New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) – Florida State’s narrow win over Boston
College on Saturday cost the Seminoles some cushion, though the defending
national champions still reside in the top spot of the latest Associated Press
college football poll.
The Seminoles had to squeak out a 20-17 verdict over the Eagles on a last-
second field goal to remain unbeaten, but lost six first-place votes to allow
No. 2 Alabama to close the gap.
Florida State was still atop 37 ballots and earned 1,458 points, just 13 more
than the Crimson Tide. Alabama received 21 first-place votes, an increase of
five from the previous week.
Oregon garnered an additional first-place vote and continues to hold third
with 1,393 points. The Ducks, who recorded an easy win over Colorado on
Saturday, were first on two of the 60 ballots cast.
Mississippi State remained in fourth, with Baylor jumping fellow Big 12 member
TCU for fifth place following the Bears’ 49-28 rout of Oklahoma State on
Saturday.
Ohio State, Georgia, UCLA and Michigan State round out the top-10, with the
Bruins vaulting from 11th to ninth after defeating crosstown rival Southern
California over the weekend.
Ole Miss was this week’s biggest faller, sliding from eighth to 18th after a
38-0 loss at Arkansas. Kansas State, Arizona, Arizona State, Wisconsin,
Auburn, Georgia Tech and Missouri all moved ahead of the Rebels to occupy
spots 11 through 17.
Unbeaten Marshall sits one place behind Ole Miss in 19th, with Oklahoma,
Colorado State, Minnesota, Clemson, Louisville and Boise State completing the
top 25.
Minnesota, Clemson, Louisville and Boise State all entered this week’s
rankings, while Utah, Nebraska, USC and Duke each fell out after all lost on
Saturday. The Utes dropped a 42-10 decision at home to Arizona, with Nebraska
falling to Minnesota in Lincoln by a 28-24 score.
The final full week of the regular season features five games involving ranked
teams, highlighted by Saturday’s Iron Bowl showdown between Alabama and
Auburn. Mississippi State will visit struggling Ole Miss in another important
SEC matchup.
Additionally, Wisconsin will host Minnesota with a berth in the Big Ten
championsip game on the line. A key Pac-12 clash between Arizona and Arizona
State is on tap for Friday, with Georgia and Georgia Tech to square off in
Athens on Saturday.
