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  • Oregon is back in the top five of the AP Top 25 poll, Miami leads pack of 5 ranked ACC teams

    Oregon returned to the top five of The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll Sunday, five Atlantic Coast Conference teams were ranked for the second time this season and Georgia Tech took the biggest fall after its second loss in three games.

    Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M remained the top three teams for a sixth straight week, and Georgia was No. 4 for the second week in a row.

    Oregon jumped over idle Mississippi to No. 5, its highest ranking since it was No. 3 in the Oct. 5 poll. The Ducks strengthened their College Football Playoff resume with a 15-point victory over then-No. 16 Southern California, extending their winning streak to five games.

    Mississippi was followed by Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama.

    Ohio State is No. 1 for a 13th straight week going into its game at No. 15 Michigan. The Buckeyes received 58 first-place votes and were 53 points ahead of Indiana, which was listed first on seven voters’ ballots. Texas A&M got the remaining first-place vote.

    Miami, which beat Virginia Tech by 17 points on the road, moved up a spot to No. 13 and was the highest-ranked of five ACC teams. Virginia climbed two spots to No. 17. Georgia Tech, beaten 42-28 at home by Pittsburgh, dropped eight rungs to No. 23.

    Pittsburgh, which has three losses, was one spot behind the two-loss Yellow Jackets. No. 25 SMU re-entered the poll for the first time since Sept. 2.

    No. 20 James Madison of the Sun Belt Conference remained the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the AP poll. The Dukes, up one spot from a week ago, came from behind to beat Washington State 24-20.

    No. 21 North Texas of the American Conference was one spot ahead of Tulane. The Green Wave were the only Group of Five team in the CFP selection committee’s rankings last week, at No. 24.

    In and out

    — No. 24 Pittsburgh bounced back from its 22-point home loss to Notre Dame and returned after a one-week absence.

    — No. 25 SMU beat Louisville by 32 points for its third straight win and can return to the ACC championship game with a win at California.

    Missouri (No. 23) and Houston (No. 25) dropped out.

    Poll points

    — Five teams from the state of Texas are ranked for a second straight week. The Lone Star State hadn’t had five teams in back-to-back polls since 2016.

    — The ACC, in addition to this week, had five teams in the poll on Nov. 9. That makes this the fourth straight year the ACC has had five teams ranked in two or more polls.

    Conference call

    SEC (8 ranked teams): Nos. 3 Texas A&M, 4 Georgia, 6 Ole Miss, 8 Oklahoma, 10 Alabama, 12 Vanderbilt, 16 Texas, 18 Tennessee.

    ACC (5): Nos. 13 Miami (Fla.), 17 Virginia, 23 Georgia Tech, 24 Pittsburgh, 25 SMU.

    Big Ten (5): Nos. 1 Ohio State, 2 Indiana, 5 Oregon, 15 Michigan, 19 USC.

    Big 12 (3): Nos. 7 Texas Tech, 11 BYU, 14 Utah.

    American (2): Nos. 21 North Texas, 22 Tulane.

    Independent (1): No. 9 Notre Dame.

    Sun Belt (1): No. 20 James Madison.

    Ranked vs. ranked

    No. 1 Ohio State (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten, No. 1 CFP) at No. 15 Michigan (9-2, 7-1, No. 18), Saturday: Buckeyes have lost four straight to Michigan. They haven’t dropped five in a row to their archrival since they lost six straight from 1922-27.

    No. 3 Texas A&M (11-0, 7-0 SEC, No. 3 CFP) at No. 16 Texas (8-3, 5-2, No. 17), Friday: Aggies lock up spot in SEC title game with a win; they would need lots of help to get to Atlanta if they lose. Arch Manning’s six-touchdown day against Arkansas gives the Longhorns mojo for this rivalry game.

    No. 4 Georgia (10-1, No. 4 CFP) at No. 23 Georgia Tech (9-2, No. 16), Friday: Bulldogs have won seven straight in the series and haven’t lost to Yellow Jackets in Atlanta since 1999.

    No. 12 Vanderbilt (9-2, 5-2 SEC, No. 14 CFP) at No. 18 Tennessee (8-3, 4-3, No. 20), Saturday: Commodores are going for a 10th win for first time in program history. They’re 12-41-2 all-time in Knoxville, and only four of those wins have come in the last 50 years.

