The new AP college football poll was due to be scrambled after college football rivalry weekend. But Alabama Crimson Tide football fans got an extra scramble in their favor, as Alabama passes FSU as No. 1 in AP college football poll in spite of receiving fewer first-place votes.
Bama football nation had reason to be worried on Saturday, as the Crimson Tide were behind for most of Saturday’s Iron Bowl game against the Auburn Tigers. In the fourth quarter Bama went on a scoring spree, racking up 22 points and coming away with a 55-44 comeback win over Auburn.
The Florida State Seminoles had their own close call against the Florida Gators this weekend. As has been the case for FSU this season, the Seminoles played from behind against the Gators but came away with a win to remain undefeated.
Apparently the AP pollsters valued the Alabama football team’s win more than FSU’s. The latest AP college football poll has Bama as the nation’s new No. 1, leapfrogging FSU. Oregon remained No. 3, while TCU took over the No. 4 spot formerly occupied by Mississippi State.
Mississippi State dropped all the way to No. 10 after losing 31-17 to the then-No. 19 Ole Miss. Ole Miss jumped to 13th in the new AP CFB poll.
While Bama’s move to No. 1 isn’t entirely surprising, just how they pulled it off is. Technically the Alabama Crimson Tide received 25 first-place votes, while FSU received 29.
However, Alabama received more overall points in the ranking system, as AP writers clearly wanted to push FSU farther down the poll than the No. 2 position. So, although it had four fewer No. 1 votes, Alabama had 1,426 total points compared to 1,423 for the Seminoles.
Oregon, the No. 3 team in the new AP college football poll, had 1,391 total points and five first-place votes after their 47-19 trouncing of the Oregon State Beavers in the Civil War game.
TCU jumping into the fourth spot in the new AP poll doesn’t guarantee the Horned Frogs will move up to No. 4 in the college football playoff rankings when they come out Tuesday night. Both TCU and Baylor have been lurking outside the top four playoff rankings picture for several weeks now.
Both TCU and Baylor won their respective games Saturday, with Baylor assuming the No. 5 spot in the new AP college football poll right behind TCU.
The full AP top 25 college football rankings after rivalry weekend are:
- Alabama
- Florida State
- Oregon
- TCU
- Baylor
- Ohio State
- Michigan State
- Arizona
- Kansas State
- Mississippi State
- Wisconsin
- Georgia Tech
- Ole Miss
- Missouri
- Georgia
- UCLA
- Arizona State
- Oklahoma
- Clemson
- Auburn
- Louisville
- Boise State
- LSU
- Utah
- Nebraska
Conference title games will take place this weekend.