Miami Stays No. 1 in the AP Top 25 With 62 First-Place Votes, and Ohio State Falls Nine Spots to No. 11
A 38-35 escape at North Carolina cost the Hurricanes nothing: Miami's grip on No. 1 tightened to 62 of 70 first-place votes in the final AP poll before Tuesday's first College Football Playoff rankings.
The Miami Hurricanes remain No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 for a third straight week, and Sunday's poll made the hold stronger, not weaker: Miami collected 62 of 70 first-place votes and 1,740 points after Saturday's 38-35 victory at North Carolina — up from 59 first-place votes a week ago — in the final AP poll before the College Football Playoff selection committee releases its first rankings on Tuesday.
The shakeup happened underneath the Hurricanes. Georgia took over No. 2 with seven first-place votes after beating Florida 27-8; Utah rose three spots to No. 3 with the remaining first-place vote after a 49-25 win over Cincinnati; Notre Dame sits No. 4 and UCLA No. 5, the Bruins' highest placement in 25 years. Ohio State was the day's faller, dropping nine spots to No. 11 — out of the top 10 for the first time in more than five years — after a 30-18 loss at Southern California.
For Miami, the poll is now a countdown. The Hurricanes (8-0) travel to No. 4 Notre Dame on Saturday, November 7, in the top-five matchup that College GameDay has already claimed — and Tuesday's first CFP rankings will show whether the committee sees the same team the AP voters do. A No. 1 ranking in November is a position, not a prize; Miami defends it next in South Bend.
