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Michigan surges to No. 6 in AP Top 25, Michigan State returns

Michigan surges to No. 6 in AP Top 25, Michigan State returns
Posted at 3:06 PM, Oct 14, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-14 15:06:50-04

(AP) -- After four of the top eight teams lost, The Associated Press college football poll had a new look behind No. 1 Alabama, with Ohio State reaching No. 2, LSU jumping back to No. 5 and Michigan moving into the top 10 for the first time this season.

The Crimson Tide received all but one of the 61 first-place votes from the media panel Sunday, with Ohio State receiving the other. No. 3 Clemson and No. 4 Notre Dame also moved up a spot. LSU jumped eight after handing Georgia its first loss of the season. The Bulldogs slipped from No. 2 to No. 8.

No. 6 Michigan has its best ranking of the season after blowing out Wisconsin and Texas is up two spots to No. 7.

No. 9 Oklahoma moved back into the top 10 while it was idle and Central Florida remained No. 10.

POLL POINTS
   Eight ranked teams overall lost Saturday, including three previously unbeaten teams. Joining Georgia among the previously undefeated on Saturday were West Virginia and Colorado.

UP
   All the losses up and down the rankings meant plenty of movement. Joining LSU and Michigan as teams that gained at least four spots were:
   -- No. 12 Oregon jumped five after beating Washington in overtime.
   -- No.  17 Texas A&M moved up five after edging South Carolina on the road.
   -- It was a good week to be idle and watch teams plummet. No. 14 Kentucky and No. 16 North Carolina State each gained four spots in an idle week, and No. 20 Cincinnati moved up five.

DOWN
   -- No. 13 West Virginia lost at Iowa State and fell seven spots after reaching a season high last week.
   -- No. 15 Washington dropped eight spots after losing at Oregon.
   -- No. 18 Penn State's second straight close home loss, this time to Michigan State, dropped the Nittany Lions 10 spots.
   -- No. 23 Wisconsin, which started the season ranked fourth, dropped eight spots after its second loss.

OUT
   -- Colorado reached No. 19, racking up wins against a weak schedule, but USC manhandled the Buffaloes in Los Angeles and now they are unranked.
   -- Miami, which started the season at No. 8, is out altogether after losing at Virginia.
   -- Auburn, which started the season ninth, is out and no longer receiving votes after getting beat at home by Tennessee and falling to 4-3.

IN
   -- Iowa surged into the rankings for the first time this season at No. 19.
   -- No. 24 Michigan State is back in after a week out.
   -- No. 25 Washington State moved in just in time to host ESPN's "College GameDay" for the first time ever with Oregon coming to town. Getting to Pullman, Washington, is notable for the show because for years it has been followed around by Wazzu fans waving the `Ol Crimson school flag.

CONFERENCE CALL
   A week after the Southeastern Conference placed a season-high eight teams in the poll, the SEC lost one and the Big Ten gained two. The ACC has only two ranked team for the first time since Oct. 4, 2015, when Clemson was No. 6 and Florida State was No. 12. The Tigers played for in the national championship game that season.
   SEC -- 7 teams.
   Big Ten -- 6.
   American -- 3.
   Big 12 -- 3.
   Pac-12 -- 3.
   ACC -- 2.
   Independent -- 1.

RANKED vs. RANKED
   No. 16 North Carolina State at No. 3 Clemson. The ACC's only ranked and unbeaten teams meet in a game that will likely go a long way toward settling the Atlantic Division.
   No. 22 Mississippi State at No. 5 LSU. This will be the fourth ranked team the Tigers have faced --  though two (Miami and Auburn) are no longer.
   No. 6 Michigan at No. 24 Michigan State. Another chance for Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines to flip the narrative.
   No. 12 Oregon at No. 25 Washington State. The Ducks look to make it an Evergreen State sweep.
   ------

The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Oct. 13, 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  (60)                          7-0      1524      1 
  2.  Ohio  St.  (1)                          7-0      1457      3 
  3.  Clemson                                    6-0      1392      4 
  4.  Notre  Dame                              7-0      1355      5 
  5.  LSU                                            6-1      1244    13 
  6.  Michigan                                  6-1      1146    12 
  7.  Texas                                        6-1      1144      9 
  8.  Georgia                                    6-1      1085      2 
  9.  Oklahoma                                  5-1        999    11 
10.  UCF                                            6-0        979    10 
11.  Florida                                    6-1        931    14 
12.  Oregon                                      5-1        917    17 
13.  West  Virginia                        5-1        700      6 
14.  Kentucky                                  5-1        678    18 
15.  Washington                              5-2        640      7 
16.  NC  State                                  5-0        592    20 
17.  Texas  A&M                                5-2        551    22 
18.  Penn  St.                                  4-2        523      8 
19.  Iowa                                          5-1        266    NR 
20.  Cincinnati                              6-0        243    25 
21.  South  Florida                        6-0        242    23 
22.  Mississippi  St.                    4-2        231    24 
23.  Wisconsin                                4-2        226    15 
24.  Michigan  St.                          4-2        199    NR 
25.  Washington  St.                      5-1        136    NR 

Others receiving votes: Stanford 71, San Diego St. 53, Southern Cal 53, Appalachian St. 51, Colorado 49, Utah St. 38, Miami 38, Utah 33, Duke 17, Texas Tech 8, Fresno St. 7, Houston 3, Maryland 2, Virginia 2.