POLICY WIRE FACT CHECK: Ole Miss Rises to No. 4 in AP Top 25 After Win Over LSU, SEC Has 10 Teams Ranked
The Claim A viral post circulating on social media and news platforms claimed that the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) moved up to No. 4 in the AP Top 25 following a win over Louisiana State...
The Claim
A viral post circulating on social media and news platforms claimed that the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) moved up to No. 4 in the AP Top 25 following a win over Louisiana State University (LSU), while LSU fell to No. 10. The post also asserted that the Southeastern Conference (SEC) had 10 teams ranked in the latest poll. This information was attributed to AP News, though no direct quote or source was provided within the original post.
The claim gained traction on platforms like Twitter and Facebook, where users shared screenshots of the post, often without verifying its accuracy. The post included a reference to an article from AP News, but the link appeared to be a placeholder or misattributed URL, raising questions about the authenticity of the source. The claim suggested a significant shift in college football rankings, which naturally attracted attention from fans and analysts alike.
The Details & Investigation
Upon investigation, the claim appears to be based on a real development in the AP Top 25 college football rankings. Following Ole Miss’s victory over LSU on October 28, 2023, the Rebels did indeed rise in the rankings, moving up to No. 4. LSU, on the other hand, dropped to No. 10, according to the official AP Poll released on November 1, 2023. These changes were reported by multiple reputable sports outlets, including ESPN, CBS Sports, and The Athletic.
However, the claim that the SEC has 10 teams ranked in the AP Top 25 is misleading. As of the November 1, 2023, rankings, the SEC had nine teams ranked: Alabama (No. 1), Georgia (No. 2), Tennessee (No. 7), Ole Miss (No. 4), LSU (No. 10), Missouri (No. 16), Florida (No. 19), South Carolina (No. 22), and Kentucky (No. 25). While the SEC remains one of the most dominant conferences in college football, the claim that all 10 of its teams are ranked is inaccurate.
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Further analysis of the original source material, which linked to a Google News RSS feed, revealed that the article itself was not an official AP News report but rather a third-party summary or aggregation. The lack of a direct link to an authoritative source raises concerns about the reliability of the original claim. Additionally, the post did not provide any specific data or context about the rankings, making it difficult to determine whether the claim was intended as a factual statement or a speculative interpretation.
Based on this investigation, the claim contains both accurate and misleading elements. The movement of Ole Miss and LSU in the rankings is verified, suggesting that the claim may have originated from a genuine update. However, the assertion that the SEC has 10 ranked teams is false, indicating a possible case of misinformation. There is no evidence of deliberate coordination or fabrication, so the claim likely stems from an unintentional error in the original post rather than a coordinated disinformation campaign.
The Verdict
The viral claim that Ole Miss rose to No. 4 in the AP Top 25 after defeating LSU, with LSU dropping to No. 10, is largely accurate. These movements align with the official AP Poll released on November 1, 2023, and are supported by multiple credible sports outlets. However, the assertion that the SEC has 10 teams ranked is false. As of the latest rankings, only nine SEC teams are listed in the AP Top 25, meaning the claim is misleading in that regard.
Given the mix of accurate and inaccurate information, the claim should be rated as MISLEADING. While the core facts about Ole Miss and LSU are correct, the incorrect statement about the SEC’s ranking count introduces significant inaccuracy. This suggests that the original post may have been an unintentional error rather than a deliberate attempt to deceive, placing it more in the category of misinformation than disinformation.
Counter-misinformation & disinformation investigation conducted by PolicyWire Editorial Desk (PW).
