Despite a bye week, Duke moved up two spots to No. 17 in this week's AP poll. The Blue Zone breaks down the movement in the poll after several big games:
Blue bloods ball
After a heartbreaking loss at home to Notre Dame, Duke had a bye week to recover. With movement by other teams, however, the Blue Devils moved back up to 17th. This is a historic stint in the poll for Duke, its four straight weeks in the top-20 are the most since 1960. The Blue Devils’ next test will come from just down the road, as the unranked N.C. State Wolfpack arrive at Wallace-Wade Stadium Saturday night.
Other “basketball schools” are also seeing success on the gridiron this year. Historic blue bloods North Carolina, Duke, UCLA, Kansas and Kentucky are all ranked in this week’s top-25.
Boomer Sooner
This year’s Red River Rivalry was one for the ages, as Oklahoma defeated Texas in a 34-30 shootout. After the loss, the Longhorns dropped out of the playoff hunt, from third to ninth. The Sooners, on the other hand, jumped up seven spots, all the way to fifth. The resume-boosting win puts them in a prime position to make a run at the Big 12 Conference Championship, and even a spot in the College Football Playoff. Texas could still win out, but the loss is devastating to the Longhorns’ chances for the year.
All in with the Cards
One of the biggest games of the week was Louisville’s impressive win over Notre Dame at home. The Cardinals won handily, 33-20, holding the Fighting Irish to just 44 yards rushing and forcing quarterback Sam Hartman to throw his first, second and third interception of the year. Notre Dame dropped all the way to No. 21, and this second loss all but blows its chances at making the College Football Playoff. On the reverse, Louisville flew up 11 spots to No. 14, the Cardinals’ highest ranking since 2017. The win also puts them atop the ACC, which sets up a massive showdown for Duke, as the Blue Devils travel to Louisville Oct. 28 in a game that will likely have a big impact on the final ACC standings and Duke’s championship dreams.
In all, seven teams from last week’s top-25 lost, and this year’s season is proving to be chaotic as ever. The PAC-12 still leads the way with seven teams in the poll, and the SEC and ACC are just behind at six and five, respectively.
Full rankings
1. Georgia
2. Michigan
3. Ohio State
4. Florida State
5. Oklahoma
6. Penn State
7. Washington
8. Oregon
9. Texas
10. USC
11. Alabama
12. North Carolina
13. Ole Miss
14. Louisville
15. Oregon State
16. Utah
17. Duke
18. UCLA
T-19. Washington State
T-19. Tennessee
21. Notre Dame
22. LSU
23. Kansas
24. Kentucky
25. Miami
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.