AP Top 25 poll: Wake Forest moves into top 10. UNC, NC State remain ranked
It took one week shy of a year, but Wake Forest is back among the nation’s top-10 ranked teams and the Demon Deacons matched a program record by doing so.
Losses by Mississippi and UCLA, both top-10 teams last week, on Saturday provided an opening and Wake Forest is tied for the No. 10 ranking in Sunday’s new Associated Press Top 25 poll.
The Demon Deacons (6-1, 2-1 ACC) received 927 voting points to match Southern California (6-1) for that poll position. Wake blasted Boston College, 43-15, on Saturday.
Wake Forest has only been in the AP’s top 10 one time previously -- in the poll last Oct. 31.
The Demon Deacons are among five ACC teams included in this week’s poll.
Clemson (8-0, 6-0) remained at No. 5 after rallying in the fourth quarter at home to beat Syracuse, 27-21. The No 16 Orange (6-1, 3-1 ACC) fell two spots after suffering their first loss of the season.
Just below the Orange in the rankings are No. 21 North Carolina (6-1, 3-0 ACC) and No. 24 N.C. State (5-2, 1-2 ACC). Both the Tar Heels and the Wolfpack had open weeks and didn’t play on Saturday. UNC moved up one spot, while the Wolfpack fell a spot.
No. 15 Mississippi (7-1) will tumbled eight spots after losing, 45-20, at LSU. That vaulted the Tigers (6-2) back into the poll at No. 18.
UCLA also suffered its first loss and fell three spots to No. 12 Oregon (6-1) beat the Bruins (6-1), 45-30, in a rare battle of top-10 teams in Pac-12 play, helping the No. 8 Ducks move up two spots.
At the bottom of the ballot, Texas (5-3) and Mississippi State (5-3) disappeared from the rankings. Injury-riddled Oklahoma State (6-1) rallied past Texas, 41-34, while Alabama (7-1) hammered Mississippi State, 30-6.
That opened the door for South Carolina to jump into the rankings for the first time since 2018. The Gamecocks (5-2) have won four games in a row, including a 24-14 road win at Kentucky and Saturday night’s 30-24 win against Texas A&M.
Latest AP poll football rankings
Rk. | Team |
1 | Georgia |
2 | Ohio State |
3 | Tennessee |
4 | Michigan |
5 | Clemson |
6 | Alabama |
7 | TCU |
8 | Oregon |
9 | Oklahoma State |
10 (tie) | USC |
10 (tie) | Wake Forest |
12 | UCLA |
13 | Penn State |
14 | Utah |
15 | Mississippi |
16 | Syracuse |
17 | Illinois |
18 | LSU |
19 | Kentucky |
20 | Cincinnati |
21 | North Carolina |
22 | Kansas State |
23 | Tulane |
24 | N.C. State |
25 | South Carolina |
Steve Wiseman’s latest AP Top 25 ballot
1 | Georgia |
2 | Ohio State |
3 | Tennessee |
4 | Michigan |
5 | Clemson |
6 | Alabama |
7 | TCU |
8 | Wake Forest |
9 | Oregon |
10 | Oklahoma State |
11 | USC |
12 | UCLA |
13 | Mississippi |
14 | Penn State |
15 | Utah |
16 | Syracuse |
17 | Cincinnati |
18 | Illinois |
19 | Tulane |
20 | LSU |
21 | North Carolina |
22 | Kentucky |
23 | Kansas State |
24 | South Carolina |
25 | NC State |
