Auburn stays put in latest USA TODAY Sports/NFCA Coaches Poll

The Tigers look to gain ground in the coaches poll this weekend by hosting No. 20 Arkansas in a top-25 series at Jane B. Moore Field.

The first weekend of SEC play did not bounce the way Auburn had hoped, as they dropped two of three games to Missouri on the road.

However, the series loss did not affect Auburn’s place in the rankings. They remain the nation’s No. 25 team in this week’s USA TODAY/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll.

Auburn is one of 10 SEC teams residing in this week’s poll. LSU is the SEC’s leader at No. 2 after sweeping No. 23 Kentucky to open SEC play and ran its record to 22-0. Because of the sweep, the Wildcats dropped out of this week’s poll. Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida round out the SEC’s representation in the top 10. The Gators jumped three places to No. 10 after winning two games over Alabama in Tuscaloosa to open SEC play.

Missouri is outside the top 10 at No. 11 and could crack the top 10 next week with a great showing at No. 8 Tennessee this weekend. Texas A&M is next at No. 13 and is poised for a big series this weekend at No. 21 Mississippi State. No. 14 Alabama looks to shake off its series loss to Florida by making a statement at No. 5 Georgia beginning Friday.

The final notable SEC series of the weekend involves Auburn, as the No. 25 Tigers host No. 20 Arkansas for a three-game set at Jane B. Moore Field.

Complete week one rankings from USA TODAY/NCFA

Rank Team Record Points Last Week
1 Oklahoma 22-1 791 1
2 LSU 22-0 769 3
3 Texas 21-2 738 2
4 Oklahoma State 20-3 680 4
5 Georgia 20-3 646 7
6 Duke 19-1 638 6
7 Washington 18-3 617 5
8 Tennessee 18-4 586 8
9 Stanford 18-4 558 9
10 Florida 21-3 490 13
11 Missouri 20-3 466 12
12 Clemson 17-6 415 10
13 Texas A&M 23-2 392 17
14 Alabama 19-3 366 11
15 UCLA 14-6 336 16
16 Florida State 15-5 299 14
17 California 21-4 293 15
18 Virginia Tech 18-3-1 264 20
19 Baylor 14-5 255 19
20 Arkansas 20-5 209 18
21 Mississippi State 19-4 150 24
22 Arizona 19-5-1 106 21
23 South Carolina 18-5 84 22
24 Boston University 17-1 68 NR
25 Auburn 13-4-1 59 25

Others Receiving Votes

Oregon (51), Kentucky (45), Louisiana (16), Texas State (6), Grand Canyon (4), Miami (3).

Dropped Out

No. 23 Kentucky

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Auburn baseball jumps one spot in week 4 USA TODAY Sports Poll

Auburn moves up one spot in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll ahead of this weekend’s SEC opener at Vanderbilt.

The Auburn Tigers had themselves quite the interesting series last weekend, winning two of three games against A-Sun opponent Austin Peay.

After picking up a normal-enough walk-off Friday Night win, the Tigers were routed 15-6 on Saturday before returning the favor by claiming a 25-6 7-inning win on Sunday.

The 2-1 series result along with a midweek win over Air Force was enough to vault the Tigers up to the No. 19 spot in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. [autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag]’s squad leapfrogged Texas Tech following the Red Raiders series loss against in-state rival Texas.

Despite the high ranking, Auburn is only the eighth-highest-ranked SEC program on the board.

Arkansas (1), LSU (2), Texas A&M (4), Tennessee (6), Vanderbilt (10), Florida (11), and Vanderbilt (12), all rank ahead of the Tigers.

Auburn will have a chance to improve on the No. 19 ranking this weekend when they travel to Nashville to take on No. 10 Vanderbilt. The Tigers will have one final pre-SEC tune up before the series on Tuesday against Troy.

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Wisconsin fails to receive votes in latest AP and USA TODAY Coaches Polls

Wisconsin fails to receive votes in latest AP and USA TODAY Coaches Polls

Wisconsin basketball failed to receive votes in the latest editions of both the AP Poll and USA TODAY Coaches Poll.

The team is off a 1-1 week which saw a comfortable home victory against Rutgers and a narrow road defeat at the hands of top-ranked Purdue. The regular season-ending frame put the Badgers record at 19-12 overall and 11-9 in Big Ten play — marks good enough for an NCAA Tournament birth but not good enough for inclusion in either top 25.

