Ohio State jumps Michigan in AP poll

Published 8:43 pm Sunday, November 19, 2023

The Associated Press

Ohio State passed Michigan and moved up to No. 2 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday, a week before the Big Ten rivals play another top-five matchup, and No. 4 Washington 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).

Email newsletter signup

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

“Our team did a great job of staying focused this week,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said after the game. “Not easy to do for anybody, but we did stay in the moment and played well. But the moment we got in that locker room, it’s on to next week.”

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.

POLL POINTS

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.

The Buckeyes and Wolverines will enter this season’s game exactly as they did last year: Both unbeaten, with Ohio State ranked No. 2 and Michigan No. 3. The Wolverines won The Game for the second straight season.

“The guys on the team, we think about it every day, especially the way the last two years have gone,” Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord said. “So, to be in kind of the same position that we were last year with a chance to right the ship, I think everybody’s definitely excited.”

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.

Nebraska and Oklahoma are next at eight top-10 matchups.

IN-N-OUT

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 dropped 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 Ten West championship with 15-13 victory against Illinois.

CONFERENCE CALL

Toledo’s entry increased the number of schools from non-Power Five conferences in the Top 25 to a season-high four.

The Rockets from the Mid-American Conference join No. 18 Tulane from the American Athletic Conference, No. 22 Liberty from Conference USA and No. 24 James Madison from the Sun Belt.

JMU stayed in the poll after taking its first loss of the season, 26-23 in overtime to Appalachian State.

SEC — 6 (Nos. 1, 8, 10, 12, 14, 25).

Pac-12 — 4 (Nos. 4, 6, 15, 16).

Big 12 — 4 (Nos. 7, 13, 19, 21).

Big Ten — 4 (Nos. 2, 3, 11, 20).

ACC — 2 (Nos. 5, 9).

American — 1 (No. 18).

Conference USA — 1 (No. 22).

Sun Belt — 1 (No. 24).

Mid-American — 1 (No. 23)

Independent — 1 (No. 17).

RANKED vs. RANKED

No. 2 Ohio State 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 at No. 6 Oregon, Friday. Sixth meeting with both teams ranked and second consecutive.

AP COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL

The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 18, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:

Record Pts Prv
1. Georgia (61) 11-0 1549 1
2. Ohio St. (1) 11-0 1447 3
3. Michigan 11-0 1440 2
4. Washington 11-0 1367 5
5. Florida St. 11-0 1324 4
6. Oregon 10-1 1219 6
7. Texas 10-1 1180 7
8. Alabama 10-1 1138 8
9. Louisville 10-1 1017 9
10. Missouri 9-2 964 11
11. Penn St. 9-2 894 12
12. Mississippi 9-2 878 13
13. Oklahoma 9-2 766 14
14. LSU 8-3 748 15
15. Oregon St. 8-3 714 10
16. Arizona 8-3 625 19
17. Notre Dame 8-3 503 20
18. Tulane 10-1 499 17
19. Kansas St. 8-3 418 23
20. Iowa 9-2 332
21. Oklahoma St. 8-3 329 24
22. Liberty 11-0 229 25
23. Toledo 10-1 118
24. James Madison 10-1 75 18
25. Tennessee 7-4 72 21

Others receiving votes: Utah 69, NC State 66, UNLV 56, SMU 49, North Carolina 26, Clemson 20, Kansas 7, Fresno St. 6, New Mexico St. 3, UCLA 1, Miami (Ohio) 1, Texas A&M 1.

COLLEGE COACHES FOOTBALL POLL

The USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll Top 25 with first-place votes received, team’s records, total points based on 25 for first place through one point for 25th and ranking in last weeks poll.

Record Pts Pvs
1. Georgia (61) (11-0) 1571 1
2. Ohio State (1) (11-0) 1460 3
3. Michigan (1) (11-0) 1458 2
4. Florida State (11-0) 1375 4
5. Washington (11-0) 1367 5
6. Oregon (10-1) 1234 6
7. Texas (10-1) 1193 7
8. Alabama (10-1) 1174 8
9. Louisville (10-1) 1035 9
10. Missouri (9-2) 981 11
11. Penn State (9-2) 908 12
12. Mississippi (9-2) 863 14
13. Oklahoma (9-2) 840 13
14. LSU (8-3) 726 15
15. Oregon State (8-3) 684 10
16. Arizona (8-3) 562 22
17. Notre Dame (8-3) 536 18
18. Tulane (10-1) 493 17
19. Iowa (9-2) 447 23
20. Kansas State (8-3) 424 24
21. Oklahoma State (8-3) 299 25
21. Liberty (11-1) 158 NR
23. Tennessee (7-4) 109 19
24. NC State (8-3) 97 NR
25. SMU (9-2) 84 NR

Dropped out: No. 16 Utah (7-4); No. 20 North Carolina (8-3); No. 21 James Madison (10-1).

Others Receiving Votes: North Carolina (8-3) 79; UNLV (9-2) 76; Utah (7-4) 75; Toledo (10-1) 49; James Madison (10-1) 48; Clemson (7-4) 25; Troy (9-2) 17; Texas A&M (7-4) 6; UCLA (7-4) 5; Kansas (7-4) 4; Fresno State (8-3) 3; West Virginia (7-4) 2; Air Force (8-3) 1; Texas-San Antonio (8-3) 1.