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For the first time since dropping out of the Top 25 after Week 1, USC football received votes in the AP poll following their win over Arizona.
USC enjoyed the No. 20 ranking the the AP poll preseason rankings but that stint in the Top 25 was short-lived. When Alabama blasted the Trojans at AT&T Stadium at the start of the season, Clay Helton’s squad tumbled out of the rankings completely.
No AP voter included USC in their ballot for six weeks as the men of Troy rebounded against Utah State, were humbled once more by Stanford and then fell narrowly to Utah in Salt Lake City. At 1-3 and reeling, no one could be blamed for leaving the Trojans out of any listing of the top teams in college football.
Still, USC has spent the past three weeks rebuilding their record. A blowout over ASU brought them a step closer to .500 while a second straight victory at the Coliseum over a ranked Colorado team put them back at even. On Saturday, the Trojans pulled their record back into positive territory by comfortably downing Arizona in Tucson, 48-14.
It was enough for three pollsters to cast votes for USC in the Week 8 ballot, setting them at No. 35 in the rankings with five points.
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Those voters include Jeff Miller of the OC Register, John Shinn an Oklahoma beat writer of The Norman Transcript and Jonny Miller of WBZ NewsRadio 1030, a Boston-area station. The two Millers ranked the Trojans at No. 24 while Shinn put USC at No. 25.
There won’t be an opportunity for USC to increase their ranking this week with a bye, but they will return next Thursday to face Cal at the Coliseum for a nationally broadcast game and the chance to impress.
The Trojans still have a long way to go before they can expect a more respectable ranking, but taking care of business in October has Troy on the upswing.
Representing the Pac-12 in the AP poll, Washington retained their No. 5 ranking while Utah is the next-highest ranked at No. 19, a two spot jump forward.
Colorado is the first team on the outside of the Top 25 looking in, while Washington State, Stanford and Arizona State are also receiving votes.
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