USC receives first AP top-5 ranking since 2017

USC moved into the apical 5 of The Associated Press assemblage shot canvass Sunday for the archetypal clip successful 5 years.

Georgia again received 62 of the 63 first-place votes successful the AP Top 25 arsenic the apical 4 teams held their places aft playing varying degrees of adjacent games Saturday.

No. 2 Ohio State received the different first-place vote. Michigan was No. 3 again, followed by TCU.

The fifth-ranked Trojans moved up 2 spots aft a thrilling triumph implicit rival UCLA. The past clip USC was ranked successful the apical 5 was September 2017, erstwhile it started astatine No. 4 but spent astir of the play ranked successful the teens earlier finishing 12th.

Lincoln Riley's archetypal play arsenic USC manager has produced 1 of the champion turnarounds successful the country, with the Trojans going from 4 wins to 10 and the regular-season finale against No. 13 Notre Dame and a Pac-12 title crippled inactive to go.

"If you would person told maine astatine the extremity of past play I would beryllium present present with this radical of guys and being capable to play for a championship, I would person called you a dormant liar. Just being wholly honest," USC fourth-year wide receiver Kyle Ford told reporters aft the UCLA game. "I'm conscionable truthful thankful for everyone connected this team."

LSU stayed astatine No. 6. Clemson moved up 2 spots to No. 7. Alabama held astatine eighth, and Tennessee dropped 4 spots to No. 9 aft getting upset successful a blowout astatine South Carolina.

In their 63-38 victory, the Gamecocks scored much points against a top-five squad arsenic an unranked squad than immoderate successful the past of the AP poll.

Oregon rounded retired the apical 10 aft the Ducks bushed Utah successful the Pac-12's different marquee crippled Saturday night.