Georgia's hold on No. 1 spot shrinks as Michigan, Texas gain - ESPN

Georgia's hold on No. 1 in the Associated Press college football poll loosened Sunday as the Bulldogs received a season-low 35 first-place votes out of a possible 62 while extending their streak atop the rankings to 16 straight weeks.

The Bulldogs needed a late touchdown to escape with a win at Auburn on Saturday, and that sent many in the media panel looking for a new No. 1 team. Georgia had 55 first-place votes and 1,562 points last week but was down to 1,501 points in this week's AP Top 25.

No. 2 Michigan got 12 first-place votes and 1,436 points but nearly was passed by No. 3 Texas, which received 10 first-place votes and 1,426 points. The Wolverines and Longhorns won big Saturday.

Ohio State kept its spot at No. 4 and received one first-place vote. No. 5 Florida State received the other four first-place votes. Neither the Buckeyes nor Seminoles played this weekend.

No. 6 Penn State and No. 7 Washington also held their spots. Oregon moved up a place to No. 8, and USC dropped one to No. 9.

No. 10 Notre Dame moved back into the top 10 after a dramatic victory at Duke. The Blue Devils dropped two places to No. 19.

Poll points

Before declaring Georgia vulnerable, it should be noted that it was right around this time last year when the Bulldogs needed a second-half comeback to escape Missouri with a victory.

After that result, the Georgia slipped from No. 1 to No. 2 in the rankings behind Alabama.

First-place votes in parentheses.

A week later, on Oct. 9, 2022, the Bulldogs regained the top spot — and haven't relinquished it since — but it took a while to convince a lot of voters.

Georgia didn't receive more than 32 first-place votes again until it pounded Tennessee in a 1-vs.-2 matchup. On Nov. 6, Georgia received 62 of