AP Top 25: Ohio State jumps Michigan, moves to No. 2. Washington, FSU flip-flop at Nos. 4-5

By RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer

Ohio State passed Michigan and moved up to No. 2 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday, a week before the Big Ten rivals play another top-five matchup, and No. 4 Washington flip-flopped with No. 5 Florida State.

Georgia remained No. 1 and received a season-high 61 first-place votes. The Bulldogs have been atop the rankings for 23 straight weeks, the second-best streak in the history of the poll and 10 behind the record held by Southern California (2003-05).

The top five teams, all unbeaten, had held their places for five straight weeks. All improved to 11-0 on Saturday, but their order changed Sunday.

Michigan had been No. 2 since the preseason but slipped a spot after playing its closest game yet. The Wolverines, without suspended head coach Jim Harbaugh, beat Maryland 31-24.

The Buckeyes received one first-place vote after blowing out Minnesota.

“Our team did a great job of staying focused this week,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said after the game. “Not easy to do for anybody, but we did stay in the moment and played well. But the moment we got in that locker room, it’s on to next week.”

Washington won 22-20 on the road against Oregon State, which slipped five spots to No. 15, and moved up a spot. The Huskies have their highest ranking since reaching No. 4 in 2016, their lone playoff season and the last time the Pac-12 had a team in the College Football Playoff.

Florida State dropped a spot after beating FCS North Alabama 58-13, but it suffered a far more significant loss. Quarterback Jordan Travis was carted off the field in the first quarter with what appeared to be a serious injury to his lower left leg.

No. 6 Oregon, No. 7 Texas, No. 8 Alabama and No. 9 Louisville all held their spots after victories, and Missouri moved up to No. 10.

POLL POINTS

Michigan and Ohio State will be a matchup of top-five teams for the 13th time, the most of any rivalry. The Buckeyes are 7-4-1 in those games.

The Buckeyes and Wolverines will enter this season’s game exactly as they did last year: Both unbeaten, with Ohio State ranked No. 2 and Michigan No. 3. The Wolverines won The Game for the second straight season.

“The guys on the team, we think about it every day, especially the way the last two years have gone,” Buckeyes quarterback Kyle McCord said. “So, to be in kind of the same position that we were last year with a chance to right the ship, I think everybody’s definitely excited.”

Oklahoma-Texas is the only other rivalry that has double-digit top-five matchups. The Sooners and Longhorns have met 10 times as top-10 teams.

Nebraska and Oklahoma are next at eight top-10 matchups.

IN-N-OUT

Utah (7-4) is out of the AP Top 25 for the first time this season. The Utes plummeted from No. 16 after losing 42-18 at Arizona. Utah has dropped three of four. The Wildcats are up to 16th.

The Utes saw their streak of 33 straight poll appearances dating back to the 2021 season snapped. It was the fifth-longest active streak in the country behind Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and Michigan.

North Carolina also fell out again after losing to Clemson.

Moving into the poll was No. 23 Toledo (10-1) for the first time this season. The Rockets are ranked for the first time since Nov. 1, 2015.

Iowa is back in at No. 20 after clinching the Big Ten West championship with 15-13 victory against Illinois.

CONFERENCE CALL

Toledo’s entry increased the number of schools from non-Power Five conferences in the Top 25 to a season-high four.

The Rockets from the Mid-American Conference join No. 18 Tulane from the American Athletic Conference, No. 22 Liberty from Conference USA and No. 24 James Madison from the Sun Belt.

JMU stayed in the poll after taking its first loss of the season, 26-23 in overtime to Appalachian State.

SEC — 6 (Nos. 1, 8, 10, 12, 14, 25).

Pac-12 — 4 (Nos. 4, 6, 15, 16).

Big 12 — 4 (Nos. 7, 13, 19, 21).

Big Ten — 4 (Nos. 2, 3, 11, 20).

ACC — 2 (Nos. 5, 9).

American — 1 (No. 18).

Conference USA — 1 (No. 22).

Sun Belt — 1 (No. 24).

Mid-American — 1 (No. 23)

Independent — 1 (No. 17).

RANKED vs. RANKED

No. 2 Ohio State at No. 3 Michigan, Saturday. The Buckeyes and Wolverines also lead in ranked matchups (this will be 49) and top-10 matchups (26).

No. 15 Oregon State at No. 6 Oregon, Friday. Sixth meeting with both teams ranked and second consecutive.

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.appodcasts.com. Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll