Leavitt Passes Auburn Safely to Reach 17th as Maiava Drops to 15th

LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt moved from 24th to 17th in the CBS Sports power rankings after leading the Tigers to a 38-17 victory at Auburn. USC’s Jayden Maiava fell from 10th to 15th following a 24-7 loss at Wisconsin, marking the steepest drop among the top 15 quarterbacks.

Leavitt threw for a season-high 388 yards in the win. He avoided an interception for a second straight game despite a sore hamstring limiting his movement. Early in the second quarter, an underthrown pass appeared to be caught by Auburn safety Eric Winters. Replay review ruled the ball hit the ground, saving Leavitt from his first turnover of the stretch.

Leavitt capitalized on the reprieve. He completed 8 of 10 passes on a 14-play, 95-yard drive that extended LSU’s lead to 17-3. Auburn never threatened the lead after that sequence. Lane Kiffin, the LSU head coach, called the escape "lucky" but noted the team is performing as expected. "This is where we planned on being," Kiffin said.

Leavitt has completed 63 of 83 passes for 677 yards and seven touchdowns in his last two wins. He has not thrown a turnover in that span. His performance contrasts with his early season, when he was among the most interception-prone quarterbacks in college football.

Darian Mensah of Miami remains ranked first. He threw for 387 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-23 win over Pittsburgh. Braden Atkinson of Oregon State holds the second spot, leading the country with 2,604 passing yards. Gio Lopez of Wake Forest rose to third, while Drew Mestemaker of Oklahoma State jumped from eighth to fourth after a 57-24 win over Colorado.

Maiava averaged a career-low 5.1 yards per attempt in the loss to Wisconsin. He completed 31 of 50 passes for 257 yards and was intercepted twice. It was the first time he has been picked off multiple times in a single game this season. CBS Sports noted that USC’s issues extend beyond the quarterback position, but the loss has dimmed his Heisman Trophy hopes.

Noah Fifita of Arizona climbed from 16th to 11th after leading his team to a 39-3 win over Iowa State. Keelon Russell of Alabama rose to ninth following a performance against Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide will face LSU in Week 9 after a bye.