AP Top 25: Indiana up to No. 2 as Vanderbilt reaches top 10 in poll for first time since 1947

Vanderbilt jumped to No. 10 in the AP Top 25 after beating LSU, the Commodores’ best ranking since 1947, and Indiana set another high-water mark by moving up to No. 2 in the poll Sunday.

Four top-10 teams — three of them previously unbeaten — lost this past weekend to rearrange the rankings behind top-ranked Ohio State.

The Buckeyes shut out Wisconsin and remained No. 1 with 60 first-place votes, giving the Big Ten the top two teams in the country for the fourth week this season. After routing Michigan State, the Hoosiers received the other six first-place votes and moved up one spot from No. 3, which was the program’s best showing in the rankings just a week ago after winning at Oregon.

Texas A&M rose a spot to No. 3, the Aggies’ best ranking since 1995. Alabama was fourth, followed by Georgia and Oregon, giving the Big Ten and the SEC the entire top six.

Unbeaten Georgia Tech jumped five spots to No. 7, the Yellow Jackets’ best ranking since 2009.

Ole Miss slipped to No. 8 after losing for the first time this season, a 43-35 setback at Georgia. Miami dropped from No. 2 to ninth after losing 24-21 at home to Louisville on Friday night.

Texas Tech fell seven spots to No. 14 after losing at Arizona State. BYU, the last undefeated team in the Big 12, moved up to a season-high No. 11 after beating rival Utah.

The last time Vanderbilt was ranked this highly, Red Sanders was coaching the Commodores, and Georgia Tech was still in the SEC. That 1947 Vandy team started the season 3-0 and jumped into the rankings at No. 10, but didn’t stay ranked for long, losing its next two to Kentucky and LSU to fall out of the poll before finishing the season 6-4.

Vanderbilt has never finished a season ranked higher than 12th (1948).

Others receiving votes: USC 97, Utah 40, Tulane 37, Houston 34, Navy 28, San Diego State 7, James Madison 6, Boise State 4, TCU 2, Minnesota 1

Also considered by Ralph: LSU, Michigan, James Madison, Navy, Iowa State

How I voted

Last week, I drew heavy criticism from Indiana fans for ranking the Hoosiers No. 5. I was legitimately surprised that I had IU lower than any other voter, though not by much.

Also, we live in a world now where Indiana fans are angry about being called only the fourth or fifth best team in the country, which is wild.

I’m guessing I’ll be in the same situation this week, as I continue to have the Hoosiers behind Alabama and Texas A&M, though at No. 4 this week. We can also probably add A&M fans to the list of those upset with me, because I nudged the Crimson Tide past the Aggies this week and into the No. 2 spot that Miami vacated.

Alabama’s Week 1 loss to a Florida State team that is now a train wreck is a stain, but the Crimson Tide has also won four straight games in four consecutive weeks against ranked opponents: Georgia, Vandy, Missouri and Tennessee. Three of those teams have lost only to Alabama.

Bama’s stumble at FSU is feeling more and more like Ohio State’s early-season loss to Virginia Tech in 2014. That was the first year of the four-team Playoff, and there was a lot of gnashing of teeth about how the Buckeyes could not possibly be allowed to play for a national title after losing to a .500 team. The problem was that it forced fans and voters to ignore the obvious: Ohio State was clearly one of the best teams in the country by November.

At some point, you have to judge the team that’s on the field now. I’ll brace for the backlash and stick with the Tide at No. 2.

I’m also a little bit behind the consensus on undefeated BYU and Georgia Tech. I have the Cougars and Yellow Jackets at Nos. 13 and 14 on my ballot. The perfect records haven’t exactly been built against the toughest competition, and both have survived some close games the past couple of weeks.

I fully expect Georgia Tech and BYU to climb past some of the one-loss teams ahead of them if they continue to stay unblemished.

In and out

USC, Utah, Memphis and Nebraska dropped out of the rankings after losses this weekend.

Louisville made its season debut in the rankings after knocking off Miami. The Cardinals came in at No. 19, three spots behind No. 16 Virginia, which earned its highest ranking since 2007. The Cavaliers beat the Cardinals two weeks ago.

Re-entering the rankings were No. 23 Illinois, No. 24 Arizona State and No. 25 Michigan.

The Wolverines moving in and USC dropping out just a week after the Trojans roughed up Michigan in Los Angeles was a curious choice by voters.

Next week

No. 15 Missouri at No. 10 Vanderbilt. It’s a new world in the SEC. This will be the first matchup of the Tigers and Commodores where both are ranked.

No. 8 Ole Miss at No. 13 Oklahoma. All of the Sooners’ remaining opponents are ranked. They finish with Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri and LSU.

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