AP poll: Georgia leaps to No. 2 behind ’Bama
Georgia jumped three spots to No. 2 behind Alabama in The Associated Press Top 25 released Tuesday, giving the Southeastern Conference the top two teams in the country for the 30th time in the 85-year history of the college football poll.
It is the second time in the last three seasons and the third in the last five that the SEC is sitting 1-2 in the AP Top 25, which is presented by Regions Bank. Alabama and LSU had a four-week run as Nos. 1 and 2 in the 2019 season before they played each other.
The Crimson Tide strengthened its hold on No. 1 after it throttled Miami in the first full week of the regular season. Alabama received 59 first-place votes, up from the 47 it had in the preseason poll. Georgia received four first-place votes after beating Clemson 10-3 in the opening weekend's biggest game.
Ohio State moved up to No. 3 and Oklahoma dropped two spots to No. 4. Texas A&M is fifth, giving the SEC three teams in the top five.
Clemson fell three spots to sixth, marking the first time the Tigers have been out of the top four since 2017. Clemson dropped as low as No. 7 that season before finishing fourth.
No. 7 Cincinnati and No. 8 Notre Dame moved up one spot each. Iowa State dropped two places to No. 9, one spot ahead of No. 10 Iowa, heading into their rivalry game on Saturday.
Poll points
Alabama and Georgia finished 1-2 in the Top 25 in 2017, when the Tide beat the Bulldogs in overtime in the an allsec College Football Playoff game. Alabama and Georgia also spent two weeks in that regular season at Nos. 1-2.
One conference has held the top two spots 76 times since the AP poll started in 1936, none more than the SEC.
In
h No. 16 UCLA is ranked for the first time since a brief stay at No. 25 in 2017, Jim Mora's last season as coach of the Bruins.
h No. 19 Virginia Tech moved into the rankings after beating ACC rival North Carolina. This is the sixth straight season the Hokies have been ranked for at least one week.
h No. 20 Mississippi was not far outside of the rankings to start the season and earned their first poll appearance since early in the 2016 season by beating Louisville.
h No. 25 Auburn grabbed the final spot and has now been ranked for at least one week in nine straight seasons.