{"id":98918,"date":"2022-10-16T17:59:10","date_gmt":"2022-10-16T17:59:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/josh-furlongs-ap-top-25-as-tennessee-rises-alabama-falls-a-bit\/"},"modified":"2022-10-16T17:59:10","modified_gmt":"2022-10-16T17:59:10","slug":"josh-furlongs-ap-top-25-as-tennessee-rises-alabama-falls-a-bit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/josh-furlongs-ap-top-25-as-tennessee-rises-alabama-falls-a-bit\/","title":{"rendered":"Josh Furlong’s AP Top 25: As Tennessee rises, Alabama falls … a bit"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes<\/p>\n
SALT LAKE CITY \u2014 If you missed this weekend of college football, you missed out on some incredible games \u2014 most notably the Alabama-Tennessee game that came down to the wire.<\/p>\n
The weekend featured five games where both teams were ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, and most did not disappoint. Meanwhile, six ranked teams were on a bye week and watching the chaos unfold before them.<\/p>\n
Here’s the ballot I submitted to the Associated Press that will be counted toward the official consensus poll released later today.<\/p>\n
It was a great week for a bye, and the Buckeyes got to watch the teams below them fight it out. I was tempted to move the Buckeyes out of the top spot this week, but felt a bye week shouldn’t penalize them given their success this season. But there’s teams below them ready to dethrone them if they slip up.<\/p>\n
Georgia easily put away an overmatched Vanderbilt team in blowout fashion ahead of its bye week. The Bulldogs remain a top-notch team and one of the favorites to come out of the SEC.<\/p>\n
I talked myself out of putting Tennessee as the No. 1 team this week, but the Vols have a legitimate reason to be ranked there. Tennessee features four wins over Top 25 teams at the time they played them (three of which dropped out of the rankings) and have been one of the hottest teams in the country \u2014 thanks to Hendon Hooker. I ultimately didn’t want to get too carried away with the win this weekend.<\/p>\n
For a while I’ve talked about how Michigan hasn’t played anybody worth bragging about, and as such it was hard to gauge their talent based on their resume. On Saturday, the Wolverines answered big and dominated a good Penn State team. Jim Harbaugh continues to keep the machine moving.<\/p>\n
Clemson did what it needed to in a win over a Florida State team that has flirted with a Top 25 ranking. It remains a solid win and another reason to keep Clemson in my top five teams. Next week’s matchup against Syracuse will be a great test for the Tigers.<\/p>\n
Tennessee jumped out to a hot start and Alabama looked flustered \u2014 and Nick Saban threw a tantrum on the sidelines. But with Bryce Young at quarterback, there’s never a reason to count the Crimson Tide out. The only thing in Alabama’s way was a red-hot Tennessee team that found a way to win in the end. Alabama is certainly not to be overlooked, but for one day they’re mortal.<\/p>\n
Ole Miss is quietly winning and doing it well. They’re not getting the publicity of Tennessee, but Jaxson Dart in the ‘Sip has been a perfect match for head coach Lane Kiffin to be a threat in the SEC. Auburn tried to make the game a little bit difficult for Ole Miss, but the Rebels come away with a 14-point win.<\/p>\n
At halftime, TCU faced a 24-13 deficit and Oklahoma State looked to be in charge to prove to be the best team in a fun Big 12. But quarterback Max Duggan answered the call and willed the Horned Frogs back from defeat and sent the game into double overtime before Kendre Miller fought for a 2-yard rushing touchdown to complete the comeback. TCU claims the top prize in the Big 12 and is now the team to beat.<\/p>\n
With a spotless record, the Bruins sat back and watched the chaos unfold on its bye week. But the test doesn’t get any easier with a road matchup against a 5-1 Oregon.<\/p>\n
Welcome to College GameDay, Eugene. The Ducks also sat back on a bye week and earned another week to prepare for a red-hot UCLA team at Autzen Stadium. A few thousand friends might want to come and watch (as well as the ESPN crew making Eugene home for the weekend). The game next week could have big implications for the Pac-12.<\/p>\n
Checking in:<\/strong> LSU<\/p>\n Dropping out:<\/strong> Kansas<\/p>\n In consideration:<\/strong> Oregon State, Kansas, Pittsburgh, UCF, Liberty, Maryland, Tulane<\/p>\n If you can’t see my full ballot below, click here.<\/p>\n Want to create your own Top 25 ballot, go create one with the KSL.com College Football Top 25 Fan Poll.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nMost recent College stories<\/h3>\n