    No. 13 Miami (9-2, 5-2, No. 13 CFP) at No. 24 Pittsburgh (8-3, 6-1), Saturday: Both teams still have narrow paths to the ACC title game. Miami clinging to playoff hopes. Pitt trying to land best possible bowl.

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  • Ohio State gets top billing in opening College Football Playoff rankings; Indiana, Texas A&M next

    The closest thing resembling drama for the first big reveal of this season’s College Football Playoff rankings hinged on which undefeated team would receive top billing.

    Answer: The defending champions at Ohio State.

    The Buckeyes took the top spot in the first set of 2025 rankings Tuesday night, followed by Indiana and Texas A&M.

    In choosing the two Big Ten teams ahead of Texas A&M, the 12-person committee appeared to give less weight to A&M’s tougher schedule and its 41-40 win over tenth-ranked Notre Dame and more to the way the Buckeyes and Hoosiers have mowed down opponents this year, with only two games between the two of them decided by less than 10 points.

    “I think statistically when we looked at A&M defensively, they’re just lower than both Ohio State and Indiana,” committee chair Mack Rhoades said. “We had to make a hard decision, and you’re trying to find separators, and that was a separator for us.”

    Another team with no losses, BYU of the Big 12, was ranked seventh.

    Nos. 4, 5 and 6 went to Southeastern Conference teams with one loss each — Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi. All of the top six came from either the Big Ten or SEC, a dose of business as usual despite a season that has been anything but predictable.

    This marked the first of six weekly rankings the committee will release this season, ending Dec. 7 when the final list will set the bracket for the second 12-team playoff in major college football history.

    That tournament begins Dec. 19-20 with four games on the campus of seeds No. 5-8. The top four seeds play winners of those games over the New Year holiday and the title game is set for Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium outside Miami.

    Texas Tech was ranked eighth and Oregon came in at No. 9. Rounding out the top 12 were Notre Dame — the only team in the Top 25 not from a power conference — then Texas and Oklahoma.

    But if the bracket were set today, the Longhorns and Sooners would miss out,- bumped by No. 14 Virginia of the ACC and Memphis of the American. That’s thanks to a rule that places the five best-ranked conference champions into the bracket even if they’re not in the top 12.

    Memphis wasn’t among the committee’s top 25 but was still the highest ranked leader in a Group of Five conference.

    There is, of course, plenty of time for teams to make their cases, with four more weeks of the regular season, then a slate of conference title games set for the first weekend in December.

    “If we go back to last year, Arizona State wasn’t even in the rankings for our first two rankings,” Rhoades said of the Sun Devils, who won the Big 12 and made the field. “Again, to everybody out there, this is the first ranking and still a lot of ball left to be played.”

    The final tally in the top 12: The SEC has six teams, the Big Ten three, the Big 12 two, and the ACC none, with one independent.

    Among those still holding out hope are teams such as 16th-ranked Vanderbilt and 17th-ranked Georgia Tech, each of whom spent time in the AP top 10 this season thanks to upsets that turned college football upside down in September and October.

    The first-round matchups based on CFP rankings

    — No. 12 Memphis at No. 5 Georgia, winner vs. No. 4 Alabama. You can almost hear SEC commissioner Greg Sankey breaking his TV wondering how an unranked team is in here over one of his.

    — No. 11 Virginia at No. 6 Ole Miss, winner vs. No. 3 Texas A&M. Virginia’s only Top 25 meeting this season was against Florida State, which does not resemble a Top 25 team now.

    — No. 10 Notre Dame at No. 7 BYU, winner vs. No. 2 Indiana. The Fighting Irish have to hope some of the teams immediately below them — like Texas and Oklahoma — do not put up impressive wins since they close with Navy, Pitt, Syracuse and Stanford.

    — No. 9 Oregon at No. 8 Texas Tech, winner vs. No. 1 Ohio State. A Booster Bowl pitting teams backed by billionaires Phil Knight (Ducks) and Cody Campbell (Red Raiders).

    Tweaks in this year’s bracket

    The biggest change in the setup of this year’s bracket was eliminating the first-round bye for the four best conference champions. It would mean that Virginia, instead of jumping from a No. 14 ranking to a No. 3 seed, would be seeded 11th with a road game against Mississippi.

