Deshaun Watson's Tigers will take on Oklahoma in the national semifinal on New Year's Eve.
Clemson is the new No. 1 team in The Associated Press college football poll, knocking Ohio State from the top spot for the first time this season.
The Tigers are top-ranked in the AP media poll for the first time since the final poll of the 1981 season, when Clemson won its only AP national title.
| ASSOCIATED PRESS POLL |
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The Tigers (9-0) received 31 first-place votes and 1,489 points after beating Florida State 23-13 on Saturday. Ohio State (9-0) had 26 first-place votes and 1,460 points. The defending national champions have been first since the preseason, when they became the first team to be a unanimous preseason No. 1 in the 79-year history of the AP rankings.
No. 3 Alabama (8-1) climbed four spot and got two first place votes. No. 4 Baylor also received two first-place votes.
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POLL POINTS
— A team dropping from the top spot in the AP Top 25 after winning, as Ohio State did Sunday, is not uncommon. Last year, Florida State slipped twice after wins, once in October and again in November.
— This is Clemson's third time overall as the No. 1 team in the AP poll. The Tigers were top-ranked in the final regular season poll of the 1981 season, as well as in the final post-bowl poll.
CONFERENCE CALL
The American Athletic Conference has something in common with the Southeastern Conference and Big 12 this week. All have four teams ranked in the Top 25.
The last time the SEC had only four ranked teams was the final poll of the 2009 season. After the first week of the season, there were 10 SEC teams ranked.
The Big Ten leads all conferences with six ranked teams.
The conference standings
Big Ten — 6.
American — 4.
SEC — 4.
Big 12 — 4.
ACC — 3.
Pac-12 — 3.
Independent — 1.
MOVING UP
Oklahoma State made the biggest jump in the rankings, moving up seven spot to No. 5 after beating TCU 49-29. The Cowboys had been the lowest ranked unbeaten team from a Power Five conference.
TCU, which began the season No. 2, dropped eight spots to No. 13.
IN
No. 22 Navy is ranked for the first time since the final 2004 and ranked in the regular season for the first time since October of 1979.
The Midshipmen (7-1) ended Memphis' unbeaten run with a 45-20 road victory.
Memphis dropped to No. 25.
Unbeaten Houston (9-0) is the highest ranked AAC team at No. 16. Temple (8-1) is No. 21.
Also moving back into the rankings this week were No. 23 Wisconsin (8-2) and No. 24 Northwestern (7-2).
OUT
Dropping out of the rankings after losses were Mississippi, Toledo and Texas A&M.
RANKED VS. RANKED
No. 25 Memphis at No. 16 Houston. Second straight huge AAC West game for the Tigers.
No. 12 Oklahoma at No. 4 Baylor. First of three Big 12 showdowns for the Bears.
No. 3 Alabama at No. 20 Mississippi State. The Bulldogs can still win the SEC West.
Related: Top Week 10 highlights
This article was written by Ralph D. Russo from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
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