There was plenty of movement in this week’s AP top 25. All but seven teams’ ranking changed and two new schools entered the top 25. The top four remain unchanged with Alabama again receiving the majority of first-place votes (55). Oregon is second with three first-place votes, and Florida State was granted the other two top votes. Ohio States remains at four. All four teams won easily this weekend.
Baylor enters the top five for the first time this season following Missouri’s double overtime loss to South Carolina. The Tigers fell five spots to 10th while the Gamecocks jumped six positions from 20th to 14th. The rest of the top ten includes Stanford, Miami, Auburn and Clemson. The Cardinal moved up two spots, jumping the Hurricanes, who had a down-to-the-wire win over unranked Wake Forest.
Auburn vaulted into the top 10 after previously undefeated Texas Tech’s first loss of the season at the hands of Oklahoma. LSU and Texas A&M each moved up two spots to 11th and 12th, respectively. The Sooners are up four positions from 17th to 13th after beating the Red Raiders, who fell to 15th. Fresno State stayed undefeated with a win over San Diego State in overtime, but moved down one spot to 16th. UCLA took another tumble in the polls after suffering a one-sided loss to Oregon and is now ranked 17th. Oklahoma State, Central Florida and Louisville round out the top 20.
Northern Illinois and Michigan each moved up while Wisconsin stayed 22nd following a bye week. Michigan State and Arizona State round out the top 25 as the two newcomers of the week. The Spartans cruised by Illinois, improving to 7-1 on the season. The Sun Devils were on a bye week but have beaten two ranked opponents this season and snuck into the top 25. Virginia Tech took the biggest fall this weekend. The previously 16th-ranked Hokies lost 13-10 at home to unranked Duke after otherwise looking impressive for much of the season and are now unranked. Nebraska was 25th last week but lost to Minnesota and now finds itself on the outside looking in. The complete poll can be seen here.