SEC West puts 4 in top 5 of AP poll, led by MSU at No. 1 and Ole Miss at No. 3

Mississippi defensive back Senquez Golson (21) of Pascagula runs with an interception of a Tennessee pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014. No. 3 Mississippi won 34-3. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

The Associated Press

Mississippi defensive back Senquez Golson (21) of Pascagula runs with an interception of a Tennessee pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014. No. 3 Mississippi won 34-3. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
Mississippi defensive back Senquez Golson (21) of Pascagula runs with an interception of a Tennessee pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014. No. 3 Mississippi won 34-3. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

The Southeastern Conference has reached a new milestone in The Associated Press college football poll, becoming the first league to place four teams in the top five — all from the western division.

Mississippi State stayed No. 1 after a weekend off. The Atlantic Coast Conference’s Florida State held its ground at No. 2 after beating then-No. 5 Notre Dame 31-27.

Mississippi remains No. 3. Alabama jumped three spots to No. 4 after a 59-0 victory against Texas A&M. Auburn moved up a spot to No. 5 during a bye week, taking advantage of losses by previously unbeaten Notre Dame and Baylor.

The Irish dropped two spots to seventh. Baylor fell to No. 12 after losing 41-27 at West Virginia.

Thirty times since 2001 a conference has placed three teams in the top five of the AP Top 25. The SEC had done it 16 times since 2009.

The College Football Playoff selection committee is going to have some work to do to choose the four teams that will play for the national championship.

The first season of the College Football Playoff is a little more than halfway in the books and there are just four unbeaten teams left in FBS. Two play each other (No. 1 Mississippi State and No. 3 Mississippi).

One is No. 2 Florida State, which has spent a good chunk of this season dancing around trap doors.

The other is No. 23 Marshall, which plays one of the weakest schedules in the country and realistically has little chance of being part of the football final four.

And for those who think Marshall’s chances are much closer to none than slim, let’s just say it’s best to never say never.

There are also 17 one-loss teams, from No. 4 Alabama to unranked Minnesota and Duke that have every right to dream big.

“I hadn’t gone there,” Duke coach David Cutcliffe said with a little bit of a laugh on Sunday.

“I do know where we are right now it gives us an opportunity to continue to play very meaningful games.”

If the Blue Devils (or Gophers) were to run the table, why wouldn’t they have a case to play for the national championship? The selection committee’s first top 25 comes out Oct. 28, and this race promises to take plenty of twists and turns before the field is set on Dec. 7.

For now the Southeastern Conference is dominating the top of The Associated Press college football poll.

“Glad we’re not playing the Mississippis this year, though I don’t know who you want to play over on the western side,” said South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, whose team was thumped on opening night by A&M.

The Egg Bowl between Mississippi State and Ole Miss and the Iron Bowl between Auburn and Alabama, both played the Saturday after Thanksgiving, will help settle some things in the SEC West. Also, Auburn still has to visit Ole Miss and Mississippi State goes to Alabama. Or those four teams can take turns beating each other and create a logjam of one-loss teams.

As for Florida State, the lone crasher of the SEC’s top-five party, the Seminoles showed again Saturday night that resiliency breeds good fortune. Behind a brilliant second half by Jameis Winston, and with the help of a late offensive pass interference penalty against Notre Dame, Florida State escaped again.

“If you got the champ, you can’t win by split-decision. You got to knock him out,” Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly said.

The Seminoles have a hard chin, but problems still exist.

Notre Dame ran the ball better on FSU than it had for much of the season. The Seminoles own running game can’t seem to get going rolling behind an offensive line that has underachieved.

But they have Winston, the headline-making Heisman Trophy winner who reminded everyone again that behind all the noise he is maybe the most gifted passer in college football.

AP TOP 25 POLL

The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press college football poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Oct. 18, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:

Record Pts Pv
1. Mississippi St. (43) 6-0 1,480 1
2. Florida St. (14) 7-0 1,433 2
3. Mississippi (3) 7-0 1,404 3
4. Alabama 6-1 1,235 7
5. Auburn 5-1 1,231 6
6. Oregon 6-1 1,142 9
7. Notre Dame 6-1 1,133 5
8. Michigan St. 6-1 1,066 8
9. Georgia 6-1 1,055 10
10. TCU 5-1 962 12
11. Kansas St. 5-1 905 14
12. Baylor 6-1 858 4
13. Ohio St. 5-1 753 13
14. Arizona St. 5-1 643 17
15. Arizona 5-1 639 16
16. Nebraska 6-1 537 19
17. Oklahoma 5-2 461 11
18. East Carolina 5-1 445 18
19. Utah 5-1 437 20
20. Southern Cal 5-2 356 22
21. Clemson 5-2 283 24
22. West Virginia 5-2 272 NR
23. Marshall 7-0 184 25
24. LSU 6-2 177 NR
25. UCLA 5-2 118 NR

Others receiving votes: Duke 108, Oklahoma St. 91, Minnesota 61, Colorado St. 12, Louisville 4, Missouri 4, Stanford 4, Maryland 3, N. Dakota St. 3, Texas A&M 1.

AMWAY TOP 25 COACHES POLL

The Amway Top 25 football coaches poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Oct. 18, total points based on 25 points for first place through one point for 25th, and previous ranking:

Record Pts Pvs
1. Mississippi State (36) 6-0 1520 1
2. Florida State (22) 7-0 1493 2
3. Mississippi (4) 7-0 1447 3
4. Alabama 6-1 1293 7
5. Michigan State 6-1 1243 6
6. Auburn 5-1 1210 8
7. Oregon 6-1 1133 9
8. Notre Dame 6-1 1117 5
9. Georgia 6-1 1096 10
10. TCU 5-1 996 12
11. Kansas State 5-1 909 14
12. Ohio State 5-1 856 13
13. Baylor 6-1 853 4
14. Arizona State 5-1 654 18
15. Arizona 5-1 612 17
16. Nebraska 6-1 588 19
17. East Carolina 5-1 578 16
18. Oklahoma 5-2 482 11
19. Utah 5-1 371 23
20. Clemson 5-2 320 22
21. Southern California 5-2 258 25
22. Marshall 7-0 247 24
23. LSU 6-2 155 NR
24. Minnesota 6-1 147 NR
25. West Virginia 5-2 143 NR

Others receiving votes: Oklahoma State 141; Duke 116; UCLA 107; Missouri 23; Colorado State 18; Wisconsin 17; Washington 5; Stanford 2.