USC still tops poll; Michigan tumbles out

Sep 4, 2007, 20:36 GMT

New York, NY - Southern California remained the top team in the latest Associated Press college football poll, while Michigan dropped all the way out after losing to Appalachian State on Saturday.

The Wolverines were ranked fifth in the preseason, but a stunning 34-32 loss at home to Football Championship Subdivision [formerly known as Division I-AA] power Appalachian State dropped the Big Ten favorites from the rankings completely.

It marked the biggest fall for a ranked team since the poll expanded to 25 teams in 1989. Michigan also dropped out of the USA Today coaches' poll.

Southern California (1-0), meanwhile, remained a strong No. 1 for a second straight week following a 38-10 victory over Idaho. The Trojans, who are idle this week, received 59 first-place votes -- three fewer than the preseason poll -- and a total of 1,619 points from a nationwide media panel.

LSU (1-0), which opened its season with a 45-0 road throttling of SEC rival Mississippi State, gained three first-place votes for a total of five this week to remain second. The Tigers will have a stern test this week with a visit from ninth-ranked Virginia Tech.

West Virginia (1-0) earned the remaining first-place vote to hold at No. 3 in this week's poll, while Florida (1-0) moved up two spots to fourth and Oklahoma (1-0) vaulted three spots to a tie for fifth with Wisconsin (1-0).

Texas, following a lackluster 21-13 home win over Arkansas State, fell four spots to seventh, with Louisville, Virginia Tech and California rounding out the top 10.

Georgia is 11th this week, followed by Ohio State, UCLA, Penn State, Rutgers, Nebraska, Auburn, Arkansas, TCU and Hawaii.

The last five teams ranked this week are Georgia Tech, Boise State, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Clemson.

Georgia Tech and Clemson are new to the poll this week. Georgia Tech walloped Notre Dame, 33-3, in South Bend to open the season, while Clemson held on for a 24-18 victory over Florida State.

Florida State, which was ranked 19th, fell out of the poll along with Michigan.

Tennessee was the only team to lose this week and stay ranked. The Volunteers dropped a 45-31 decision at California in the only game of the week that featured a pair of ranked teams against each other.

In addition to the LSU/Virginia Tech game, the only other contest this week with two ranked teams pits TCU at Texas.

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