Openers Slightly Shake Up Poll

Mon., Aug. 26, 1996

Associated Press

The Kickoff and Pigskin classics shook up the Top 25 a bit, but Nebraska easily retained the No. 1 ranking Sunday in The Associated Press’ first regular-season college football poll.

With Penn State’s 24-7 victory over Southern California in Sunday’s Kickoff Classic, the Nittany Lions moved from No. 11 to No. 7. USC fell 10 spots to 17th.

Brigham Young’s 41-37 upset of Texas A&M in Saturday’s Pigskin Classic catapulted the Cougars, unranked in the preseason, into the rankings at No. 19. The Aggies, meanwhile, also tumbled 10 places, to 23rd.

The Cornhuskers, who open the season Sept. 7 against Michigan State, received 50 first-place votes and 1,646 points in balloting by the 67 sports writers and broadcasters on the AP poll board. Tennessee, which opens its season Saturday against UNLV, remained second with eight first-place votes and 1,555 points.

Florida State, with five first-place votes and 1,530 points, was third, followed by Florida, with 1,485 points. Colorado remained fifth with three first-place votes and 1,402 points and Notre Dame sixth with one first-place vote and 1,302 points.

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Openers Slightly Shake Up Poll

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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