Michigan drops out; USC, Texas still 1-2

The winningest team in the history of college football is unranked for the first time in more than seven years.

Michigan fell out of the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday, ending a streak of 114 straight weeks in the rankings, which was the longest in the nation. The last poll that didn’t include the Wolverines was Oct. 18, 1998.

Southern California extended its streak of No. 1 rankings to 23 in the latest media poll. The Trojans picked up two first-place votes after wiping out an early 13-point deficit and blowing out Oregon, 45-13, Saturday, a game that knocked the Ducks out of the rankings.

The Wolverines lost at Wisconsin, 23-20, to fall to 2-2. Michigan’s two wins came against Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan of the Mid-American Conference. The Wolverines’ other loss was to Notre Dame. Michigan started the season ranked No. 4.

The Wolverines’ fall comes a week after another traditional power, Oklahoma, fell from the rankings for the first time since 1999.

No. 9 Miami now has the longest current streak at 93.

USC received 59 of a possible 65 first-place votes. No. 2 Texas received the other six first-place votes.

Virginia Tech moved up a spot to No. 3 after a 51-7 romp over Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets fell 10 spots to No. 25. LSU, which plays Tennessee tonight, dropped a spot to fourth.

The Volunteers remained No. 10, and voters next week will have to judge them and the Tigers on two games. Tennessee plays Mississippi on Saturday in Knoxville, and LSU is at Mississippi State.

No. 5 is Florida, followed by Florida State and Georgia.

The seventh-ranked Bulldogs give the Southeastern Conference four top-10 teams for a second straight week.

The USA Today coaches’ poll had the same top five as the AP poll, with Southern California, Texas, Virginia Tech, LSU and Florida. Virginia Tech received a first-place vote in the coaches’ poll.

The first Harris Interactive College Football poll was also released Sunday. The Harris poll is voted on by a panel of former coaches, players and administrators, plus some media members. It will replace the AP poll in the Bowl Championship Series standings formula.

The Harris poll’s top five was just slightly different from the other polls, with the same first three (USC, Texas, Virginia Tech), but with Florida fourth and LSU fifth.

Ohio State, one of five ranked teams in the Big Ten, is No. 8. But Iowa, considered the league’s other power team in the preseason, joined Michigan by dropping from the rankings for the first time this season. The Hawkeyes lost, 31-6, at Ohio State.

No. 17 Wisconsin and No. 18 Minnesota from the Big Ten moved into the rankings for the first time this season. Michigan State moved up six spots to No. 11.

The unbeaten Gophers beat Purdue, 42-35, in overtime, and the Boilermakers fell 11 spot in the rankings to No. 22.

Purdue’s tumble wasn’t as far as Louisville’s. The 24th-ranked Cardinals dropped 15 spots after a stunning 45-14 loss to South Florida as the two former Conference USA members played their first Big East game.

No. 12 California is followed by Notre Dame and Arizona State, and No. 15 Alabama gives the SEC five teams in the Top 25.

Boston College rejoined the rankings at No. 21. The Eagles fell out for a week but moved back in with a win over Clemson. No. 23 Iowa State dropped a spot after surviving a scare at Army.