Nebraska Replaces Penn State at No. 1

Now it’s Nebraska’s turn to step up to No. 1.

For the second time this season, Penn State won a game and dropped out of the top spot in The Associated Press’ Top 25 poll Sunday.

But this time it’s the Cornhuskers, not defending national champion Florida, replacing the Nittany Lions.

Penn State (6-0) needed two fourth-quarter touchdowns to edge Minnesota, 16-15, Saturday at State College, Pa. Meanwhile, Nebraska (6-0) beat Texas Tech, 29-0, for its first shutout of the season.

It’s the third week in a row there has been a different No. 1 team.

The Cornhuskers received 33 first-place votes and 1,698 points from the panel of 70 sportswriters and broadcasters. Last week, Nebraska moved up a spot to No. 2 with 14 first-place votes.

The Nittany Lions were No. 2 this week with 26 first-place votes and 1,668 points.

Florida State (6-0) remained No. 3 with nine first-place votes and 1,629 points after a 38-0 victory over Georgia Tech.

North Carolina (7-0), a 20-7 winner over North Carolina State, was No. 4 with two first-place votes and 1,524 points. Florida State is at North Carolina on Nov. 8.

Michigan, which beat Iowa, 28-24, was No. 5.

Washington State was No. 10, the first time it has reached the top 10 since Sept. 22, 1958.

UCLA moved up four spots to No. 13.

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After a 39-13 loss to South Carolina on Saturday, Arkansas Coach Danny Ford said that his future would be dealt with at the end of the season after his Razorbacks fell to 3-3. Ford, in his fifth season, said unanswered questions about his future would be more of a distraction to the team than they would be to him. He is signed through the 2000 season. . . . Thomas Sieh rushed for 140 yards and a touchdown to give Texas Southern to a 10-7 victory over Alcorn State in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game in Jackson, Miss.

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THE AP TOP 25

ASSOCIATED PRESSThrough Oct. 19

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Team Record Points Prv. 1. Nebraska (33) 6-0 1,698 2 2. Penn State (26) 6-0 1,668 1 3. Florida State (9) 6-0 1,629 3 4. North Carolina (2) 7-0 1,524 4 5. Michigan 6-0 1,494 5 6. Florida 6-1 1,401 7 7. Washington 5-1 1,264 10 8. Tennessee 5-1 1,253 9 9. Ohio State 6-1 1,222 11 10. Washington State 6-0 1,155 13 11. Auburn 6-1 1,048 6 12. Oklahoma State 6-0 883 16 13. UCLA 5-2 868 17 14. Kansas State 5-1 806 20 15. Michigan State 5-1 666 12 16. Georgia 5-1 664 19 17. Louisiana State 5-2 642 8 18. Iowa 4-2 561 15 19. Virginia Tech 5-1 415 22 20. Texas A&M; 5-1 376 14 21. West Virginia 5-1 366 23 22. Purdue 5-1 304 NR 23. Arizona State 5-2 290 NR 24. Toledo 6-0 134 NR 25. Mississippi 4-2 114 NR

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Others receiving votes: Air Force 87, Miami, Ohio 48, Georgia Tech 30, Virginia 29, Colorado 25, Colorado St. 16, Ohio 16, Rice 16, Southern Mississippi 11, Syracuse 9, Northwestern 8, BYU 7, Tulane 2, Stanford 1.

First-place votes are in parentheses

USA TODAY / ESPNThrough Oct. 19

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Team Record Points Prv. 1. Nebraska (28) 6-0 1,496 2 2. Penn State (29) 6-0 1,482 1 3. Florida State (3) 6-0 1,450 3 4. North Carolina (1) 7-0 1,342 4 5. Michigan (1) 6-0 1,325 5 6. Florida 6-1 1,219 6 7. Washington 5-1 1,137 8 8. Tennessee 5-1 1,115 9 9. Ohio State 6-1 1,059 12 10. Washington State 6-0 1,006 13 11. Auburn 6-1 833 7 12. Oklahoma State 6-0 828 16 13. Kansas State 5-1 695 20 14. Michigan State 5-1 627 11 15. Louisiana State 5-2 604 10 16. UCLA 5-2 578 18 17. Virginia Tech 5-1 562 19 18. Georgia 5-1 520 21 19. Iowa 4-2 485 15 20. West Virginia 5-1 403 22 21. Texas A&M; 5-1 351 14 22. Arizona State 5-2 249 NR 23. Purdue 5-1 237 NR 24. Air Force 7-1 147 17 25. Syracuse 5-3 49 NR

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Others receiving votes: BYU 47, Toledo 47, Virginia 35, Rice 32, Colorado 27, Miami (Ohio) 26, Wisconsin 25, Colorado St. 24, Mississippi 23, Georgia Tech 19, New Mexico 13, Southern Mississippi 10, Alabama 6, North Carolina St. 4, Clemson 3, Mississippi St. 3, Stanford 2, Wake Forest 2, Kentucky 1, Ohio 1, Tulane 1.