My AP Top 25 rankings: LSU, Michigan, Oregon, TCU rise and Georgia reclaims top spot
I should probably apologize to the Georgia Bulldogs.
At the beginning of the season, Alabama was the No. 1 team in my top 25. Georgia replaced the Crimson Tide immediately after it made Oregon look like a Division II school in the opener, but I wasn’t completely sold on the Bulldogs as they looked average at times against inferior opponents over the next few weeks. So I moved them down to No. 2 and lifted Tennessee up to the top spot after the Volunteers got off to their hot start.
That was clearly a mistake. Georgia walloped Tennessee 27-13 on Saturday in a game that was never close. Now, the Bulldogs are once again the No. 1 team on my ballot. I didn’t even consider any other squad. There aren’t any candidates.
Georgia is undefeated with a pair of dominant wins over Oregon and Tennessee. It should be the unanimous No. 1 team in the country until it suffers a loss. I know I won’t be voting the Bulldogs anywhere else before that happens.
They would obviously be in the playoff if the season ended today. I currently have Ohio State, Michigan and TCU joining them. It’s unlikely that both the Buckeyes and the Wolverines will make the final four, as they play each other later this season. But they are in my top four at the moment, followed by Tennessee and Oregon.
Alabama and Clemson fell in my top 25 after they lost on Saturday. The Crimson Tide dropped all the way to No. 13 and the Tigers dipped to No. 11. LSU is now in my top 10.
Three new top 25 teams
Join me as I give a warm welcome to North Carolina State, Notre Dame and UCF.
I never dreamed I would rank the Fighting Irish again this season after they lost at home to Stanford, but here we are. It’s hard to keep them out of the top 25 following wins over Syracuse and Clemson. North Carolina State is also back in following an impressive win over Wake Forest. My other new team this week is the Golden Knights, who followed up their win over Cincinnati with a victory at Memphis.
Saying goodbye
Three new teams means we had to bid farewell to three squads from last week’s rankings.
Oklahoma State, Oregon State and Wake Forest are on their way out. The Cowboys have been decimated by injuries and weren’t even able to compete against Kansas on Saturday. Oregon State lost at Washington. Wake Forest has lost back-to-back games. There is no room for any of them this week.
On deck
If I ranked 30 teams instead of 25 I would strongly consider the following teams: Coastal Carolina, East Carolina, Kansas, Louisville and Minnesota.
They can each break into my rankings if they win their next game.
Kellis Robinett’s Top 25
1. Georgia (1)
2. Ohio State (3)
3. Michigan (5)
4. TCU (6)
5. Tennessee (1)
6. Oregon (8)
7. USC (9)
8. UCLA (11)
9. LSU (18)
10. Utah (10)
11. Clemson (4)
12. Ole Miss (12)
13. Alabama (7)
14. Penn State (15)
15. Tulane (16)
16. North Carolina (17)
17. Baylor (21)
18. Texas (22)
19. North Carolina State (NR)
20. Notre Dame (NR)
21. Kansas State (13)
22. Kentucky (23)
23. Illinois (14)
24. UCF (NR)
25. UTSA (25)
Last week’s ranking in parentheses.
This story was originally published November 6, 2022 at 8:13 AM.