    Rhoades also spent time discussing Oregon, which is ranked sixth in the AP poll but ninth in the playoff rankings. The Ducks’ best win this year was a 20-point victory over Northwestern, while its double-overtime win at Penn State early in the season has become less impressive as last year’s semifinalist fell apart.

    “When we looked at and evaluated Oregon, we really looked at the quality of the team and how they looked on film,” Rhoades said.

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  • Duke rose quickly under Mike Elko. Now Manny Diaz is aiming to keep that upward trajectory

    Duke rose quickly under Mike Elko. Now Manny Diaz is aiming to keep that upward trajectory

    DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Duke made a quick climb under Mike Elko. Now it’s up to Manny Diaz to build something more.

    The former Miami head coach and Penn State defensive coordinator has taken over in Durham, leading a program that crashed in the final seasons of David Cutcliffe’s long and successful tenure before winning 16 games in two seasons under Elko.

    Elko left for Texas A&M as the Blue Devils prepared for their bowl game. The 50-year-old Diaz took over in December for his second stint as a head coach, the first ending when he was fired in 2021 after three seasons with the Hurricanes.

    “We all learn,” Diaz said. “I’ve never been the same defensive coordinator twice in my career. You’re always taking the lessons from the last year, the last season, the career, and applying it and trying to be a better person. No different as a coach than what you would expect and demand from your players.”

    Diaz went 21-15 at Miami, including a 16-9 record in Atlantic Coast Conference games that stood second only to Clemson (22) in league wins.

    He inherits a roster that lost seven offensive starters and eight on defense from last season. That list includes four Associated Press all-ACC performers, as well as quarterback Riley Leonard (transferred to Notre Dame) and running back Jordan Waters (transferred to North Carolina State).

    Duke leaned into the transfer portal to add 17 graduates, including eight on the offensive line alone. This year’s team is picked to finish 11th in the expanded 17-team ACC.

    “We’ve got an outstanding group of graduate transfers and instantly transformed our team from being very young, which in way-back-when days not very long ago, might set you back for a few years,” Diaz said. “And we feel like now we’re poised to go again, and I think our players believe that as well.”

    Welcome back

    Diaz knows Duke’s home in the “Triangle” region of North Carolina well. He coached at nearby North Carolina State from 2000-05 under Chuck Amato and had two sons born in Raleigh, about 30 minutes east of Duke’s campus.

    QB battle

    The highest-profile position battle entering the season was between Texas transfer Maalik Murphy and returning sophomore Grayson Loftis.

    But Diaz announced Monday night that Murphy had won the job.

    “Maalik has earned the opportunity to be our starting quarterback with his preparation, work ethic and productivity,” Diaz said.

    Murphy appeared in seven games with two starts for the playoff-bound Longhorns last year, which had followed him creating a buzz in the spring game.

    “Nobody wants to be in a quarterback room that kind of just sits back and no one gets better,” Murphy said. “Everybody’s getting pushed.”

    Loftis started the last five games with Leonard injured last year, winning three and leading Duke past Troy in the Birmingham Bowl as a true freshman.

    Defensive carryover?

    Duke safety Jaylen Stinson is one of the returning defensive starters, who are largely concentrated in the secondary. He said Diaz’s success with the Nittany Lions — who finished second nationally in total defense (247.6 yards) and third in scoring defense (13.5) — was an appealing aspect of his arrival and had him envisioning what he could do in the scheme.

    “Those guys were on fire last year,” Stinson said, adding: “So a lot of guys were excited to have him come here because we know what he can do.”

    He said it

    “Credit to Elko and everything he did here. I’m just excited to see what Coach Diaz has to bring. He seems like a coach that likes to listen, very player-oriented coach. I’m excited to see how the season goes.” — Duke receiver Jordan Moore

    The schedule

    Diaz’s debut comes Aug. 30 against Elon at home, followed by a trip to Big Ten country to face Northwestern in the Blue Devils’ top nonconference game.

    The ACC schedule opens at home against rival North Carolina (Sept. 28). There’s also a visit from No. 10 Florida State (Oct. 18) as reigning league champion and preseason favorite. Duke’s only game against the three newly added ACC schools comes at home against SMU (Oct. 26). Duke closes the year with a Nov. 30 trip to Wake Forest.

