Stock watch: Iowa moves up to No. 3, claims first-place vote

Eddie Timanus | USA TODAY

And then there were two.

The undefeated club continues to lose members as the college football season nears its conclusion. Only two remain, and they both hold high positions in the new Amway Coaches Poll.

Clemson retains the No. 1 spot and has a much stronger grip on it thanks to Ohio State’s loss. The Tigers now have 58 of 64 first-place votes.

Alabama, despite having a loss on its record from earlier in the campaign, has five first-place nods and checks in at No. 2. The final No. 1 vote goes to Iowa, the only other team yet to taste defeat. The Hawkeyes locked up a spot in the Big Ten championship game and climb to No. 3.

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The debate over the all-important No. 4 ranking is going to be heated for the next couple of weeks as the playoff selection committee’s ultimate decision draws near. The coaches have Notre Dame in that slot for the moment, checking in nine poll points ahead of No. 5 Oklahoma.

Stock up: Michigan State. The Spartans rode tremendous efforts from a stout defense and a backup quarterback to topple Ohio State and find themselves right back in the playoff mix. They check in at No. 6, up three places.

Stock down: Ohio State. On the other end of that decision, the Buckeyes drop six spots to No. 8 and will need help to play for the Big Ten title.

Stock up: Baylor. The Bears got strong outings from not one but two QBs who weren’t starting on opening day to hand Oklahoma State its first loss. Baylor also makes a three-position jump to No. 7.

Stock down: Oklahoma State. The Cowboys take a six-spot drop to No. 10, but have a chance to bounce back with Oklahoma coming to Stillwater for next week’s ‘Bedlam’ showdown.

Stock up: Navy. The Midshipmen were all business at Tulsa and now hold the lead in the AAC West by themselves. They climb four places to No. 15 and could be on their way to a major bowl.

Stock down: Houston. The Cougars weren’t as fortunate in a loss at Connecticut. They still have a chance to win the conference crown with Navy coming to town next week, but their long-shot playoff hopes are likely gone. They take a seven-spot demotion to No. 21 in the poll.

New kids on the block: No. 23 UCLA, No. 24 Temple.

College dropouts: LSU, Wisconsin, Southern California.

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