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PROVO — BYU's run in the top 25 lasts at least another week.
The Cougars' late-night shootout victory over former coach Bronco Mendenhall and Virginia moved BYU up eight spots following another week of chaos to No. 17 in the latest Associated Press Top 25, which was announced Sunday. BYU also climbed six spots to No. 20 in the USA Today/Amway Coaches Poll.
Utah inched into the "others receiving votes" category with 11 points after the Utes improved 5-3 on the season and a 4-1 record in conference poll for sole possession of the Pac-12 South lead.
The Cougars (7-2) are just outside the National Football Foundation's Super 16 with 44 points, unofficially 17th in the official poll of the Football Writers' Association of America with 24 votes.
BYU is the third-highest non-Power Five program in the AP Top 25, just behind undefeated UTSA (8-0) at No. 16 of Conference USA. Cincinnati (8-0) of the American Athletic Conference remained at No. 2 in the poll.
Houston also entered the poll at No. 20 after handing SMU its first lost of the season, followed by Coastal Carolina at 21, SMU at 23, Louisiana-Lafayette at 24, and Fresno State at 25.
Top-ranked Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma are also joined in the top five by Michigan State, after Heisman Trophy candidate Kenneth Walker led the Spartans to a win over rival Michigan that propelled them three spots up the rankings. It's Michigan State's first top-five ranking since 2015, when the Spartans made the College Football Playoff.
Ohio State slipped one spot to No. 6 after fending off Penn State, while Oregon maintained at No. 7. Notre Dame, Michigan and Wake Forest rounded out the top 10 — the highest ranking for the Demon Deacons since 1947.
This week, the focus shifts from the AP Top 25 to the College Football Playoff's initial rankings, which will be revealed Tuesday. With five wins over Power Five programs for the first time in program history — including a 4-0 mark against the Pac-12 — the Cougars are likely to find themselves somewhere in that initial set of Top 25 teams that will help determine the postseason of the sport in 2021.
How high is anyone's guess.
If you can't see the full AP Top 25 below, click here.