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  • Fran Brown’s arrival lifts expectations in Syracuse for a brighter Orange future

    Fran Brown’s arrival lifts expectations in Syracuse for a brighter Orange future

    SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Expectations are growing in Syracuse, where Orange football is undergoing a fresh start under Fran Brown, who is already cashing in on his reputation as one of the nation’s top recruiters.

    Hired in December to replace Dino Babers, the former Georgia defensive backs coach has persuaded key players to stay put and assembled the program’s highest-rated recruiting class since rankings have been compiled. He also lured a group of high-profile transfers, including former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord and ex-Texas A&M defensive lineman Fadil Diggs.

    “I want to make sure that Syracuse gets back to where they belong, where it was,” Brown said. “You’re going back to Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Floyd Little, Larry Csonka, all those guys that played. I want to get back to those same eras. You had (quarterback) Donavan McNabb, (receiver) Marvin Harrison, (defensive end) Dwight Freeney, (safety) Donovin Darius. All those guys are important to me.”

    The Orange faltered under Babers, who was never able to recreate the success he enjoyed during a 10-3 finish in 2018. He was fired one game short of completing his eighth season, and finished with a 41-55 record, and 20-45 in conference play.

    A first-time head coach, Brown has several important, high-impact players who can help the Orange surpass the modest expectations of ACC media members who picked them to finish 12th in the 17-team conference.

    The offense has a chance to be dynamic under McCord, a former five-star recruit who threw for 3,170 yards, 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions for the Buckeyes in 2023. His surprising choice of Syracuse gave Brown and the program an immediate shot of adrenaline.

    Key returnees include running back LeQuint Allen (1,064 rushing yards and nine touchdowns), a second-team All-ACC pick last season. Another is All-ACC preseason tight end Oronde Gadsden II who returns after a season-ending Lisfranc injury and is expected to be one of McCord’s top receiving targets. And then there’s slot receiver/returner Trebor Pena, who was limited to one game last year due to injury.

    They’re joined by highly touted freshman running back Yasin Willis, and transfer wide receivers Jackson Meeks and Zeed Haynes (both from Georgia) and Justus Ross-Simmons (Colorado State).

    If the offensive line, bolstered by 6-foot-8, 340-pound transfer Savion Washington (Colorado) does its job, this could be a fun offense to watch.

    “Yeah, I think we’ll be dynamic I think at every single position, offensive line, tight end, receiver,” McCord said. “We have a lot of great weapons. I’m excited to get going.”

    The strength of Syracuse’s defense, which shifts to a 4-2-5 scheme under first year-defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson, lies in its linebacking and secondary groups. All-ACC preseason linebacker Marlowe Wax returns after fears he was leaving for the NFL. Also back are safety Justin Barron and defensive backs Alijah Clark, Jayden Bellamy, Devin Grant, Jaeden Gould and Duce Chestnut, who returns to the Orange after a year at LSU.

    Other notables include Diggs, freshman lineman KingJoseph Edwards and first-year corner Marcellus Barnes Jr.

    Protecting McCord

    Dual-threat quarterbacks Eric Dungey and Garrett Shrader have been able to mask inconsistent line play in recent years. Protecting McCord, a traditional pocket passer, and giving him time to get the ball to his plethora of weapons, is critical. The line has size on its side, averaging 6-foot-5, 313 pounds.

    Staying upright

    Ryan Nassib is the last Syracuse quarterback to play in every game (2012). If McCord goes down, the Orange face a drop-off in experience. Unproven returnee Carlos Del Rio-Wilson is joined by transfer Michael Johnson Jr. and freshman Jakhari Williams.

    Flag day

    Syracuse has been among the nation’s leaders in penalties. The Orange led the nation with 105 penalties in 2022. Last year, only nine teams had more penalties than the 95 committed by Syracuse.

    Hot starts, slow finishes

    The Orange’s final two seasons under Babers followed a similar pattern. Last year, the Orange opened 4-0 before going 2-7, including a 45-0 loss to South Florida in the Boca Raton Bowl under interim coach Nunzio Campanile. In 2022, Syracuse turned a 6-0 start into a 7-6 finish, ending with a 28-20 loss to Minnesota in the Pinstripe Bowl.

