Kentucky in Top 25 for 1st time since ’07

After a season-high seven ranked teams lost, the back half of the AP college football poll got a makeover on Sunday. Five teams entered the Top 25, including No. 17 Kentucky for the first time since 2007.

At the top it was mostly status quo, with Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and Ohio State staying Nos. 1-4. LSU moved up to No. 5, swapping places with Oklahoma after the Sooners needed overtime to get by Army. Alabama received a season-high 60 first-place votes. Clemson had one.

Kentucky is unbeaten and 2-0 in the Southeastern Conference for the first time since 1977. The last time the Wildcats were ranked was Nov. 11, 2007. Kentucky reached No. 8 under coach Rich Brooks that season and upset No. 1 and eventual national champion LSU, but finished unranked.

Poll points

The Atlantic Coast Conference has three ranked teams in the Top 25 for the third time in four regular-season polls. No. 3 Clemson has played mostly as advertised and No. 16 Miami is slowly creeping back up the rankings after a lopsided opening loss to LSU sent the Hurricanes tumbling out of the top 10.

Florida State lasted one week in the rankings and now Virginia Tech is out after maybe the most stunning result of the season so far. The Hokies lost 49-35 at previously winless Old Dominion. Boston College seemed to be emerging as a possible dark horse, but the Eagles also lasted only week. BC lost 30-13 at Purdue on Saturday after being No. 23 last week.

Unbeaten Duke entered the rankings at No. 22 this week to keep the ACC from becoming the first Power Five conference to have a week this season with only two ranked teams.

North Carolina State (3-0) and Syracuse (4-0) are the only other unbeaten teams in the ACC, along with Clemson.

In

Joining Kentucky and Duke, ranked for the first time since October 2015, were two newcomers to this season’s rankings and one returner.

■ No. 18 Texas, which started the season ranked No. 23 but lost its opener to Maryland, has its first threegame winning streak in four years.

■ No. 24 California slipped into the rankings for the first time since October 2015 during an off week. The Bears have wins against BYU and North Carolina.

■ No. 25 Texas Tech is in after a convincing victory at Oklahoma State. The Red Raiders were ranked briefly last season.

Out

Exiting the rankings along with Virginia Tech and Boston College were two Big 12 teams and one from the SEC.

■ Oklahoma State, a week after impressing at home, is out.

■ TCU followed up its loss to Ohio State by falling at Texas.

■ No. 22 Texas A&M played Alabama closer than any team so far this season, but it was not good enough to stay ranked.