Tag: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Where is Penn State in the AP Top 25 after loss to Illinois?

Penn State got hammered by the AP Top 25 voters after a loss to Illinois in Week 8

Penn State’s catastrophic loss to Illinois in a marathon nine-overtime contest in Week 8 saw the Nittany Lions take a significant stumble in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll. Voters in the Associated Press Top 25 were ready to hammer Penn State as well in this week’s updated AP poll.

Penn State fell to No. 20 in this week’s AP Top 25, falling 13 spots from last week in the process from No. 7. Penn State is now actually ranked lower than the Auburn Tigers, whom Penn State defeated earlier in the season. Auburn moved up from No. 19 to No. 18 this week.

Penn State is still one of five Big Ten teams ranked in the AP Top 25 this week. No. 5 Ohio State and No. 6 Michigan stayed where they were a week ago. No. 8 Michigan State moved up one spot after Penn State and Oklahoma State each lost this weekend. And No. 9 Iowa is back into the top 10 after being on a bye week.

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Georgia remains on top of the AP Top 25 with all 63 first-place votes heading their way. Cincinnati is still ahead of one-loss Alabama for the second spot right behind the Bulldogs. Alabama moved up to No. 3 after swapping rankings with Oklahoma this week.

NEXT: Full AP Top 25 following Week 8

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Penn State tumbles in USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll

Where is Penn State ranked in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll after an epic overtime loss to Illinois?

After dropping a nine-overtime marathon at home to lowly Illinois, Penn State was due to take a major tumble in the latest polls on Sunday. And that’s exactly what happened for the Nittany Lions following Week 8 of college football action.

Penn State fell 10 spots down to No. 17 in this week’s USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, which was updated Sunday afternoon less than 24 hours after a major disappointment in front of a homecoming crowd. But Penn State’s fall in the polls may have been given a slight pillow considering a number of other losses taken by ranked teams around the country.

Coastal Carolina and NC State each losing gave Penn State a slight cushion underneath them, as did the loss by Clemson. Coastal Carolina and NC State each remained in the top 25, although Clemson fell out after their road loss at Pitt. The Panthers moved up four spots in the coaches poll, but only up to No. 19 to remain two spots behind Penn State despite a better record of 6-1.

Penn State took the biggest tumble in this week’s coaches poll by falling nine spots after a loss to Illinois. No. 15 Oklahoma State also took a good fall by dropping six spots after a loss to Iowa State (up to No. 23 after being unranked). Coastal Carolina fell eight spots and NC State fell seven after losses to Appalachian State and Miami, respectively.

Georgia remains the unanimous No. 1 team in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll after receiving all 64 first-place votes to stay ahead of No. 2 Cincinnati. But No. 3 Alabama has moved ahead of No. 4 Oklahoma, who fell two spots after having to claw back on the road against Kansas. No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Michigan, and No. 7 Michigan State remain in their spots from a week ago heading into a massive weekend of Big Ten football. Penn State is now left in the rearview mirror, at least for now, in the Big Ten East race.

No. 10 Iowa moved up one spot in its bye week to give the Big Ten four top 10 teams after Penn State fell out.

NEXT: The full USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll After Week 8

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Penn State maintains position in AP Top 25 after Week 7

What Big Ten team passed Penn State in the updated AP Top 25 after an off week?

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An idle week for Penn State saw no movement for the Nittany Lions in this week’s AP Top 25 poll, which was updated Sunday afternoon. The Nittany Lions remain at No. 7 in this week’s updated AP Top 25, although there was some notable movement around them that may raise some eyebrows.

The Michigan Wolverines moved up two posts in this week’s AP Top 25, leaping from one spot behind Penn State to one spot in front of Penn State in this week’s AP Top 25. The logic for such a move considering both teams were on a bye week likely falls on the result of the Iowa Hawkeyes being dumped at home by Purdue in Week 7. A week after Iowa edged Penn State, the Hawkeyes lost by 17 at home to Purdue, thus taking some of the defense to Penn State losing a hard-fought game in the same stadium.

