Clemson new No. 1 in AP poll, Oklahoma second after Alabama falls

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Monday, November 27, 2017

Clemson is the new No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll, just ahead of Oklahoma after the top two teams in the rankings lost in the same weekend for the first time since 2012.

The Tigers jumped from fourth to No. 1 after blowing out South Carolina on Saturday night. Clemson received 27 first-place votes and No. 2 Oklahoma had 24. No. 3 Wisconsin received 10 first-place votes.

Auburn rose to No. 4 after beating Alabama, which had been No. 1 since the preseason. The Crimson Tide slipped to fifth. Georgia moved up a spot to No. 6 and Miami fell five spots to No. 7. The Hurricanes lost for the first time this season on Friday at Pittsburgh.

The last time the top two teams in the AP poll lost on the same regular-season weekend was Nov. 17, 2012. Then, No. 1 Oregon lost to No. 14 Stanford and No. 2 Kansas State went down to Baylor.

Ohio State, Penn State and TCU round out the top 10.

Defending national champion Clemson is No. 1 for the first time since finishing atop the AP poll last season and ninth time overall. The Tigers were No. 1 for five weeks in 2015, entering the College Football Playoff title game against Alabama that way before losing.

Alabama's loss means there still will be only two teams in the history of the AP poll to go from preseason to final poll as No. 1: Florida State was first to do it in 1999 and Southern California did it in 2004.

Wisconsin has its best ranking since the Badgers were No. 2 on Oct. 21, 1963.

No. 25 Fresno State was the only team to move into the rankings this week. The Bulldogs replaced Boise State after beating the Broncos on Saturday. Fresno State is ranked for the first time since spending most of the 2013 season in the Top 25.