AP Top 25 College Football Poll: Alabama stuck at No. 8 despite changes in top 10

There have been changes in the top 10 of this week’s AP Top 25 College Football Poll, but Alabama remains No. 8 despite its dominating 66-10 victory over Chattanooga.

Ohio State passed Michigan and moved up to No. 2, a week before the Big Ten rivals play another top-five matchup, and No. 4 Washington also flip-flopped with No. 5 Florida State.

Georgia remained No. 1 and received a season-high 61 first-place votes. The Bulldogs have been atop the rankings for 23 straight weeks, the second-best streak in the history of the poll and 10 behind the record held by Southern California (2003-05).

The top five teams, all unbeaten, had held their places for five straight weeks. All improved to 11-0 on Saturday, but the order changed Sunday.

Michigan had been No. 2 since the preseason but slipped a spot after playing its closest game yet. The Wolverines, without suspended head coach Jim Harbaugh, beat Maryland 31-24.

The Buckeyes received one first-place vote after blowing out Minnesota.

Washington won 22-20 on the road against Oregon State, which slipped five spots to No. 15, and moved up a spot. The Huskies have their highest ranking since reaching No. 4 in 2016, their lone playoff season and the last time the Pac-12 had a team in the College Football Playoff.

Florida State dropped a spot after beating FCS North Alabama 58-13, but it suffered a far more significant loss. Quarterback Jordan Travis was carted off the field in the first quarter with what appeared to be a serious injury to his lower left leg.

No. 6 Oregon, No. 7 Texas, No. 8 Alabama and No. 9 Louisville all held their spots after victories, and Missouri moved up to No. 10.

Michigan and Ohio State will be a matchup of top-five teams for the 13th time, the most of any rivalry. The Buckeyes are 7-4-1 in those games. Oklahoma-Texas is the only other rivalry that has double-digit top-five matchups. The Sooners and Longhorns have met 10 times as top-10 teams.

Elsewhere, Utah (7-4) is out of the AP Top 25 for the first time this season. The Utes plummeted from No. 16 after losing 42-18 at Arizona. Utah has lost three of four. The Wildcats are up to 16th. The Utes saw their streak of 33 straight poll appearances dating back to the 2021 season snapped. It was the fifth-longest active streak in the country behind Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Michigan.

North Carolina also fell out again after losing to Clemson.

Moving into the poll was No. 23 Toledo (10-1) for the first time this season. The Rockets are ranked for the first time since Nov. 1, 2015.

Iowa is back in at No. 20 after clinching the Big West championship with 15-13 victory against Illinois.

AP TOP 25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL (First-place votes in parentheses; SEC teams in bold):

1. Georgia (61)
2. Ohio State (1)
3. Michigan
4. Washington
5. Florida State
6. Oregon
7. Texas
8. Alabama
9. Louisville
10. Missouri
11. Penn State
12. Ole Miss
13. Oklahoma
14. LSU
15. Oregon State
16. Arizona
17. Notre Dame
18. Tulane
19. Kansas State
20. Iowa
21. Oklahoma State
22. Liberty
23. Toledo
24. James Madison
25. Tennessee

In upcoming games featuring ranked teams, No. 2 Ohio State will play at No. 3 Michigan Saturday. The Buckeyes and Wolverines also lead in ranked matchups (this will be 49) and top-10 matchups (26).

No. 15 Oregon State plays at No. 6 Oregon Friday. It’s the sixth meeting with both teams ranked and second consecutive.

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