Ohio State moved up to No. 6 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday after beating rival Michigan.

The Buckeyes jumped four spots and the Wolverines fell four to No. 8, but overall the rankings were relatively stable after the last weekend of the regular season. Going into next week, when each FBS conference will play a championship game, Alabama, Clemson and Notre Dame are the top three for the sixth straight poll.

Georgia moved up a spot to No. 4 and Oklahoma is fifth. Unbeaten Central Florida also moved up a spot to No. 7. No. 9 Texas and Washington round out the top 10.

Washington State and LSU both dropped out of the top 10 and are tied for No. 12.

Alabama has been ranked No. 1 for 14 straight weeks. The Crimson Tide are the first team to have three seasons of 14 straights weeks at No. 1, starting from the preseason. The Tide also accomplished the feat in 2016, when it went 15 polls at No. 1 before losing the national championship game to Clemson, and in 2012, when it lost to Auburn during the final weekend of the regular season.

SOUTHERN CAL: Clay Helton will remain the coach after the school’s first losing season since 2000.

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Athletic Director Lynn Swann made the announcement one day after the Trojans finished 5-7 with a loss to Notre Dame.

TEXAS TECH: Kliff Kingsbury, a former record-setting quarterback at the school, was fired with a losing overall record in his six seasons as coach.

The move came a day after the Red Raiders finished their third consecutive losing season with a 35-24 defeat to Baylor when they had a chance to get bowl eligible. That was their fifth straight loss after a 5-2 start this year, though it seems unlikely a win in the finale would have saved Kingsbury’s job.

ILLINOIS: The school extended the contract of Coach Lovie Smith for two years through 2023 after the Illini finished his third season with four victories.

Athletic Director Josh Whitman said the extension demonstrates his belief in Smith, his staff and the plan they have going forward. Whitman hired Smith, the former NFL head coach who led the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl, soon after he was named AD in 2016.

NORTH CAROLINA: Coach Larry Fedora is out after seven seasons, a day after an overtime loss to rival North Carolina State that dropped the Tar Heels to 2-9 and concluded with a brawl between the teams in the end zone after the Wolfpack scored the winning touchdown.

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Fedora’s exit completed a swift fall. The program won 11 games and an Atlantic Coast Conference division championship in 2015. UNC slipped to 8-5 the next season, then went 5-18 over the past two years marred by injuries, inexperienced players and close losses.

WAKE FOREST: Safeties coach Lyle Hemphill was promoted to defensive coordinator.

Coach Dave Clawson also made defensive line coach Dave Cohen his assistant head coach for defense.

WESTERN KENTUCKY: Second-year coach Mike Sanford was fired following a 3-9 finish – including a los to Maine – in the Hilltoppers’ first losing season since 2010.

The decision came a day after the Hilltoppers beat Louisiana Tech 30-15 for their second consecutive victory in Conference USA. Their strong finish followed six consecutive losses.


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