Tag: Associated Press

Oklahoma fans cheer during the Red River Rivalry college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the University of Texas (UT) Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. Oklahoma won 34-30.

Oklahoma and Louisville soar, Notre Dame plummets in AP Top 25

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Oklahoma’s big win over Texas in the Red River Rivalry and Notre Dame’s big loss in prime time on Saturday shuffled the Associated Press Top 25 poll, released Sunday.

Georgia remained No. 1 for the seventh consecutive week and secured 50 of 63 first-place votes after defeating Kentucky 51-13. No. 2 Michigan (11 first-place votes) held steady after a rout of Minnesota, and No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Florida State each moved up a spot and grabbed a first-place vote after lopsided wins over conference foes.

The Sooners, who defeated previously No. 3 Texas 34-30 with a final-minute touchdown, were one of the week’s biggest risers, climbing seven spots to No. 5 and joining Georgia and Michigan at 6-0. Ohio State and Florida State are 5-0.

No. 6 Penn State, No. 7 Washington and No. 8 Oregon, all idle and 5-0, retained their rankings from last week. Texas (5-1) slid to No. 9, while Southern California (6-0) dropped a place to No. 10 after a three-overtime win over Arizona.

Alabama (5-1) held at No. 11, and North Carolina (5-0) and Ole Miss (5-1) each used wins to move up to Nos. 12 and 13, respectively.

Then came Louisville (6-0), which eked into the poll last week at No. 25 but advanced 11 spots to No. 14 after defeating visiting Notre Dame 33-20. The Irish (5-2) plummeted out of the Top 10, falling 11 places to No. 21. Louisville’s win ended Notre Dame’s 30-game, regular-season winning streak against teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The voters penalized Miami (4-1) for its inexplicable last-minute decision not to take a knee and run out the clock with 36 seconds left at the Georgia Tech 30. Instead, the Hurricanes ran a play, turned the ball over on a fumble and allowed the Yellow Jackets to score with 2 seconds left, handing Miami a 23-20 conference loss.

Washington State (4-1) tumbled six places to No. 19 after a 25-17 loss to UCLA, and Kentucky dropped four spots to No. 24 after the big defeat by Georgia.

Moving into the poll at No. 23 was Kansas (5-1) following its victory over UCF. Moving out was Missouri, last week’s No. 21, which fell to LSU.

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) celebrates his rushing touchdown with Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Carson Hinzman (75) during the third quarter of their game against Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium.

Ohio State climbs to No. 4 in Top 25 after win at Notre Dame

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Ohio State moved up in — and Colorado moved out of — the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, released Sunday.

The Buckeyes (4-0) climbed two spots to No. 4 following their thrilling, final-second 17-14 victory over Notre Dame on Saturday.

Deion Sanders’ previously undefeated Buffaloes (3-1), who entered this weekend’s action ranked No. 19 last week, fell out of the Top 25 after being drubbed by then-No. 10 Oregon.

The Ducks moved up one spot to No. 9 after the win.

Georgia remained in the top spot and captured 55 first-place votes. The remaining eight votes were spread among five other 4-0 teams in the Top 10. No. 2 Michigan (one vote), No. 3 Texas (two), Ohio State (one), No. 5 Florida State (three) and No. 7 Washington (one) each garnered a first-place vote.

Six teams had not received first-place votes in a regular-season poll since Nov. 1, 2015.

Rounding out the Top 10 were No. 6 Penn State, No. 8 Southern California, Oregon and No. 10 Utah. Each of those teams are also 4-0.

With their loss to Ohio State, Notre Dame (4-1) dropped two spots to No. 11.

Alabama (3-1) rose a spot to No. 12 after defeating Ole Miss. The Rebels plummeted five spots to No. 20 after a 24-10 loss to Alabama.

Also dropping five places to No. 19 was Oregon State, which lost 38-35 to Washington State. The Cougars rose five places to No. 16 with the win.

Moving in to the Top 25 were a trio of 4-0 teams — No. 23 Missouri, No. 24 Kansas and No. 25 Fresno State.

Missouri is ranked for the first time since 2019. Kansas is ranked in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2008-09.

Joining Colorado in falling from the rankings were UCLA and Iowa.

–Field Level Media

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) warms up before the start of a NCAA college football game between Vanderbilt and Georgia in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. News Joshua L Jones

Top six teams unchanged as Georgia leads AP Top 25

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Georgia is No. 1 for the third straight week and the top six teams held their spots in the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll released Sunday.

The Bulldogs (7-0) were idle this weekend and received 31 first-place votes. No. 2 Ohio State (7-0) got 18 votes and No. 3 Tennessee (7-0) earned 13.

Michigan (7-0), Clemson (8-0) and Alabama (7-1) round out the top six, with the Tigers receiving one first-place vote following a 27-21 win against Syracuse (6-1), who dropped two spots to No. 16.

