Iowa is gearing up to host its largest home game since 1980s. Cincinnati is at its highest ranking in 12 year and Clemson is outside the poll of The Associated Press college football rankings for the first time since 2014.
Georgia and Alabama are the only two constants in this unpredictable college football season. They maintained the top two spots in the AP Top 25 for a fifth consecutive week, presented by Regions Bank.
Alabama won 53 out of the possible 62 first-place votes on Sunday. Georgia took home the rest.
The movement in the Top 25 after these two teams was similar to what one would expect after a week that saw nine teams lose, four of them in the top 10, and nine teams in the Top 10.
The polls have shown that 34 of the top-ranked teams have lost in the first five weeks, which is the highest number ever.
Iowa surpassed Penn State to claim the No. After its 51-14 road victory over Maryland, the Hawkeyes occupy the No. 3 spot. Their highest ranking since 2015 is the Hawkeyes. Penn State defeated Indiana 24-0 home and remained at No. 4.
No. 5 Cincinnati is coming off a 24-13 road win against Notre Dame has its highest ranking since Brian Kelly’s 2009 Bearcats were at No. 4 in the first week.
The top 10 include Oklahoma, Ohio State and Oregon as well as Michigan, BYU, and Michigan.
Clemson’s home win over Boston College, 19-13, didn’t convince enough voters to keep them in the Top 25. Their streak of 107 consecutive weeks on the rankings is over. The week of Oct. 5 2014 was the last time that the Tigers were not ranked.
They are just one spot from the Top 25, 15 behind San Diego State.
POLL POINTS
It’s odd that midway through the season, a ranking-based debate about the top two Big Ten teams doesn’t include Ohio State.
The Buckeyes may very well be the best. However, Oregon lost to them in Week 2, and they won against Tulsa in the next game.
This week’s Penn State-Iowa match is the Big Ten’s most important game of the year.
This will be the most prestigious matchup in Iowa City since 1985 when the No. The No. 1 Hawkeyes defeated the No. 2 Michigan defeated No. 1 12-10 with a field goal at the end of time. This was what Hayden Fry, then-Iowa coach, called the greatest win in program history.
IN
— No. 16 Kentucky (5-0), is recognized for beating then-No. 10 Florida receives its first ranking for the season.
— No. TCU was defeated by 21 Texas (4-1), and the team is back in action for the first time since a month.
— No. After wins over Colorado, UCLA and Arizona State, 22 Arizona State (4-1), returns to the field.
— No. 24 SMU is now 5-0 for the third consecutive season.
— No. 25 San Diego State (4-0), returns for the first-time since November 2019.
OUT
Clemson only managed one touchdown and four field goals in the defeat against BC. Before facing the top-15 defense at Syracuse, the Tigers will have a week off.
Texas A&M was bounced after losing two consecutive games. Alabama is calling this week.
Fresno State is now out after two weeks of committing six turnovers against Hawaii and blowing a two point lead in the fourth quarter.
UCLA was ranked three weeks in a row, but it was bumped after two consecutive home losses.
Baylor could not get its running game moving against Oklahoma State, and was forced to leave after a week.
CONFERENCE CALL
Florida and Arkansas lost out, leaving room for the Big Ten and Michigan State to take four of the top ten spots. 11.
The Southeastern Conference had five teams in the top 12 and four teams in the top 10. Georgia and Alabama are the only two SEC teams in the top ten this week.
Atlantic Coast Conference was only absent for a week from the top 20 after 10 years. Wake Forest’s rise to No. 19.
SEC — 7 (Nos. 1, 2, 13, 16, 17, 18 and 20.
Big Ten — 5 (Nos. 3, 4, 7, 9, 11,
ACC — 2 (Nos. 19, 23
Big 12 — 3 (Nos. 6, 12, 21
Pac-12 — 2 8, 22
American — 2 (Nos. 5, 24,
Sun Belt — 1 (No. 15
Mountain West — 1 Mountain West — 1 (No.
Independents — 2 10, 14.
RANKED vs. RANKED
No. 4 Penn State at Number. 3 Iowa. This is not the same Nittany Lions team which lost to Iowa by 20 points last year.
No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 21 Texas. Red River Rivalry will have a difficult time replicating the four-overtime thriller that was won by the Sooners last year.
No. 13 Arkansas at No. 17 Mississippi. These two teams are looking to re-set after losing badly to the nation’s top two.
No. 2 Georgia at No. 18 Auburn. Bulldogs won 12 out of 15 series games.
