Alabama recaptured Georgia’s No. 1 in The Associated Press’s college football poll in one of the closest votes in recent years, and six teams — including Kansas — made their season debuts on Sunday.
The Crimson Tide received 25 first-place votes and 1,523 points in the AP Top 25 presented by the Regions Bank, two points more than the Bulldogs. Georgia received 28 first-place votes to become the first team since Alabama in November 2019 with the most votes for first place, but not being number 1.
The Tide was #2 behind LSU that year, with 21 votes to the top spot against the Tigers’ 17.
The last time there was a two-point margin between the numbers 1 and 2 was on November 1, 2020, when Clemson led Alabama. Since 2007, there have been three other polls with a margin of two points at the top.
Ohio State remained third, but the Buckeyes also gained some ground in the top two, receiving 10 votes for first place.
The Crimson Tide started the season at No. 1, but the defending champion Bulldogs took first place away from their Southeastern Conference rivals after Week 2, when Alabama needed a late field goal to beat Texas.
The Bulldogs remain undefeated, but needed a fourth-quarter rally on Saturday night to beat the underdog Missouri by four touchdowns. Earlier in the day, the Tide managed to pull out of Arkansas in the second half without Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young.
Young sprained his throwing shoulder in the first half and missed most of the game in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
No. 4 Michigan, No. 5 Clemson and No. 6 Southern California all won this week and kept their places, although the Wolverines and Tigers are now just three points apart.
Number 7 Oklahoma State, followed by Tennessee, Mississippi and Penn State, round out the top 10.
The rest of the AP Top 25 got a major overhaul after 10 ranked teams lost, five to unranked opponents. That paved the way for seven teams to move into the rankings this week, most notably No. 19 Kansas.
The Jayhawks have been ranked for the first time since October 18, 2009, the longest drought for a team currently participating in a Power Five conference.
POLL POINTS
The closest margin between Nos. 1 and 2 in the history of the AP poll is zero. Oklahoma and Miami finished #1 in the 2002 preseason poll, and Miami and Washington tied for first place in mid-October 1992.
The last time there was a one-point margin between the top two teams was in 1992, when the Hurricanes and Huskies were one point apart in the weeks before and after.
With Kansas back in the rankings, Illinois, the longest drought in the polls, belongs to Illinois, which was last ranked in 2011. And the Illini have positioned themselves to make the jump with a 4-1 start en route to their home game against Iowa next week.
Next on the list is Rutgers (2012), Oregon State (2013 preseason), and Vanderbilt (2013 final).
IN
Voters generally decided to start from scratch on the back half of the rankings and flip seven teams.
— No. 17 TCU is ranked 25th for the first time since a short stay in 2019.
— No. 18 UCLA embarks on its first 5-0 start since 2013.
— No. 19 Kansas remained undefeated by knocking out the state of Iowa. The Jayhawks last started 5-0 in that 2009 season, then dropped their next six games, sinking to the bottom of major college football for over a decade.
Both Kansas schools are ranked for the first time since October 14, 2007.
— No. 22 Syracuse improved to 5-0 with an easy win against Wagner and eventually cracked the rankings. Orange is back in the ranking for the first time since the start of the 2019 season.
— Number 23 Mississippi State has only been in the rankings for one week since the end of the 2018 season (after the first game in the 2020 regular season).
Both Mississippi SEC schools are ranked for the first time since November 11, 2015.
— No. 24 Cincinnati. The Bearcats are the only team to enter the rankings this week that had already been standing this season. Cincinnati dropped out after a Week 1 loss in Arkansas and has since racked up four straight wins.
— No. 25 LSU has its first ranking under coach Brian Kelly. The Tigers have had four straight wins, including two SEC games, since losing a heartthrob to Florida State over Labor Day weekend.
FROM
Of the seven teams to drop out of the AP Top 25, five of them will be removed from the rankings for the first time this season: Oklahoma, Baylor, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Pittsburgh.
Florida State and Minnesota were briefly in the AP Top 25. The Seminoles and Gophers were teams that were on the rise for a week and then both lost at home.
CONFERENCE CALL
SEC — 7 (Nos. 1, 2, 8, 9, 13, 23, 25).
Pac-12 – 5 (Nos. 6, 11, 12, 18, 21).
ACC — 4 (Nos. 5, 15, 16, 22).
Large 12 – 4 (Nos. 7, 17, 19, 20).
Big Ten — 3 (Nos. 3, 4, 10).
American — 1 (No. 24).
Independent — 1 (No. 16).
RANKED vs. RANKED
No. 25 LSU at No. 8 Tennessee.
No. 17 TCU at No. 19 Kansas.
No. 11 Utah at No. 18 UCLA.
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Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com
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