AP Top 25 poll: Florida, Miami fall and Coastal Carolina crashes top 10 in new college football rankings

Things at the very top of the AP Top 25 and most college football rankings remain very much in place after Week 15 action. Alabama remains not only No. 1 but the unanimous choice for the top team in the country according to the AP voters, followed by Notre Dame at No. 2, Clemson at No. 3 and Ohio State at No. 4. Of those four teams only the Crimson Tide, the one with the least amount of debate regarding its ranking status, was in action on Saturday, and they left absolutely no doubt with a 52-3 win against Arkansas.

But there are some notable changes just outside the top four following a Saturday that saw two top-10 teams lose. Florida was ranked No. 6 in the AP poll prior to a shocking home loss against unranked LSU. It’s the only second loss of the season for the Gators, who had already locked up the SEC East title and a spot in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama, but it’s one that comes with a sharp reaction from the AP voters. Florida was a 23-point favorite in the game and the mistakes — including a penalty for throwing the shoe of an LSU player — stood out as much if not more than the success of the shorthanded Tigers team in Gainesville. That disappointment has Florida down five spots to No. 11, one spot behind a Georgia team it beat earlier in the year and just ahead of two-loss Oklahoma and undefeated USC.

Voter disappointment is extended to Miami, another team that had just one loss on the season coming into the day. The Hurricanes took an even steeper fall from No. 9 to No. 19 after a stunning 62-26 loss to North Carolina. Miami’s high ranking was aided by its increasing collection of wins and its only loss coming to Clemson, so when the Tar Heels ran up the score in Hard Rock Stadium there was bound to be a sharp response from the AP voters. Of course there is also a boost for North Carolina, who jumped from No. 20 to No. 16 after the win.

Other notable changes in the AP Top 25 include Coastal Carolina breaking into the top 10 at No. 9 and San Jose State making its first AP poll appearance since 2012, checking in at No. 25.

Check out the AP Top 25 below:

1. Alabama (62 first-place votes)
2. Notre Dame
3. Ohio State
4. Clemson
5. Texas A&M
6. Cincinnati
7. Indiana
8. Iowa State
9. Coastal Carolina
10. Georgia
11. Florida
12. Oklahoma
13. USC
14. BYU
15. Northwestern
16. North Carolina
17. Louisiana
18. Iowa
19. Miami
20. Tulsa
21. Texas
22. Liberty
23. Buffalo
24. NC State
25. San Jose State

Dropped out of the rankings: No. 21 Colorado, No. 25 Washington