Vols jump to No. 3 in AP poll; Bama falls to 6th

Tennessee moved to No. 3 successful The Associated Press assemblage shot canvass down No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Ohio State aft knocking disconnected Alabama.

The Crimson Tide were 1 of 5 unbeaten teams to autumn during a chaotic play and dropped 3 places to No. 6 successful the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank. Alabama swapped places with the Vols aft losing to them 52-49 connected a tract extremity arsenic clip expired Saturday.

Georgia remained No. 1 and received 31 first-place votes, portion Ohio State had 17 first-place votes.

The Vols received 15 first-place votes and person their champion ranking since starting the 2005 play astatine No. 3. The past clip Tennessee was ranked this precocious successful the 2nd fractional of the play was 2001, reaching the apical 10 successful precocious October and headed into the SEC title astatine No. 2.

No. 4 Michigan moved up a spot Sunday, switching places with No. 5 Clemson aft the Wolverines blew retired now-No. 16 Penn State.

No. 7 Mississippi moved up 2 spots and No. 8 TCU, No. 9 UCLA and No. 10 Oregon each moved into the apical 10.

POLL POINTS

The Crimson Tide had its drawstring of 40 consecutive appearances successful the apical 5 snapped. It was the longest specified progressive streak successful the country.

Georgia present has the longest tally of top-five appearances with 24.

The Tide's latest top-five tally is lone the 3rd longest of the Saban era. The Tide's 68 consecutive top-five appearances from 2015-19 is the AP canvass record, and a drawstring of 48 consecutive top-five rankings from 2011-13 is tied for fourth.

EXPLAIN YOUR VOTE

Tennessee made a lawsuit to beryllium the No. 1 squad successful the country, and it swayed immoderate voters.

Those who bought successful connected the Vols cited a resume that includes 4 victories against teams that were ranked astatine the clip (at Pitt, Florida, astatine LSU and Alabama).

"I voted Tennessee No. 1 due to the fact that the Vols' spot of docket is acold superior to UGA and Ohio State," said Ron Counts of the Idaho Statesman successful Boise.

For comparison, Georgia has played conscionable 1 squad (Oregon) that has been ranked astatine immoderate constituent this season. Ohio State has played three, though lone 1 was ranked astatine the clip (Notre Dame) and each of those opponents person astatine slightest 3 losses.

Plus, beating Alabama doesn't hap often and holds a batch of value with voters. No squad this play has beaten a squad with a amended ranking astatine the clip the crippled was played than Tennessee.

"It was a pugnacious telephone betwixt Tennessee and Georgia for No. 1," said Kellis Robinett of The Wichita (Kansas) Eagle. "I person been voting the Bulldogs up of everyone other for respective weeks, mostly due to the fact that their blowout triumph implicit Oregon has aged similar a good wine. But I deliberation beating Alabama is somewhat much impressive."

So wherefore lone No. 3 for Tennessee?

The ranked-at-the-time statement falls level for immoderate voters, who were little impressed with victories against Florida and Pitt and springiness Georgia and Ohio State recognition for being much ascendant overall.

"I've been precocious connected Tennessee each year, but I don't deliberation ranking them No. 3 is immoderate benignant of snub this week," said Mike Barber of the Richmond (Virginia) Times-Dispatch.

IN

• No. 22 North Carolina is ranked for the archetypal clip this season.

• No. 25 Tulane is this week's breakthrough team. The Green Wave (6-1) is ranked for the archetypal clip since 1998, erstwhile backmost Shaun King led them to an unbeaten play and No. 7 successful the last Top 25.

OUT

• Kansas mislaid 2 consecutive games aft snapping a canvass drought of 13 years and is unranked again.

• James Madison is retired aft becoming the archetypal squad to beryllium ranked successful its archetypal play arsenic an FBS member. The Dukes mislaid 45-38 connected the roadworthy astatine caller Sun Belt rival Georgia Southern.

CONFERENCE CALL

SEC -- 6 (Nos. 1, 3, 6, 7, 19, 24).

ACC -- 5 (Nos. 5, 13, 14, 22, 23).

Big 12 -- 4 (Nos. 8, 11, 17, 20).

Big Ten -- 4 (No. 2, 4, 16, 18).

Pac-12 -- 4 (Nos. 9, 10, 12, 15).

American -- 2 (Nos. 21, 25).

RANKED vs. RANKED

After six games matching ranked teams this past weekend, 5 much are connected tap, including the archetypal top-10 matchup successful the Pac-12 since the 2016 league title crippled (No. 4 Washington and No. 9 Colorado).

No. 14 Syracuse astatine No. 5 Clemson.

No. 20 Texas astatine No. 11 Oklahoma State.

No. 9 UCLA astatine No. 10 Oregon.

No. 24 Mississippi State astatine No. 6 Alabama.

No. 17 Kansas State astatine No. 8 TCU.