Big East Teams Rise in AP Poll

Thanks to USC's fall, the pivotal game between West Virginia and Louisville will be the first top-five matchup for the rebuilt Big East. The third-ranked Mountaineers and fifth-ranked Cardinals each moved up a spot in The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday. The two unbeatens were off last week and play Thursday night in Louisville.

Southern California's 33-31 upset loss to Oregon State on Saturday opened up a spot in the top five. USC dropped from No. 3 to No. 9 after its first regular-season loss since falling 34-31 in triple overtime to California on Sept. 27, 2003. The last time the Trojans were ranked lower in the media poll was after that loss to Cal, when they were 10th.

No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Michigan remained on top of the AP poll.

The Buckeyes have been No. 1 all season. They received 63 of 65 first-place votes. The Wolverines were second for a third consecutive week. The Big Ten rivals meet Nov. 18 in Columbus.

In between West Virginia, which received two first-place votes, and Louisville is No. 4 Texas, which rallied from three touchdowns down to beat Texas Tech 35-31 on Saturday night.

The rise of West Virginia and Louisville is a boon to the Big East.

The conference lost perennial national championship contenders Miami and Virginia Tech to the Atlantic Coast Conference three seasons ago in a move that severely damaged the Big East's reputation. Boston College followed the Hokies and Hurricanes the next season.

Louisville, along with Cincinnati and South Florida, was brought in from Conference USA last year by the Big East to make up for the losses.

Now, in the second season of the new-look Big East, the Cardinals and Mountaineers have replaced Miami and Virginia Tech as the league's two national title contenders.

No. 15 Rutgers was the third ranked team from the Big East.

No. 6 Auburn, No. 7 Florida and No. 8 Tennessee gave the Southeastern Conference three top-10 teams for a third consecutive week.

No. 9 USC is followed by two of its remaining opponents: No. 10 California and No. 11 Notre Dame.

The first nine teams in the USA Today coaches' poll were the same as the AP's.

In the AP poll, No. 12 Arkansas and No. 13 LSU gave the SEC five ranked teams, tied with the ACC (No. 16 Boston College, No. 19 Clemson, No. 20 Georgia Tech, No. 22 Wake Forest and No. 23 Virginia Tech) for the most by one conference.

Unbeaten Boise State of the Western Athletic Conference was 14th and the only team from outside the six conferences with automatic bids to the Bowl Championship Series in the Top 25.

Wisconsin was No. 17 followed by Oklahoma.

Texas A&M was No. 21 and the Top 25 was rounded out by two Pac-10 teams, No. 24 Oregon State and No. 25 Washington State.

Virginia Tech, which has been out of the rankings the past two weeks, moved back in after a 24-7 victory over Clemson last Thursday.

Washington State was ranked for the first time since finishing the 2003 season No. 9.

Falling out of the rankings were Big 12 North rivals Nebraska and Missouri. The Cornhuskers and Tigers play next week in Lincoln, Neb.

college football football AP Poll Big East


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