We're No. 2 (Again)!

 

The last AP Poll before the CFP Selection Committee starts releasing its weekly rankings every Tuesday came out today. AP Polls were always meaningless beauty contests, but it's still nice for a fan to see their team recognized, just as it's equally appalling to see then dissed with low rankings. In any event, this is the last post that will pay any attention to the AP.

Besides, these weekends are exhausting! Six hockey games (two Bruins, two BU men's, and two BU women's), two Celtics games, and football games with the Georgia Bulldogs and New England Patriots this weekend. And now the AP rankings. Sheesh! 

In the latest, Week 9 AP Poll, the reigning SEC-champion University of Georgia Bulldogs (7-1) moved up from Number 3 to the Number 2 spot. Ranked No. 3 in the preseason poll, the Dawgs were the previous No. 2 in the AP from Weeks 1 to 5, and now here they are, back at No. 2 again. 

No. 1 Miami (8-0) held off unranked North Carolina to win by three, 38-35, and remain No. 1 with 62 first-place votes. The old No.2, Ohio State (6-2), lost for the second time this season, this time to unranked USC, 30-18, and fell nine places all the way down to No. 11. The loss allowed Georgia, who beat No. 17 Florida, 27-8, to move up to No. 2 with seven first-place votes. Utah (8-0) moved up into Georgia's old No. 3 spot with a win over unranked Cincinnati and one first-place vote.  

Indiana (8-1) needed OT to beat unranked Minnesota, 23-16, and their struggle cost them two places in the AP Poll, falling from No. 4 to No. 6. Notre Dame (7-1) took over the No. 4 spot in this week's poll, and UCLA (8-0) moved up to No. 5. After No. 7 BYU (7-1), the SEC's Kentucky (7-1), Alabama (6-2), and Texas (6-2) are Numbers 8, 9, and 10. As mentioned above, Ohio State (6-2) fell nine spots down to No. 11. 

The fearsome Trinidad Chambliss (2,189 yards and 18 TDs) and Ole Miss (6-2), Georgia's opponents next weekend, are the new No. 12. Other SEC teams in the Top 25 include LSU (No. 15) and Tennessee (No. 16), both at 6-2.  Missouri, also 6-2, is Georgia's next opponent after the Ole Miss game, and is now ranked No. 19. South Carolina (5-3) debuted in the Poll this week at No. 23, and Florida (5-3), after its loss to Georgia, fell all the way down to No. 25. 

For those of you who care, that's ten SEC teams in the Top 25. It just means more. 

Dumb-ass, unranked Central Florida, who inexplicitly got their hands on college football's lineal championship title and Georgia's 2021 and 2022 championship belts, were blown out on Friday by unranked Baylor, 41-9. Baylor, who held the title and the belts from the 2021 Sugar Bowl over Ole Miss to their September 10, 2022 game against BYU, now have their hands on the prizes again. And guess who Baylor plays next week? You got it - No. 7 BYU, who will almost definitely take the title and belts away (the Cougars are 3½-point favorites over the Bears).

And that's it and good riddance to the AP Poll. Time to hear from the Selection Committee for some opinions that actually matter.