AP Top 25: Alabama, Ole Miss out of top 10 after third loss

Southeastern Conference members Alabama and Ole Miss fell out of the top 10 of the Associated Press college football poll on Sunday, while Atlantic Coast Conference title contenders Miami and SMU fell out of the top 10 of the Associated Press college football poll on Sunday, while Atlantic Coast Conference title contenders Miami and SMU followed a chaotic Saturday across the country The upper league of the SEC hit particularly hard, moved up.

Oregon is No. 1 for the sixth straight year, and Ohio State, Texas and Penn State – with the SEC’s Texas breaking up the otherwise Big Ten collection in the top four – held their spots behind the Ducks (11-0), who the best are the last undefeated team in the Football Bowl Subdivision as the regular season enters its final week.

The shuffling begins at No. 5, where independent Notre Dame returned for the first time since the second after beating previously unbeaten Army of the American Athletic Conference for its ninth straight win.

No. 6 Georgia, headed to the SEC title game for the fourth straight year, moved up two spots. No. 7 Tennessee — the SEC’s third team in the top 10 — and No. 8 Miami each received a three-tier promotion, and No. 9 SMU moved up four spots to reach the top 10 for the first time since 1985. SMU, the Last season’s AAC champion, has secured a spot in the ACC title game and would play Miami if the Hurricanes win at Syracuse this week or No. 12 Clemson.

Indiana fell from No. 5 to No. 10 after its first loss, a 38-15 loss to Ohio State. The Buckeyes would play in the Big Ten championship game against Oregon if they beat Michigan for the first time in four years this Saturday.

The SEC’s hopes of filling four spots in the first 12-team edition of the College Football Playoff suffered a setback as two of its hopefuls lost as double-digit favorites. Texas, Georgia and Tennessee are the only SEC teams with fewer than three losses after Alabama lost 24-3 at Oklahoma and Ole Miss lost 24-17 at Florida.

Alabama and Ole Miss each dropped six spots in the AP poll — the Crimson Tide at No. 13 and the Rebels at No. 15.

Texas A&M was the third SEC team on the wrong end of a stunning upset, 43-41 at Auburn in four overtimes. The Aggies fell five spots to No. 20, but would play in the SEC championship game against Georgia if they beat Texas this week. If the Longhorns win, they will be playing for the SEC title a year after winning the Big 12.

As for the Longhorns’ previous league, losses to BYU and Colorado left them in a four-way tie for first place in the Big 12.

No. 14 Arizona State, picked to finish last in the conference, handed BYU its second straight loss and is the top-ranked Big 12 team. No. 17 Iowa State secured a five-tier promotion with its win at Utah. BYU is No. 19 and Colorado, which lost to Kansas, is No. 23.

If the four teams each finish 7-2 in conference play, Arizona State will play Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game.

No. 11 Boise State is first among the four ranked teams outside the power conferences. The Mountain West Conference Broncos gained a one-place lead despite struggling to beat a two-win Wyoming team. AAC contender Tulane is No. 18, MVC member UNLV is No. 21 and Army is No. 25.

POLL POINTS

Oregon, which was idle, was the consensus No. 1 team for the fourth straight week. The Ducks will remain undefeated in the regular season for the first time since 2010 if they win at home against Washington on Saturday.

Boise State’s ranking is its highest since No. 8 in the final 2011 season poll.

Arizona State’s ranking is its highest since No. 12 in the final 2014 season poll.

Indiana-Ohio State was the final top-five matchup of the regular season. The five were the most in a regular season since 1996. There were also five in 1936 and 1943.

In and out

No. 24 Missouri, a 39-20 winner of its SEC match at Mississippi State, returned to the AP Top 25 after a week-long absence.

Washington State’s four-week run in the rankings ended with its second straight loss, 41-38 to Oregon State, in a duo of the last two Pac-12 teams remaining after this year’s mass exodus via conference realignment.

Conference call

SEC: Eight (No. 3, 6, 7, 13, 15, 16, 20, 24).

Big Ten: Five (No. 1, 2, 4, 10, 22).

Big 12: Four (No. 14, 17, 19, 23).

ACC: Three (No. 8, 9, 12).

AAC: Two (No. 18, 25).

MWC: Two (No. 11, 21).

Independent: One (No. 5).

RANKING VS. RANKING

No. 16 South Carolina at No. 12 Clemson: The Palmetto Bowl rivalry pairing of the SEC’s Gamecocks and the ACC’s Tigers is an AP Top 25 matchup for the first time since 2013. Clemson’s 16-7 road win at Columbia last year was the fourth of five straight wins that ended the Tigers’ season.

No. 3 Texas at No. 20 Texas A&M: There’s a lot at stake for the first meeting between the longtime Lone State rivals since both were in the Big 12 in 2011. The winner goes to the SEC title game.

AP TOP 25 SCHEDULE

Thursday, November 28th

No. 18 Tulane (9-2) vs. Memphis (9-2), 7:30 p.m

Friday, November 29th

No. 6 Georgia (9-2) vs. Georgia Tech (7-4), 7:30 p.m

No. 11 Boise State (10-1) vs. Oregon State (5-6), noon

No. 15 Ole Miss (8-3) vs. Mississippi State (2-9), 3:30 p.m

No. 23 Colorado (8-3) vs. Oklahoma State (3-8), noon

Saturday November 30th

No. 1 Oregon (11-0) vs. Washington (6-5), 7:30 p.m

No. 2 Ohio State (10-1) vs. Michigan (6-5), noon

No. 3 Texas (10-1) at No. 20 Texas A&M (8-3), 7:30 p.m

No. 4 Penn State (10-1) vs. Maryland (4-7), 3:30 p.m

No. 5 Notre Dame (10-1) at Southern California (6-5), 3:30 p.m

No. 7 Tennessee (9-2) at Vanderbilt (6-5), noon

No. 8 Miami (10-1) at Syracuse (8-3), 3:30 p.m

No. 9 SMU (10-1) vs. California (6-5), 3:30 p.m

No. 10 Indiana (10-1) vs. Purdue (1-10), 7 p.m

No. 12 Clemson (9-2) vs. No. 16 South Carolina (8-3), noon

No. 13 Alabama (8-3) vs. Auburn (5-6), 3:30 p.m

No. 14 Arizona State (9-2) at Arizona (4-7), 3:30 p.m

No. 17 Iowa State (9-2) vs. Kansas State (8-3), 7:30 p.m

No. 19 BYU (9-2) vs. Houston (4-7), 10:15 p.m

No. 21 UNLV (9-2) vs. Nevada (3-9), 8 p.m

No. 22 Illinois (8-3) at Northwestern (4-7), noon

No. 24 Missouri (8-3) vs. Arkansas (6-5), 3:30 p.m

No. 25 Army (9-1) vs. UTSA (6-5), noon