The rest of the Top 10 — Top 11, actually — starts with No. 7 TCU (7-0), followed by Oregon (6-1), Oklahoma State (6-1), Southern California (6-1) and Wake Forest (6-1). The Trojans and Demon Deacons are tied at No. 10.

UCLA (6-1) fell three spots to No. 12 after a 45-30 loss to the Ducks.

No. 15 Ole Miss (7-1) plummeted eight places after a 45-20 setback at LSU (6-2), who rejoined the poll this week at No. 18.

No. 25 South Carolina (5-2) is ranked for the first time since 2018.

Texas and Mississippi State dropped out of the Top 25 after losses to Oklahoma State and Alabama, respectively.

The SEC has seven teams represented, followed by the ACC with five and the Big Ten and Pac-12 with four each.

–Field Level Media

Oct 15, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers tight end Princeton Fant (88) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee rises to No. 3 behind Georgia, Ohio State

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Tennessee’s thrilling 52-49 victory against Alabama vaulted the Volunteers to No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll released Sunday.

Georgia (7-0) and idle Ohio State (6-0) held their spots atop the poll and received 31 and 17 of the 63 first-place ballots, respectively. The Bulldogs blanked Vanderbilt 55-0 on Saturday.

Tennessee (6-0) moved up three places and collected the remaining 15 votes after Chase McGrath’s 40-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Crimson Tide (6-1), who fell three spots to No. 6.

The Volunteers have not been ranked this high in the second half of a season since 2001, while the Tide saw their streak of 40 consecutive weeks in the Top 5 snapped.

No. 4 Michigan (7-0) switched places with No. 5 Clemson (7-0). The Wolverines thumped Penn State 41-17, which knocked the Nittany Lions (5-1) down six rungs to No. 16. The Tigers held on for a 34-28 win at Florida State.

After Alabama, Ole Miss (7-0), TCU (6-0), UCLA (6-0) and Oregon (5-1) round out the Top 10.

No. 11 Oklahoma State (5-1) and No. 12 Southern California (12) fell out of the Top 10 after absorbing their first losses of the season. The Cowboys lost in double-overtime at TCU and the Trojans fell 43-42 at Utah (5-2), which jumped five spots to No. 15.

No. 22 North Carolina (6-1) is ranked for the first time this season and No. 25 Tulane is in the poll for the first time since 1998.

Kansas dropped out after its second straight loss and James Madison is out after checking in at No. 25 last week in its first season as an FBS member.

–Field Level Media

Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) celebrates his touchdown run as Georgia takes on Auburn at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. on Saturday, Oct. 8th, 2022.Sports Richard Hamm

Georgia back to No. 1 in Top 25, Alabama slips to No. 3

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Georgia reclaimed the No. 1 spot from rival Alabama in the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll released Sunday.

The defending national champion Bulldogs (6-0) received 32 of the 63 first-place ballots following a 42-10 victory against Auburn.

No. 2 Ohio State (6-0) moved up a spot and earned 20 first-place votes following a 49-20 victory at Michigan State.

Alabama (6-0) dropped to No. 3 and received 11 votes after holding on for a 24-20 defeat of Texas A&M.

No. 4 Clemson (6-0) and No. 5 Michigan (6-0) switched places, No. 6 Tennessee (5-0) moved up two spots and No. 7 Southern California (6-0) and No. 8 Oklahoma State (5-0) each fell one spot. No. 9 Ole Miss (6-0) and No. 10 Penn State (5-0) held steady.

No. 11 UCLA (6-0) jumped seven places after a 42-32 victory against Utah (4-2), which plummeted nine spots to No. 20.

No. 16 Mississippi State (5-1) matched the Bruins for the largest rise, climbing seven spots after routing Arkansas 40-17.

No. 22 Kentucky (4-2) equaled the Utes’ nine-spot tumble after falling 24-14 to South Carolina for a second straight setback.

Tied with the Wildcats at No. 22, Texas (4-2) joins the poll this week along with No. 24 Illinois (5-1) and No. 25 James Madison (5-0). The Illini are in the Top 25 for the first time since 2011 while the Dukes, out of the Sun Belt Conference, are playing their first season at the FBS level.

Dropping out of the poll were Washington, LSU and BYU.

–Field Level Media

Georgia running back Kenny McIntosh (6) drives in for touchdown during the first half of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game between Oregon and Georgia in Atlanta, on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022. News Joshua L Jones

Georgia jumps Ohio St. to No. 2 in AP poll; Alabama on top

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Georgia rode a dominating performance against Oregon to move to No. 2 in the first Associated Press Top 25 poll of the regular season, sending Ohio State to No. 3.

