Three teams fall out of AP’s Top 10 list

Monday, Nov. 18, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Alabama, North Carolina and Kansas State were the latest Top 10 teams to take a big fall in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll.

The Crimson Tide (8-2), Tar Heels (8-2) and Wildcats (8-2) dropped out of the Top 10 after losses, while top-ranked Florida increased its lead over No. 2 Ohio State on Sunday.

The Gators (10-0), 52-25 winners over South Carolina, received 54 first-place votes and 1,660 points in nationwide balloting by 67 sports writers and broadcasters.

The Rose Bowl-bound Buckeyes (10-0), who beat Indiana 27-17, had seven first-place votes and 1,580 points. Last week, Ohio State pulled within 29 first-place votes and 53 points of Florida.

Florida State (9-0), which beat Southern Mississippi 54-14, was No. 3 with four first-place votes and 1,568 points. Rose Bowl-bound Arizona State (10-0), off on Saturday, was fourth with two first-place votes and 1,485 points.

Nebraska (9-1) beat Iowa State 49-14 and had 1,412 points as the top five remained unchanged for the seventh straight week.

Colorado, 9-1 after a 12-0 win against Kansas State, was sixth, followed by Penn State, Brigham Young, Tennessee and Notre Dame.

Northwestern moved up two spots to No. 11, followed by Washington, North Carolina, Kansas State, Alabama, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, LSU, Virginia and Wyoming.

Michigan (7-3), a 29-17 loser to Penn State, fell five spots to No. 21, followed by Clemson, West Virginia, Iowa and Miami.

Last week, Tennessee and Michigan fell from the Top 10. The Vols were beaten by Memphis, the Wolverines by Purdue. The Vols, with a 55-14 win over Arkansas, returned to the Top 10 this week.

The Nittany Lions (9-2) and Fighting Irish (7-2) both moved back into the Top 10 for the first time in five polls, while the Crimson Tide -- 17-16 losers to Mississippi State -- had been in the Top 10 the past six polls.

Clemson (7-3), after a 40-17 win over North Carolina State, made the Top 25 for the first time in the regular season after a No. 25 preseason ranking. Also, West Virginia and Iowa returned after a week's absence.

Auburn (7-3), which lost 56-49 in four overtimes to Georgia, fell from the Top 25 for the first time since early in the 1993 season. Also dropping out were Army and Southern Mississippi. The Cadets (9-1) lost to Syracuse 42-17 after being ranked No. 22 last week -- their first Top 25 showing in 11 years.