AP Top 25: Oregon is No. 1 ahead of the No. 1 playoff rankings

Oregon was the unanimous pick for No. 1 in the Associated Press college football poll on Sunday, bolstering its bid for first place in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s first rankings of the season.

The Ducks are No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the third straight week and unanimous for the first time since their 21 point road win against Michigan.

Georgia, which received one No. 1 vote last week, remained No. 2 after overcoming Carson Beck’s three interceptions and pulls away late to beat Florida.

Ohio State earned a one-spot move up to No. 3 with its win at Penn StateBuckeyes’ eighth straight in the series. No. 4 Miami, who beat Dukeand No. 5 Texas, which was vacant, each moved up one spot. Penn State, which had been in the top five in the previous four polls, dropped to No. 6.

The CFP’s expansion to 12 teams this season means top-ranked losses to other top-ranked teams are not a certain disqualification in the race for the national championship. The CFP’s first rankings of the season will be released Tuesday and updated weekly until the bracket is announced on Dec. 8.

Tennessee held its No. 7 spot despite trailing well into the fourth quarter against three-win Kentucky and wins 28-18.

Indiana jumped five spots to No. 8, its highest ranking since being No. 7 in 2020 — and best in a non-pandemic season since the Hoosiers were No. 4 in their Rose Bowl season in 1967. They The Hoosiers rolled past Michigan State 47-10 en route to 9-0 for first time in program history; every win this season has been by double digits.

No. 9 BYU and No. 10 Notre Dame were available.

SMU’s 48-25 win over Pittsburgh earned the Mustangs a promotion from No. 20 to No. 13. – the biggest upward movement this week. They haven’t been ranked that high since they were No. 3 on Oct. 1, 1985, two years before the NCAA levied the “death penalty” that shut down the program in 1987 for egregious rules violations. The school also chose not to field a team in 1988.

Voting points

Clemson and Iowa State, ranked No. 11 last week, took the biggest drops after losing at home. The Tigers plummeted eight spots to No. 19 with theirs 33-21 loss to Louisville. The Cyclones dropped six spots to No. 17 with their 23-22 loss to Texas Tech. Texas A&M, Kansas State and Pittsburgh each dropped five spots.

Army, at No. 18, has its highest ranking since it was No. 10 at midseason in 1960.

Boise State, at No. 12, has its best ranking since it was No. 8 in the final poll in 2011.

Indiana is ahead of Notre Dame for the first time since the final poll in 1979, when the Hoosiers were No. 19 and the Irish were unranked. The schools are separated by 200 miles in Indiana.

In and out

Vanderbilt’s 17-7 win at Auburn allowed the Commodores to return to the poll, at No. 24, after a one-week absence.

Louisville, which had been ranked every week in September, is back at No. 25 after its upset at Clemson.

Illinois, 24th last week, saw its seven-week run in the Top 25 end with its 25-17 loss to Minnesota at home.

Missouri, which had been in the poll every week and as high as No. 6, dropped out after an open date. The Tigers hung on to No. 25 last week despite a 34-0 loss to Alabama.

Conference call

SEC — 8 (Nos. 2, 5, 7, 11, 14, 15, 16, 24).

ACC — 5 (Nos. 4, 13, 19, 23, 25).

Big Ten – 4 (Nos. 1, 3, 6, 8).

Large 12 — 4 (No. 9, 17, 21, 22).

AAC – 1 (No. 18).

Bjergvest – 1 (No. 12).

Pac-12 — 1 (No. 20).

Independent – 1 (No. 10).

Ranked vs. ranked

— No. 2 Georgia at No. 16 Mississippi: The Bulldogs haven’t traveled to Oxford since losing 45-14 there in 2016. Georgia dispatched Ole Miss 52-17 at home last year.

— No. 11 Alabama at No. 14 LSU: LSU’s 32-31 overtime win over ‘Bama prompted a field storm two years ago the last time the Crimson Tide visited Death Valley. Both teams come outside of open dates.

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