Alabama takes over top of coaches' poll

MCLEAN, Va., Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Alabama, No. 1 on 54 ballots and second on the other five, claimed the top spot in the USA Today Coaches' football poll.

The poll is one of two combined with a series of computer rankings to used determine the Bowl Championship Series finalists and helped put the Crimson Tide (13-0) in the BCS title game against No. 2 Texas (13-0).

Texas pulled in four first-place votes, 45 second-place, nine thirds and one fourth-place vote in Sunday's polling of college football coaches and is second overall in the USA Today poll.

Texas Christian (12-0) is third followed by Cincinnati (12-0), which got the other first place vote (submitted by Cincinnati Coach Brian Kelly).

Florida (12-1) fell to fifth after being No. 1 since the pre-season voting and Boise State (13-0) is sixth with No. 7 Oregon (10-2), eight-ranked Ohio State (10-2), No. 9 Penn State (10-2) and Georgia Tech (10-2) completing the Top 10.

Iowa (10-2) and Virginia Tech (9-3) each fell one spot to 11th and 12th, respectively. Louisiana State (9-3) is 13th ahead of Brigham Young (10-2) and Miami (Fla.) (9-3).

Pittsburgh (9-3) is 16th, just ahead of rival West Virginia (9-3) and 18th-ranked Oklahoma State. Nebraska (9-4) is up one spot to 19th despite losing to Texas last week and Oregon State (8-4) is 20th.

Stanford (8-4) takes the No. 21 spot and Wisconsin (9-3), Arizona (8-4), Utah (9-3) and Houston (10-3) round out the Top 25.

Wisconsin and Arizona weren't ranked last week. Southern California and California both dropped out of the Top 25.