Alabama Drops to No. 13, Exiting Top 10 for First Time Since 2015; Georgia Holds Top Spot

For the first time since September 27, 2015, Alabama finds itself ranked outside the top 10 in The Big Big News college football poll. Meanwhile, Georgia retains its No. 1 ranking, as confirmed on Sunday.

Georgia commanded the rankings with 57 first-place votes in the AP Top 25. Michigan remains steadfast at No. 2, garnering two first-place votes. Texas and Florida State swapped positions, with Texas ascending to No. 3 after receiving three first-place votes, while Florida State fell to No. 4 with one first-place vote.

In the aftermath of a narrow victory over South Florida this past Saturday, Alabama’s record now stands at 2-1. This outcome ended the team’s 128-week streak of being ranked in the AP’s top 10, a run second only to Miami’s 137-week stretch from 1985 to 1993.

Georgia currently holds the longest active streak of top-10 rankings, totaling 37 consecutive weeks. Alabama’s disappointing 17-3 win against South Florida represents its first failure to score at least 20 points against a non-Power Five opponent since 2007. In their prior 42 games against such opponents, Alabama had not only remained undefeated but had also triumphed by an average margin of 40 points.

The remainder of the top 10 is comprised of Ohio State at No. 6, Penn State at No. 7, Washington at No. 8, Notre Dame at No. 9, and Oregon rounding out the list at No. 10. An upcoming game between Ohio State and Notre Dame is set to be the focal point of a packed schedule featuring matchups between ranked teams.

Additional Notes on the Poll

Although Alabama has slipped in the rankings, the team maintains the longest active streak of consecutive weeks ranked, a stretch totaling 249 weeks. This is second only to Nebraska’s record-breaking run of 348 consecutive weeks from 1981 to 2002. Following Alabama is Ohio State with an active streak of 182 weeks, despite their ineligibility for early polls in the 2020 season. Georgia’s current streak stands at 102 weeks, with Michigan in fourth place at 34 weeks and Utah trailing closely behind with a 25-week streak.

Ranking Shifts and Conference Insights

Kansas State was the sole team to be dropped from the rankings this week after a last-second defeat at Missouri. Florida re-entered the ranking at No. 25 after toppling Tennessee, causing the Volunteers to plummet 12 positions to No. 23. With this shift, Florida State, Miami, and Florida all find themselves ranked for the first time since September 17, 2017.

Conference Representation

The Big 12 is represented by only two ranked teams, both of which—Texas and Oklahoma—are set to depart from the conference. The Pac-12, soon to be joined by Colorado and Utah, boasts eight teams in the rankings (Nos. 5, 8, 10, 11, 14, 19, 21, 22). The SEC has six (Nos. 1, 12, 13, 15, 23, 25), followed by the ACC and Big Ten, each with four (Nos. 4, 17, 18, 20 for ACC; Nos. 2, 6, 7, 24 for Big Ten), and a lone independent, Notre Dame, at No. 9.

Upcoming Matchups between Ranked Teams

The forthcoming schedule promises a series of compelling games, including:

• A top-10 duel between No. 6 Ohio State and No. 9 Notre Dame
• A matchup between No. 15 Ole Miss and No. 13 Alabama, a series historically dominated by the Tide with a 9-3 record when both are ranked.
• No. 22 UCLA visiting No. 11 Utah
• No. 19 Colorado clashing with No. 10 Oregon
• A historical first as No. 14 Oregon State faces No. 21 Washington State, with both teams being ranked for the first time in their 98 previous meetings.
• No. 24 Iowa takes on No. 7 Penn State, marking the fourth time in their last five encounters where both teams are ranked.

This article includes contributions from AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Gainesville, Florida.

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