Auburn softball earned three wins last week at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, including one over then-No. 13 Utah.
However, they could hang on to their place within the USA TODAY/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, as they were not included in week three’s poll that was released Tuesday morning.
One reason is the number of teams entering the poll who were unranked last week. Mississippi State, Arizona, California, and Texas A&M all enter the poll this week after missing out on a spot last time out.
Another reason is due to its performance against Utah. A 1-0 win in a defensive battle with a top-25 team is always respected. However, the Utes lost three of its four games in Mexico last week and fell seven spots in this week’s poll, which waters down the win. It also does not help matters that Saturday’s game with No. 9 Clemson was canceled due to rain, which prevented Auburn from boosting its chances to keep its spot in the rankings.
Eleven of the SEC’s 13 teams make up this week’s USA TODAY/NFCA coaches poll, with Auburn receiving votes. Georgia is this week’s top-ranked SEC squad, checking in at No. 3. Tennessee, LSU, and Alabama represent the conference within the top 10. The Bayou Bengals took the biggest leap in this week’s poll, moving from No. 12 to No. 6.
Complete week one rankings from USA TODAY/NCFA
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Last Week |
| 1 | Oklahoma | 9-0 | 800 | 1 |
| 2 | Texas | 7-0 | 750 | 3 |
| 3 | Georgia | 9-0 | 738 | 4 |
| 4 | Washington | 6-1 | 679 | 6 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 4-2 | 623 | 2 |
| 6 | LSU | 8-0 | 585 | 12 |
| 7 | Oklahoma State | 6-2 | 562 | 6 |
| 8 | Duke | 4-1 | 557 | 5 |
| 9 | Clemson | 6-2 | 496 | 8 |
| 10 | Alabama | 10-0 | 494 | 11 |
| 11 | Missouri | 10-0 | 474 | 14 |
| 12 | Florida State | 5-3 | 460 | 7 |
| 13 | Stanford | 5-4 | 447 | 9 |
| 14 | Florida | 8-1 | 359 | 16 |
| 15 | Arkansas | 8-2 | 353 | 15 |
| 16 | Kentucky | 6-2 | 321 | 18 |
| 17 | South Carolina | 8-1 | 242 | 20 |
| 18 | Texas A&M | 9-0 | 234 | NR |
| 19 | UCLA | 3-4 | 168 | 19 |
| 20 | Utah | 5-4 | 143 | 13 |
| 21 | California | 10-1 | 120 | NR |
| 22 | Arizona | 10-1 | 120 | NR |
| 23 | Oregon | 6-5 | 119 | 17 |
| 24 | Northwestern | 5-2 | 115 | 22 |
| 25 | Mississippi State | 8-1 | 113 | NR |
Others Receiving Votes
Auburn (102), Virginia Tech (88), Baylor (61), Louisiana (31), Boston University (22), San Diego State (9), Miami University (6), Penn State (3), Boise State (2), Grand Canyon (1), Indiana (1).
Dropped Out
No. 21 Virginia Tech, No. 23 Louisiana, No. 24 Baylor, No. Auburn
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