By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer
The No. 1 vs. No. 2 game between Alabama and LSU in two weeks looks set, though the order of the Crimson Tide and Tigers changed in the AP Top 25 in one of the closet votes ever.
Heading into an off date for both teams, LSU flip-flopped with Alabama to become the new No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll presented by Regions Bank. The Tigers received 1,476 points, two more than Alabama, for the closest margin between 1 and 2 since No. 1 Florida State was two points ahead of Auburn on Oct. 5, 2014.
No. 3 Ohio State was not far behind with 1,468 points. Eight points separating first from third is the fewest in the regular season since Dec. 3, 1979, when No. 1 Ohio State was 10 points ahead of No. 3 Southern California, with Oklahoma in between, two back of the Buckeyes.
Alabama received the most first-place votes this week with 21. LSU and Ohio State both got 17 first-place votes. No. 4 Clemson received seven first-place votes.
| RANK | TEAM | PV RANK | POINTS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
LSU (8-0) | 2 | 1,476 | |
| 2 |
|
Alabama (8-0) | 1 | 1,474 | |
| 3 |
|
Ohio State (8-0) | 3 | 1,468 |
| 4. |
|
Clemson (8-0) | 4 | 1,406 | |
| 5 |
|
Penn State (8-0) | 6 | 1,302 | |
| 6 |
|
Florida (7-1) | 7 | 1,226 | |
| 7 |
|
Oregon (7-1) | 11 | 1,108 | |
| 8 |
|
Georgia (6-1) | 10 | 1,093 |
| 9. |
|
Utah (7-1) | 12. | 1,032 | |
| 10 |
|
Oklahoma (7-1) | 5 | 1,017 | |
| 11 |
|
Auburn (6-2) | 9 | 910 | |
| 12 |
|
Baylor (7-0) | 14 | 882 | |
| 13 |
|
Minnesota (8-0) | 17 | 778 | |
| 14 |
|
Michigan (6-2) | 19 | 744 | |
| 15 |
|
SMU (8-0) | 16 | 666 | |
| 16 |
|
Notre Dame (5-2) | 8 | 563 | |
| 17 |
|
Cincinnati (6-1) | 18 | 524 | |
| 18 |
|
Wisconsin (6-2) | 13 | 513 |
| 19 |
|
Iowa (6-2) | 20 | 456 | |
| 20 |
|
Appalachian State (7-0) | 21 | 393 | |
| 21 |
|
Boise State (6-1) | 22 | 280 | |
| 22 |
|
Kansas State (5-2) | 218 | ||
| 23 |
|
Wake Forest (6-1) | 25 | 200 | |
| 24 |
|
Memphis (7-1) | 188 | ||
| 25 |
|
San Diego State (7-1) | 50 |
Texas 49, Navy 43, UCF 33, Washington 19, Texas A&M 14, USC 11, Louisiana Tech 6, Indiana 4, Pittsburgh 1, Oklahoma State 1, Iowa State 1