The loss by Iowa dropped the Hawkeyes out of the top 10 of the AP Top 25 (as well as the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll), leaving the Big Ten with four teams in this week’s top 10 of the AP poll. No. 7 Penn State is accompanied by No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Michigan, and No. 9 Michigan State. Iowa fell from No. 2 down to No. 11 this week. Purdue also crept into the top 25 of the AP poll this week, rounding out this week’s poll at No. 25 after their big win at Iowa.

Purdue is one of five new teams in this week’s ranking. Auburn returned to the AP Top 25 at No. 19 this week. No. 20 Baylor, No. 23 Pittsburgh, and No. 24 UTSA also moved into the top 25 this week.

Top-ranked Georgia remained the top team in this week’s ranking with all 63 first-place votes, but Iowa’s loss left an opening for Cincinnati to climb to No. 2 in the AP top 25. The Bearcats stayed ahead of No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 4 Alabama, with all moving up one spot this week.

NEXT: The full AP Top 25 following Week 7

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Penn State passed by division rival in updated USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll

Where is Penn State in the latest USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll after Week 7?

Penn State did not move up or move down in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll this week while on a bye week, but the Nittany Lions did get passed by one of its division rivals while sitting at home. Michigan State moved up two spots following a close victory over Indiana in week 7, as the Spartans moved up to No. 7 in this week’s coaches poll.

Penn State remained No. 8, the same ranking they held the previous week after suffering its first loss of the season at Iowa in Week 6. Iowa, after getting humiliated at home by Purdue, actually fell behind the Nittany Lions after tumbling from No. 2 down to No. 11 this week.

The Big Ten still has four teams ranked in the top 10 of the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll with Penn State coming in behind No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Michigan, and No. 7 Michigan State.

Georgia secured all 65 first-place votes in this week’s coaches poll to lock down the No. 1 overall ranking for a second straight week. But Cincinnati’s path to its highest ranking in the coaches ranking was blocked by a resurgent Oklahoma. Oklahoma moved up one spot to No. 2 to replace Iowa behind the Bulldogs, and Cincinnati moved up to No. 3. No. 4 Alabama, Ohio State, and Michigan each moved up one spot and the Spartans moved up two. No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 10 Oregon round out the top 10 this week.

Former Penn State opponent Auburn popped back up into the top 25 of the coaches poll this week following their win over Arkansas, which dropped the Razorbacks out of the top 25 as their losing skid hits three games after a fun start to the season. Pittsburgh also surged into the rankings this week at No. 23, moving just ahead of No. 24 Clemson to setup a top 25 matchup between the Panthers and Tigers coming up.

Here is the full look at the full coaches poll after this week’s slate of games.

Full USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll:

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 Georgia 6-0 1,624 (64) –
2 Oklahoma 7-0 1,508 +1
3 Cincinnati 6-0 1,497 +1
4 Alabama 6-1 1,446 +1
5 Ohio State 5-1 1,305 +1
6 Michigan 6-0 1,299 +1
7 Michigan State 7-0 1,158 +2
8 Penn State 5-1 1,134 –
9 Oklahoma State 6-0 1,093 +3
10 Oregon 5-1 1,048 –
11 Iowa 6-1 1,031 -9
12 Ole Miss 5-1 826 +2
13 Notre Dame 5-1 816 –
14 Kentucky 6-1 763 -3
15 Wake Forest 6-0 696 +1
16 Coastal Carolina 6-0 675 -1
17 Texas A&M 5-2 580 +1
18 NC State 5-1 528 +3
19 SMU 6-0 399 +4
20 Baylor 6-1 369 +7
21 San Diego State 6-0 334 +3
22 Auburn 5-2 315 +4
23 Pittsburgh 5-1 192 +6
24 Clemson 4-2 146 +1
25 UT-San Antonio 7-0 96 +5

Dropped from the rankings:

No. 17 Florida; No. 19 Arkansas; No. 20 Brigham Young; No. 22 Arizona State

Others receiving votes:

Iowa State 38; Utah 35; Arkansas 31; Florida 23; Brigham Young 23; Air Force 20; UL Lafayette 18; Arizona State 18; Purdue 16; Houston 11; Virginia 6; Texas 4; Louisiana State 2; Fresno State 1.

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Where did Penn State fall in updated AP Top 25 after Week 6?

