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PrintCOLUMBIA — An undefeated Missouri football team keeps moving up in the national polls.
The Tigers (5-0, 1-0 Big 12 Conference) were ranked No. 19 in the USA Today coaches' poll and No. 21 in The Associated Press poll, both released Sunday.
Missouri improved three spots in both polls after its 26-0 victory against Colorado.
Ohio State is the new No. 1 team in both polls, but there's plenty of uncertainty at the top of the rankings for the first time all season, after Alabama's 19-game winning streak ended at South Carolina.
The Southeastern Conference, which has won the past four national championships, has some catching up to do in the 2010 title chase. The Buckeyes and No. 2 Oregon have a couple of BCS busters in No. 3 Boise State and No. 4 TCU on their tails in the AP poll. And for the first time in about a decade, Nebraska is a legitimate national championship contender.
In the AP poll, Ohio State received 34 first-place votes and Oregon (15), Boise State (eight), TCU (one) and No. 6 Oklahoma (two) also got first-place votes from the media panel Sunday.
Auburn is the highest ranked SEC team at No. 7. An SEC team, either Florida or Alabama, had held the top spot in the past 29 AP polls , dating to Nov. 2, 2008. The last time the highest ranked SEC team was this far away from No. 1 was Oct. 22, 2006, when Auburn was ranked seventh.
The Crimson Tide slipped to No. 8 — and second in the state — while LSU was No. 9, and South Carolina moved up nine spots to 10th after the program's first win against a top-ranked team.
The last time Ohio State was No. 1 was the final regular-season poll of 2007.
The Associated Press Poll| RK | TEAM | RECORD | PTS | PVS |
| 1 | Ohio State (34) | 6-0 | 1453 | 2 |
| 2 | Oregon(15) | 6-0 | 1427 | 3 |
| 3 | Boise State (8) | 5-0 | 1395 | 4 |
| 4 | TCU (1) | 6-0 | 1304 | 5 |
| 5 | Nebraska | 5-0 | 1236 | 7 |
| 6 | Oklahoma (2) | 5-0 | 1225 | 6 |
| 7 | Auburn | 6-0 | 1104 | 8 |
| 8 | Alabama | 5-1 | 1021 | 1 |
| 9 | LSU | 6-0 | 999 | 12 |
| 10 | South Carolina | 4-1 | 978 | 19 |
| 11 | Utah | 5-0 | 926 | 10 |
| 12 | Arkansas | 4-1 | 813 | 11 |
| 13 | Michigan State | 6-0 | 806 | 17 |
| 14 | Stanford | 5-1 | 732 | 16 |
| 15 | Iowa | 4-1 | 648 | 15 |
| 16 | Florida State | 5-1 | 547 | 23 |
| 17 | Arizona | 4-1 | 472 | 9 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 5-1 | 410 | 20 |
| 19 | Nevada | 6-0 | 376 | 21 |
| 20 | Oklahoma State | 5-0 | 348 | 22 |
| 21 | Missouri | 5-0 | 298 | 24 |
| 22 | Florida | 4-2 | 209 | 14 |
| 23 | Air Force | 5-1 | 187 | 25 |
| 24 | Oregon State | 3-2 | 186 | NR |
| 25 | West Virginia | 4-1 | 141 | N |
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Comments
This will make the Missouri-Nebraska football game "special" for both teams. A Nebraska win, and Nebraska remains in the top 10 in the AP poll, with Missouri possibly falling out of the AP top 25.
A Missouri win would almost certainly knock Nebraska out of the top 10, and would raise Missouri considerably in the poll (although possibly not into the top 10).
Oklahoma-Missouri should also have poll implications.
Ohio State appears "beatable." The question is which of the other Big Ten teams Ohio State plays can get the job done.