Oregon maintains its position at the top of the AP Top 25 rankings, followed closely by Georgia, Penn State, and Ohio State, while Washington State and Colorado make their first appearances in the rankings this season. This shift highlights the dynamic nature of college football, with teams vying for recognition and success.
[RJ Young’s Top 25: Oregon, Indiana keep rolling; Texas A&M enters top 10]
Miami, led by Heisman Trophy hopeful Cam Ward, improved to 8-0 after defeating Florida State on Saturday. The Hurricanes have consistently ranked in the top 10 for the past eight polls, marking their highest position since they were No. 2 in November 2017.
Texas faced a setback, dropping from No. 1 to No. 5 after losing to Georgia at home. Following a narrow three-point victory over Vanderbilt, they slipped to No. 6.
After a rocky start, Notre Dame climbed four spots to No. 8, thanks to a commanding 51-14 victory against Navy, bouncing back from its earlier loss to Northern Illinois.
BYU, now at No. 9, celebrated an impressive road win against UCF, achieving an 8-0 record and marking their highest ranking since 2020.
Texas A&M’s recent 38-23 victory over LSU marked their second win against a top-10 opponent this season, propelling them to No. 10. This ranking is their highest since September 2022.
Despite losing quarterback Drew Allar to injury just before halftime, Penn State secured a win against Wisconsin, maintaining their No. 3 ranking ahead of their upcoming clash with Ohio State, which held steady at No. 4 after a close 21-17 victory against Nebraska.
Notre Dame and Texas A&M enjoyed the most significant upward movements in the rankings, while LSU experienced the largest drop, falling from No. 8 to No. 16.
BYU has seen a steady rise in the polls, moving up for six consecutive weeks since entering at No. 22 on September 22. Pittsburgh has also enjoyed a four-week climb since debuting at No. 22 on October 6.
With Texas’s drop to No. 6, this marks the first time this season that the Southeastern Conference has only one representative in the top five. The Big Ten continues to dominate, holding three of the top four spots for the fourth week in a row.
Miami’s rise to the top five is notable as they are the first Atlantic Coast Conference team to achieve this since Florida State was ranked No. 4 in December.
Washington State (7-1) secured its place at No. 22 after defeating San Diego State, becoming the first ranked team from the remaining Pac-12 members this season. Colorado (6-2) also made headlines, landing at No. 23 after a strong performance against Cincinnati.
Vanderbilt’s brief ranking, the first since 2013, ended after just one week. The Commodores received the most votes among teams outside the Top 25.
Navy, having been in the poll for two weeks, was removed after a disappointing loss to Notre Dame, where they committed six turnovers. Meanwhile, Army (7-0) climbed two spots to No. 21.
The SEC has eight teams in the rankings (Nos. 2, 6, 7, 10, 14, 16, 19, 25), while the Big Ten boasts five (Nos. 1, 3, 4, 13, 24). The ACC has four teams (Nos. 5, 11, 18, 20), and the Big 12 has four (Nos. 9, 11, 17, 23).
The upcoming matchups include No. 4 Ohio State facing No. 3 Penn State, marking the fourth meeting of top-five teams this season. The Buckeyes have a seven-game winning streak in this series, but both teams are dealing with injuries, particularly Penn State’s Allar.
No. 18 Pittsburgh will take on No. 20 SMU, showcasing two surprising teams that remain unbeaten in ACC play. Pitt was initially predicted to finish 13th in the conference.
Here’s the full top 25:
1. Oregon
2. Georgia
3. Penn State
4. Ohio State
5. Miami (Fla.)
6. Texas
7. Tennessee
8. Notre Dame
9. BYU
10. Texas A&M
11. Clemson
12. Iowa State
13. Indiana
14. Alabama
15. Boise State
16. LSU
17. Kansas State
18. Pittsburgh
19. Ole Miss
20. SMU
21. Army
22. Washington State
23. Colorado
24. Illinois
25. Missouri
Others receiving votes: Vanderbilt 41, Memphis 34, Tulane 28, Navy 23, Louisville 5, Arkansas 4, UNLV 4, Louisiana-Lafayette 3, South Carolina 1.
