In a seismic shake-up in college football, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) achieved an unprecedented milestone, capturing six of the top seven spots in the AP Top 25 for the first time in the 88-year history of the rankings. Meanwhile, a stunning upset at home sent Notre Dame plunging to No. 18 on Sunday.
The Georgia Bulldogs held firm at No. 1, receiving 54 out of a possible 63 first-place votes. Close on their heels, No. 2 Texas jumped a spot after a commanding win over defending national champion Michigan on the road, earning four first-place votes. This marks the Longhorns’ highest ranking since they finished second in 2009. The Wolverines, now reeling, dropped to No. 17.
Ohio State from the Big Ten Conference slid to No. 3, making way for a quartet of SEC powerhouses. Alabama maintained their position at No. 4, followed by Mississippi, which moved up to No. 5. Missouri saw a climb to No. 6, and Tennessee surged to No. 7 after routing North Carolina State in Charlotte.
This SEC dominance comes as the conference expands to include Texas and Oklahoma, setting the stage for an unparalleled early-season sweep. Never before has one league occupied as many as five of the top seven rankings, a stark example of the potential of superconferences. However, as these SEC teams start facing off in the coming weeks, maintaining this dominance will be challenging.
Notre Dame’s 16-14 defeat to Northern Illinois marked the college football season’s first monumental upset, and the first time a top-five team fell to an unranked opponent since Purdue toppled then-No. 2 Iowa on November 5, 2022. The Huskies’ victory, the first-ever top-five win for a Mid-American Conference team, propelled them to No. 25, marking their first ranking since 2013 and the inaugural placement for a non-Power Four team this season.
Rounding out the top 10 were No. 8 Penn State, No. 9 Oregon from the Big Ten, and No. 10 Miami. Oregon slid two spots despite a dramatic comeback win over Boise State.
Northern Illinois was one of four teams to break into the rankings for the first time this season, with Nebraska most notably appearing at No. 23. The Cornhuskers, now ranked for the first time since 2019, are attempting to build on their victory over Colorado at home. Their last significant stint in the rankings came in 2016, though they have not finished a season ranked since 2012. This is the ambitious goal second-year coach Matt Rhule and freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola aim to achieve.
Nebraska also holds the record for the longest streak of poll appearances, with 348 weeks under coach Tom Osborne from 1981 to 2002. Alabama trails with an active streak of 264 weeks.
Recent turnover originated from the bottom of the rankings, as Kansas, Iowa, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina State all exited after losses. No. 21 Iowa State essentially swapped places with its Cy-Hawk rival Iowa by clinching a victory.
Georgia Tech’s brief appearance in the AP Top 25, their first since 2015, ended after a loss at Syracuse. However, the Atlantic Coast Conference saw No. 24 Boston College break its lengthy drought, securing a rank for the first time since 2018.
In terms of conference representation, the SEC now boasts eight teams in the rankings, including Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, and 16. The Big Ten follows with six teams, the Big 12 with five, and the ACC with four, while the MAC and Independents each have one ranked team.
Looking ahead, a few ranked-versus-ranked showdowns promise to shape the season further. No. 20 Arizona faces No. 14 Kansas State on Thursday in what promises to be an intriguing nonconference matchup set before realignment. Additionally, an unexpected ACC-SEC clash will see No. 24 Boston College visit No. 6 Missouri on Saturday.
