AP Top 25 rankings highlight the Ducks at No. 1 for the third consecutive week, achieving unanimous support after a commanding 21-point victory over Michigan on the road.
Georgia holds steady at No. 2, having secured one No. 1 vote last week. They managed to overcome Carson Beck’s three interceptions and pulled away in the final moments to defeat Florida.
Ohio State climbed to No. 3 following a victory against Penn State, marking their eighth consecutive win in this matchup. Miami (Fla.) sits at No. 4 after defeating Duke, while Texas, which did not play, moved to No. 5. Penn State, previously in the top five for four consecutive polls, has dropped to No. 6.
With the College Football Playoff (CFP) expanding to 12 teams this season, losses among top-tier teams to each other do not automatically eliminate them from national championship contention. The first CFP rankings of the season will be unveiled on Tuesday and will be updated weekly until the bracket is finalized on December 8.
Tennessee maintained its position at No. 7, despite a challenging game against Kentucky, ultimately winning 28-18.
Indiana made a significant leap, rising five spots to No. 8—its highest ranking since it reached No. 7 in 2020. This marks the best standing in a non-pandemic year since the Hoosiers were No. 4 during their 1967 Rose Bowl season. They convincingly defeated Michigan State, 47-10, achieving a perfect 9-0 record for the first time in program history, with every victory this season coming by a margin of at least ten points.
BYU and Notre Dame, ranked No. 9 and No. 10 respectively, had a week off.
[RJ Young’s Top 25: Ohio State, Indiana move up; Clemson falls]
SMU’s impressive 48-25 win over Pitt propelled them from No. 20 to No. 13—marking the largest jump this week. This ranking is their highest since they were at No. 3 on October 1, 1985, prior to the NCAA imposing the “death penalty” on the program in 1987 due to severe violations of rules. The program did not field a team in 1988.
Clemson and Iowa State, both tied for No. 11 last week, experienced the steepest declines after suffering home losses. Clemson fell eight spots to No. 19 after a 33-21 defeat against Louisville, while Iowa State dropped six spots to No. 17 following a narrow 23-22 loss to Texas Tech. Texas A&M, Kansas State, and Pitt also slipped five positions.
Army, ranked No. 18, achieved its highest position since midseason in 1960 when they were at No. 10.
Boise State, now at No. 12, has reached its best ranking since being No. 8 in the final poll of 2011.
Indiana has surpassed Notre Dame for the first time since the last poll in 1979, when the Hoosiers were ranked No. 19, and the Irish were unranked. The two schools are separated by just 200 miles in Indiana.
Vanderbilt’s 17-7 victory at Auburn allowed the Commodores to re-enter the rankings at No. 24 after a brief absence.
Louisville, which maintained a ranking throughout September, is back at No. 25 following their upset win at Clemson.
Illinois, which was ranked 24th last week, saw its seven-week run in the Top 25 end with a 25-17 loss to Minnesota at home.
Missouri, which had been ranked every week and peaked at No. 6, fell out of the rankings after a bye week. They barely held onto the No. 25 spot last week despite a 34-0 loss to Alabama.
SEC: 8 (Nos. 2, 5, 7, 11, 14, 15, 16, 24).
ACC: 5 (Nos. 4, 13, 19, 23, 25).
Big Ten: 4 (Nos. 1, 3, 6, 8).
Big 12: 4 (Nos. 9, 17, 21, 22).
American Athletic: 1 (No. 18).
Mountain West: 1 (No. 12).
Pac-12: 1 (No. 20).
Independent: 1 (No. 10).
Here’s the complete top 25:
1. Oregon
2. Georgia
3. Ohio State
4. Miami (Fla.)
5. Texas
6. Penn State
7. Tennessee
8. Indiana
9. BYU
10. Notre Dame
11. Alabama
12. Boise State
13. SMU
14. LSU
15. Texas A&M
16. Ole Miss
17. Iowa State
18. Army
19. Clemson
20. Washington State
21. Colorado
22. Kansas State
23. Pitt
24. Vanderbilt
25. Louisville
