The Trojans cracked the rankings at No. 25.
A nationwide panel of sportswriters votes in the poll weekly, and points are awarded for each vote. The Trojans had been in the “receiving votes” category since the Week 8 entry, released on Oct. 16.
In last week’s poll, Troy received the 29th-most points. The win over the Mountaineers, who had points in the Amway Coaches Poll, catapulted them into the rankings.
A national campaign, spearheaded by the #RankTroy designation on social media platforms, has drawn attention to the Trojans’ successful 2016 season.