Alabama stayed at No. 1, earning 44 of 63 first-place votes. Georgia, with its 49-3 thrashing of Oregon, gained 17 first-place votes and moved up one spot in the poll released Tuesday. Despite a lukewarm first half in their defeat of Notre Dame, the Buckeyes received the other two first-place votes.

Rising four spots to No. 4 was Michigan while Clemson fell one spot to No. 5.

Rounding out the top 10 are No. 6 Texas A&M, followed by Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Baylor and Southern California.

The Irish fell from No. 5 with their 21-10 loss to Ohio State. The Trojans jumped four spots after their 66-14 win over Rice to open the Lincoln Riley era in Los Angeles.

Florida moved into the top 25 at No. 12 after its impressive 29-26 over Utah in the first game under new head coach Billy Napier. The Utes dropped six places to No. 13.

Also debuting in the top 25 this week is Tennessee (No. 24). This is the first ranking for the Volunteers under second-year head coach Josh Heupel.

With its loss, Oregon plummeted from No. 11 all the way out of the top 25.

Also dropping out of the poll was Cincinnati — a College Football Playoff team last season — which was ranked No. 23 in the preseason poll. The Bearcats’ streak of 45 straight top 25 appearances was snapped after losing to Arkansas, which moved up three spots to No. 16.

In all, the Southeastern Conference has eight teams in the top 25.

The rest of the Top 25:
11. Oklahoma State
12. Florida
13. Utah
14. Michigan State
15. Miami
16. Arkansas
17. Pittsburgh
18. N.C. State
19. Wisconsin
20. Kentucky
21. BYU
22. Ole Miss
23. Wake Forest
24. Tennessee
25. Houston

–Field Level Media

Jan 9, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Donald, Aaron Rodgers highlight AP All-Pro team

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Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his favorite target, Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, lead The Associated Press 2021 NFL All-Pro team, announced Friday.

It’s the fourth selection for Rodgers and the second for Adams. Voters were 50 members of the national media.

Adams was one of five unanimous selections to the team, joining fellow wideout Cooper Kupp of the Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt and Aaron Donald, the Rams defensive tackle.

It is the seventh selection for Donald and the third for Watt, who last week tied Michael Strahan’s NFL record for sacks with 22.5.

Other multi-time honorees are Dallas Cowboys right guard Zack Martin and Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, each with five; Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce (four); and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, Colts linebacker Darius Leonard, Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward (three). Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett and Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Byard were selected for a second time.

Among the 15 first-time honorees is Micah Parsons, the rookie linebacker for the Cowboys.

“I think it’s an extraordinary honor,” Parsons told The Associated Press. “It speaks to the work and the position the Cowboys put me in. I think it’s just a true blessing. It just makes you want to go harder. … I’ve got to just keep working and keep getting better and find a way to beat this season next year, which is the harder part.”

The 2021 AP NFL All-Pro Team:

OFFENSE
QB, Aaron Rodgers, Packers
RB, Jonathan Taylor, Colts
TE, Mark Andrews, Ravens
WR, Davante Adams, Packers
WR, Cooper Kupp, Rams
WR, Deebo Samuel, 49ers
LT, Trent Williams, 49ers
RT, Tristan Wirfs, Buccaneers
LG, Joel Bitonio, Browns
RG, Zack Martin, Cowboys
C, Jason Kelce, Eagles

DEFENSE
EDGE, T.J. Watt, Steelers
EDGE, Myles Garrett, Browns
DL, Aaron Donald, Rams
DL, Cam Heyward, Steelers
LB, Darius Leonard, Colts
LB, Micah Parsons, Cowboys
LB, De’Vondre Campbell, Packers
CB, Trevon Diggs, Cowboys
CB, Jalen Ramsey, Rams
S, Kevin Byard, Titans
S, Jordan Poyer, Bills

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK, Justin Tucker, Ravens
P, A.J. Cole, Raiders
KR, Braxton Berrios, Jets
PR, Devin Duvernay, Ravens
ST, J.T. Gray, Saints
LS, Luke Rhodes, Colts

–Field Level Media

Jan 10, 2022; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart holds the National Championship trophy after defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2022 CFP college football national championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Champion Georgia unanimous No. 1 in final AP Top 25 poll

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Georgia capped its College Football Playoff national championship as a unanimous No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 balloting of the season, released Tuesday.

It was the Bulldogs’ first season-ending No. 1 spot in the poll since 1980, when they were 12-0 and national champions. The 2021 Bulldogs finished 14-1, and it was their third top-5 finish in five years under head coach Kirby Smart.

Alabama, beaten 33-18 by Georgia on Monday night in Indianapolis, finished No. 2.

The two other CFP semifinalists — Michigan and Cincinnati — ended up Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. Georgia defeated Michigan in the Orange Bowl 34-11, and Cincinnati lost to Alabama in the Cotton Bowl, 27-6.

