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AP Top 25 Poll - Week Five

Did UNC’s win over Pittsburgh make a difference in the polls? A weekly look at the AP Top 25 Poll

By Evan Davis
Pittsburgh v North Carolina Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

There was no movement in the top seven positions in the AP Top 25. The top four teams, Alabama, Ohio State, Louisville, and Michigan, all received first-place votes (noted below in parentheses) again this week.

Here is the full poll from Week Five:

  1. Alabama (50) 4-0
  2. Ohio State (4) 3-0
  3. Louisville (6) 4-0
  4. Michigan (1) 4-0
  5. Clemson 4-0
  6. Houston 4-0
  7. Stanford 3-0
  8. Wisconsin 4-0
  9. Texas A&M 4-0
  10. Washington 4-0
  11. Tennessee 4-0
  12. Florida State 3-1
  13. Baylor 4-0
  14. Miami 3-0
  15. Nebraska 4-0
  16. Ole Miss 2-2
  17. Michigan State 2-1
  18. Utah 4-0
  19. San Diego State 3-0
  20. Arkansas 3-1
  21. TCU 3-1
  22. Texas 2-1
  23. Florida 3-1
  24. Boise State 3-0
  25. Georgia 3-1

Where is UNC?

  • The North Carolina Tar Heels received votes in the AP Poll, but did not crack the Top 25. Brett McMurphy of ESPN put UNC at #15 in his poll this week, the highest of all pollsters. However, the gutsy win against Pittsburgh put the Tar Heels at #23 in the Coaches Poll. Carolina has a chance this weekend to be ranked in both polls with a road win against #12 Florida State.

Biggest Losers

  • Louisiana State and Oklahoma both dropped from the AP Poll this week. A game-winning LSU touchdown as time expired was negated during their match up against Auburn Saturday night, and it cost Les Miles his job. The loss on the road in Jordan-Hare Stadium dropped LSU from the AP Top 25 and sent Les Miles packing from Baton Rouge.
  • Oklahoma never had a chance in their home game against Ohio State, losing 45-24 in Norman.
  • The Georgia Bulldogs dropped 12 spots in the AP Poll and are clinging to the #25 spot after a 45-14 drubbing at the hands of Ole Miss.
  • Michigan State dropped nine spots to #17 after an embarrassing loss in East Lansing against Wisconsin.

Biggest Winners

  • Ole Miss jumped seven spots in the AP Poll, climbing to #16 after their decisive win against Georgia. The Rebels built a 45-0 lead against the Bulldogs, rebounding after their tough loss against #1 Alabama the week prior.
  • Utah was down ten in the fourth quarter against Southern California and rallied with a late touchdown to score a conference win against the Trojans. The Utes moved up six spots in the AP Poll.
  • Joining the AP Top 25 are the TCU Horned Frogs and the Boise State Broncos. Both teams scored a road win last week.

On the Outside Looking In

  • Arizona State is off to a 4-0 start and won their conference opener last week against Cal. This caught the attention of the AP voters, as 28 pollsters put the Sun Devils in the Top 25 on their ballots.
  • The Mountaineers’ win over BYU was impressive enough for the AP voters to put West Virginia just four spots out of the Top 25, with three pollsters putting them at #19.
  • It is interesting to note that the top team in the FCS poll received votes in the AP Top 25. North Dakota State’s last-second road victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes put the Bison at #28. That victory was the sixth in a row for NDSU against FBS opponents.

Top 25 Conference Breakdown

  • ACC: 4 teams
  • American: 1 team
  • Big Ten: 5 teams
  • Big 12: 3 teams
  • Mountain West: 2 teams
  • Pac-12: 3 teams
  • SEC: 7 teams

Top 25 Games this Week

  • Most importantly, the Tar Heels travel to Tallahassee for a 3:30 Saturday kickoff against #12 Florida State. The game can be seen on ESPN and heard on your local Tar Heel Sports Network affiliate.
  • On Friday, #7 Stanford goes on the road to #10 Washington. The winner will have the advantage in the Pac-12 North.
  • On Saturday afternoon, there will be a pair of Top 25 match ups, as #8 Wisconsin plays in the Big House against #4 Michigan, and #11 Tennessee faces #25 Georgia between the hedges.
  • The prime time game will have huge implications for the ACC. The #3 Louisville Cardinals travel to Death Valley to face off against the #5 Clemson Tigers. The winner will have a stranglehold on the Atlantic Division and will be favorites to make it to the ACC Championship Game.

Upset Alert

  • #12 Florida State comes in as a 10-point favorite against UNC. If the offense is clicking from the first snap and the defense gets some timely stops, the Heels have a shot. The over/under is at 69, in what is predicted to be a shootout. Also in the ACC, #14 Miami is on the road against Georgia Tech and the line has the Hurricanes at -7.0.
  • In the Big 12, Oklahoma State is a slight favorite at home against #22 Texas and Oklahoma is a slight favorite on the road against #21 TCU.
  • Cal is a slight favorite over #18 Utah in this Pac-12 match up in Berkeley.

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