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Michigan still No. 4 in AP Top 25 poll, Michigan State drops out

Michigan still No. 4 in AP Top 25 poll, Michigan State drops out
Posted at 2:26 PM, Nov 11, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-11 14:26:46-05

(AP) -- The day after earning a spot in the Big Ten championship game, Northwestern is ranked in The Associated Press college football poll for the first time this season.

The Wildcats (6-4) were No. 24 in the Top 25 after beating Iowa to clinch the Big Ten West with two games to play.

The rest of the Top 25 was fairly stable, especially at the top where the only difference in the first 11 teams from last week was No. 8 Washington State moving past No. 9 Ohio State and No. 10 LSU.

Alabama is a unanimous No. 1, followed by Clemson, Notre Dame, Michigan and Georgia. Oklahoma is six and West Virginia seventh. UCF is still No. 11.

Northwestern was ranked 17th at the end of last season, but lost three of four to start 2018.

ADD
   The Wildcats have had a strange season, losing early to Duke and Akron and late to Notre Dame, to become the first team in FBS to win a division without winning a nonconference game, according to ESPN Stats and Info. But they are 6-1 in Big Ten play, with only a 20-17 loss against Michigan. Northwestern has won four Big Ten games by four points or less, and beat Michigan State by 10.
   ------

POLL POINTS
   The number of teams with at least three losses increased from seven to 10 this week, including two teams (Northwestern and No. 25 Mississippi State) with four losses. Last year, the Top 25 released after week 11 of the regular season included six teams with three losses and none with four.
   The last time two four-loss teams were ranked this early in the season was Nov. 7, 1999, when No. 22 Purdue and No. 24 Ohio State were each 6-4.

GETTING CLOSER
   Army was to first team in others receiving votes this week, falling five points short of No. 25 Mississippi Stat. The Black Knights (8-2) have not been ranked since 1996.

UP/DOWN
   No big jumps into the top 10, but No. 19 Cincinnati moved up six spots and No. 15 Florida, No. 16 Penn State and No. 18 Iowa State all jumped five places.
   No. 20 Kentucky had the biggest fall of the weekend among ranked teams. The Wildcats fell eight spots after losing to Tennessee. Kentucky is on a two-game losing streak after reaching No. 9.

OUT
   -- Fresno State fell out after losing to Boise State. The victory lifted the Broncos back in the rankings for the first time since September.
   -- North Carolina State is out after losing at home to Wake Forest.
   -- Michigan State's fourth loss dropped the Spartans from the rankings.

 IN
   No. 21 Utah moved back into the rankings after beating Oregon after losing its top quarterback and running back to injuries in the previous week.

CONFERNCE CALL
   SEC -- 6 teams (1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25).
   Big Ten -- 4 (4, 9, 16, 24).
   Big 12 -- 4 (6, 7, 13, 18).
   ACC -- 3 (2, 12, 22).
   Pac-12 -- 3 (8, 17, 21).
   American -- 2 (11, 19).
   Mountain West -- 2 (14, 23).
   Independent -- 1 (3).

RANKED vs. RANKED
   No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 12 Syracuse in New York. The most significant college football game at Yankee Stadium maybe since the 1940s.
   No. 19 Cincinnati at No. 11 UCF. ESPN's "College GameDay" comes to Orlando, Florida. Knights fans can complain about their team's ranking in person.
   No. 18 Iowa State at No. 13 Texas. Both teams can still reach the Big 12 championship game.

The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 10, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
                                                        Record    Pts    Pv
  1.  Alabama  (61)                          10-0    1525      1
  2.  Clemson                                    10-0    1459      2
  3.  Notre  Dame                              10-0    1406      3
  4.  Michigan                                    9-1    1327      4
  5.  Georgia                                      9-1    1288      5
  6.  Oklahoma                                    9-1    1188      6
  7.  West  Virginia                          8-1    1111      7
  8.  Washington  St.                        9-1    1052    10
  9.  Ohio  St.                                    9-1    1050      8
10.  LSU                                              8-2    1019      9
11.  UCF                                              9-0      983    11
12.  Syracuse                                    8-2      787    13
13.  Texas                                          7-3      726    15
14.  Utah  St.                                    9-1      689    14
15.  Florida                                      7-3      575    19
16.  Penn  St.                                    7-3      542    21
17.  Washington                                7-3      501    20
18.  Iowa  St.                                    6-3      497    23
19.  Cincinnati                                9-1      344    25
20.  Kentucky                                    7-3      337    12
21.  Utah                                            7-3      307    NR
22.  Boston  College                        7-3      254    17
23.  Boise  St.                                  8-2      147    NR
24.  Northwestern                            6-4      136    NR
25.  Mississippi  St.                      6-4      133    18

Others receiving votes: Army 128, UAB 78, Fresno St. 61, Michigan St. 31, NC State 30, Buffalo 29, Pittsburgh 28, Duke 20, Texas A&M 16, Iowa 8, Arizona St. 6, Stanford 3, Auburn 3, Troy 1.