Alabama stays on top in the latest USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll following a 63-14 win over Southern Miss.
There were, however, some big time upsets and close games, which left some teams falling, even though some escaped with a win.
The biggest story of the weekend is Clemson’s loss to an unranked NC State team on the road, which was their first loss to an unranked team in their last 36 contests against opponents not ranked in the Top 25.
Next week, Alabama will take on Ole Miss, a team that has surprised many in the 2021 season and now has had a full two weeks to prepare for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.
Full USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | Alabama | 4-0 | 1,624 (64) | – |
| 2 | Georgia | 4-0 | 1,558 (1) | – |
| 3 | Oregon | 4-0 | 1,467 | +1 |
| 4 | Oklahoma | 4-0 | 1,395 | -1 |
| 5 | Iowa | 4-0 | 1,319 | +1 |
| 6 | Penn State | 4-0 | 1,286 | +2 |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 4-0 | 1,187 | +3 |
| 8 | Cincinnati | 3-0 | 1,185 | +1 |
| 9 | Florida | 3-1 | 1,101 | +2 |
| 10 | Ohio State | 3-1 | 1,030 | +2 |
| 11 | Arkansas | 4-0 | 1,016 | +7 |
| 12 | Ole Miss | 3-0 | 916 | +1 |
| 13 | Texas A&M | 3-1 | 744 | -8 |
| 14 | Michigan | 4-0 | 674 | +5 |
| 15 | BYU | 4-0 | 670 | +1 |
| 16 | Michigan State | 4-0 | 583 | +5 |
| 16 | Coastal Carolina | 4-0 | 583 | +1 |
| 18 | Oklahoma State | 4-0 | 459 | +4 |
| 19 | Clemson | 2-2 | 389 | -12 |
| 20 | UCLA | 3-1 | 312 | +4 |
| 21 | Fresno State | 4-1 | 251 | +4 |
| 22 | Auburn | 3-1 | 244 | +1 |
| 23 | Kentucky | 4-0 | 179 | +4 |
| 24 | Baylor | 4-0 | 134 | +18 |
| 25 | Wake Forest | 4-0 | 119 | +14 |
Dropped from the rankings:
No. 14 Iowa State; No. 15 Wisconsin; No. 20 North Carolina.
Others receiving votes:
Texas 101; Boston College 91; NC State 70; San Diego State 69; Maryland 59; Wisconsin 56; Southern Methodist 54; Virginia Tech 39; Louisiana State 36; Iowa State 31; Army 23; Arizona State 12; Texas-San Antonio 11; Liberty 11; North Carolina 10; Central Florida 9; Oregon State 7; UL Lafayette 3; Appalachian State 3; Louisville 2; Indiana 2; Wyoming 1.
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