The latest AP Top 25 college football rankings show a major shakeup, with Penn State and Texas gone from the poll for the first time since 2022. Miami moved ahead of an idle Oregon to reclaim the No. 2 spot and No. 9 Texas Tech rose to its highest ranking since 2008.
No. 1 Ohio State stayed put thanks to a win over Minnesota, but the Buckeyes’ number of first-place votes dwindled to 40, the lowest since the team claimed the top spot five weeks ago.
No. 6 Oklahoma slipped one notch, but losses by Penn State and Texas made way for Indiana at No. 7 and Alabama at No. 8, a two-spot promotion for the Crimson Tide. No. 10 Georgia also climbed two spots.
Follow live updates from The Associated Press below for game recaps, ranking analysis and voter answers to fan questions, all in one place.
Here's the latest:
Hear from an AP editor: How does the poll get made?
By DAVE ZELIO
It’s a straight points system: A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote is worth 24 points down to 1 point for a 25h-place vote.
Then it’s just a summary of which teams are 1-25 based on the total number of points.
Hear from a voter: Can Nebraska make it into the top 25 with a win next week?
I have the Huskers at No. 23. And the Terps would’ve made it onto my ballot had they not collapsed against Washington.
I think Nebraska’s final hurdle, which is a hurdle its head coach shares, is beating a ranked team. (It won’t have that opportunity until Nov. 1 at the earliest.)
The upcoming games in College Park and at Minnesota for a rivalry game are big for the Huskers.
Who’s in? Who’s out?
By MAURA CAREY
In: Memphis made its first poll appearance this season, coming in at No. 23 after a 45-7 win against Tulsa. No. 24 South Florida returned to the Top 25 after beating Charlotte 54-26.
Out: Texas and Penn State have fallen out of the rankings after surprising losses to Florida and UCLA.
Hear from a voter: How does Georgia look for the rest of the season?
By JAVON EDMONDS
The Bulldogs have already played Alabama and Tennessee and still have Auburn (a rivalry), Ole Miss, Florida (another rivalry), Mississippi State and Georgia Tech on the schedule.
That looks like an opportunity to finish with the best résumé in the country.
Ole Miss holds steady as other teams with bye weeks shift
By MAURA CAREY
No. 4 Ole Miss was the only team with a bye week to retain its exact spot in the poll.
Miami leapfrogged over Oregon, returning to No. 2 after a 28-22 win over Florida State. Indiana (7), Tennessee (12), Georgia Tech (13), Missouri (14) and Arizona State (21) each ascended in the rankings.
No. 13 is Georgia Tech’s highest ranking since 2014, when the Yellow Jackets went 11-3 and beat Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl.
Iowa State drops eight spots, Florida State falls to No. 25
Iowa State dropped eight spots, falling from No. 14 to No. 22 after losing to unranked Cincinnati.
Florida State retained its AP Top 25 status but dropped seven spots, coming in at No. 25 after losing to Miami on Saturday night.
Hear from a voter: Who are your biggest surprises and disappointments so far?
By JAVON EDMONDS
My biggest disappointment is Clemson.
I believed the Tigers were a national championship contender in the summer. We dropped them out of the poll after the Georgia Tech loss, and I was in the press box for the Syracuse loss.
I can’t recall ever being more wrong about a college football team.
Texas and Penn State are obvious candidates for most disappointing, too. Those programs have invested too much money into those rosters to be anything but top-five teams.
I think the country is learning that Arch Manning isn’t some generational quarterback. And the first-round hype around Drew Allar should be gone by now.
AP Top 25 temperature check
Heating up: Miami (2), Alabama (8), Texas Tech (9), Michigan (15), Notre Dame (16), BYU (18), Virginia (19), Memphis (23), South Florida (24).
Cooling off: Penn State, Texas, Vanderbilt (20), Iowa State (22), Florida State (25).
Holding steady: Ohio State (1), Ole Miss (4).
Hear from a voter: How do you weigh undefeated teams against those with tougher schedules?
I believe context is needed.
Are Ole Miss and Missouri undefeated? Yes.
Have they played anyone as good as Alabama or Georgia? No.
I can’t penalize Georgia too much for losing to Alabama. What I will say, which I have to consider moving forward, is that the Florida State loss isn’t looking as good for the Tide.
Miami shows its stuff
By TIM REYNOLDS
Miami is the only team in the country with three wins over ranked teams so far this season.
The Hurricanes beat then-No. 6 Notre Dame, then-No. 18 South Florida and then-No. 18 Florida State. Miami’s 21 first-place votes this week match its total from the last 354 polls combined, going back to midway through the 2003 season.
The team has appeared in 24 consecutive AP polls, matching the fifth-longest streak in school history.
Hear from a voter: Which teams were your biggest movers and why?
By JAVON EDMONDS
I had Ole Miss out of the top 10 last week.
I am not one that believes they are the fourth-best team in the country. However, I moved them into that tier this week.
The losses to Texas by Penn State, whom I had little faith in already, made me rethink which résumés deserve a top-10 distinction.
