With the two highest-ranked teams in the country both going down in stunning fashion Saturday, it was expected that there would be a significant shift at the top of the polls come Sunday.
As expected, that’s exactly what’s happened. Just as expected are the two teams that have filled the top spots.
In the newly-minted USA Today coaches’ poll, Notre Dame is No. 1 and Alabama, the No. 1 team for most of the 2012 season, is No. 2. Despite the fact that the Irish are the only postseason-eligible unbeaten left at the FBS level, they were not a unanimous selection among the coaches.
The Irish received 56 of the 59 first-place votes, while the Tide (two) and, inexplicably, No. 3 Georgia (one) received the others.
Oregon, No. 1 in both polls following the Tide’s upset loss last weekend, dropped just three spots to No. 4. Kansas State, the other loser in Week 12’s BcS bedlam, tumbled all the way from No. 2 to No. 8.
Florida State (No. 5), Florida (No. 6) and LSU (No. 7) each moved up one spot from a week ago, while Clemson (No. 9) and Texas A&M (No. 10) held serve to round out the Top 10.
Interestingly, the Cardinal moved up just two spots to No. 11 after knocking off the No. 1 team in the country.
Michigan and Oklahoma State were the most upwardly mobile teams in the rankings this weekend, with each moving up three spots to Nos. 20 and 21, respectively.
Louisiana Tech (No. 19), USC (No. 21) and Texas Tech (No. 25) all dropped out of the rankings. The trio was replaced by Northern Illinois (No. 23), Mississippi State (No. 24) and Kent State (No. 25).
