Oregon solidified its standing as the top college football team in the nation by being the unanimous choice for No. 1 in The Associated Press poll on Sunday. This unanimous selection comes as the Ducks prepare for the College Football Playoff selection committee’s first rankings of the season. Oregon has now held the top spot in the AP Top 25 for three consecutive weeks, achieving unanimous support for the first time following a 21-point road victory against Michigan.
Georgia retained its position at No. 2. Despite quarterback Carson Beck throwing three interceptions, the Bulldogs managed to secure a late win against Florida. Ohio State advanced to No. 3 with a victory at Penn State, marking their eighth consecutive win in the series. Miami climbed to No. 4 after defeating Duke, while Texas moved up to No. 5, despite being idle. Penn State fell to No. 6 after consistently being in the top five for the previous four polls.
The College Football Playoff’s expansion to 12 teams this season means that losses among top teams do not automatically eliminate them from championship contention. The first CFP rankings for the season will be released Tuesday and will be updated weekly until the final bracket is announced on December 8.
Tennessee maintained its No. 7 ranking despite a challenging game against Kentucky, ultimately winning 28-18. Indiana made a significant leap to No. 8 after a resounding 47-10 victory against Michigan State. This is Indiana’s highest ranking since being No. 7 in 2020 and its best in a non-pandemic season since the 1967 Rose Bowl. The Hoosiers are 9-0 for the first time in program history, with each win by double digits.
BYU and Notre Dame held their positions at No. 9 and No. 10, respectively, having been idle over the weekend. SMU made a notable jump to No. 13 following a 48-25 win over Pittsburgh, marking their highest ranking since October 1, 1985. This rise came more than three decades after the NCAA’s “death penalty” in 1987 that shut down the program for severe rules violations.
Clemson and Iowa State experienced significant drops following home losses, with Clemson falling eight spots to No. 19 after a 33-21 defeat by Louisville, and Iowa State dropping six places to No. 17 after a narrow 23-22 loss to Texas Tech. Texas A&M, Kansas State, and Pittsburgh each fell five spots.
Army achieved its highest ranking since 1960, now positioned at No. 18, while Boise State reached No. 12, its best ranking since 2011. Indiana’s placement also marks the first time they are ahead of Notre Dame in the rankings since 1979.
Vanderbilt re-entered the poll at No. 24 after a 17-7 win at Auburn, following a one-week absence, while Louisville made a comeback at No. 25 after upsetting Clemson. Illinois dropped out of the rankings after a 25-17 loss to Minnesota, ending a seven-week run in the Top 25. Missouri also fell out after being idle, last week hanging on at No. 25 despite a 34-0 loss to Alabama.
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) leads with eight teams in the poll, while the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) follows with five, and the Big Ten and Big 12 each have four. Singular entries come from the American Athletic Conference (AAC), Mountain West, and Pac-12.
Significant upcoming games include No. 2 Georgia traveling to No. 16 Mississippi, where the Bulldogs seek to avenge their 2016 loss in Oxford. Additionally, No. 11 Alabama will face No. 14 LSU, with memories of LSU’s thrilling overtime win two years ago still fresh. Both teams are coming off bye weeks, setting the stage for a highly anticipated matchup.
