OHIO — Cincinnati held on to the No. 2 ranking by just four points over No. 3 Alabama in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday, and Oregon passed Ohio State to move up to No. 5.
Georgia is a unanimous No. 1 for the fifth straight week in the Top 25. The teams closest to the Bulldogs are more tightly packed after another weekend of upsets and close calls.
The Bearcats received 1,440 points from the media panel after beating Tulsa 28-20, after Desmond Ridder threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns.
After relatively close wins the past two weeks against Navy and Tulane, the Bearcats needed an impressive performance to sway the playoff committee. But Saturday’s performance isn’t likely to move the needle.
The Crimson Tide had 1,336 points following a 20-14 victory against LSU.
Cincinnati has been ranked No. 2, best in school history, for four straight weeks.
Oklahoma, which had an open date this past weekend, stayed at No. 4.
Oregon moved up two spots to No. 5 after beating Washington 26-16. The Ducks jumped Ohio State at No. 6, taking advantage of Michigan State’s first loss of the season.
The Buckeyes won 26-17 at Nebraska.
C.J. Stroud threw for 405 yards and two touchdowns, Ohio State’s defense came up with a pair of stops after Nebraska had pulled within six points, and the sixth-ranked Buckeyes got out of Memorial Stadium with a win on Saturday
The Ducks were as high as No. 3 in the country early in the season after beating Ohio State in Week 2, but had slipped behind the Buckeyes while taking a loss.
It's unknown how Ohio State's and Cincinnati's wins over Nebraska and Tulsa, respectively, will impact the College Football Playoff rankings released at 9 p.m. on Tuesday.
Last week, Georgia, Alabama, Michigan State and Oregon were the top four teams in the first College Football Playoff rankings of the season with Ohio State and Cincinnati up next.
At sixth, the unbeaten Bearcats have the best ranking ever in the selection committee’s Top 25 for a team from outside the Power Five conferences, but still sit behind three teams (Alabama, Oregon and Ohio State) that have already been beaten.
Oregon got the nod over Ohio State in four spot by virtue of beating the Buckeyes on the road in the second week of the season.
Ohio State hosts Purdue next Saturday.
Cincinnati hosts South Florida Friday.