AP Top 25: No. 1 UGA leads unchanged top 5; Ducks, UCLA slip
By RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer
No. 1 Georgia led an unchanged top five in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday, while the rest of the Top 25 was shuffled after eight ranked teams lost — including two big upsets in the Pac-12.
For the second straight week, the Bulldogs received all but one of the 63 first-place votes in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank. No. 2 Ohio State received the other first-place vote.
No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 TCU and No. 5 Tennessee held their spots after victories Saturday, with only the Horned Frogs facing a real challenge.
Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan and Tennessee won by a combined 203-60 against conference opponents.
Home losses by Oregon (to Washington) and UCLA (to Arizona) shook up the rest of the top 10. No. 6 LSU and No. 7 Southern California each moved up a spot.
The last time two top-10 Pac-12 teams lost at home during the same weekend was Oct. 2-4, 2014, when No. 2 Oregon fell 31-24 to Arizona 31-24 and No. 8 UCLA was defeated 30-28 by Utah.
Alabama jumped two spots to No. 8 after it fell to a season-low No. 10 last week. Clemson moved up four spots to re-enter the top- 0 at No. 8 and Utah climbed to No .10.
POLL POINTS
Georgia is closing in on a school record.
The Bulldogs are No. 1 for the ninth time this season, matching the total from last season, when they won the national title for the first time in 41 years.
Georgia has been at No. 1 a total of 33 times in school history, one behind Michigan for 12th most in the history of the AP poll.
The Bulldogs are at Kentucky next week and close the season against Georgia Tech. Barring a major upset, they’ll go into the Southeastern Conference championship against LSU with 11 weeks as the country’s top-ranked team.
IN
Of the four teams that moved into the rankings this week, Coastal Carolina is the only one making its season debut. The 23rd-ranked Chanticleers have now reached the Top 25 in each of the last three seasons.
— No. 22 Cincinnati is back in. The Bearcats give the American Athletic Conference a season-high three ranked teams along with No. 17 Central Florida and No. 21 Tulane.
— No. 24 Oklahoma State returned after snapping a two-game losing streak by beating Iowa State.
— No. 25 Oregon State is also back. The Beavers broke a nine-year poll drought two weeks ago, immediately lost a close game at Washington and dropped out, and then moved back in Sunday after beating California.
OUT
Texas’ season in the rankings: Unranked for the first two polls, moved in for two weeks in September, out for two weeks, in for two weeks, back for a week and now gone again.
— Illinois tumbled out after a second straight home loss.
— North Carolina State is unranked for the first time this season after the Wolfpack was upset at home by Boston College.
— Liberty’s time in the Top 25 lasted a mere week. The Flames followed up a victory at Arkansas to move into the rankings by losing at UConn to fall out.
CONFERENCE CALL
The Ducks and Bruins getting toppled crushed the Pac-12’s hopes of putting a team in the College Football Playoff. One consolation prize: The conference now has more ranked teams than it has since Sept. 15, 2019.
Pac-12 — 6 (Nos. 7, 10, 12, 15, 16, 25).
SEC — 5 (Nos. 1, 5, 6, 8, 14).
ACC — 3 (Nos. 9, 13, 20).
American — 3 (Nos. 17, 21, 22).
Big Ten — 3 (Nos. 2, 3, 11).
Big 12 — 3 (Nos. 4, 19, 24).
Sun Belt — 1 (No. 23).
Independent — 1 (No. 18).
RANKED vs. RANKED
The Pac-12’s big games lost some luster, but they’re still at the top of the marquee.
No. 7 USC at No. 16 UCLA.
No. 10 Utah at No. 12 Oregon.
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Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com
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