Oklahoma moved up to No. 3 behind Clemson and Alabama and the Big Ten placed three teams in the top six of the new Associated Press college football poll.
Clemson is No. 1 for the fourth consecutive week and Alabama is No. 2. The Tigers received 53 first-place votes and the Crimson Tide got the other eight from the media panel.
The Sooners jumped two spots to after winning the Big 12 title with a 58-23 victory at Oklahoma State on Saturday night.
Three Big Ten teams followed with Iowa at No. 4, Michigan State No. 5 and Ohio State No. 6.
Stanford moved up six spots to No. 7 after beating Notre Dame with a last-second field goal and the Fighting Irish dropped from fourth to ninth.
Oklahoma has its best AP ranking since the 2011 season, but this one is far more satisfying for the Sooners.
In 2011, Oklahoma was preseason No. 1 and steadily slipped as the season went along. The Sooners were No. 3 in October, dropped as far as No. 19 in the poll after the conclusion of the regular season and finished 16th.
This season Oklahoma started 19th, moved up a bit before losing to Texas in October and slipping back to 19th and has steadily climbed since.
Kentucky QB to transfer
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops announced Sunday that junior quarterback Patrick Towles will transfer after starting 10 games this season.
Towles had started 22 consecutive games before being replaced by redshirt freshman Drew Barker last week against Charlotte, but finished Saturday's 38-24 season-ending loss to rival Louisville.
The Fort Thomas, Kentucky, native has career totals of 5,099 passing yards and 24 touchdowns -- including 2,148 passing yards and nine TDs this season. He also rushed for 353 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Stoops thanked Towles in a news release Sunday and said he understands his decision.
Towles will earn a political science degree next month and have one season of eligibility remaining. He thanked Stoops and others in a statement, adding "I will truly bleed blue 'til the day I die."
Penn State OC axed
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Penn State fired offensive coordinator John Donovan and will begin a national search to find his replacement, the athletic department announced Sunday.
The move comes after Penn State suffered its worst loss of Coach James Franklin's tenure, routed 55-16 by No. 5 Michigan State on Saturday.
A five-year veteran of Franklin's staffs at Penn State and Vanderbilt, Donovan was heavily criticized for leading a wildly inconsistent attack. He also coached tight ends.
Penn State ranks 108th in total offense and 101st in scoring offense nationally this year. That's little progress, considering the Nittany Lions were 114th in total offense and 113th in scoring offense last season.
Pass protection has been a problem, with quarterback Christian Hackenberg getting sacked 82 times.
The offensive staff also struggled to get plays down from the booth in adequate time. Penn State had to burn multiple timeouts against the Spartans and last week against Michigan.
Purdue coordinators gone
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- A dismal season has prompted Purdue Coach Darrell Hazell to change directions.
Hazell announced Sunday that offensive coordinator John Shoop, defensive coordinator Greg Hudson and defensive tackles coach Rubin Carter will not return next season.
The moves come a day after the Boilermakers (2-10, 1-7 Big Ten) wrapped up their third consecutive losing season under Hazell with a 54-36 loss to rival Indiana. The Hoosiers reclaimed the Old Oaken Bucket for the third consecutive year, something that last occurred when Indiana won four in a row from 1944-47.
There was speculation throughout the season about Hazell's future. But Athletic Director Morgan Burke already has announced that Hazell will return in 2016.
Sports on 11/30/2015