Why five SEC teams made top 15 in my Week 9 AP Top 25 poll for first time in 2023 | Adams
COLUMBIA — The SEC is back on the rise after a surprisingly slow start to 2023, and five teams in the conference made the top 15 in my AP Top 25 poll for the first time this season.
Though No. 8 Alabama, No. 12 LSU and No. 13 Missouri all had open weeks, all three moved up as multiple ranked teams suffered major upsets or had ugly wins over lesser opponents. Oregon State and Utah fell victim to Pac-12 cannibalization as the Beavers lost to unranked Arizona and Utah was held to six points by No. 6 Oregon. Oklahoma dropped from No. 6 to No. 14 after a loss to Kansas and backup QB Jason Bean. Fresh off a loss to No. 3 Ohio State in Week 8, Penn State dropped to No. 9 below Alabama after giving up 24 points to Indiana.
Georgia, which had upset scares against South Carolina and Auburn, is settling back in to its No. 1 spot after a convincing 43-20 win over Florida. The Bulldogs are hitting their stride down the stretch, and I’m still not convinced that Michigan or Ohio State have what it takes to contain them for a full four quarters. Ole Miss also took care of business in Week 9 with a 33-7 rout of Vanderbilt, earning them a small bump up to No. 11.
There could be another shake-up coming in Week 10 though as College GameDay prepares to head to Tuscaloosa for Alabama vs. No. 12 LSU. Mizzou will also get its biggest challenge yet in Georgia, and Texas A&M has some positive momentum after handling South Carolina as it heads to Ole Miss.
What to make of the ACC as top teams collapse
Week 9 was a disaster for the powerhouses of the ACC: Clemson lost to NC State for just the second time this decade, North Carolina dropped to No. 20 after its second straight loss to an unranked team in Georgia Tech, and Duke fell out of my rankings completely for getting shut out by No. 15 Louisville.
The Cardinals look like the clear No. 2 team in the conference behind No. 4 Florida State, but even they haven't been consistent with a bizarre loss to Pitt and several close games against mediocre opponents. Florida State is the only team without a true disaster game, and the Seminoles have scored at least 38 points while allowing 20 or less in each of their last four games.
Emily Adams’s college football rankings: AP Top 25 poll Week 9
Georgia
Michigan
Ohio State
Florida State
Washington
Oregon
Texas
Alabama
Penn State
Notre Dame
Ole Miss
LSU
Missouri
Oklahoma
Louisville
Oregon State
Utah
UCLA
Tennessee
North Carolina
Air Force
Tulane
James Madison
Southern California
Kansas
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This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why five SEC teams made top 15 in my AP Top 25 poll after Week 9