Rounding out the Top 5 was Baylor, which beat Ole Miss 21-6 in the Sugar Bowl. It was the first Top 5 finish for both Baylor and Cincinnati.

Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Notre Dame, Michigan State and Oklahoma made up the rest of the Top 10.

In all, the Southeastern Conference had five teams, followed by the Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conference with four each. The Big 12 had three teams, the Pacific-12, Mountain West and American Athletic conference each had two, and two independents made the Top 25. The Sun Belt was represented by one team.

AP Top 25:
1. Georgia (14-1)
2. Alabama (13-2)
3. Michigan (12-2)
4. Cincinnati (13-1)
5. Baylor (12-2)
6. Ohio State (11-2)
7. Oklahoma State (12-2)
8. Notre Dame (11-2)
9. Michigan State (11-2)
10. Oklahoma (11-2)
11. Ole Miss (10-3)
12. Utah (10-4)
13. Pittsburgh (11-3)
14. Clemson (10-3)
15. Wake Forest (11-3)
16. Louisiana-Lafayette (13-1)
17. Houston (12-2)
18. Kentucky (10-3)
19. Brigham Young (10-3)
20. North Carolina State (9-3)
21. Arkansas (9-4)
22. Oregon (10-4)
23. Iowa (10-4)
24. Utah State (11-3)
25. San Diego State (12-2)

–Field Level Media

Nov 27, 2021; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara celebrates with fans as he walks up the tunnel after Michigan's 42-27 win over Ohio State on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Junfu Han-USA TODAY Sports

Michigan jumps to No. 2 in AP Top 25

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Michigan moved to No. 2 in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings for the first time since the 2016 season, thanks to its big 42-27 win over Ohio State.

Undefeated Georgia (12-0) remains atop the new poll, released Sunday. The Bulldogs captured all 62 first-place votes after their 45-0 drubbing of Georgia Tech on Saturday, while the Wolverines (11-1) moved up from No. 6.

Climbing one spot to No. 3 was Cincinnati (12-0), which will meet No. 16 Houston (11-1) in Saturday’s American Athletic Conference championship game.

Alabama (11-1) dropped a spot to No. 4 after its come-from-behind overtime win against Auburn in the Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide face Georgia in the SEC title game on Saturday in Atlanta.

Moving into the No. 5 spot was Oklahoma State (11-1), which climbed from No. 7 after its 37-33 defeat of Oklahoma on Saturday. The Sooners (10-2) tumbled three places in the poll to No. 13.

The Cowboys will square off with No. 9 Baylor (10-2) next Saturday for the Big 12 title. With a win, Oklahoma State would stay alive for a potential berth in the College Football Playoff.

Rounding out the Top 10 were No. 6 Notre Dame (11-1), No. 7 Ohio State (10-2), No. 8 Ole Miss (10-2) and No. 10 Oregon (10-2).

Texas A&M, No. 14 last week, plummeted to No. 24 after a loss to unranked LSU sent the Aggies to 8-4.

Re-entering the Top 25 this week were a pair of 9-3 teams — Clemson at No. 22 and No. 25 Kentucky. Falling off the list were Wisconsin and UTSA. The Roadrunners entered their game against North Texas on Friday with an 11-0 record and the No. 15 ranking but lost 45-23.

–Field Level Media

Nov 13, 2021; Waco, Texas, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Spencer Rattler (7) is tackled by the Baylor Bears defense during the second half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia No. 1, Alabama climbs, Oklahoma plummets in AP Top 25

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Georgia again is a unanimous No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, released Sunday, which saw Alabama jump over Cincinnati into the No. 2 spot and previously undefeated Oklahoma take a big tumble.

The Bulldogs (10-0) claimed 1,550 points and all 62 first-place votes, while Alabama (9-1) tallied 1,449 points to 1,420 for Cincinnati (10-0).

Oklahoma (9-1), No. 4 last week, fell to No. 12 following its 27-14 loss to Baylor (8-2). Previously No. 18, the Bears climbed to No. 11 after defeating the Sooners.

With Oklahoma’s loss, the rest of the top 10 largely moved up one spot.

Oregon (9-1), No. 5 last week, rose to No. 4, followed by Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Michigan and Oklahoma State, all of which are 9-1. Ole Miss (8-2) moved to No. 10 following its 29-19 win over Texas A&M.

The Aggies (7-3) dropped five spots to No. 16 with the loss.

Otherwise, the poll results stayed largely the same, with just a few changes.

No. 21 Arkansas (7-3) and No. 23 San Diego State (9-1) re-entered the Top 25, joined by Utah (7-3) at No. 24. With losses, Penn State, Auburn and Coastal Carolina fell out.

Penn State was 5-0 and ranked No. 4 on Oct. 3, six days before a 23-20 loss to Iowa started a downward spiral. The Nittany Lions have lost four of their past five games.

–Field Level Media