Georgia remains firmly at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 rankings, securing 57 first-place votes after a commanding victory over then-No. 14 Clemson to kick off the season. Meanwhile, Clemson managed to cling to the No. 25 spot despite the loss.
Ohio State follows closely at No. 2, earning five first-place votes. No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Alabama each ascended one position, resulting in three SEC teams occupying the top four spots alongside Georgia.
No. 5 Notre Dame made a notable leap of two spots after defeating then-No. 20 Texas A&M, which has now fallen out of the rankings.
In a surprising twist, Florida State has emerged as a significant early-season disappointment. The defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion suffered a loss in Week 0 against Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland, and followed that up with another defeat at home to Boston College.
No other team in this year’s preseason Top 25 faced an unranked opponent in their opening game, but Florida State experienced this unfortunate fate twice, despite being favored by double digits.
Historically, only two other preseason top-10 teams have plummeted from the Top 25 after Week 1 in the past 35 years: Michigan in 2007, famously losing to Appalachian State while ranked No. 5, and Clemson in 2008, which fell out after a blowout loss to Alabama while sitting at No. 9.
Ole Miss maintained its position at No. 6, while Oregon slipped four spots to No. 7 after narrowly defeating Idaho. Penn State held steady at No. 8, and Missouri climbed two spots to No. 9, contributing to the SEC’s dominance with five teams in the top 10. Michigan dropped one position to No. 10.
Georgia Tech’s impressive 2-0 start has propelled the Yellowjackets to No. 23, marking their first ranking since 2015.
Significant upward movements in the Top 25 include Miami and USC.
The Hurricanes surged seven spots to No. 19 after a decisive victory against Florida at The Swamp, achieving their highest ranking since breaking into the top 10 late in the 2020 season.
No. 13 USC vaulted 10 positions after a thrilling win over LSU, clinching the game with a late touchdown in Las Vegas. This result pushed LSU down to No. 18.
The Trojans began last season ranked No. 6 but fell out of the rankings after a disappointing 8-5 finish, despite the presence of 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams.
Alongside Georgia Tech, Louisville also made its way into the rankings this week, settling at No. 22 after being a top contender among unranked teams in the preseason.
The SEC leads with eight teams in the rankings (Nos. 1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 14, 16, 18), while the Big Ten follows with six (Nos. 2, 7, 8, 10, 13, 21). The ACC has five teams (Nos. 12, 22, 23, 24, 25), and the Big 12 also has five (Nos. 11, 16, 17, 19, 20). There’s one Independent team, Notre Dame, at No. 5.
[2024 college football rankings: Georgia, Ohio State on top; Nebraska cracks top 25]
Here’s the complete Top 25:
1. Georgia (57 first-place votes)
2. Ohio State (5 first-place votes)
3. Texas
4. Alabama
5. Notre Dame
6. Ole Miss
7. Oregon
8. Penn State
9. Missouri
10. Michigan
11. Utah
12. Miami (Fla.)
13. USC
14. Tennessee
15. Oklahoma
16. Oklahoma State
17. Kansas State
18. LSU
19. Kansas
20. Arizona
21. Iowa
22. Louisville
23. Georgia Tech
24. North Carolina State
25. Clemson
