By RALPH D. RUSSO<\/p>\n
AP College Football Writer<\/p>\n
AP Top 25<\/p>\n
\u00a0Alabama is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll for the first time this season, replacing undefeated Florida State in a vote that was about as close as it could get.<\/p>\n
The Crimson Tide (11-1) received 25 of a possible 59 first-place votes from the media panel and 1,426 points. The Seminoles (12-0) have 29 first-place votes and 1,423 points.<\/p>\n
The last time the No. 2 team had more first-place votes than the No. 1 team this late in the season was Nov. 25, 1968, when No. 1 Ohio State had 21 1\/2 first-places votes to Southern California’s 24 1\/2.<\/p>\n
Alabama is No. 1 for the 72nd time overall and first since it lost last year’s Iron Bowl. The Tide beat Auburn 55-44 on Saturday.<\/p>\n
It is also the seventh straight season the Crimson Tide has been No. 1 at some point, the longest such streak since Miami from 1986-92.<\/p>\n
Florida State is the first team to lose the No. 1 ranking twice in a season since Penn State in 1997.<\/p>\n
The last time a No. 1 team had a loss and No. 2 was undefeated this late in the season was Nov. 27, 1993, when Florida State (11-1) held the top spot and Nebraska (11-0) was No. 2.<\/p>\n
Those Seminoles, who lost to Notre Dame a few weeks prior, went on to beat Nebraska in the Orange Bowl and win the national title.<\/p>\n
No. 3 Oregon received five first-place votes in the latest poll. TCU jumped two spot to No. 4. Baylor slipped one to No. 5 and Ohio State moved up one to No. 6. No. 7 is Michigan State, followed by Arizona and Kansas State. Mississippi State fell six places to No. 10 after losing to Mississippi.<\/p>\n
Alabama is the third team to hold the No. 1 ranking this season following Florida State, which was preseason No. 1, and Mississippi State, which held the top spot for five weeks.<\/p>\n
The Tide and Seminoles played conference championship games on Saturday and both, along with Oregon, seem to have a clear path to the College Football Playoff if they win.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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