For the fifth straight week, and after the coaches finally saw the same light, LSU is the top-rated team in the country according to the Associated Press.
Coming off their dominating win over Auburn, the Tigers strengthened their grasp on the AP‘s top spot, pulling in 49 first-place votes compared to 41 a week ago. Alabama earned 10 first-place votes and remained at No. 2 as well.
Boise State was the only other team to earn a first-place vote, although they were leapofrogged by two teams despite the Broncos winning and a pair of squads ahead of them becoming victims of their first loss of the year. Oklahoma State and Stanford each moved up three spots to No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. BSU held static at No. 5.
Clemson (No. 6), Oregon (No. 7) and Arkansas (No.8) each climbed two spots, while Michigan State vaulted into the Top Ten at No. 9, up from No. 15 a week ago. Kansas State, No. 12 last week, rounds out the Top Ten.
The two victims of the biggest upsets of the season, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, each fell out of the Top Ten. Both teams fell eight spots, the Sooners to No. 11 and the Badgers to No. 12. West Virginia took the most precipitous fall of the week, dropping from No. 11 to barely stay in the rankings at No. 25.
Auburn (then-No. 19), Georgia Tech (No. 20), Washington (No. 22) and Illinois (No. 23) all left the rankings following losses, replaced by Texas Tech (No. 19), USC (No. 20), Penn State (No. 21) and Cincinnati (No. 24).
As always, for all of your polling needs, please visit our friends at NBC Sports.com.
