Tag: AP Poll

Big Ten’s elite remain on top of rankings after week 12

The Big Ten continues to dominate the top five in all three major rankings ahead of week 13.

The Big Ten’s elite remains on top of the college football world after week 12 of the 2024 college football season.

As programs around the country prepare for week 13 of the season, the Big Ten has four top-five teams in all three major rankings this week.

The Oregon Ducks sitting pretty with an 11-0 record after an upset scare against Wisconsin are the consensus No. 1 team in the rankings while the Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Indiana Hoosiers round out a consensus top-five.

The Buckeyes are ranked No. 2 while Penn State and Indiana are ranked No. 4 and No. 5 respectively, the SEC’s Texas Longhorns break up the Big Ten party in the top five at No. 3.

After several weeks of those four programs being the Big Ten’s only representatives, the Illinois Fighting Illini rejoined the rankings in both the College Football Playoffs and Associated Press top-25 this week. No other Big Ten teams were ranked outside the top five in the latest US LBM Coaches poll.

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Auburn moves up in AP Poll following undefeated week

The Tigers continued moving up the AP Poll after another dominant week.

The Auburn Tigers continued a phenomenal start to the basketball season last week. After jumping from No. 11 in the AP Poll to No. 5 following a sizzling start behind wins over Vermont and Houston, the Tigers moved up again, to No. 4, entering the third week of the young campaign.

With most of the top-ranked squads in the nation hosting games against inferior competition, [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag]’s Tigers did not have much room for improvement, although they did take advantage of rival Alabama‘s near loss to McNeese followed by a road loss to Purdue. The uneven play by the Crimson Tide sent them all the way down to No. 8 in the AP Poll, while Purdue moved ahead of Alabama, to No. 6.

While the Tigers are still ranked outside of the top 3, Bruce Pearl’s squad did receive more first-place votes (3) than No. 3 ranked Gonzaga (2). The Tigers continued dominance to start the season also leaves plenty of opportunity for Johni Broome, Denver Jones, and company to garner enough attention to earn the No. 1 ranking with a tournament championship at the Maui Invitational.

The Tigers start the tournament against No. 5 Iowa State on Monday and have a chance to match up against No. 2 UConn and No. 10 ranked North Carolina as well. Victories over at least two of those top-ranked teams should hypothetically be enough for the voters to vault Auburn into the at least the No. 2 spot heading into December.

Auburn is now the highest-ranked SEC team in the AP Poll for the first time this season. Alabama (8), Kentucky (9), Tennessee (11), Arkansas (20), Florida (21), and Texas A&M (23), make up the remaining six teams nationally ranked in the conference.

Gators hoops drop in AP Poll’s top 25 despite perfect start

Despite an undefeated start to the 2024-25 college basketball season, AP Top 25 voters dropped the Florida Gators down a spot after Week 2.

Florida (4-0) has yet to win a game by fewer than 13 points, but the AP Top 25 voters still dropped the Gators one spot to No. 21 in the latest poll update.

The Gators took down Grambling State by 24 points on Monday and handed Florida State its first loss of the season in Tallahassee on Friday. The dip in the polls has more to do with the teams ahead of Florida, specifically Wisconsin, than the Gators’ performance.

Florida received just 30 fewer points than a week ago, but an undefeated start from Wisconsin, including a win over then-No.9 Arizona, moves the Gators down a spot.

SEC Teams ranked inside the AP Top 25

The Southeastern Conference boasts seven programs inside the top 25 after two weeks of play. The Auburn Tigers lead the conference at No. 4 and earned three first-place votes. The Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 8) and Kentucky Wildcats (No. 9) give the SEC three teams inside the top 10, and the No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers are close behind.

Florida trails the No. 20 Arkansas Razorbacks by 11 poll points, and the Texas A&M Aggies (No. 23) round out the list. Ole Miss earned 103 points in the voting, making the Rebels the unofficial No. 27 team in the country, while the Texas Longhorns (17) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (15) also received votes.

