AP Top 25: Oregon is No. 1 for first time since 2012; Vanderbilt enters poll and Michigan drops out

 

[October 21, 2024]  By ERIC OLSON

Oregon became the fourth team this season to hold the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press college football poll, moving into the top spot on Sunday for the first time in 12 years after Texas lost at home to Georgia.

Vanderbilt made its first appearance since the 2013 season, at No. 25, and defending national champion Michigan fell out after a second straight loss dropped it to 4-3.

Unbeaten Oregon followed its one-point home win over Ohio State with its first road shutout in 32 years, a 35-0 rout of Purdue, and received 59 of 61 first-place votes.

Georgia, which has won three straight games since its loss to Alabama, made a three-spot jump to No. 2 on the strength of its 30-15 win at previously No. 1 Texas. The Bulldogs got the other two first-place votes.

No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State were idle Saturday and held their spots. Texas dropped to No. 5 after Georgia held it 28 points under its scoring average.

Miami prevailed in a wild game at Louisville and remained No. 6, and Tennessee rose four spots to No. 7 following its win over Alabama. LSU, Clemson and Iowa State rounded out the top 10.

No team this season has held the No. 1 spot for more than three straight weeks. Georgia topped the poll in the preseason but a one-point win at unranked Kentucky in Week 3 bumped the Bulldogs out. Texas took over for two weeks, then gave way to Alabama following the Crimson Tide's win over Georgia.

Alabama lasted one week at No. 1, getting upset at Vanderbilt after its win over Georgia. That allowed Texas to return to the top for two weeks.

Chip Kelly was coach of the only other Oregon teams to reach No. 1. The 2012 Ducks, led by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, were in the top spot for one week in November 2012 after following a 10-0 start with a loss to Stanford. The 2010 team, which lost to Auburn in the BCS title game, spent six weeks at No. 1.

Poll points

This marks the first time since 2012 that four teams will play a game as the No. 1 team in the same season. Oregon was among the four that year. The others were Southern California, Alabama and Notre Dame. The other seasons since 2000 with four or more No. 1 teams were 2007 (4), 2008 (6) and 2010 (4).

Tennessee's 24-17 win over Alabama produced the biggest moves in the poll. The Volunteers jumped from No. 11 to No. 7. The Crimson Tide dropped eight spots to No. 15, their lowest ranking since 2010.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning celebrates with fans after his team defeated Purdue in an NCAA college football game in West Lafayette, Ind., Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Texas' loss to Georgia was the first by a No. 1 team at home against a top-five opponent since Miami beat Florida State 17-16 in 1991.

In-and-out

Vanderbilt’s previous ranking was No. 24 in the final poll of the 2013 season. The Commodores, who beat Ball State to improve to 5-2, are off to their best start since opening 5-0 in 2008. That also was the last time Vandy was ranked in the regular season.

Michigan, which scored its fewest points in a game since 2014 in its 21-7 loss at Illinois, had been ranked in 54 consecutive polls since 2021.

Conference call

SEC 9 — (Nos. 2, 5, 7, 8, 14, 15, 18, 21, 25).

Big Ten — 5 (Nos. 1, 3, 4, 13, 20).

ACC — 4 (Nos. 6, 9, 19, 22).

Big 12 — 3 (Nos. 10, 11, 16).

American — 2 (Nos. 23, 24).

Mountain West — 1 (No. 17).

Independent — 1 (No. 12).

Ranked vs. Ranked

—No. 20 Illinois at No. 1 Oregon. The Illini play the top-ranked team for the first time since 2007. They won 28-21 at Ohio State that year.

—No. 5 Texas at No. 25 Vanderbilt. First matchup since these teams met 12 times between 1899-1928. Commodores haven't beaten two Top 25 opponents in the same season since 2008.

—No. 8 LSU at No. 14 Texas A&M. This has become one of the SEC's better series lately. The teams have split their last three meetings.

—No. 12 Notre Dame at No. 24 Navy. This will be the 11th time in 97 meetings, and first since 2019, that both teams are ranked when they meet.

—No. 21 Missouri at No. 15 Alabama. Nothing comes easily for either team this season. The two-loss Crimson Tide haven't dropped three games before November since 2006.

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