It was a week of upheaval in The Associated Press college football poll, with Texas returning to No. 1 on Sunday after a one-week absence following Vanderbilt’s monumental upset of Alabama.

The Commodores’ win as more than three-touchdown underdogs caused the Crimson Tide to drop from No. 1 to No. 7. The last top-ranked team to fall so far was Ohio State, which plunged to No. 11 in 2010 following an October loss to Wisconsin.

Texas, which had an open date, received 52 out of 61 first-place votes and became the first team in two years to bounce in and out of the top spot in a span of three polls.

Ohio State beat Iowa for its fourth straight easy win, received nine first-place votes and moved up a spot to No. 2.

Oregon and Penn State each rose three spots, with the Ducks up to No. 3 and the Nittany Lions fourth. Georgia remained No. 5.

Miami, which came back from a 25-point second-half deficit to beat Cal 39-38, rose two spots to No. 6.

WNBA

Ionescu scores 22 points to lead Liberty into Finals >> Sabrina Ionescu rebounded from a rare off game to score 22 points, and nearly a year after the Aces ended the Liberty’s dream of a championship, New York returned the favor by defeating Las Vegas 76-62 to advance to the WNBA Finals.

The top-seeded Liberty will have home-court advantage in the championship series and will face either the Connecticut Sun or Minnesota Lynx. This is the Liberty’s sixth trip to the finals, but the franchise is still seeking its first title.

Golf

Mediate GETS playoff win >> Rocco Mediate missed a 4-foot par putt for the win, and then made from about the same distance on the second playoff hole to beat Bob Estes and win the Constellation Furyk & Friends on the PGA Tour Champions.

Mediate, who closed with a 1-under 71 at Timuquana Country Club, won for the first time in five years and earned his fifth title on the 50-and-older circuit.

Hatton wins Dunhill Links for record 3rd time >> Tyrrell Hatton won the Dunhill Links Championship for a record third time after making birdie at the 18th hole on the Old Course at St. Andrews to finish a stroke clear of playing partner Nicolas Colsaerts.

Both players walked down the storied last hole at the home of golf tied for the lead and having hit their drives just short of the green.

Colsaerts putted to 8 feet and missed his birdie attempt, leaving Hatton a chance for victory after the Englishman had chipped to 4 feet. Hatton’s putt went into the center of the cup.

NHL

Bruins goalie Swayman signs for 8 years, $66M >> The Boston Bruins signed Jeremy Swayman to an eight-year contract that will pay him $66 million, getting their No. 1 goalie back on the ice just two days before the season opener.

A restricted free agent, Swayman had missed all of training camp. The sides faced a Dec. 1 deadline for him to sign or sit out the entire season, a potential disaster for a team that last year had two top goalies — Swayman and 2023 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark — rotating in the net until the beginning of the playoffs.

Ullmark was traded to Ottawa in June.

Tennis

Gauff wins China Open final in straight sets >> Coco Gauff won her second title this season with a lopsided 6-1, 6-3 victory over Karolina Muchova in the final of the China Open.

Aged 20, the sixth-ranked U.S. player became the youngest China Open champion in 14 years. She is also the second American champion in Beijing, following Serena Williams’ title runs in 2004 and 2013.

It was Gauff’s eighth career title. She improved her record in tour finals to 8-1 and has now a 7-0 record in hard-court finals, a feat never achieved before in the Open Era.

Soccer

Weah, Balogun and Cardoso will miss Pochettino’s first U.S. games >> Tim Weah, Folarin Balogun and Johnny Cardoso will miss Mauricio Pochettino’s first games as U.S. national team coach because of injuries.

Brandon Vazquez, Alex Zendejas and Tanner Tessmann were added to the roster on Sunday.

The U.S. plays exhibitions against Panama on Saturday at Austin, Texas, and Mexico three days later at Guadalajara.