Week 2 AP Top 25 Poll

Rank Team REC PTS (1st) TREND
1 Kansas 4-0 1509 (49) –
2 UConn 3-0 1416 (7) +1
3 Gonzaga 3-0 1397 (2) +1
4 Auburn 3-0 1370 (3) +1
5 Iowa State 2-0 1184 +2
6 Purdue 4-0 1172 +7
7 Houston 2-1 1091 +1
8 Alabama 3-1 1084 -6
9 Kentucky 3-0 1009 +10
10 North Carolina 2-1 969 –
11 Tennessee 4-0 942 –
12 Duke 3-1 914 -6
13 Baylor 3-1 765 -1
14 Creighton 4-0 722 –
15 Marquette 4-0 630 –
16 Indiana 3-0 573 –
17 Arizona 2-1 437 -8
18 Cincinnati 3-0 412 -1
19 Wisconsin 4-0 370 –
20 Arkansas 2-1 313 -2
21 Florida 4-0 302 -1
22 St. John’s 4-0 270 –
23 Texas A&M 3-1 233 –
24 Rutgers 3-0 143 –
25 Illinois 3-0 116 –

Dropped out:

No. 21 Ohio State; No. 25 Ole Miss

Others receiving votes:

Texas Tech 109, Mississippi 103, Xavier 89, BYU 27, UCF 21, Texas 17, VCU 17, Michigan St. 16, Mississippi St. 15, Ohio St. 13, Miami 10, Pittsburgh 9, Oregon 7, Memphis 6, Penn St. 4, Providence 4, Utah St. 3, Kansas St 3, Clemson 2, Furman 2, Arizona St 2, Michigan 1, Hofstra 1, Maryland 1.

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Duke women’s basketball jumps back ahead of the UNC Tar Heels in the AP Poll

After Sunday’s win over South Dakota State, the Duke women’s basketball team shifted back ahead of the UNC Tar Heels in the AP Poll.

The Duke Blue Devils moved up two spots to 14th in the updated AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll released on Monday.

Duke won two games last week, first defeating Dayton at home on Thursday night before beating a ranked South Dakota State team in their building on Sunday. Sophomore Jadyn Donovan put together the best game of her career against the Jackrabbits, scoring 23 points and coming down with 15 rebounds to help the Blue Devils keep pace in a 75-71 shootout.

Donovan is one of four Duke players averaging at least 10.0 points per game this season, joining returning stars Ashlon Jackson (13.2) and Reigan Richardson (11.4). Five-star freshman Toby Fournier, one of the big stories of the season, sits second on the roster with 12.4 points off the bench through her first five collegiate games.

The two-spot jump moved the Blue Devils back above the North Carolina Tar Heels, who tumbled down to 16th after a loss to the Connecticut Huskies. Duke also moved ahead of NC State, who fell all the way to 20th after a non-conference loss to TCU.

The South Carolina Gamecocks remained atop the rankings with the Huskies, USC Trojans, Texas Longhorns, and UCLA Bruins staying put within the top five. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (sixth) are now the only ACC team above the Blue Devils.

Alabama sees significant drop in latest college basketball AP Poll

The Crimson Tide dropped in Monday’s AP Poll.

After holding the No. 2 ranking throughout the 2024-25 season up to this point, the Alabama Crimson Tide saw a noteworthy drop in Monday’s AP Poll for college basketball, coming in at No. 8 overall.

Among teams in the Top 25, Alabama was one of the biggest fallers, trailing only the Arizona Wildcats, who dropped eight spots from No. 9 to No. 17.

So far this season, Alabama owns a 3-1 overall record, but struggled this past week compared to the seasons first two games. In what was a certainly a step up in competition, Alabama defeated McNeese at home by a final score of 72-64, but later suffered their first loss of the 2024-25 season last Friday night on the road at Purdue, falling to the Top 25 ranked Boilermakers, 87-78.

Looking ahead, the No. 8 ranked Crimson Tide will return to action this Wednesday, November 20 against the Illinois Fighting Illini for a neutral-site game in Birmingham. After that, Alabama will then face four consecutive ranked teams.

