Rivalry Week did cause some movement in the polls and now we know that the conferences championshio games will as well. We will see two games this week pairing up two Top 19 teams. The SEC Championship will feature 1Alabama vs 4Georgia. The Big XII Championship matches up 5Oklahoma and 9Texas. 

Bama still holds onto the top spot while Clemson still received a first place vote this week. Oklahoma and UCF both climb the ranks. Ohio State moves up while dragging Michigan back. Texas and Washington reappear in the poll. 14 teams received votes this week. So while the Top 4 is solid, voters have broad opinions on the last 4. It will be interesting to see how this week impacts the poll and to see where these 14 teams stand going into bowl season. 

This week saw small changes in the poll. Georgia and Michigan swapped spaces and Oklahoma and Ohio State both dropped despite winning. The biggest change was Washington State moving up to 6 from 9. 

Probably the most noteworthy part this week is the compact scoring between 3 and 6. The voters appear to be certain about the top 6 teams. Then there is a noticeable gap afterwards. Voters appear to be skeptical towards Oklahoma and Ohio State. These two teams have important weeks ahead and need to make statements. 

Two ballots came in this week that listed 9 teams and started with Clemson. our consensus #2. Pollsters have started to not even use the time or energy to type "Alabama." Michigan slid into the Top 4 replacing LSU, who narrowly missed the Top 10 after losing to Bama. West Virginia moves up to #7 after getting past Texas and Washington State makes an appearance this week. UCF dropped despite winning but still narrowly beat out LSU for that position. With only 11 teams receiving votes this week, there is a lot of agreement among voters about who the top 10 teams are, even if the order is a bit different on the respective ballots. 

Alabama remains atop the poll as the consensus #1 ad nauseam. The Top 4 remain unchanged from last week. Georgia used their impressive victory over arch rival Florida to jump Michigan in the standings. Oklahoma's lopsided victory over Kansas State helpd them to skip above Central Florida, who maintains the 8th spot this week. The Buckeyes move up to 9th and West Virginia bbumps Kentucky out after the Wildcats barely survive their battle with Missouri. Week 10 promises to be a big one with two "Top 12" match ups and almost every team in the poll facing a serious challenge this week. Look for a lot of movement in the poll next week.

Yes, Bama continues to be the consensus #1. After a stunning loss to Purdue, in which they were completely dominated in every aspect of the game, Ohio State drops from #2 to #10, receiving a total of only 3 points from two ballots. The winners all advanced in the poll, except UCF who dropped a spot in this volatile and unforgiving poll. Kentucky has eased back in at #10

This week has some movement in the polls. Clemson found some redemption this week but also three of the Top 10 lost. Auburn has dropped out and Oklahoma went from being ranked 6th to not even receiving a vote this week. LSU falls in the poll but remains on board for now. 11 Teams are on the poll due to a tie for 10th.

The Poll

Rank   Team          Points     Last Week
1.    Alabama              50 (5)          1
2.    Georgia               44                2
3.    Ohio State           37                3
4.    (Tie)
       Clemson              34                7
       Notre Dame         34                4
6.    West Virginia       25                8
7.    UCF                     14                NR
8.    Washington          13               10
9.    Penn State           11               NR
10.  (Tie)
        LSU                       5                5
        Texas                     5                NR
​
Also receiving votes: Florida 3

Alabama totally dominated Texas A&M from the first play and rolled to a consensus #1 in this week’s poll. Georgia hangs on at #2 but must play better in the future. LSU jumped two spots while Ohio State and Oklahoma each drop one. Penn State makes an appearance this week in a tie for #8 with Notre Dame. Both Virginia Tech and West Virginia drop out of the poll this week. The Hokies certainly earned their ejection. But look for the Mounties to be back soon.

The Poll
 
Rank  Team            Points         Last Week
1.  Alabama       50 (5)         1
2.  Georgia        40               2
3.  Clemson       38               3
4.  LSU              34               6
5.  Ohio State    26               4
6.  Oklahoma     24               5
7.  Stanford       19               7
8.  (Tie)
     Notre Dame  12               8
     Penn State    12              UR
10. Auburn        6                 9

Also receiving votes: Washington 2, West Virginia 2, Central Florida 1

We are excited to be presenting the ABG Poll again this season. This year we have an expanded polling committee offering us a broader perspective. Each member has experience either working on a staff, writing, or both. So we are presenting a coaches AND writers poll. Two for the price of one.

Our poll features a Top 10 and will also note additional teams having also received votes. The Top 10 is compiled from the aggregate score of each team receiving votes. The poll allocates 5 first place votes to committee members. In this week's poll, a first place vote served as the tie breaker between Georgia and Clemson.