Ohio State slips four spots, ranked #16 in AP

Published Sep. 17, 2012 9:15 a.m. ET

foxsports

NEW YORK (AP) -- Alabama and LSU are back atop The Associated Press college football poll, holding down Nos. 1 and 2 the way they did most of last season.
Ohio State slipped four spots to #16 after a scare from California. The Buckeyes won 35-28 after a frantic fourth-quarter.
Ohio University is on the verge of entering the Top 25 after beating Marshall on the road, 27-24. The Bobcats received enough votes to put them at #29.
The University of Cincinnati earned 9 votes, enough to place the Bobcats at #34.
The Crimson Tide is No. 1 for the third straight week, and it was almost unanimous. Alabama received 58 of 60 first-place votes. LSU got the other two.
The Southeastern Conference rivals were ranked first and second for eight weeks during last season before eventually meeting in the BCS title game. The difference last year was LSU was first and Alabama second -- until the Tide won the national championship game.
LSU moved up to No. 2 this week after Southern California's first loss of the season. USC slipped 11 spots to 13th after losing 21-14 at Stanford.
Stanford jumped from 21st to ninth.