Where is Penn State in the AP Top 25 after the loss to Iowa in Week 6?

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As expected, Penn State was due to drop a few spots in the new AP Top 25 that was released Sunday after losing on the road to Iowa. But what was unknown was just how much of a drop Penn State could take in a week that saw the Nittany Lions lose a close one on the road while playing the majority of the game with a backup quarterback. It turns out, three spots.

Penn State fell to No. 7 in the new AP Top2 5 that was released Sunday afternoon. Penn State had previously been ranked No. 4 in last week’s AP Top 25. While Penn State did fall behind a rising Ohio State in the AP poll, the Nittany Lions did manage to stay ranked ahead of the Michigan Wolverines amid the reshuffling of the top 10.

Georgia took full control of the first-place ballots this week, receiving all 62 after their road win at Auburn was paired with Alabama’s upset loss Saturday night at Texas A&M. The Crimson Tide fell to No. 5 in the AP poll this week. Iowa moved up to No. 2, with Cincinnati moving up to No. 3 and Oklahoma taking No. 4 this week.

Like in the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll, Michigan State has moved into the top 10 of the AP Poll to give the Big Ten half of this week’s top 10 teams (Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State.

NEXT: See the full AP Top 25 following Week 6

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Where did Penn State drop in USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll after Week 6?

Where is Penn State ranked in the new USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll after the loss to Iowa?

As expected following a tough loss on the road this weekend, Penn State fell back a few spots in the updated USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll. The good news is Penn State is still in the top 10 amid some reshuffling of the deck in the poll this week.

Penn State fell from No. 4 down to No. 8 in the fresh coaches poll on Sunday. Penn State fell behind Big Ten East foes Ohio State (No. 6) and Michigan (No. 7) as both the Buckeyes and Wolverines moved up one spot to take advantage of Penn State’s first stumble of the season. Iowa moved up to No. 2 following their victory over the Nittany Lions, taking full advantage of a surprising loss Saturday night by Alabama.

The Crimson Tide fell from the top of the coaches poll down to No. 5 after suffering a last-second loss at Texas A&M on Saturday night. Georgia took full control of the top spot in the coaches poll this week with 64 first-place votes. There was one first-place vote from the coaches for the Hawkeyes.

Joining the Hawkeyes, Buckeyes, Wolverines and Nittany Lions inside the top 10 this week is Michigan State. The undefeated Spartans moved into the top 10 by being bumped up two spots this week. Michigan State lept over Oregon, who was idle this week and fell to No. 10. Michigan State also moved into the top 10 after BYU fell out due to a loss at home to Boise State.

A former Penn State opponent, Auburn, fell out of the top 25 this week with their home loss to top-ranked Georgia.

Here is a look at the complete USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll after Week 6.

Full USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll:

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 Georgia 6-0 1,624 (64) +1
2 Iowa 6-0 1,537 (1) +1
3 Oklahoma 6-0 1,452 +2
4 Cincinnati 5-0 1,418 +2
5 Alabama 5-1 1,363 -4
6 Ohio State 5-1 1,254 +1
7 Michigan 6-0 1,237 +1
8 Penn State 5-1 1,124 -4
9 Michigan State 6-0 1,064 +2
10 Oregon 4-1 1,004 +1
11 Kentucky 6-0 994 +3
12 Oklahoma State 5-0 910 –
13 Notre Dame 5-1 817 –
14 Ole Miss 4-1 741 +3
15 Coastal Carolina 6-0 708 –
16 Wake Forest 6-0 580 +4
17 Florida 4-2 543 +1
18 Texas A&M 4-2 396 +8
19 Arkansas 4-2 386 -3
20 BYU 5-1 342 -10
21 NC State 4-1 321 +1
22 Arizona State 5-1 294 +3
23 SMU 6-0 269 +1
24 San Diego State 5-0 156 +3
25 Clemson 3-2 155 -4

Dropped from the rankings:

No. 19 Auburn; No. 23 Texas.

Others receiving votes:

Auburn 98; Baylor 91; Texas 74; Pittsburgh 36; Texas-San Antonio 30; Mississippi State 18; Iowa State 18; Appalachian State 18; Boston College 11; Air Force 9; Tennessee 8; Liberty 8; Nevada 7; UL Lafayette 3; Houston 3; Fresno State 3; UCLA 1.

