AP Top 25: Oklahoma State, Oklahoma move up rankings

By foxsports
Published

No. 4 Oklahoma State is the highest ranked team from the Big 12 and Oklahoma moved up five spots to No. 7 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday.

The top three of No. 1 Clemson, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Alabama is unchanged after all three won on Saturday. The Tigers have 34 first-place votes. Ohio State received 23 and Alabama has four.

The Sooners made a big jump after beating Baylor 44-34 in Waco, Texas. The Bears slipped from No. 4 to No. 10, helping the Cowboys move up a spot. Oklahoma State rallied from 17 points down to win 35-31 at Iowa State on Saturday.

Notre Dame is No. 5 and unbeaten Iowa moved up two spots to No. 6.

POLL POINTS

- Oklahoma State has its best ranking since 2011, when the Cowboys reached No. 2 and finished No. 3.

- Iowa has its best ranking since the final regular-season rankings of 2002, when it was No. 3.

- No. 12 North Carolina has its best ranking since being No. 12 in the 1998 preseason poll.

IN

Four teams moved into the rankings this week, including three from the Pac-12.

Southern California (7-3) is No. 22 after winning four straight games. No. 23 Oregon (7-3) is back, thanks to a four-game winning streak. And No. 24 Washington State (7-3) is in for the first since Oct. 29, 2006.

Mississippi (7-3) slipped back in at No. 25.

OUT

Two of the four American Athletic Conference teams that were in last week fell out after losses:

- Memphis lost 35-34 at Houston

- Temple lost 44-23 at South Florida.

CONFERENCE CALL

Big Ten - 6.

Pac-12 - 5.

Big 12 - 4.

SEC - 4.

ACC - 3.

AAC - 2.

Independent - 1.

RANKED VS. RANKED

No. 9 Michigan State at No. 2 Ohio State. The first of two Big Ten East showdowns for the Buckeyes; Wolverines on deck.

No. 10 Baylor at No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 11 TCU at No. 7 Oklahoma. The Sooners and Cowboys can set up a winner takes the Big 12 Bedlam game.

No. 20 Northwestern at No. 21 Wisconsin. Both still have an outside shot to catch Iowa.

No. 22 Southern California at No. 23 Oregon. Hard to believe considering where these teams were early in the season, but both could still win their Pac-12 divisions.

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

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AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org