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Gators, ‘Canes on the way up, FSU headed down in AP Top 25

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The top two teams in the AP Top 25 football poll remained the same this week, but Florida teams were on the move. Only two of those teams are moving in the right direction.

Alabama and Ohio State kept their No. 1 and No. 2 positions, respectively, but entering the Top 10 are the Miami Hurricanes. Miami climbed four spots from last week after their impressive win at Georgia Tech.

The Florida Gators, despite a less-than-awe-inspiring win over Vanderbilt, claimed the No. 18 position, up from No. 23 one week ago. With the expected return of quarterback Luke Del Rio, the Gators are looking to soon crash the Top 10.

Florida State fell by more than 10 positions for second time this year. Saturday’s mind-boggling loss to North Carolina led to FSU dropping from No. 12 to No. 23 this week. The Tar Heels gained enough respect to come from nowhere to earn the No. 17 position.

Shuffling among last week’s Top Ten brings about some interesting stories. Louisville’s nail-biting loss at Clemson saw last week’s No. 3 lose four positions. Clemson vaulted over Michigan from No. 5 to No. 3.

The Tennessee Volunteers moved into the Top Ten after their miracle, Hail Mary win at Georgia. Washington moved to fifth on the strength of their rout of previously seventh-ranked Stanford.

The SEC and ACC both have six members of the Top 25, while the Big 10 and Pac 12 have four each. The Big 12 has three members while the American Conference and Mountain West have one each.

The poll can be found here.

Bob Sparks is President of Ramos and Sparks Group, a Tallahassee-based business and political consulting firm. During his career, he has directed media relations and managed events for professional baseball, served as chief spokesperson for the Republican Party of Florida as well as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Attorney General of Florida. After serving as Executive Deputy Chief of Staff for Governor Charlie Crist, he returned to the private sector working with clients including the Republican National Committee and political candidates in Japan. He lives in Tallahassee with his wife, Sue and can be reached at [email protected]

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