The change near the top of this week's Associated Press college football rankings was subtle. By virtue of its 49-0 pasting of Arizona, Oregon moved to No. 2, pulling ahead of LSU, which eked out a 12-10 victory over SEC rival Auburn. Top-ranked Alabama ceded only one of 60 first-place votes.
But it's the teams just outside of the top three that are enjoying newfound respect.
Florida State stayed at No.? 4, as high as it has been since 2005. It's a spot the Seminoles nearly tasted last year, taking a No. 5 ranking into Week 3 before back-to-back losses to Oklahoma and Clemson. Saturday's 49-37 win over the Tigers could signal that Florida State is indeed legit this year.
No. 5 Georgia also has its top ranking since 2008, which also was the last time the Bulldogs started 4-0.
But the team du jour is Kansas State, which essentially swapped spots with the Sooners thanks to a 24-19 win in Norman. Oklahoma dropped 10 places to No. 16, while the Wildcats moved from No. 15 to No. 7, their best ranking since 2006.
- Craig Stouffer