    The schedule

    Syracuse opens against Ohio on Aug. 31 and could get off to a fast start playing its first four games at home. The Orange have the easiest schedule among Power Four schools, according to the ESPN Football Power Index, and doesn’t have to face Clemson, Florida State and North Carolina. Pivotal games against NC State, Virginia Tech and the season finale Nov. 30 against Miami at home will determine just how successful Brown’s inaugural season will be.

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    AP Sports Writer Aaron Beard contributed to this report.

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  • South Carolina rides fast start to 30-24 win over Texas A&M

    South Carolina rides fast start to 30-24 win over Texas A&M

    COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina opened strong with 17 points in the first six minutes — sparked when Xavier Legette took the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown — then held on to beat Texas A&M 30-24 on Saturday night.

    The Gamecocks (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown and turned a fumble and interception deep in Aggies territory into 10 more points and a 17-0 hole for Texas A&M (3-4, 1-3) just over five minutes in.

    It’s the first time the Gamecocks have beaten the Aggies since the SEC made them their Western Division rival in 2014 and the first time they’ve won four in a row since 2013, shaking off a 48-7 loss to No. 1 Georgia in the third game of the season.

    “A month ago, I was asked if this team quit. That look like this team has quit?” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said.

    MarShawn Lloyd ran 18 times for 92 yards and had both of South Carolina’s touchdowns in the second half to keep Texas A&M from climbing back in it.

    Spencer Rattler was 12-of-25 passing for 168 yards for South Carolina.

    “We never quit. We keep fighting. That’s what we are about,” Rattler said.

    Devon Achane ran 20 times for 99 yards for the Aggies. Hayes King was 17-of-32 passing for 178 yards, with a touchdown and an interception before leaving with an injury to his throwing shoulder in the fourth quarter. Coach Jimbo Fisher said he kept Hayes out of the rest of the game as a precaution.

    Freshman Conner Weigman filled in and threw for 91 yards but neither of his two final Hail Mary tries made it to the end zone after Texas A&M recovered an onside kick at midfield with nine seconds left.

    The loss puts even more pressure on Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher, whose team started the season ranked No. 6. The Aggies seem to play just under the level of their opponents, losing by six to South Carolina, four to No. 6 Alabama and three to Appalachian State

    “We have good players. We’re right there, It’s not like we’re getting ran out of the stadium,” Fisher said. “We’ve just got to find a way to make a play or two — all the sudden you will get over the hump. It’s just the way it goes.”

    With a contract through 2031 paying him $9 million a year, Fisher’s job likely isn’t in jeopardy. However, losing to South Carolina has been bad for several SEC coaches. Phillip Fulmer for Tennessee in 2008, Will Muschamp in 2014 and Dan Mullen in 2021 all lost their jobs shortly after losing to the Gamecocks.

    BEAMER’S CRYSTAL BALL

    Before the win earlier this month over Kentucky, Beamer told his staff he felt like South Carolina was going to recover its first fumble of the year in a key moment. It happened on the first play, the Gamecocks scored a TD the next down and never trailed.

    Beamer told his coaches before Saturday’s game he expected a big special teams play would make the difference. Ligette began the game with his kickoff-return touchdown.

    “Maybe I just need to keep speaking it into existence whatever I want to get done,” Beamer said.

    FALSE START FRENZY

    Texas A&M had eight penalties and all of them were false starts after starting a new center. Fisher said the noise at Williams-Brice stadium and miscommunication caused most of them.

    “The guys got to listen on the road. We shouldn’t have had anything like that,” Fisher said.

    THE TAKEAWAY

    Texas A&M: Plenty of people expected the Aggies to challenge Alabama in the SEC West this season. Instead, it looks like a struggle to get to six wins and a bowl game. A win over UMass is probable. After that the Aggies need two wins out of four games — Ole Miss, Florida, at Auburn and at LSU.

    South Carolina: Gamecocks fans chanted “Beamer Ball” during a late-game timeout in appreciation of second-year coach Shane Beamer. The Gamecocks only need to beat Missouri or Vanderbilt in the next two weeks to make a second straight bowl. And with the win, South Carolina has beaten every team in the current SEC.

    UP NEXT

    Texas A&M: The Aggies host No. 7 Ole Miss next Saturday.

    South Carolina: The Gamecocks host Missouri next Saturday.

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