The Ohio State Buckeyes moved up one spot, to No. 4, in the newest Amway Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports, released on Sunday.
With a dominant win over then-No. 23 Michigan State, the Buckeyes jumped over Oklahoma, who demolished Kansas on Saturday. Georgia remained at No. 3, though the Buckeyes closed the gap considerably on them as well. Voters still aren’t giving Ohio State the respect that the advanced metrics say it deserves, but at least they’re getting closer.
There was some strange movement at the top of the poll, as over ten coaches switched their first-place votes from Clemson to Alabama, even though both teams were idle this week. Maybe they were acknowledging that they should have made the switch last week, but it was still weird to see. Also, Ohio State somehow lost one of its first-place votes. Last week the Buckeyes received four, but that fell to just three this week. Obviously one voter was more impressed by Alabama’s bye (or Clemson’s) than by a 24-point win over a good team.
Auburn fell out of the Top 10 with a loss to Florida, while Penn State moved in–and jumped Notre Dame, to boot. That gives the Big Ten three teams in the Top 10, second only to the SEC’s four.
The Big Ten and SEC lead the way overall in the Top 25, each with six ranked teams. The Pac 12, ACC, and Big 12 each have three ranked teams, while the AAC has two. Independent Notre Dame and Boise State from the MWC round out the Top 25.
SMU, Baylor, Arizona State, and Minnesota entered the Top 25 this week, while Washington, UCF, Michigan State, and Oklahoma State dropped out.
Cincinnati, who Ohio State beat in Week 2, came in just outside the Top 25, at No. 26.