Duke basketball drops from the top 10 of the AP Poll after Kentucky loss

Despite their big win over Wofford this weekend, the Duke Blue Devils couldn’t stay in the top 10 of the AP Poll on Monday.

The Associated Press revealed the updated men’s basketball AP Poll on Monday, and the Duke Blue Devils slipped down to 12th after their Tuesday loss to the Kentucky Wildcats.

Superstar freshman Cooper Flagg scored 26 points in the loss, but two costly turnovers on the final two possessions helped the Wildcats erase a nine-point halftime deficit. Kentucky, now led by first-year head coach Mark Pope, vaulted up 10 spots to No. 9 thanks to the win.

Duke’s tumble also meant that the North Carolina Tar Heels emerged as the highest-ranked ACC team. UNC lost one of its first three games as well, but the 92-89 road loss to top-ranked Kansas kept the Tar Heels at No. 10.

The Jayhawks, whom Duke plays on Tuesday in Las Vegas, remain firmly in front of the rankings. Kansas received 49 out of a possible 61 first-place votes, keeping them above the Connecticut Huskies, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Auburn Tigers, and Iowa State Cyclones in the top five.

Duke’s next opponent, the Arizona Wildcats, dropped eight spots to 17th after a loss to the Wisconsin Badgers.

Texas Longhorns Hold Steady at No. 3 in AP Poll

The Texas Longhorns remain at No. 3 in Week 13’s AP Poll

The No. 3 Texas Longhorns (9-1) continued their strong 2024 SEC campaign with a 20-10 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks in Week 12, extending their winning streak while showcasing a dominant first-half defense. The Longhorns remained in the No. 3 spot in Sunday’s Associated Press Poll, behind that of unanimous and undefeated No. 1 Oregon and No. 2 Ohio State (9-1)

The Longhorns, who have now shut out their last three opponents in the first half, set a defensive milestone not seen since the 2019 season. Their stifling efforts held Arkansas scoreless through the first two quarters, building on a streak that has fueled their surge into College Football Playoff contention. The Longhorns limited the Razorbacks to just 231 yards of total offense and one touchdown, improving to 9-1 overall and 5-1 in SEC play. The Longhorns remain at-top of the Southeastern Conference standings and are in a favorable spot for an SEC Championship and CFP spot.

Offensively, Texas relied on balanced play-calling and key performances from their backfield and receiving corps to secure the win. Despite a late push by Arkansas, the Longhorns maintained control to secure their ninth victory of the season. Texas still has two games left on it’s schedule, Kentucky and Texas A&M. A win-out by Texas will almost certainly solidify their SEC Championship spot, and a total win-out, with or without an SEC Championship win, solidifies their CFP bid.

Texas faces Kentucky at home on Saturday, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will air on ABC and ESPN+.

Taking a look at the AP Top 25 poll after Week 12

Florida’s win over LSU on Saturday knocked the Tigers out of the AP Top 25, but the Gators didn’t earn any votes in the post-Week 12 poll.

Despite upsetting the LSU Tigers, 27-16, on Saturday Florida did not earn any votes in the Week 12 AP Top 25 Poll.

However, seven SEC programs finished the week ranked, including five inside the top 10. The top five of Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, Penn State and Indiana held steady, in that order, followed by Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

Texas defeated Arkansas, 20-10; Alabama destroyed Mercer, 52-7, and jumped two spots; Georgia beat Tennessee to move up three places and knock the Volunteers down four; and Ole Miss moved up one spot while on a bye week. The Gators host the Rebels next week.

Texas A&M stayed put at No. 15 with a 3 8-3 win over New Mexico State, and South Carolina jumped four spots to No. 19 with a 34-30 win over Missouri, knocking the Tigers out of the playoff race and down to an unofficial No. 26 with 56 poll points.

LSU also dropped out of the Top 25 with its loss to Florida, earning just six points in this week’s voting. Vanderbilt earned four points.