Today was the final edition of each poll before most postseason tournaments begin. Next week will be the final polls before the start of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Wisconsin is scheduled to play its first Big Ten Tournament contest Thursday afternoon against the winner of Rutgers and Maryland. Wins would mean more matchups for Greg Gard’s team, something it may need to improve its standing before Selection Sunday.

[lawrence-related id=72376,72360,72350,72336]

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Texas A&M baseball makes a move in the USA TODAY Coaches poll

Texas A&M moves up a spot after going 3-0 at the Kubota College Baseball Series

Head coach Jim Schlossnagle has the Texas A&M baseball team off to its hottest start in almost a decade, sitting at 11-0. The Aggies have been a consensus Top 10 team since the preseason and have not disappointed from the start.

Braden Mongomery and Jace LaViolette are living up to the All-American status. At the same time, freshman phenom Gavin Grahovac has been as good as advertised through the first 11 games of the season.

With A&M being one of the few remaining undefeated teams in the country, one would think they might have cracked the Top five in the latest rankings. However, some of the knocks on this team are that their schedule has been somewhat lackluster, and they tend to strike out a little more than desired.

They still did move up but only one spot in the USA TODAY Coaches poll from No. 7 to No. 6. The top two spots remained unchanged, with Wake Forest and LSU in the 1 and 2 spots. Arkansas jumped two spots to No. 3, TCU dropped one to No. 4, and Oregon State moved into the No. 5 spot.

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Diamond Hogs up two spots to No. 3 in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

LSU is the only SEC team ranked ahead of the Diamond Hogs, while the league had 10 teams in the top 30.

After a 4-0 week, the Arkansas baseball team is back close to where it started.

The Diamond Hogs jumped two spots to No. 3 in the nation in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll released on Monday. Arkansas leapfrogged Texas Christian, which fell to No. 4, and SEC rival Florida, which dropped to No. 8.

Arkansas beat Grambling by 20 runs last week midweek then swept Murray State in a three-game at Baum-Walker Stadium over the weekend. The Razorbacks are 9-2 and own a resume-building win over No. 6 Oregon State, who they beat two weekends back in Arlington, Texas.

The SEC, per usual, dominated the poll. LSU was ranked second, Texas A&M sixth, Tennessee eighth and Vanderbilt 10th to give the league six teams inside the Top 10. Alabama (13th), Auburn (20th) and South Carolina (21st) also cracked the rankings, while Georgia and Kentucky were de facto No. 27 and No. 30.

Arkansas is back on the diamond Tuesday against Central Arkansas and will host McNeese State for a three-game series on the weekend.

Auburn softball falls out of USA TODAY/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll

Despite going 3-0 at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, Auburn could not hang on to its top 25 ranking.

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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Auburn falls two places in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll after loss to Kentucky

Auburn suffers minimal damage in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll after dropping its first home game of the season on Saturday.

Auburn basketball experienced the highs and lows of playing an SEC schedule last week.

The Tigers began the week by defeating then-No. 11 South Carolina by 40 points on Wednesday, only to suffer its first home loss of the season on Saturday to then-No. 20 Kentucky on Saturday.

How does a week like the one Auburn experienced affect its place in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll? Voters are a little forgiving of teams who sustain a loss to lower-ranked teams. This week, Auburn checks in at No. 14 in the coaches poll, down two from last week.

After losing on the road at Auburn, South Carolina dropped its weekend contest to LSU. Their tough week plummets them to No. 20, making them the biggest drop of the week. As for Kentucky, they rise three places to No. 17.

Five SEC programs are in this week’s coaches poll. Tennessee remains the top SEC team at No. 5 while Alabama jumps ahead of Auburn at No. 13.

A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 UConn 24-2 800 (32)
2 Houston 22-3 764 +1
3 Purdue 23-3 715 -1
4 Arizona 20-5 710 +2
5 Tennessee 19-6 641 +4
6 Iowa State 20-5 607 +4
7 Duke 20-5 580 +1
8 Marquette 19-6 553 -4
9 North Carolina 20-6 546 -4
10 Kansas 20-6 538 -3
11 Baylor 19-6 508 +2
12 Illinois 19-6 431 +2
13 Alabama 18-7 417 +2
14 Auburn 20-6 335 -2
15 Creighton 19-7 329 +1
16 Dayton 21-4 300 +2
17 Kentucky 18-7 291 +3
18 Saint Mary’s 21-6 251 +1
19 San Diego State 20-6 185 +12
20 South Carolina 21-5 180 -9
21 BYU 18-7 105 -4
22 Washington State 20-6 97 +12
23 Texas Tech 18-7 71 +4
24 Colorado State 20-6 65 +1
25 TCU 18-7 64 +8

Schools Dropped Out

No. 21 Oklahoma; No. 21 Wisconsin; No. 23 Virginia; No. 24 Indiana State

Others Receiving Votes

Gonzaga 61; Virginia 59; Florida 40; South Florida 35; Utah State 24; Michigan State 23; Grand Canyon 23; Wisconsin 16; Clemson 12; Oklahoma 9; Florida Atlantic 9; Nevada 4; James Madison 1; Boise State 1

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Auburn softball slips in USA TODAY/NFCA top 25 coaches poll after opening weekend

The Tigers had little opportunities to prove themselves during a rain-soaked opening weekend, and their ranking has suffered.

