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What a weekend of college football! The SEC is back and brought the drama, The Big 12 still can’t play defense, and teams like Texas A&M barely survived. From K.J. Costello setting a passing record in Mike Leach’s SEC debut to Sam Ehlinger’s play in Texas’ OT win over Texas Tech, the polls were considerably shaken up. Adding to the chaos it the Big Ten’s and the Pac-12’s re-entry into the AP Top 25. The return of teams like the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Oregon Ducks, did not affect Canes’ rise into the top 10 in the AP Top 25 or the Coaches Poll. The voters could not deny what they’ve seen from this offense over the past three games, including beating a top 25 team (Louisville Cardinals) and the destruction of the second-best team in Tallahassee (Florida State Seminoles).
The AP Top 25
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8.Miami Hurricanes
10.Penn State Nittany Lions
11.UCF Knights
14.Oregon Ducks
16.Mississippi State Bulldogs
20.LSU Tigers
22.BYU Cougars
25. Memphis Tigers
Other teams receiving votes: Virginia Tech 195; Louisiana-Lafayette 126; Minnesota 110; USC 104; Kansas State 60; SMU 37; Marshall 31; Baylor 22; Iowa 16; Utah 14; Virginia 12; Arkansas State 1;, UAB 5; Washington 4; Kentucky 4; Louisville 4; Army 3
The Coaches Poll
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1.Clemson Tigers
2.Alabama Crimson Tide
3.Florida Gators
4. Georgia Bulldogs
5.Notre Dame Fighting Irish
6.Ohio State Buckeyes
7.Auburn Tigers
8. Miami Hurricanes
9.Texas Longhorns
10.Penn State Nittany Lions
11.North Carolina Tar Heels
12. UCF Knights
13. Texas A&M Aggies
15.Cincinnati Bearcats
16.Oklahoma Sooners
17.LSU Tigers
18.Wisconsin Badgers
19.Oklahoma State Cowboys
20.Tennesee Volunteers
21.Michigan Wolverines
22.Bringham Young Cougars
24.Memphis Tigers
25.Pittsburgh Panters
Other teams receiving votes: Louisiana (108) 3-0; Minnesota (106) 0-0; SMU (46) 3-0; Kansas State (33) 1-1; Iowa (32) 0-0; Virginia (29) 1-0; Baylor (25) 1-0; Marshall (22) 2-0; Kentucky (17) 0-1; Arkansas State (16) 1-1; Boston College (9) 2-0; South Carolina (6) 0-1; Nebraska (4) 0-0; UAB (3) 2-1; Army West Point (3) 2-1; Coastal Carolina (3) 2-0; Louisiana Tech (2) 2-0; Ole Miss (1) 0-1;
Analysis
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When the champs fall, everyone rises. The top 10 losses by LSU and the Oklahoma rose the stock of every other team else in their vicinity. Notably, the Florida Gators are now the third team in the country. On the backs of their 32-point second half, the Georgia Bulldogs put it together against the Arkansas Razorbacks to maintain their top 5 positioning. Things are starting to level out at the bottom of the polls. The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun’s 3-0 record was not enough to keep them in the polls. The biggest jumpers of the week are the Mississippi Sate Bulldogs. Surging 27 spots in the Coaches Poll after their shocking win over LSU.
When it come to the Canes, the dominant performance of D’Eriq King, Cam’Ron Harris, Brevin Jordan, and the defense was good enough to push them into the top ten. The perfect season and will be put to the test in two weeks when the Canes take on the number one team in the country.