AP Top 25 Poll Week 12

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 Oregon 11-0 1550 (62) –
2 Ohio State 9-1 1485 –
3 Texas 9-1 1413 –
4 Penn State 9-1 1319 –
5 Indiana 10-0 1310 –
6 Notre Dame 9-1 1191 +2
7 Alabama 8-2 1130 +2
8 Georgia 8-2 1113 +3
9 Ole Miss 8-2 1083 +1
10 Tennessee 8-2 953 -4
11 Miami (FL) 9-1 945 +1
12 Boise State 9-1 880 +1
13 SMU 9-1 810 +1
14 BYU 9-1 785 -7
15 Texas A&M 8-2 687 –
16 Colorado 8-2 583 +2
17 Clemson 8-2 559 –
18 Army 9-0 555 -2
19 South Carolina 7-3 444 +4
20 Tulane 9-2 323 +5
21 Arizona State 8-2 322 –
22 Iowa State 8-2 256 –
23 UNLV 8-2 125 –
24 Illinois 7-3 74 –
25 Washington State 8-2 61 -6

Others receiving votes:

Missouri 56, Memphis 38, Kansas St. 36, Syracuse 21, Louisville 15, Pittsburgh 6, LSU 6, Louisiana-Lafayette 5, Vanderbilt 4, Colorado St. 2, Duke 2, James Madison 2, Georgia Tech 1.

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Latest AP Poll reveals much about Kentucky’s bowl chances

Kentucky football remains unranked in the AP poll, and needs two more wins to be bowl eligible.

Kentucky Football is staring down a significant battle for a bowl game following — especially considering the most recent AP Poll.

Nobody should be shocked that Kentucky football wasn’t ranked in week 13’s poll. The Wildcats haven’t been ranked all season, and sit at 4-6 on the year after Saturday’s 48-6 win over Murray State.

The real question surrounds bowl eligibility. With two games left this year, Kentucky has to win out to make a bowl game. For the Wildcats, this might be an uphill battle as they’re set to face off against two tough opponents over these final two weeks.

This upcoming Saturday, November 23, marks a matchup for the Wildcats in Austin. Kentucky is set to travel to DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium for a matchup against the third-ranked Texas Longhorns.

Related: Seven SEC teams ranked in latest Coaches Poll

Texas is a national title contender, sitting at 9-1. Their only loss came earlier this year against the eighth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs.

They’ll follow up that tough matchup with a rivalry week game in Lexington. The Wildcats are set to host Louisville in Lexington on Saturday, November 30.

Although unranked following a 38-25 heartbreaker to Stanford over the weekend, Louisville is still an upper-class college football team. They were ranked l9th last week prior to the loss, and still received fifteen top-25 votes in week 13’s poll.

With Kentucky needing to win out against the two, the Wildcats might need a miracle to make a bowl game this year.

Duke football earns two votes in updated AP Poll after Week 12

The Associated Press revealed its updated college football rankings on Sunday, including two votes for the Duke Blue Devils.

The Duke Blue Devils received two votes in the updated AP Top 25 College Football Poll on Sunday, one more than they did last week.

Head coach [autotag]Manny Diaz[/autotag] and his players got a weekend off after defeating the NC State Wolfpack last Saturday, improving Duke’s record to 7-3 for the season and 3-3 against ACC opponents. In Diaz’s first season with the program, the Blue Devils got off to their first 5-0 start since 1994 and defeated the Wolfpack and the North Carolina Tar Heels in the same year for the first time since 2013.

With Louisville’s last-second loss to Stanford, only three teams from the ACC remained within the top 25 after Week 12. The Miami Hurricanes (11th) and SMU Mustangs (13th) seem destined for a clash in the conference championship game with a place in the College Football Playoff on the line.

However, if Miami loses once or the Mustangs lose twice, the Clemson Tigers (17th) would slide into place as a potential challenger.

The top five teams remained unchanged with the Oregon Ducks remaining atop the nation despite only beating the Wisconsin Badgers by three points. With their two votes, the Blue Devils unofficially sit in a tie for 35th with Colorado State and James Madison.