The Auburn Tigers did not have ample opportunity to prove themselves last weekend during the Tiger Invitational due to rain delays altering their schedule.

The Tigers played just three games as the remaining two games on the slate were canceled due to heavy rain in the area. Auburn dropped its first game to Virginia Tech and tied the Hokies one day later while earning a win over Belmont to begin the season with a 1-1-1 record.

Because of the tough weekend, the Tigers experienced a drop in the latest USA TODAY/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Poll heading into week two of the season. Auburn checks in at No. 25 this week, down six spots from its preseason ranking of No. 19.

Auburn is one of 10 SEC representatives in the top 25 this week. Tennessee is the highest-ranked team at No. 2, followed by Georgia at No. 4. Alabama, LSU, and Arkansas remain in the top 15 while South Carolina cracks the top 20.

Kentucky and Missouri are two of the biggest movers this week. The No. 14 Tigers enter the top 25 after knocking off No. 8 Clemson and No. 13 Utah in Clearwater last weekend. Kentucky jumped seven places from No. 25 to No. 18 after beating then-No. 4 Stanford twice in San Diego.

Virginia Tech, who went 1-0-1 over Auburn last weekend, enters the poll at No. 21 this week.

Auburn heads to Mexico this weekend to participate in the Puerto Vallarta Challenge beginning Thursday. While there, Auburn will see No. 8 Clemson and No. 13 Utah.

Complete week one rankings from USA TODAY/NCFA

Rank Team Record Points Last Week
1 Oklahoma 4-0 800 1
2 Tennessee 3-0 747 2
3 Texas 5-0 720 8
4 Georgia 5-0 650 6
5 Washington 3-1 629 7
6 Oklahoma State 5-0 626 9
7 Florida State 4-1 600 3
8 Clemson 4-1 569 5
9 Stanford 3-2 529 4
10 Duke 3-1 497 11
11 Alabama 5-0 485 12
12 LSU 5-0 460 14
13 Utah 4-1 369 13
14 Missouri 5-0 313 NR
15 Arkansas 4-1 299 16
16 Florida 4-1 280 17
17 Oregon 4-2 261 15
18 Kentucky 4-1 259 25
19 UCLA 2-3 240 10
20 South Carolina 5-0 218 23
21 Virginia Tech 4-0-1 160 NR
22 Northwestern 4-1 128 20
23 Louisiana 4-1 128 21
24 Baylor 0-2 91 22
25 Auburn 1-1-1 71 19

Others Receiving Votes

San Diego State (67), Nebraska (62), Texas A&M (55), Indiana (38), Arizona (37), Charlotte (19), California (15), Boston University (4), Boise State (2), Miami (2), Penn State (1), Wichita State (1).

Dropped Out

No. 18 Nebraska, No. 24 San Diego State

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After defeating Tennessee, Texas A&M has received votes in the newest USA TODAY Coaches poll

After defeating Tennessee last Saturday, Texas A&M has now received votes in the newest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

It’s official: Texas A&M (15-8, 6-4 SEC) is on a hot streak in SEC play after defeating the then-No. 6-ranked Tennessee Volunteers 85-69 on Saturday night behind the stellar play of the Aggies’ elite guard duo, Tyrece Radford (27 points, five assists) and Wade Taylor IV (25 points 7 assists).

Now, two games over .500 in conference play, Texas A&M shot nearly 50% from the field for their second consecutive game, as head coach Buzz Williams noted the various adjustments he made to free things up and focus on driving toward the basket.

“Offensively, we made some unique adjustments that we have never done. Same, defensively.”

Defensively, forwards Andersson Garcia (6 points, 17 rebounds) and Solomon Washington (11 points, seven rebounds) were light out in the paint. At the same time, Washington’s freaky athleticism guarding speedy Vols guard Zakai Zeigler and star guard Dalton Knecht paid off tenfold.

