AP poll's top 4 unchanged prior to Georgia-Alabama clash - ESPN

Tennessee moved up to No. 5 in the Associated Press college football poll on Sunday as the Volunteers continued to surge up the rankings, and No. 25 Boise State returned to the AP Top 25 for the first time in four years.

Texas was No. 1 for the second straight week, receiving 44 of 62 first-place votes as the top four teams remained the same. The Longhorns won a game as the top-ranked team in the country for the first time since 2008, cruising past UL Monroe in quarterback Arch Manning's first career start.

Georgia held at No. 2, receiving 13 first-place votes, and Ohio State is No. 3 with five first-place votes. Alabama is No. 4.

First-place votes in parentheses

The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide were each off this past weekend as they prepare to meet next Saturday in Tuscaloosa for a top-five matchup.

The Volunteers welcomed Oklahoma to the SEC with a 25-15 road victory that helped Tennessee rise in the rankings for the fourth straight week. The Vols started the season ranked No. 15 then went to No. 14 after Week 1, No. 7 after Week 2 and No. 6 last week.

Tennessee was last in the top five in 2022, peaking at No. 2 on Oct. 30.

Ole Miss slipped a spot to No. 6, and No. 7 Miami, No. 8 Oregon and No. 9 Penn State all moved up one place.

No. 10 Utah moved up two spots after beating Oklahoma State on the road in a matchup of ranked Big 12 teams.

Boise State is making its first poll appearance since a two-week stay in early November 2020. The Broncos, two weeks removed from losing at Oregon on a last-second field goal, improved to 2-1 with a blowout of Portland State on Saturday.

POLL POINTS

The SEC's stranglehold on the top of the rankings loosened a little, with Missouri's overtime victory against Vanderbilt dropping the