Fleck, Gophers rise to No. 13 in AP Top 25 poll

The Minnesota Gophers are a top-15 team in the nation.

Let that sink in.

In the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll released Sunday, the Gophers were slotted at No. 13, their best ranking since coming in at No. 13 on Oct. 3, 2004.

Minnesota is 8-0 for the first time in 78 years and has won its last four games over Illinois, Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland by no less than 23 points.

The Gophers head into a bye week before returning to action at home Nov. 9 against Penn State (8-0). It will be just the second-ever meeting of ranked teams at TCF Bank Stadium since it opened in 2009.

ELSEWHERE IN THE POLL

The No. 1 vs. No. 2 game between Alabama and LSU in two weeks looks set, though the order of the Crimson Tide and Tigers changed in the AP Top 25 in one of the closet votes ever.

Heading into an off date for both teams, LSU flip-flopped with Alabama to become the new No. 1 in the poll. The Tigers received 1,476 points, two more than Alabama, for the closest margin between 1 and 2 since No. 1 Florida State was two points ahead of Auburn on Oct. 5, 2014.

No. 3 Ohio State was not far behind with 1,468 points. Eight points separating first from third is the fewest in the regular season since Dec. 3, 1979, when No. 1 Ohio State was 10 points ahead of No. 3 Southern California, with Oklahoma in between, two back of the Buckeyes.

Alabama received the most first-place votes this week with 21. LSU and Ohio State both got 17 first-place votes. No. 4 Clemson received seven first-place votes.

AP TOP 25 POLL – WEEK 10 (released Oct. 27)