Miami takes number 1 spot in new AP Top 25 poll
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Miami is the new number 1 team in the AP Top 25 poll after Week 7.
- BYU rose to number 2 after beating Notre Dame 28-24 on Saturday.
- Five top-10 teams lost, and no team kept its old spot in the poll.
Miami is the new number 1 team in US college football. The AP Top 25 poll put the Hurricanes on top on Sunday. The move came after a wild Week 7 full of upsets.
The AP Top 25 is a weekly list. Sports writers vote on the best 25 college teams. Each writer ranks the teams from first to 25th.
The votes are then added up into one list.
What happened
Week 7 turned the old rankings upside down. Five top-10 teams lost on Saturday. No team in the new poll stayed in its old spot.
That had not happened all season, according to Fox News.
Miami took the number 1 spot. BYU moved up to number 2. Ohio State sits at number 3. The three teams form a fresh top three.
Miami earned its spot the hard way. The Hurricanes beat rival Florida State 43-35 in double overtime. The game went to two extra periods.
Miami's double-overtime win over Florida State kept the team unbeaten at 6-0.
Overtime means extra play after a tie. Double overtime means the teams played two extra periods. In the second overtime, Malachi Toney caught a three-yard touchdown.
He then threw the two-point conversion. That score gave Miami the lead for good.
BYU had the best win of the weekend. The Cougars beat number 2 Notre Dame 28-24. The game was the first top-10 matchup ever hosted in Provo. BYU trailed late in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Bear Bachmeier then threw a six-yard touchdown with 1:47 left. He also scored two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown in the game. A late goal-line stand by the BYU defense sealed the win.
Ohio State also won a big game. The Buckeyes beat number 5 Indiana 19-15 on the road. That road win pushed Ohio State up to number 3.
The biggest shock came in the SEC. Auburn stunned number 1 Georgia 27-24. Auburn's upset of Georgia ended the Bulldogs' stay at the top. An upset means a weaker team beats a stronger team.
Georgia had held the number 1 spot for just one week.
More ranked teams fell across the country. Tennessee beat number 6 Alabama 26-10. Florida beat number 7 Texas 27-24 in Austin. Texas blew a 14-point lead at home.
Ole Miss beat number 13 Missouri 31-3. LSU shut out number 16 Mississippi State 31-0. Houston beat number 18 Oklahoma State 35-32. In all, eight ranked teams lost in Week 7, according to NCAA. com.
The poll also saw big moves up and down. Florida made the biggest jump. The Gators rose 12 spots to number 20. Texas had the biggest fall.
The Longhorns dropped from number 7 to number 19 after a second straight loss.
Kentucky also climbed the list. The Wildcats moved up to number 12. They beat Oklahoma 21-13 on the road. Kentucky's win at Oklahoma was their third road win in conference play.
Jordan Castell returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown with 1:17 left. That play sealed the win.
Why it matters
The number 1 spot brings a debate with it. Miami got 40 first-place votes from the writers. BYU got 20 first-place votes.
A first-place vote means a writer ranked that team number 1. So many writers backed Miami, but a large group picked BYU.
The debate centers on each team's record. BYU has the best win of the three top teams. The Cougars beat number 2 Notre Dame.
Miami has not played a ranked team all season, according to Fox News. Miami also needed two overtimes to beat Florida State at home.
BYU's case is simple. The Cougars are 6-0. They beat a top-two team on the field. Miami's case rests on its record too.
The Hurricanes are also 6-0. They were the highest-ranked of the three teams before this week.
The new poll also shows how deep some leagues are. Nine SEC teams made the Top 25. The SEC is the Southeastern Conference. It is one of the strongest leagues in the sport.
The Big 12 also placed four teams in the top 15. BYU sits at number 2. Texas Tech is number 8. Utah is number 10. Houston is number 14.
Five teams in the new poll have two losses. All five of them play in the SEC. That fact shows how hard the league schedule is.
A team can lose twice there and still rank in the top 25.
The poll matters because it shapes the playoff race. The College Football Playoff picks the best teams at the end of the season. A high rank in October does not lock in a playoff spot.
But it puts a team on the right path. Every week from here is a test.
Only six unbeaten teams are left at the top level. The list is Miami, BYU, Texas Tech, Utah, UCLA, and James Madison. That small group will shrink fast.
Unbeaten teams still have to play each other. Each week brings a new chance to lose.
What happens next
The next big game is in the Big 12. Houston travels to Utah on Saturday. Both teams rank in the top 15. The winner stays in the playoff race. The loser takes a big hit.
Houston sits at number 14. Utah sits at number 10.
Miami faces a new kind of test now. The Hurricanes carry the number 1 label. Every rival will want to beat them.
Miami must also find a ranked team on its schedule. A win over a ranked team would end the debate about its record.
BYU will try to keep its momentum. The Cougars have a strong case for number 1. Another big win could push them to the top. Their win over Notre Dame already changed how voters see them.
The poll will keep moving each week. No team is safe at the top. Georgia learned that lesson in one week.
The next poll comes after next Saturday's games. Fans can expect more twists before the season ends.
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