CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia University and Marshall University teamed up to make Associated Press poll history Sunday.
The college football top 25 poll, as voted on by 60 media members nationwide, ranked WVU at No. 22 and Marshall at No. 23, the first time ever the Mountain State’s two Football Bowl Subdivision programs have appeared in the regular-season AP rankings at the same time.
The only other voting week this occurred was the final poll of the 2002 season, which was released Jan. 4, 2003 after the bowl games. The Thundering Herd was No. 24 in that poll after defeating Louisville, 38-15, in the GMAC Bowl. The Mountaineers finished 25th that season after losing to Virginia, 48-22, in the Continental Tire Bowl. In the last AP top 25 poll before the bowls that season, WVU was No. 13 and the Herd sat in the others receiving votes category.
West Virginia (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) cracked the top 25 for the first time this season after defeating then-No. 4 Baylor, 41-27, Saturday in Morgantown. The Bears plummeted eight spots to No. 12. West Virginia has won three consecutive Big 12 games after losing to then-No. 4 Oklahoma on Sept. 20. The Mountaineers have won five of six games since the season-opening loss to Alabama, with wins over Towson, Maryland, Kansas, Texas Tech and Baylor.
Marshall (7-0, 3-0 Conference USA) is in the national rankings for consecutive weeks after winning at Florida International, 45-13, Saturday in Miami. The Thundering Herd, one of four remaining undefeated teams in the FBS, moved up two spots…
