LSU is closing in on Southern California in the AP Top 25, and Appalachian State is getting some recognition - but not a ranking. After a surprisingly easy and thoroughly impressive victory over Virginia Tech, No. 2 LSU took 19 first-place votes from No. 1 USC in the AP Top 25 released Sunday. The Trojans were idle Saturday while the Tigers routed the Hokies 48-7 in Death Valley. USC received 40 first-place votes from the media panel, down from 59 last week, and 1,619 points.

LSU received 25 first-place votes and 1,582 points.

Appalachian State, a week after pulling off a stunning upset at Michigan, received 19 points, not nearly enough to be ranked but it got a spot between Auburn (23 points) and Cincinnati (12 points) in the list of others receiving votes.

The Mountaineers, who play in Division I's Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA), became eligible for the Top 25 when The Associated Press changed it policy last week to allow voters to vote for teams from all divisions of college football.

Appalachian State appeared on four ballots and got a 13th-place vote from Dave Goren of WXII-TV in Winston-Salem, N.C.

While USC and LSU held their places at the top of the poll, Oklahoma moved up two spots into third while West Virginia slipped a spot to No. 4 and lost its first-place vote to the Tigers.

Defending national champion Florida was No. 5. The Gators face their first test Saturday when they play No. 22 Tennessee in Gainesville, Fla.

No. 6 Texas, Wisconsin, California, Louisville and Ohio State rounded out the top 10.

Virginia Tech fell out of the top 10, sliding nine spots to No. 18 after getting pounded by LSU. Georgia also took a big drop, falling 12 spots to No. 23 after losing 16-12 to South Carolina.

The Gamecocks were one of three teams moving into the rankings this week, coming in at No. 17. Oregon, which beat Michigan 39-7, was No. 19, and Boston College was No. 21.

Auburn, TCU and Boise State dropped out of the Top 25 after their first losses of the season.

The second 10 started with UCLA, followed by Penn State, Rutgers and Nebraska, which hosts USC on Saturday.

Georgia Tech was No. 15 and Arkansas, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Oregon and Clemson rounded out the top 20.

Boston College, Tennessee, Georgia, Texas A&M and Hawaii were the final five. Both Texas A&M and Hawaii had to go to overtime on Saturday to remain unbeaten.

Written By RALPH D. RUSSO