AP Top 25: Ohio State up to No. 3, Notre Dame at No. 6; 5 new teams
After winning top-10 matchups, Ohio State moved up to No. 3 and Notre Dame rose to No. 6 in The Associated Press college football poll. For the second straight week, there was major turnover at the bottom of the Top 25.
No. 1 Alabama and Georgia maintained the top two spots in the media ranking. The Crimson Tide received 58 first-place votes on Sunday. Ohio State moved past Clemson after rallying in the fourth quarter at Penn State. Clemson slipped to No. 4 after a close victory at home against Syracuse. The Buckeyes and Tigers each received a first-place vote.
LSU held steady at No. 5 and Notre Dame moved up two spots after beating Stanford. Oklahoma fell to No. 7 and No. 9 West Virginia returned to the top 10 for the first time since 2012, when it reached No. 5 early in the season. Washington also moved into the top 10 after routing BYU.
POLL POINTS
For the second straight week, seven ranked teams lost, though with five games matching ranked teams that was not much of a surprise. Still, it is only the second time since the poll expanded to 25 teams in 1989 that there were consecutive weeks in which at least five teams dropped out. On Sept. 19, 1999, five teams dropped out; six teams did the following week.
The teams at the bottom of last week’s ranking did not fare well. Nos. 22-24 all lost and were dumped by voters.
OUT
— BYU dropped out after getting blown out by Washington.
— Duke lost for the first time this season and is out after one week.
— Mississippi State lost its second straight game and is unranked for the first time this season.
— California and Texas Tech both had one-week stays in the ranking after each lost Saturday at home.
IN
— No. 21 Colorado is the only unbeaten team left in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes are ranked for the first time since the final 2016 poll.
— No. 22 Florida is back in. Suddenly, losing at No. 13 Kentucky doesn’t seem so bad for the Gators.
— No. 23 North Carolina State is ranked for the first time this year after finishing in the Top 25 last season.
— No. 24 Virginia Tech and No. 25 Oklahoma State are back in the ranking after one week out.
CONFERENCE CALL
For the third straight week, the Southeastern Conference has the top two teams, though Ohio State is only 10 points behind Georgia.
SEC — 6.
Big Ten — 5.
ACC — 4.
Big 12 — 4.
Pac- 12 — 4.
American — 1.
Independent — 1.
RANKED vs. RANKED
No. 5 LSU at No. 22 Florida. Gators will be the third ranked opponent already for the Tigers.
No. 6 Notre Dame at No. 24 Virginia Tech. First trip to Blacksburg, Virginia, for the Fighting Irish.
No. 7 Oklahoma vs. No. 19 Texas in Dallas. The first time since 2012 the Red River Rivalry features two ranked teams. Don’t blame the Sooners. The Longhorns have not been ranked in any of the games while OU has.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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