The top six spots in the Associated Press Top 25 poll this week saw no changes. Alabama still received the bulk of the first-place votes, with 60 of 61 ballots having the Crimson Tide on top. Michigan still got its weekly first-place vote. Clemson, Washington and Louisville all stayed in the top five after close road victories, and Ohio State managed to hold the fort at No. 6 following a close call at home against Northwestern. Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Florida round out the top 10 this week according to the AP voters.
The Big 12 saw the conference’s playoff odds take a punch to the gut this weekend, and now the conference is the lone power conference without a team ranked in the top 10 this week. No. 13 Baylor fell five spots, and No. 14 West Virginia dropped four following road losses to unranked teams, although West Virginia’s opponent (Oklahoma State) cracked the top 25 this week. Both the Bears and Mountaineers fall in line behind No. 12 Oklahoma in the AP poll this week.
No. 16 Utah actually moved up one spot in the poll this week despite losing at home to Washington. Utah’s bump following its second loss may have been a show of respect for playing a playoff contender to the end and a product of some other teams taking a fall this week. No. 24 Boise State fell 11 spots, and No. 19 Florida State fell eight spots. There was some poll shuffling below Utah this week, which may have led to more of a buffer for Utah as a result.
New in the poll this week are Oklahoma State (No. 22) and Washington State (No. 25). Tennessee and Navy each fell out of the top 25.
Here is this week’s full Associated Press Top 25, with first-place votes noted;
- Alabama (60)
- Michigan (1)
- Clemson
- Washington
- Louisville
- Ohio State
- Texas A&M
- Wisconsin
- Nebraska
- Florida
- Auburn
- Oklahoma
- Baylor
- West Virginia
- LSU
- Utah
- Western Michigan
- North Carolina
- Florida State
- Penn State
- Colorado
- Oklahoma State
- Virginia Tech
- Boise State
- Washington State