Georgia is back on top of the AP Top 25 poll. The Bulldogs reclaimed the No. 1 ranking on Sunday after dismantling Ole Miss 42-7 in Week 10, and they will be hoping for a longer stay this time. Their previous stint at No. 1 lasted just one week last month before a loss to Auburn dislodged them from the top spot.
Georgia's convincing win, combined with Miami's loss to Notre Dame, made the Bulldogs a clear choice at No. 1. The Hurricanes fell to No. 5 after suffering their first defeat of the season. No. 2 Utah and No. 3 Notre Dame also received votes after strong victories that moved them up the rankings.
Georgia improved to 8-1 overall and 6-1 in SEC play with the authoritative road victory over a quality league foe. The Bulldogs are now the betting favorite to win the national championship at +240 on FanDuel.
Ole Miss plummeted from No. 12 to No. 19 with the lopsided loss, but the Rebels are not the only preseason top-10 team struggling to meet expectations. Preseason No. 1 Ohio State fell from No. 11 to No. 21 after suffering a 41-28 home loss to Oregon. It marks the first time since 1950 that both preseason top-two teams, Oregon and Ohio State, have dropped three of their first nine games.
Oregon surged from unranked to No. 18 following its road win over the Buckeyes. Still, both teams sit at 6-3 and are on the outside looking in at the College Football Playoff picture entering Week 11.
The SEC's presence in the poll shrank from 10 teams to eight after Missouri and Florida both dropped out following losses. The Tigers, who had been No. 19, landed first among others receiving votes after a 34-20 loss to Texas. Florida had been No. 25 but received no votes after losing back-to-back home games by 14 or more points for the first time since 1946. The Gators, now 5-4 overall and 3-4 in league play, fell 23-7 against Oklahoma. Oregon and No. 25 SMU entered the poll to replace the fallen SEC teams.
Utah crept up one spot to No. 2, marking the first time since 2008 that the Utes have been ranked this high. As one of only two remaining unbeaten teams in the sport, Utah cemented its legitimacy with a 28-20 win over rival BYU in a highly anticipated Week 10 showdown. It was the most substantive victory of the Utes' season and pushed them one step closer to a College Football Playoff appearance under coach Morgan Scalley. BYU dropped five spots to No. 12 after suffering its second loss.
The last time Ohio State sat this low in the AP Top 25 was during the first month of the 2014 season, when a Week 2 home loss to unranked Virginia Tech sent the Buckeyes falling from No. 8 to No. 22. They did not return to the top 10 until November that year, then proceeded to win the national championship under coach Urban Meyer in the first season of the four-team playoff. This time around, merely reaching the playoff, even in a 12-team format, will be an uphill battle.
Others receiving votes in this week's poll: Missouri 50, Duke 49, Oklahoma State 21, Liberty 14, Louisville 10 and North Texas 2.
