Idle Risers

The University of South Carolina football team picked up two spots in the Associated Press Top 25 (from No. 13 to No. 11) and three spots in the USA Today Coaches’ poll (from No. 15 to No. 12).

Not bad for having the weekend off …

The Gamecocks (7-2, 5-2 SEC) – who also figure to gain ground in the BCS standings – benefitted from tenth-ranked Oklahoma’s loss to Baylor, No. 11 Miami’s loss to Virginia Tech andNo. 10/12 LSU’s loss to top-ranked Alabama.

Clemson – which also had the week off – remained No. 8 in the AP Top 25, but the Tigers (8-1, 6-1 ACC) climbed from No. 7 to No. 6 in the USA Today/ Coaches’ poll.

(For Bowl Championship Series rankings, click here).

South Carolina closes out its conference schedule this weekend at home against unranked Florida, while Clemson wraps up its conference slate this Thursday night against unranked Georgia Tech. The following week, each school plays an FCS opponent with the Tigers welcoming The Citadel and South Carolina hosting Coastal Carolina.

The week after that? The Palmetto Bowl – which Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks are hoping to win for a school-record fifth consecutive time.

South Carolina has now been ranked in fifty-nine straight AP polls – extending a school record.

ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP 25 (November 10)

1. Alabama (56) 9-0, 1472
2. Florida State (3) 9-0, 1418
3. Ohio State 9-0, 1310
4. Baylor 8-0, 1303
5. Stanford 8-1, 1272
6. Oregon 8-1, 1139
7. Auburn 9-1, 1109
8. Clemson 8-1, 1049
9. Missouri 9-1, 1012
10. Texas A&M 8-2, 909
11. South Carolina 7-2, 857
12. Oklahoma State 8-1, 780
13. UCLA 7-2, 669
14. Michigan State 8-1, 633
15. UCF 7-1, 596
16. Fresno State 9-0, 588
17. Wisconsin 7-2, 503
18. LSU 7-3, 470
19. Louisville 8-1, 467
20. Northern Illinois 9-0, 396
21. Arizona State 7-2, 362
22. Oklahoma 7-2, 285
23. Texas 7-2, 185
24. Miami (FL) 7-2, 121
25. Georgia 6-3, 78

Dropped from rankings: Notre Dame 24, Texas Tech 25

Others receiving votes: Ole Miss 68, Minnesota 60, Nebraska 16, Duke 11, USC 10, Washington 9, Ball State 7, Virginia Tech 5, Brigham Young 3, Notre Dame 2, Houston 1.

USA TODAY COACHES’ POLL (November 10)

1. Alabama (58) 9-0, 1546
2. Florida State (4) 9-0, 1485
3. Ohio State 9-0, 1401
4. Baylor 8-0, 1376
5. Stanford 8-1, 1307
6. Clemson 8-1, 1164
7. Oregon 8-1, 1162
8. Missouri 9-1, 1083
9. Auburn 9-1, 1069
10. Oklahoma State 8-1, 965
11. Texas A&M 8-2, 898
12. South Carolina 7-2, 830
13. Louisville 8-1, 653
14. Fresno State 9-0, 646
15. UCLA 7-2, 641
16. Michigan State 8-1, 620
17. Oklahoma 7-2, 510
18. LSU 7-3, 476
19. UCF 7-1, 468
20. Wisconsin 7-2, 460
21. Northern Illinois 9-0, 445
22. Arizona State 7-2, 262
23. Miami (FL) 7-2, 228
24. Texas 7-2, 176
25. Minnesota 8-2, 91

Dropped from rankings: Texas Tech 23, Notre Dame 25

Others receiving votes: Georgia 44, Nebraska 43, Ball State 22, Virginia Tech 15, Louisiana-Lafayette 7, Cincinnati 6, Ole Miss 6, USC 6, Texas Tech 5, Washington 5, Arizona 4, Notre Dame 2, Buffalo 1.

Pic: Travis Bell Photography