NEW YORK (AP) – Wisconsin moved into the top 10 for the first time this season, landing at No. 8 in The Associated Press college football poll after a weekend during which seven ranked teams lost.
The top of the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank remained mostly unchanged, with Clemson staying No. 1, followed by three Southeastern Conference teams: No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 LSU. Ohio State edged past Oklahoma to No. 5.
Clemson received 55 first-place votes from the media panel. Alabama had six and Georgia received one.
Auburn moved up a spot to No. 7 after beating Texas A&M 28-20 and Wisconsin jumped five spots to No. 8 after defeating Michigan 35-14. The Wolverines plummeted to No. 20. Florida remained No. 9 and Notre Dame slipped three spots to No. 10 after losing 23-17 at Georgia .
Alabama has been ranked for 200 straight weeks, the fourth longest streak since the AP poll started in 1936.
The Tide’s streak began with the preseason poll of 2008. Alabama joins Nebraska (348, Oct. 12, 1981-Sept. 22, 2002), Florida State (211, Sept. 24, 1989-Nov. 11, 2001) and Florida (209, Sept. 9, 1990-Oct. 5, 2002) with poll streaks of at least 200 appearances.
UP
The middle of the rankings got a big makeover after five teams ranked from Nos. 10-19 lost. California was the big mover, jumping eight spots to No. 15. The Golden Bears have their best ranking since they were No. 6 on Sept. 27, 2009.
No. 14 Iowa, No. 16 Boise State, No. 17 Washington and No. 18 Virginia all moved up at least three spots.
DOWN
Several ranked losers managed to stay in the rankings.
— No. 19 Utah fell nine spots after losing at USC.
— No. 20 Michigan dropped nine spots.
— No. 22 UCF fell seven places after losing to Pitt, the Knights’ first regular-season loss in almost three years.
— No. 24 Texas A&M slipped six spots but stayed ranked with a 2-2 record. The Aggies have losses to Clemson and Auburn.
OUT
One-and-done teams are common early in the season. Arizona State and TCU both had short stays after debuting in the rankings last week. The Sun Devils and Horned Frogs fell out after losing home games.
Washington State dropped out of the rankings for the first time this season after blowing a 32-point lead at home to previously winless UCLA.
Three teams moved into the rankings but only one for the first time this season.
— No. 21 USC has been in, out and back in the last three weeks.
— No. 24 Kansas State, which did not play this weekend, is ranked for the first time since Sept. 10, 2017.
— No. 25 Michigan State jumped back in after a week out.
CONFERENCE CALL
SEC — 6 (Nos. 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 23)
Big Ten — 6 (Nos. 5, 8, 12, 14, 20, 25)
Pac 12 — 5 (Nos. 13, 15, 17, 19, 21)
Big 12 — 3 (Nos. 6, 11, 24)
ACC — 2 (Nos. 1, 18)
American — 1 (No. 22)
Mountain West — 1 (No. 16)
Independent — 1 (No. 10)
RANKED vs. RANKED
No. 18 Virginia at No. 10 Notre Dame. This might be the toughest game left on the Fighting Irish’s schedule.
No. 21 USC at No. 17 Washington. The Clay Helton Survival Tour heads to Seattle.
Photo credit – Andy Manis / Associated Press / Madison, WI
