A season after missing out on the College Football Playoff (CFP) in the last week of the season, the Big 12 is beginning to position itself to occupy half the four-team tournament.
TCU (2) and Baylor (3) each moved up two places, leapfrogging a Michigan State (4) team that only managed to beat Purdue 24-21. Though Ohio State (1) remained atop the Associated Press college football poll, they lost more first-place votes, dropping to 38.
TCU and Baylor combined for 15 first-place votes while Utah (5) garnered five and Texas A&M (9) managed to steal one. The remainder of the Top 10 includes: Clemson (6), LSU (7), Alabama (8), and Oklahoma (10).
According to the AP, Ohio State's number-one ranking is the 101st in team history, which ties Oklahoma for the most in the Poll's history. While the Big Ten and the Big 12 ruled the top of the ranking, the SEC is advancing once again. Though Ole Miss (14) and Georgia (19) each fell 11 places, LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M, and Florida (11) all advanced in the top half of the ranking.
Outside the Top 10, the Pac-12 and ACC had fairly quiet weeks, save for UCLA's (20) 13-spot tumble after losing to Arizona State. Otherwise, Cal (23) rose one, USC (17) stayed put, and Stanford (16) rose two.
Florida State (12) beat Wake Forest, but fell one place. Though tied at 4-0 with Clemson, the Seminoles three-year reign atop the ACC may be in jeopardy with how strong the Tigers are looking early on. The two teams are scheduled to play on Nov. 7.
