.

Here are the three teams with the best chance to do that.

3. Washington State Cougars

They've been right on the edge of the rankings all season long, and it's time to finally put the Cougs in the top 25. After handling Hawai'i 42-10, Washington State improves to 6-1 with that lone loss being against a Boise State team that looks like a real CFP candidate. Outside of that loss, Wazzu has taken care of business when it's needed to, beating both Power 4 teams — Washington and Texas Tech — that it's played.

John Mateer has been a revelation for the Cougs this season. He plays football kind of like an alien who has watched every game of football ever but doesn't speak any human languages so it can't actually learn the rules and just tries to replicate what it thinks should happen. That's a compliment, truly. Mateer is a joy to watch and he's got the Cougs at 6-1 with three very winnable games coming next on the schedule. Don't be surprised if the Cougs finally crack the rankings this week — and then stay there for a while.

2. Vanderbilt Commodores

As long as Vanderbilt beats Ball State, this team deserves to be ranked. Please do not show up at our doorstep with torches if Vanderbilt loses to Ball State. We're not trying to jinx anything! The Commodores would improve to 5-2 with a victory on Saturday and with a win against Alabama being one of those five, we can forget the Georgia State loss. Okay, we can't forget it but we can call it a fluke compared to the rest of the season. The other loss came in OT against Missouri, which is far from a "bad" loss.

The last time Vanderbilt was ranked in the AP Top 25 was the final week of the 2013 season. That's over a decade! Vandy has burst onto the CFB scene this year behind quarterback Diego Pavia, who made himself a lot of fans after his hero-like performance against Alabama and subsequent post-game interview in which he screamed some profanity. He's really cool.

Vandy's time in the top 25 might not last forever as Texas is up next for the Dores, but even cracking the rankings would be a huge success for a team that's been at the bottom of the SEC pretty consistently for years on end.

1. UNLV Rebels

This one comes with a big caveat: if UNLV beats Oregon State, it should leap into the rankings. Oregon State isn't a rollover though, and the Beavs are feisty and will give UNLV a fight. But if quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams can lead UNLV to a win on Saturday night on The CW — which has a pretty solid game presentation, if you've missed out so far — then UNLV could hop back into the rankings following two straight wins after falling to Syracuse. UNLV hasn't played a murderer's row of opponents this year, but it's beaten who's on the field each week and could be in line to set up a thriller against Boise State next weekend.

You'd think that a team losing its quarterback a few games into the season would derail the progress made up to that point, but that hasn't been the case at all for UNLV. Hajj-Malik Williams has looked like nothing short of a star in his three starts this season, throwing nine touchdowns to just one interception in those games. He can make things happen on the ground too, already surpassing 300 rushing yards for the season. He's made UNLV football almost appointment TV viewing, which is something that hasn't been true... ever, maybe?