The Associated Press

The latest AP Top 25 college football poll has Oregon back in the top five and No. 23 Georgia Tech taking the greatest hit in the rankings, falling eight spots.

Oregon jumped over an idle Mississippi to reach No. 5, thanks to a win over USC that also could boost the Ducks’ College Football Playoff resume. This week marks Oregon’s highest ranking since it was No. 3 in the Oct. 5 poll.

This week’s rankings also feature five Atlantic Coast Conference teams for the second time this season. Miami moved up a spot to No. 13 and was the highest-ranked of five ACC teams.

Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Georgia remained the top four teams.

No. 6 Ole Miss was followed by Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama.

Find out more about what happened in this week’s Top 25 poll, tell us what the rankings should’ve been and check out the AP’s latest CFP bracket prediction. Here’s the latest:

Rivalry week awaits

After a relatively calm Week 13, rivalry week awaits and offers the final opportunity for contenders to make a case for the CFP.

Texas A&M and Georgia look to punch their tickets to Atlanta for the SEC championship game with wins against in-state foes Texas and Georgia Tech.

In the Big Ten, Michigan hosts No. 1 Ohio State. A win by the Wolverines could be enough for them to earn an at-large bid, but it’s a feat no team has accomplished this season.

Virginia aims to clinch an ACC Championship game appearance with a win against Virginia Tech, and SMU hopes for the same outcome against Cal. The door opens if either team loses, and eyes will turn to Miami vs. Pitt.

Michigan benefits from USC’s loss and now faces Ohio State

Michigan beat Maryland 45-20 this week, while USC dropped 42-27 to Oregon.

The combination helped move the Wolverines up a notch to fourth in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State, Indiana and Oregon. USC fell to fifth.

Michigan also moved up three spots in the AP Top 25, coming in at No. 15. The Wolverines await rival Ohio State. A win against the reigning National Champions and playoff front-runners could carry an under-the-radar Michigan team to the College Football Playoff.

Michigan has won their past four against the Buckeyes.

Irish cruise

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame set several school records for scoring, thanks to a 70-7 rout of injury-decimated Syracuse Saturday.

Jeremiyah Love bolstered his Heisman Trophy candidacy with 171 yards rushing and three touchdowns on just eight carries for the ninth-ranked Fighting Irish in Saturday’s romp.

Notre Dame set a modern-era scoring record, topping its 69-point outing against Georgia Tech on Nov. 5, 1977.

Syracuse allowed 70 points for the first time since it gave up 75 to Union in 1891. Notre Dame also set school records for first-quarter points with 35 and first-half points with 49. The Fighting Irish have won nine straight after an 0-2 start.

Another coach fired

BERKELEY, Calif. — California has fired coach Justin Wilcox after a lopsided loss to Stanford in the Big Game.

The decision marks the first major move by general manager Ron Rivera, who aims to build a winning program. Rivera expressed gratitude for Wilcox’s contributions but stated the need for new leadership. ESPN reported the firing on Sunday.

Former Hawaii and Washington State coach Nick Rolovich will lead the team in the season finale against SMU on Saturday. Wilcox, in his ninth season, never achieved a winning conference record. The Bears haven’t won more than six games in a season since 2019.

Bad behavior

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Colorado State has suspended quarterback Darius Curry and offensive lineman Liam Wortmann for their final regular-season game. They were caught spitting on Boise State players during Saturday night’s game in Boise, Idaho.

A social media video showed Curry spitting at defensive lineman Jayden Virgin-Morgan. It wasn’t clear when or at whom Wortmann spit. CSU interim coach Tyson Summers and athletic director John Weber apologized to Boise State.

Boise State won the game 49-21.