Crescent-News.com - Texas takes top spot in AP poll

NEW YORK (AP) -- Texas rode its resounding Red River Rivalry upset right to No. 1.

The Longhorns leapfrogged No. 2 Alabama on Sunday and sit atop The Associated Press Top 25 in the regular season for the first time in 24 years after beating Oklahoma 45-35.

Texas' jump to No. 1 is the largest since Miami went from No. 6 to No. 1 on Aug. 29, 1988, after beating preseason top-ranked Florida State 31-0 to start the season.

Texas received 39 first-place votes and 1,599 points from the media panel. Alabama received the other 36 first-place votes and 1,582 points.

"Being ranked No. 1 shows respect for what we've accomplished through the early part of the season, but nobody really knows who is No. 1 at this point," Texas coach Mack Brown said Sunday.

It certainly has been a fluid situation.

The Longhorns are the fourth No. 1 team this season, following Georgia, Southern California and Oklahoma. So it's just more of the same following an unpredictable 2007 season that had four No. 1 teams and eight different teams ranked second.

For the second time this season, three of the top four teams in the country lost on the same weekend. While the losses by the previously top-ranked Sooners, Missouri and LSU weren't stunning, they did a number on the rankings.

Unbeaten Penn State moved up three spots to No. 3. The Sooners dropped three spots to No. 4 after their first loss. Florida jumped six spots to No. 5 after pounding LSU 51-21 on Saturday night.

No. 6 Southern California is followed by Big 12 rivals Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, which upset Missouri 28-23 and has its highest ranking since November 1985 when the Cowboys were seventh.

No. 9 BYU and Georgia round out the top 10.

Missouri dropped eight spots to No. 11. The Tigers could vault right back up the polls when they play Texas in Austin on Saturday.

"Our team has just played well for six weeks and we know more about where we are today than we did last Sunday, but we have a long way to go and a lot of room to improve," Brown said. "Every week, we're seeing teams learn the hard way that the only poll that matters, or lasts, is the final one. No one remembers who was No. 1 after six weeks last year. If we're No. 1 in late January, it becomes a statement."

Ohio State is 12th and LSU is 13th.

Late Saturday

Top 25

No. 17 Okla. State 28, No. 3 Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Oklahoma State snarled Chase Daniel and a Missouri offense that had been scoring at will, intercepting three passes in the second half in the upset.

Zac Robinson and Damian Davis hooked up on a pair of long scores in the second half, and Patrick Lavine's interception with 1:41 to go was the clincher for the Cowboys. Missouri (5-1, 1-1 Big 12) had appeared poised to challenge for No. 1 with a strong effort after top-ranked Oklahoma lost to Texas and No. 2 Alabama had the weekend off.

Instead, it was the coming-out party for the Cowboys (6-0, 2-0 Big 12). Oklahoma State, only 18-19 in coach Mike Gundy's first three seasons, is 6-0 for only the second time since 1945.

Robinson was 19-for-28 for 215 yards and two touchdowns. Kendall Hunter had 154 yards on 24 carries and a 68-yard scoring run. Daniel was 39-for-52 for 390 yards and a touchdown for Missouri.

No. 11 Florida 51, No. 4 LSU 21

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Tim Tebow threw two touchdown passes to Percy Harvin and ran for a score, and the Gators thumped defending national champions in The Swamp.

The fourth-ranked Tigers (4-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) had won six consecutive games, 19 in a row at night and 23 straight in regulation. Florida (5-1, 3-1) ended all those streaks with a fast start and some huge plays from Tebow, Harvin, Jeff Demps and Brandon Spikes.

LSU lost for the first time in regulation since falling 23-10 two years ago in Gainesville -- taking the worst beating of coach Les Miles' four-year career with the Tigers. They had three turnovers, a near interception that went for a touchdown and a costly face-mask penalty.

No. 15 Boise St. 24, Southern Miss 7

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Kellen Moore threw three touchdown passes and Boise State rolled to an easy win.

Moore hit 16 of 20 passes for 144 yards and all three touchdowns in the first half, connecting twice with Austin Pettis, for the efficient Broncos (5-0). The redshirt freshman quarterback continued to show an uncanny ability to make the right decisions despite his youth.

No. 25 Ball St. 24, Western Kentucky 7

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Nate Davis threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns to help the Cardinals overcome a slow start in their first game as a ranked team.

MiQuale Lewis ran for 112 yards and a score for No. 25 Ball State (7-0), which needed more than a half to find any rhythm against the pesky Hilltoppers (2-5).

Perhaps the Cardinals were suffering from stage fright. They were dominated at times by WKU, which is in the final year of transition from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Bowl Subdivision.

The Hilltoppers piled up 352 yards of offense but turned the ball over three times.

MAC

Bowling Green 37, Akron 33

AKRON -- Tyler Sheehan ran for a touchdown and passed for three, including the go-ahead score with just under 5 minutes left, to lead Bowling Green.

Sheehan completed 26 of 41 passes for 239 yards with one interception, tossing scoring passes of 8 and 21 yards to Corey Partridge and 34 yards to Marques Parks.

With Bowling Green (3-3, 1-1 Mid-American Conference) trailing 33-28, Sheehan capped a seven-play, 74-yard drive with the 21-yard scoring pass to Partridge with 4:52 left.

After Akron (3-4, 1-2) turned the ball over on downs, Sinisa Vrvilo kicked a 44-yard field goal with 2:20 left. The Zips then took the ball back downfield to the Falcons' 33 before their final drive stalled on downs.

Anthony Turner rushed for 126 yards on 19 carries for Bowling Green.