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Oklahoma Sooners stay at 6, get jumped in AP Top 25 Poll

For the second straight week, the Oklahoma Sooners saw a team climb in front of them in the latest AP Top 25 Poll.

As it was in the latest USA TODAY AFCA Coaches poll, the no. 6 Oklahoma Sooners found a team leaping them in the Poll. While they didn’t fall in this week’s version of the AP Top 25 Poll, they did get jumped by a team coming up to fill in the top five for Oregon after their loss to Stanford.

The Cincinnati Bearcats, after their win over Notre Dame, continued to make their case for a place in the College Football Playoff. It was a significant win and obviously spoke to voters as they jumped the Sooners and joined the top five.

Last week, it was Penn State and Iowa that jumped the Sooners in the AP Top 25 Poll. Now the Sooners are possibly looking at an uphill battle to make it into the top four of the College Football Playoff rankings when they’re first released or even the final rankings in December.

Oklahoma may be 5-0, but their four wins against the FBS have only managed an average point differential of 5.25 points per game. That margin of victory is undoubtedly sitting at the forefront of the minds of voters.

The Sooners have a huge test this week with the Texas Longhorns next on the docket, and style points certainly won’t be the focus.

The good news for the Sooners is that Iowa and Penn State will play next weekend, and Alabama and Georgia could eventually meet up down the road, which could open the door for the Sooners if they can continue their winning ways in 2021.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.

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Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati make statement with road win vs. Notre Dame

Desmond Ridder and the Cincinnati Bearcats proved they belong with the nation’s best, beating Notre Dame on the road

The Cincinnati Bearcats made it clear Saturday that they belong in the College Football Playoff conversation, going on the road against a top-10 Notre Dame team and leaving with a 24-13 victory.

Desmond Ridder, one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class, led the Bearcats with an impressive performance, completing 19 of his 32 pass attempts for 297 yards and a pair of touchdown passes, adding 26 yards and another score on the ground.

Ridder made waves earlier in the week, saying the Notre Dame crowd “shouldn’t be loud for too long,” and he backed up those strong words with a statement win for his team.

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Cincinnati snaps Notre Dame’s 26-game home winning streak

Cincinnati went into Notre Dame and defeated the Fighting Irish

The Cincinnati Bearcats went into Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday and took care of business, defeating the Fighting Irish, 24-13.

Cincinnati rushed to a 17-0 lead at halftime, scoring its points in the second quarter, only to see Notre Dame score 13 consecutive points.

However, the PAT was missed and Cincinnati drove down the field on the ensuing drive and scored the insurance touchdown on a Desmond Ridder run.

The victory for the Bearcats snapped Notre Dame’s home winning streak at 26 games.

While the game was in South Bend, the Bearcats were well-represented.

The big players were Ridder, who accounted for 297 passing and the three TDs, including one rushing. Alec Pierce had 144 receiving yards on 6 catches.

Message sent on social media:

Jim Herman takes not-so-subtle shot at Patrick Reed ahead of Saturday’s Cincinnati vs. Notre Dame college football game

“Bearcats by a million.”

Jim Herman has made it no secret that he’s gunning for a share of the PGA Tour’s lucrative $40 million Player Impact Program bonus to be handed out at the end of the year.

The three-time winner on Tour also knows the key to great social media interaction, especially in the golf world: take a shot a Patrick Reed.

The Cincinnati, Ohio native played golf for the Bearcats before turning professional in 2000 and tweeted a picture of Reed and his wife, Justine, decked out in Notre Game gear ahead of No.7 Cincinnati’s marquee matchup Saturday afternoon on the road at No. 9 Notre Dame. The captain?

“Bearcats by a million.”

Remember, the PGA Tour doesn’t plan on announcing the program winners, but we all know who the real champion is.

Herman’s jab wasn’t the only college football-golf crossover on Saturday, either. Earlier in the morning members of the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup team helped announce ESPN College GameDay’s guest picker for Arkansas vs. Georgia, former Bulldog Harris English, who went 1-2-0 at Whistling Straits last week.

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