MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Alabama still leads the USA Today coaches' football poll and several schools, including Baylor and Missouri, made big gains after nine Top 25 teams lost.
Losses cost ranked teams dearly and even those that lost to other highly ranked schools, such as Clemson falling to Florida State and dropping six places in the rankings, paid in the voting.
In addition to Clemson, three schools fall at least six spots. Texas A&M is down eight places to 15th while Louisville is off 10 to No. 16 and South Carolina goes from ninth to No. 20. Six of the nine ranked teams that lost were in the Top 10.
On the other side of the ledger, Baylor and Missouri both improve seven spots. Baylor, 15th two weeks ago, is No. 5 and Missouri, unranked two weeks ago, comes in seventh. Texas Tech and Oklahoma -- Big 12 teams that square off against each other Saturday -- each jump six places to ninth and 12th, respectively. Stanford is up five to No. 8 and is the highest ranked team with a loss.
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And then there is the status quo. Alabama (7-0), which has been No. 1 since the pre-season poll, pulls in 57 of the 62 first-place votes, is second on four others and third on the final one and still well atop the poll. Oregon (7-0), which gets four first-place mentions is second and Florida State (6-0) receives gets other first-place vote and moves from fifth to No. 3.
Ohio State (7-0) drops a place to fourth ahead of No. 5 Baylor (6-0) while Miami (Fla.) (6-0) is up five to sixth and Missouri (7-0) takes over the seventh place. Stanford (6-1) is eighth with Texas Tech (7-0) up six to ninth and Clemson (6-1) down six to 10th.
UCLA (5-1) slips from 10th to No. 11 ahead of No. 12 Oklahoma (6-1). Oklahoma State (5-1), up four, and Louisiana State (6-2), down five, are tied for 13th. Texas A&M (5-2) settles in at No. 15.
Louisville (6-1) plummets to 16th and Auburn (6-2), unranked a week ago, cracks the rankings at 17th. Fresno State (6-0) is voted 18th and Virginia Tech (6-1) No. 19 ahead of South Carolina (5-2).
Nebraska (5-1) remains in the 21st spot. Northern Illinois (7-0) is the lowest ranked undefeated team at 22nd. Michigan (6-1) is 23rd with No. 24 Wisconsin (5-2) returning to the rankings and Central Florida (5-1) in at 25th for its first appearance in the Top 25 this season.
Georgia, Florida and Washington drop from the Top 25 this week.
Missouri faces its third consecutive ranked opponent when it goes against South Carolina Saturday, Oregon takes on UCLA Saturday and plays at Stanford Nov. 7 in a Thursday night contest and Texas Tech travels to Oklahoma Saturday in key upcoming games.
