UNC ranked in AP Top 25 poll after win over Duke. NC State falls, Wake Forest rises
Shakeup Saturday lived up to expectations, creating an opportunity for North Carolina to join the Associated Press top 25 poll for the first time this season on Sunday.
Week 7 included seven games between ranked teams and eight of last week’s top 25 teams suffered a loss.
No. 22 UNC (6-1, 3-0 ACC), leading the Coastal Division, moved into the poll following its 38-35 win at Duke on Saturday night.
This marks the third consecutive season UNC has appeared in the poll. Last season, UNC debuted at No. 10 in the preseason and was ranked over the first four polls before falling out. In 2020, UNC was ranked in 13 weeks, landing at No. 18 in the final poll.
The Tar Heels joined four other ACC teams in this week’s poll: No. 5 Clemson, No. 13 Wake Forest, No. 14 Syracuse and No. 23 N.C. State.
Clemson (7-0, 5-0) fell one spot from last week despite its 34-28 win at Florida State on Saturday night. Voters moved Tennessee up three spots to No. 3 after the Volunteers beat Alabama, 52-49, on Saturday.
Michigan, having hammered previously unbeaten Penn State, 41-17, on Saturday, moved to the No. 4 position.
Wake Forest didn’t play Saturday as it took an open week. The Demon Deacons (5-1, 1-1 ACC) moved up one spot in the new poll.
N.C. State (5-1, 1-2 ACC) lost for the second time in three weeks, a 24-9 setback at Syracuse. Before the game, N.C. State announced starting quarterback Devin Leary is lost for the season to a torn pectoral muscle.
But the Wolfpack remained ranked nevertheless. The Orange (6-0, 3-0) moved up four spots.
Latest AP poll football rankings
Rk. | Team |
1 | Georgia |
2 | Ohio State |
3 | Tennessee |
4 | Michigan |
5 | Clemson |
6 | Alabama |
7 | Mississippi |
8 | TCU |
9 | UCLA |
10 | Oregon |
11 | Oklahoma State |
12 | USC |
13 | Wake Forest |
14 | Syracuse |
15 | Utah |
16 | Penn State |
17 | Kansas State |
18 | Illinois |
19 | Kentucky |
20 | Texas |
21 | Cincinnati |
22 | North Carolina |
23 | N.C. State |
24 | Mississippi State |
25 | Tulane |
Steve Wiseman’s latest AP Top 25 ballot
| 1 | Georgia |
| 2 | Ohio State |
| 3 | Tennessee |
| 4 | Michigan |
| 5 | Clemson |
| 6 | Alabama |
| 7 | TCU |
| 8 | Mississippi |
| 9 | UCLA |
| 10 | Oregon |
| 11 | Wake Forest |
| 12 | Oklahoma State |
| 13 | USC |
| 14 | Penn State |
| 15 | Utah |
| 16 | Syracuse |
| 17 | Cincinnati |
| 18 | Illinois |
| 19 | Tulane |
| 20 | Kansas State |
| 21 | North Carolina |
| 22 | Texas |
| 23 | Kentucky |
| 24 | Mississippi State |
| 25 | Purdue |
This story was originally published October 16, 2022 at 10:10 AM with the headline "UNC ranked in AP Top 25 poll after win over Duke. NC State falls, Wake Forest rises."