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Alabama is a unanimous No. 1 in the Top 25 for the first time this season, and LSU slipped a spot again after another sketchy performance. Now the Tigers are No. 4 behind No. 2 Oregon and No. 3 Florida State.

With Stanford the lone team in the top 19 to lose, the top of the rankings had only some relatively minor shuffling Sunday.

That will change next week, when five games feature matchups of ranked teams, including three with both teams ranked between Nos. 5-11.

Call it the first shakedown Saturday of the season.

No. 5 Georgia is at No. 6 South Carolina in an SEC East showdown that gives the winner the inside track — though far from a clear path — to the division title.

Freshman tailbacks Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall, and the Bulldogs are on pace to have one of the most prolific offenses in Southeastern Conference history, but the defense and special teams have been shaky. That nearly cost them in a 51-44 victory Saturday against Tennessee.

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No. 4 LSU goes to No. 10 Florida, a crossover SEC matchup that should answer a key question in the national championship race: How worried should the Tigers be about their lethargic offense?

In the Big 12, offense shouldn’t be a problem when No. 8 West Virginia visits No. 11 Texas.

The Mountaineers were ridiculous in Saturday’s 70-63 victory against Baylor, as the prolific Geno Smith threw for eight touchdowns.

For the season, he’s completed 83 percent of his passes while grabbing the early lead in the Heisman Trophy race.

Stanford followed up its big win against Southern California by losing to Washington, dropping the Cardinal 10 spots in the poll to No. 18.

 

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