The Associated Press Top 25
The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Sept. 21, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
The Associated Press Top 25
The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Sept. 21, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
RK., TEAM REC. PTS. PREV.
1. Texas (44) 4-0 1527 1
2. Georgia (13) 3-0 1482 2
3. Ohio State (5) 3-0 1432 3
4. Alabama 3-0 1328 4
5. Tennessee 4-0 1283 6
6. Mississippi 4-0 1269 5
7. Miami 4-0 1139 8
8. Oregon 3-0 1073 9
9. Penn State 3-0 1051 10
10. Utah 4-0 1037 12
11. Missouri 4-0 1009 7
12. Michigan 3-1 805 18
13. Southern Cal 2-1 690 11
14. LSU 3-1 637 16
15. Louisville 3-0 553 19
16. Notre Dame 3-1 546 17
17. Clemson 2-1 540 21
18. Iowa State 3-0 530 20
19. Illinois 4-0 458 24
20. Oklahoma State 3-1 388 14
21. Oklahoma 3-1 375 15
22. BYU 4-0 327 NR
23. Kansas State 3-1 168 13
24. Texas A&M 3-1 77 25
25. Boise State 2-1 69 NR
Others receiving votes: Washington State 67, Indiana 63, Boston College 55, UNLV 53, Pittsburgh 37, Nebraska 25, Iowa 24, James Madison 11, South Carolina 7, Liberty 4, Arkansas 3, UCF 3, Arizona 2, SMU 2, Navy 1.
THE NEWS-GAZETTE'S TOP 25
Rankings from The News-Gazette's college football and Illini beat writer Bob Asmussen, with his previous rankings listed:
RK., TEAM PREV.
1. Ohio State 1
2. Texas 2
3. Georgia 3
4. Alabama 4
5. Mississippi 5
6. Tennessee 9
7. Miami 8
8. Oregon 6
9. Penn State 11
10. Missouri 17
11. Utah 13
12. Michigan 17
13. Notre Dame 16
14. Louisville 18
15. Iowa State 20
16. Southern Cal 10
17. LSU 19
18. Clemson 21
19. Illinois 23
20. BYU NR
21. Kansas State 12
22. Oklahoma 14
23. Oklahoma State 15
24. Washington State NR
25. Indiana NR
WHO'S UP
Michigan. Don't throw dirt on the grave just yet. Sure, the Wolverines blew a tire against Texas. That is going to happen to a lot of teams that play the Longhorns. Coming back and beating a good Southern Cal team in Ann Arbor is a positive sign for Sherrone Moore's program. The Michigan passing game is a mess, but it won't matter if Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards keep doing their Butch Woolfolk impersonations (ask your grandparents). Saturday should be much easier for Michigan with so-so Minnesota coming to town. Michigan's visit to Champaign-Urbana later in the season is looking bigger by the day.
WHO'S DOWN
The Sooner State. Both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State fell, albeit it to Top 25 teams. Both at home. The Sooners couldn't handle former quarterback-turned-Tennessee-coach Josh Heupel. The Volunteers are serious SEC title contenders. Oklahoma State dropped a 22-19 decision against Utah, which was playing its first-ever Big 12 game. The Cowboys couldn't slow Utes tailback Micah Bernard, who ran for 182 yards. In the old days, both Oklahoma schools would be long shots to make the College Football Playoff field after an early loss. But the 12-team field gives them both oodles of opportunities to get back in.
WHO I'M WATCHING
No. 2 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama (6:30 p.m., Saturday, ABC).The first of what figures to be about 20 SEC matchups this season with major playoff implications. The winner of this game remains in the hunt for the top seed, while the loser starts to wonder how to avoid a first-round game in the frigid North. Of course, the quarterbacks are key with Jalen Milroe pulling the trigger for the Crimson Tide and Carson Beck leading the Bulldogs. This game won't qbe quite the same without the GOAT Nick Saban running Alabama. Georgia's Kirby Smart is the GOAT in waiting. At this point in the season. Georgia has been better tested than Alabama.