With the win, the Aggies received nine votes in the newest USA TODAY Coaches Poll, while Tennesse moved down three spots to No. 6.

Here is the entire Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 UConn 22-2 792 (24)
2 Purdue 22-2 776 (8)
3 Houston 21-3 722 +2
4 Marquette 18-5 647 +3
5 North Carolina 19-5 643 -2
6 Arizona 19-5 642 +2
7 Kansas 19-5 635 -3
8 Duke 18-5 529 +2
9 Tennessee 17-6 524 -3
10 Iowa State 18-5 510 +4
11 South Carolina 21-3 475 +9
12 Auburn 19-5 421 -1
13 Baylor 17-6 402
14 Illinois 17-6 356 -2
15 Alabama 17-7 337 +1
16 Creighton 17-7 242 +2
17 BYU 17-6 202 +2
18 Dayton 19-4 195 -1
19 St Mary’s 20-6 185 +7
20 Kentucky 16-7 136 -5
21 Wisconsin 16-8 117 -12
21 Oklahoma 18-6 117 +10
23 Virginia 19-5 109 +7
24 Indiana State 22-3 106 +3
25 Colorado State 19-5 96 +4

Schools Dropped Out

No. 21 Utah State; No. 22 Florida Atlantic; No. 23 Texas Tech; No. 24 San Diego State; No. 25 New Mexico

Others Receiving Votes

Utah State 94; Texas Tech 89; Florida Atlantic 63; Clemson 38; Gonzaga 35; San Diego State 34; Nevada 27; TCU 20; Washington State 18; Grand Canyon 13; Texas A&M 9; New Mexico 8; Florida 8; Northwestern 6; South Florida 5; Wake Forest 4; VCU 4

Texas A&M will return on the road to take on Vanderbilt on February 13 at 6:00 p.m. CT. The game will air on ESPNU.

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Auburn drops one place in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Auburn will face two ranked opponents this week in No. 11 South Carolina and No. 20 Kentucky.

Auburn basketball experienced the ebbs and flows of life in the SEC last week.

The Tigers opened the week by blowing out rival Alabama by 18 points on Wednesday at home before experiencing a trap game in Gainesville on Saturday, losing 81-65 to Florida. The uneven week has caused Auburn to take a slight hit in the latest rankings.

The updated USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll was released Monday, and the Tigers have fallen to No. 12, down one spot from a week ago.

This week’s slate will provide a challenge to Auburn, as they will face two teams in the top 25 at home. The week begins Wednesday as the hottest team in the SEC, South Carolina, pays a visit to the Plains. The Gamecocks jump nine spots to No. 11 after taking care of Ole Miss and Vanderbilt at home. Kentucky, which visits Auburn on Saturday, fell to No. 20 after suffering its fourth loss over its last six games on Saturday to Gonzaga.

Five SEC schools are in this week’s coaches poll. Joining the aforementioned programs are Tennessee at No. 9 and Alabama at No. 15.

A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:

Rank Team Record Points Change
1 UConn 22-2 792 (24)
2 Purdue 22-2 776 (8)
3 Houston 21-3 722 +2
4 Marquette 18-5 647 +3
5 North Carolina 19-5 643 -2
6 Arizona 19-5 642 +2
7 Kansas 19-5 635 -3
8 Duke 18-5 529 +2
9 Tennessee 17-6 524 -3
10 Iowa State 18-5 510 +4
11 South Carolina 21-3 475 +9
12 Auburn 19-5 421 -1
13 Baylor 17-6 402
14 Illinois 17-6 356 -2
15 Alabama 17-7 337 +1
16 Creighton 17-7 242 +2
17 BYU 17-6 202 +2
18 Dayton 19-4 195 -1
19 St Mary’s 20-6 185 +7
20 Kentucky 16-7 136 -5
21 Wisconsin 16-8 117 -12
21 Oklahoma 18-6 117 +10
23 Virginia 19-5 109 +7
24 Indiana State 22-3 106 +3
25 Colorado State 19-5 96 +4

Schools Dropped Out

No. 21 Utah State; No. 22 Florida Atlantic; No. 23 Texas Tech; No. 24 San Diego State; No. 25 New Mexico

Others Receiving Votes

Utah State 94; Texas Tech 89; Florida Atlantic 63; Clemson 38; Gonzaga 35; San Diego State 34; Nevada 27; TCU 20; Washington State 18; Grand Canyon 13; Texas A&M 9; New Mexico 8; Florida 8; Northwestern 6; South Florida 5; Wake Forest 4; VCU 4; Michigan State 4; James Madison 3; Richmond 1; App State 1

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