AP Top 25 poll rankings
1. Ohio State
2. Miami (Fla.)
3. Oregon
4. Ole Miss
5. Texas A&M
6. Oklahoma
7. Indiana
8. Alabama
9. Texas Tech
10. Georgia
11. LSU
12. Tennessee
13. Georgia Tech
14. Missouri
15. Michigan
16. Notre Dame
17. Illinois
18. BYU
19. Virginia
20. Vanderbilt
21. Arizona State
22. Iowa State
23. Memphis
24. South Florida
25. Florida State
Seven Top 25 teams had the week off
No. 2 Oregon, No. 4 Ole Miss, No. 8 Indiana, No. 15 Tennessee, No. 17 Georgia Tech, No. 19 Missouri and No. 25 Arizona State each had the week off and will return to game action next weekend.
The bye week came at a good time following hard-fought battles in Week 5. Oregon, Tennessee and Georgia Tech beat opponents in overtime. Arizona State, Ole Miss and Indiana each won by a touchdown or less.
Georgia returns to win column
Georgia wide receiver Dillon Bell (86) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Kentucky, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
Georgia responded to its first loss of the season with a 35-14 win against Kentucky.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton ran the ball in for two touchdowns in the first quarter, giving the Bulldogs an early 14-0 lead. Kentucky responded with a score in the second quarter before Georgia’s Dillon Bell notched two rushing touchdowns.
Cash Jones put the game away in the third quarter, connecting with Stockton for a 16-yard touchdown. It was a much-needed win for the Bulldogs, who dropped 24-21 to Alabama in Week 5.
Hear from a voter: How much do you consider the difficulty of a team’s schedule when voting?
That is the basis of my voting process. Who did you play and how good did you look? I don’t really think there’s any other way to vote.
In the early parts of the season, voting based on belief in the roster can be acceptable. But that has to phase out as the year progresses.
Upset watch
UCLA pulled off the biggest upset of the week with a 42-37 win over No. 7 Penn State.
Bruins’ quarterback Nico Iamaleava accounted for five touchdowns, running three in and connecting with Kwazi Gilmer and Titus Mokiao-Atimalala for two more.
A struggling Florida team exposed No. 9 Texas, beating the Longhorns 29-21 on Saturday. Texas — once ranked No. 1 in the poll — is now at risk of slipping out of the rankings altogether.
Who might rise and fall in this week’s poll
Stock up: Alabama, Notre Dame, BYU, Texas Tech.
Stock down: Florida State, Penn State, Texas, Iowa State.
Hear from a voter: What do you see in Miami over other top teams like Ohio State and Oregon?
By JAVON EDMONDS
I see a Hurricanes team with a national champion under center, the best pass rusher in the country, a super talented roster and a good schedule.
Once Ohio State and Oregon play some more competition, I’ll consider them for No. 1. Right now, Miami has the best combination of talent and résumé.
Hear from voter: What’s your take on so-called SEC bias?
By JAVON EDMONDS
It’s simple for me: Play good teams and you’ll be rewarded.
Simply being in a conference doesn’t qualify you as a good team (see Kentucky and Rutgers). I watch as many games as I can on Saturdays and catch up on whichever ones I missed.
I care about the body of work, not the rhetoric.
Ohio State safe at No. 1 as Miami makes a case for No. 2
Miami moved from No. 2 to No. 3 in the poll after a Sept. 27 bye.
While the Hurricanes had time off, Oregon topped Penn State in double overtime, moving up to No. 2. The roles were reversed this week, as Oregon had the week off for rest and recovery, while Miami delivered a convincing 28-22 win against No. 18 Florida State.
Meanwhile, Ohio State returned to action with a 42-3 victory over Minnesota, likely making the Buckeyes untouchable at No. 1.
Knocking on the door
Cincinnati knocked off No. 14 Iowa State on Saturday, outscoring the Cyclones 38-30 and improving to 4-1.
It’s the fourth straight win for the Bearcats, who are beginning to make a case for a Top 25 ranking.
Memphis improved to 6-0 with a dominant 45-7 win over Tulsa on Saturday. The Tigers rank second in the American Conference behind Navy, which has the edge with a 3-0 conference record.
South Florida could return to the rankings after a 54-26 win against Charlotte. The Bulls received 53 votes in the poll last week, more than any other team still outside the Top 25.
Who votes in the poll, and how does it work?
No organization has been ranking teams and naming a major college football national champion longer than The Associated Press, since 1936.
AP employees don’t vote themselves, but they do choose the voters. AP Top 25 voters comprise around 60 writers and broadcasters who cover college football for AP members and other select outlets. The goal is to have every state with a Football Bowl Subdivision school represented by at least one voter.
There is a 1-25 point system, with a team voted No. 1 receiving 25 points down to 1 point for a 25th-place vote. After that, it’s simple: The poll lists the teams with the most points from 1 to 25, and others receiving votes are also noted.
Voting is done online, and the tabulation is automated.