AP Top 25: No. 5 Tennessee moves up, Boise State enters poll

Tennessee moved as much as No. 5 in The Related Press school soccer ballot Sunday because the Volunteers continued to surge up the rankings, and No. 25 Boise State returned to the AP Prime 25 for the primary time in 4 years.

Texas was No. 1 for the second straight week, receiving 44 of 62 first-place votes as the highest 4 groups remained the identical. The Longhorns received a sport because the top-ranked crew within the nation for the primary time since 2008, cruising previous Louisiana-Monroe in quarterback Arch Manning’s first profession begin.

Georgia held at No. 2, receiving 13 first-place votes, and Ohio State is No. 3 with 5 first-place votes. Alabama is No. 4.

The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide have been every off this previous weekend as they put together to satisfy subsequent Saturday in Tuscaloosa for a top-five matchup.

The Volunteers welcomed Oklahoma to the Southeastern Convention with a 25-15 street victory that helped Tennessee rise within the rankings for the fourth straight week. The Vols began the season ranked No. 15, then went to No. 14 after Week 1, No. 7 after Week 2 and No. 6 final week.

Tennessee was final within the high 5 in 2022, peaking at No. 2 on Oct. 30.

Mississippi slipped a spot to No. 6 and No. 7 Miami, No. 8 Oregon and No. 9 Penn State all moved up one place.

No. 10 Utah moved up two spots after beating Oklahoma State on the street in a matchup of ranked Large 12 groups.

Boise State is making its first ballot look since a two-week keep in early November 2020. The Broncos, two weeks faraway from shedding at Oregon on a last-second area objective, improved to 2-1 with a blowout of Portland State on Saturday.

Ballot factors

The SEC’s stranglehold on the highest of the rankings loosened slightly, with Missouri’s extra time victory in opposition to Vanderbilt dropping the Tigers 4 spots to No. 11. The convention nonetheless reached one other milestone.

The SEC had gone two straight weeks holding down six of the highest seven spots within the rankings, a primary for one league in ballot historical past. No convention beforehand even held 5 of the highest seven spots, which the now 16-team SEC nonetheless has this week.

With Missouri slipping, the SEC nonetheless holds 5 of the highest six spots, and it’s on a three-week streak of proudly owning 4 of the highest 5. That streak is one other AP ballot first.

The one different time within the 88-year historical past of the ballot {that a} convention had 4 of the highest 5 ranked groups was the SEC on Oct. 19, 2014 (No. 1 Mississippi State, No. 3 Mississippi, No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Auburn). That lasted per week.

In-and-out

Boise State’s absence from the AP rankings had been notable after the Broncos grew to become a ballot fixture for practically twenty years.

Boise State went 19 straight seasons making at the very least one look within the AP Prime 25, from its first-ever look in 2002 to 2020. The Broncos completed the season ranked 13 occasions throughout that span.

No. 22 BYU additionally made its season debut within the rankings. The Cougars (4-0) are in for the primary time since Oct. 2, 2022, after routing Kansas State at house Saturday night time. The loss dropped the beforehand unbeaten Wildcats 10 spots to No. 23.

Exiting the rankings this week after temporary stays and their first losses of the season have been Nebraska and Northern Illinois.

The Cornhuskers fell in extra time to Illinois, a victory that helped the Illini transfer up 5 spots to No. 19.

NIU, which had not performed since upsetting Notre Dame two weeks in the past, misplaced in extra time to Buffalo in a Mid-American Convention sport.

Convention name

SEC — 9 (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 11, 14, 21, 24).

Large Ten — 6 (Nos. 3, 8, 9, 12, 13, 19).

Large 12 — 5 (Nos. 10, 18, 20, 22, 23).

ACC — 3 (Nos. 7, 15, 17).

Mountain West — 1 (No. 25).

Impartial — 1 (No. 16).

Ranked vs. Ranked

—No. 2 Georgia at No. 4 Alabama. Bulldogs and Tide performed eight occasions between 2012-23 however solely twice in regular-season conferences on one another’s house area. The opposite six have been two nationwide title video games and 4 SEC championships.

—No. 19 Illinois at No. 9 Penn State. Final time the Large Ten rivals met as ranked groups was 2008.

—No. 20 Oklahoma State at No. 23 Kansas State. Second straight sport in opposition to a ranked Large 12 opponent for the Cowboys. Solely third time in 68 conferences each are ranked.

—No. 15 Louisville at No. 16 Notre Dame. Second straight season the Cardinals-Combating Irish is a ranked matchup.

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Observe Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

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