MCLEAN, Va., Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Alabama, coming off a win over Top 10 team Texas A&M, pulled within one point of being a unanimous selection as No. 1 in the USA Today Coaches football poll.
The Crimson Tide (2-0) avenged their only loss of last season -- when they went on to win the BCS championship -- with a 49-42 victory Saturday over the Aggies. That was reflected in the poll with the coaches giving Alabama 61 of the 62 first-place votes. The other coach, who put second-ranked Oregon (3-0) No. 1, listed the Crimson Tide second.
Ohio State (3-0), which had pulled in two first-place mentions last week, remains third.
Many teams have new rankings this week but the shifts are generally minor. The largest changes were gains of three places by Baylor, Washington and Mississippi, -- 19th, 20th and 22nd, respectively -- and a drop of three places by A&M, which comes in ninth.
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Clemson (2-0) moves past Stanford (2-0) for the No. 4 place, regulating Stanford to fifth. Louisville (3-0) climbs to sixth with Louisiana State (3-0) in seventh and Florida State (2-0) eighth. They all are up one rung from last week due to the drop of A&M (2-1) to ninth. Georgia (1-1) is again 10th.
Oklahoma State (3-0) keeps the No. 11 position and Oklahoma (3-0) and South Carolina (2-1) are both up one spot to 12th and 13th, respectively, as Michigan (3-0) falls two places to 14th. UCLA (2-0) is up two to No. 15.
Northwestern (3-0) stays at 16th with Miami (Fla.) up a place to 17th and Florida (1-1) up two to 18th ahead of No. 19 Baylor (2-0) and 20th-ranked Washington (2-0).
Notre Dame (2-1) is voted No. 21 again with Mississippi (3-0) taking 22nd. No. 23 Arizona State (2-0), 24th-ranked Michigan State (3-0) and No. 25 Fresno State (2-0) are new to the poll this week.
Two of those newcomers go against ranked teams this week, with Arizona State visiting Stanford and Michigan State playing at Notre Dame.
Nebraska, Wisconsin and Texas Christian drop out of the Top 25.
