USC might have lost to Utah on the field Saturday night, but it remained ahead of the Utes in the latest AP Top 25, released on Sunday.

The Trojans dropped five spots to No. 12 in the new media poll. Utah rose from No. 20 to No. 15 after beating USC inside Rice-Eccles Stadium Saturday night 43-42. The Trojans move into their bye week with a 6-1 record.

USC is one of four Pac-12 teams ranked inside the top 15 this week, with UCLA at No. 9 and Oregon at No. 10.

The game against Utah provided all manner of drama. The two sides entered with remarkably similar offensive numbers, so it was fitting that they exited with the same. USC put up 42 points and 556 yards of offense. Utah put up 43 points and 562 yards of offense. The difference was a two-point conversion on Utah’s final score.

Quarterback Cameron Rising punched in a fourth-down run from the USC 1-yard-line with 48 seconds to play to give Utah six points and draw the Utes within a single point of tying the game.

It gave coach Kyle Whittingham a choice. Kick the PAT — knowing Utah had missed a field goal earlier in the game — and tie the game, putting it in the hands of the defense to finally come up with a stop? Or roll with the offense from 3 yards away, play for the win, and live with the result?

Whittingham chose the latter and it worked out pretty well. Rising dropped back to pass, then took an alley to his left to run into the endzone. USC got one final shot at trying to drive for a game-winning field goal, but couldn’t get moving.

Still, the Trojans sit at 6-1 with everything ahead of them. Utah still has to go to Oregon to battle the Ducks. USC will look to build up some momentum again heading into a massive clash with UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Nov. 19.

First, it’ll head into the bye week to rest up and make tweaks for the second half of the season.

Here’s the rest of the AP Top 25 after Week 7:

  1. Georgia
  2. Ohio State
  3. Tennessee
  4. Michigan
  5. Clemson
  6. Alabama
  7. Ole Miss
  8. TCU
  9. UCLA
  10. Oregon
  11. Oklahoma State
  12. USC
  13. Wake Forest
  14. Syracuse
  15. Utah
  16. Penn State
  17. Kansas State
  18. Illinois
  19. Kentucky
  20. Texas
  21. Cincinnati
  22. North Carolina
  23. NC State
  24. Mississippi State
  25. Tulane