AP Top 25: Sun Devils fall in AP Poll after victory at Washington

Arizona State came into Saturday ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll and No. 14 in the Amway Coaches Poll. After running away late for a win over the Washington Huskies, the Sun Devils actually dropped to No. 15 in the AP and held steady at No. 14 in the Coaches Poll.

Arizona State blew a number of opportunities to put the game out of reach in the third quarter, and when Cameron Van Winkle nailed a 23-yard field goal for Washington with just over seven minutes remaining in the game, the Sun Devils found themselves in a tie ball game. They got it together just in time, however, going on a commanding touchdown drive and then getting a late pick-six to seal the victory.

Elsewhere in the Pac-12, Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for five touchdowns as the Ducks topped California, 59-41. The win, and Mississippi's loss at LSU, moved them up to No. 5 in the AP Poll.

Arizona was the team that jumped the Sun Devils, and apparently the voters were more impressed with its 59-37 win at Washington State than they were with Arizona State's road win. Either that, or just more voters were awake to see it. The Wildcats now sit at No. 14 heading into their showdown at No. 25 UCLA next Saturday, who barely beat Colorado this week but held steady in their No. 25 spot.

The difference between Arizona and Arizona State (and Arizona and No. 13 Ohio State), in the AP Poll is actually quite small. The Buckeyes have a total of 676 points, while the Wildcats sit at 669. The maroon and gold sit just behind at 667.

Arizona State's next opponent, Utah, rose to No. 18 in the AP this week after sneaking past USC with a late touchdown on Saturday night. The Trojans dropped out of the Top 25 with the loss.

Don't forget that the first edition of the College Football Playoff selection committee's rankings will be released on Tuesday night. Be sure to check back for updates.