No. 1 vs. No. 2 in SEC title game -- again

[November 30, 2009]  NEW YORK (AP) -- For the second straight season the Southeastern Conference championship game will be a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup.

Again, it'll be Florida against Alabama, but this time the Gators will be top-ranked.

Florida extended its lead in the AP college football poll Sunday, receiving 46 first-place votes after routing rival Florida State 37-10.

The Crimson Tide received seven first-place votes and 1,416 points to edge No. 3 Texas, which received seven first-place votes and 1,414 points. Both teams had close victories against in-state rivals over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Last season, Florida went into the SEC title game as the No. 2 team in the AP Top 25 and beat No. 1 Alabama to earn a spot in the BCS national championship game. The SEC title game will again be a de fact national semifinal, with the winner of Saturday's game in Atlanta earning a spot in the national title game in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 7

The top six in the latest poll was unchanged for the third consecutive week. TCU is No. 4, followed by fellow unbeatens Cincinnati and Boise State.

The top six in the BCS standings were the same as in the AP poll.

Oregon moved up three spots to No. 7 heading into its season-finale against No. 13 Oregon State, a Thursday night game that will decide the Pac-10's representative in the Rose Bowl.

Three Big Ten teams round out the top. Ohio State is No. 8, followed by Iowa and Penn State.

Virginia Tech is No. 11 and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Georgia Tech dropped five spots to No. 12 after losing 30-24 to Georgia.

The Yellow Jackets will play Clemson, which fell 10 spot to No. 25 after a 34-17 loss to South Carolina, on Saturday in Tampa, Fla., for the ACC championship and a spot in the Orange Bowl.

Pittsburgh fell six spots to No. 14 after losing 19-16 to West Virginia. Pitt hosts Cincinnati in a game that will decide the Big East title. West Virginia moved back into the rankings at No. 24.

No. 15 LSU, No. 16 BYU and No. 17 Miami all moved up two spots.

Houston jumped seven spots to No. 18 after clinching a spot in the Conference USA title game with a 73-14 victory against Rice.

No. 19 is California and No. 20 is Southern California.

Nebraska moved back into the rankings at No. 21. The Cornhuskers, who fell out of the Top 25 in October after starting the season ranked, play Texas in the Big 12 title game Saturday.

Oklahoma State had the biggest drop, sliding 11 spots to No. 22 after losing 27-0 to Oklahoma.

No. 23 Stanford also moved back into the rankings.

Falling out were Utah, Mississippi and North Carolina.

[Associated Press; By RALPH D. RUSSO]

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