There’s a new No. 1 team in the AP Top 25: Texas snagged the top spot after a wild win against Ohio State, xgiving the Longhorns their earliest No. 1 regular-season ranking since 1965.
The Buckeyes slid down five places to No. 6, leaving the top five for the first time in two seasons.
Oregon, meanwhile, plummeted 15 spots to No. 21 after a 39-31 road loss to an Oklahoma State team that had lost 21 straight against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents.
No. 19 Michigan returned to the poll thanks to a 17-10 win over then-No. 11 Oklahoma. The Wolverines had gone unranked last week, after they needed an extra second and a second-chance Hail Mary to beat Western Michigan.
By MAURA CAREY
Week 3 features one of the more highly anticipated matchups of the season, with Lane Kiffin returning to Oxford as No. 7 LSU and No. 8 Ole Miss go head-to-head.
It’s a revenge game on both sides, as Pete Golding, Trinidad Chambliss and Co. look to prove they’re better off, and Kiffin and his haul of transfers seek the last word.
LSU enters the matchup as a narrow 2.5-point favorite on the road.
By KOKI RILEY
There will be a lot of eyeballs on the LSU-Ole Miss game coming up this week for a lot of reasons. Can you break down the game and take a guess at what you think will happen? -
AP sports editor Dave Zelio
Since I cover LSU, hopefully I can answer this one with some extra expertise.
I think the Tigers have a slightly better roster and a coaching staff (especially on offense) that I trust more, but they also turned the ball over four times against Louisiana Tech. Even if the defense looks unstoppable, the offense is a work in progress, especially through the air.
Dave is putting me on the spot here, but I think Ole Miss wins 24-21. — Sports writer Koki Riley has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @KokiRiley
By MAURA CAREY
The Longhorns’ move from No. 4 to No. 1 is the biggest jump to the top spot since Alabama made the same move in September 2024 after beating No. 2 Georgia.
It’s also Texas’ earliest No. 1 ranking since Sept. 27, 1965.
The Longhorns will have to overcome another trend at the top. The AP No. 1 team has now lost three straight true road games against top-five opponents. The last No. 1 team to win one was LSU with a 46-41 victory over No. 2 Alabama in 2019.
By KOKI RILEY
Why isn’t Miami #1 ???
Aiden
A fair question, given how dominant the Hurricanes have been at the start of this year and their impressive roster.
The only problem is that they haven’t been challenged yet. Stanford is either the worst or second-worst team in the ACC, and Florida A&M is an FCS team. A trip to Wake Forest next week will give us a little better feel for Miami’s quality, but the real test comes in November against Notre Dame. — Sports writer Koki Riley has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @KokiRiley
By MAURA CAREY
No. 5 Miami benefited from Ohio State’s loss, improving two spots in the poll to break the top five. The Hurricanes are 2-0 and have outscored opponents 122-13 over the past two weeks.
No. 16 SMU and No. 23 Louisville each moved up one spot, while No. 25 Virginia held steady. Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh also received votes.
The rankings will likely look quite different next week after SMU and Louisville go head-to-head.
By KOKI RILEY
What are the thoughts on Texas Tech after recent struggles?
Trendon A.
This is a good question because I really think Texas Tech’s sluggish start has gone a bit under the radar.
I was a little more pessimistic than some on the Red Raiders heading into the season because of the losses on the defensive line and the Brendan Sorsby situation. The portal haul was more than strong enough to keep them in my preseason rankings, but their unconvincing start to the year has led me to wonder if I’m putting them too high in my poll still. — Sports writer Koki Riley has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @KokiRiley
By MAURA CAREY
BYU jumped over Texas Tech, improving from No. 15 to No. 11, to become the top-ranked team in the Big 12 following a 28-17 win over Arizona.
Texas Tech held steady at No. 13 for another week after beating Oregon State 35-24.
BYU had the biggest jump of the week aside from Michigan, which returned to the poll at No. 19.
The Big 12 has four ranked teams, with Utah up three spots at No. 17 and Houston holding steady at No. 22.
James B.
By MAURA CAREY
Florida is off to a strong start and voters are noticing. The Gators have received the second-most votes of any unranked team in back-to-back weeks, falling behind Washington this week.
The Jon Sumrall-led Gators rolled past Florida Atlantic and Campbell, but they haven’t quite been challenged yet. Florida doesn’t face a ranked opponent until Ole Miss in Week 4. They travel to Auburn on Saturday, and a win against an undefeated conference opponent could be enough to crack the Top 25.
By KOKI RILEY
Who do you think would win in a head-to-head matchup, Texas or Georgia, given what you’ve seen thus far this season?
CL Smith
Texas is my No. 1 team, so I’m going with the Longhorns. One team has Colin Simmons and Cam Coleman, while the other has question marks at receiver and edge rusher.
— Sports writer Koki Riley has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @KokiRiley
By MAURA CAREY
Heating up: Texas (1), Indiana (4), Miami (5), LSU (7), Ole Miss (8), Texas A&M (9), Alabama (10), BYU (11), USC (12), Penn State (14), Tennessee (15), SMU (16), Utah (17), Iowa (18), Michigan (19), Missouri (20), Louisville (23).
Cooling down: Ohio State (6), Oregon (21), Oklahoma (24), Washington (unranked).
Steady: Georgia (2), Notre Dame (3), Texas Tech (13), Houston (22), Virginia (25).
By KOKI RILEY
With Faizon Brandon looking like he’s already started to settle in, what do you think will happen when Texas comes to Neyland this weekend?
Peyton M.
Texas faces UTSA next weekend, but I’m looking forward to that Tennessee matchup in Week 4.
I’m a little worried for Faizon Brandon if Texas slows down Tennessee’s running game and Arch Manning puts up points early on the other side of the ball.
Tennessee still has a chance, though, since it’s in Neyland.
— Sports writer Koki Riley has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @KokiRiley
By DAVE ZELIO
There are 15 teams receiving votes but not quite enough to crack the AP Top 25.
The top two are Washington and Florida, but Group of Six powerhouse Boise State is third and then comes a grouping that is fun to look at:
Oklahoma State (1-1) is fourth among ‘also receiving’ votes after stunning then-No. 6 Oregon over the weekend, followed by Western Michigan (1-1), which followed its controversial loss to Michigan with an easy win over Monmouth. Then comes Tulsa (2-0), whose opening win was against … Oklahoma State.
Also in this group is North Dakota State, which moved up to the Bowl Subdivision this season and is only the second team in the FBS to be 3-0 along with No. 12 USC
By DAVE ZELIO
The only new team in the poll this week is No. 19 Michigan (2-0), which knocked off then-No. 11 Oklahoma to return from a one-week poll hiatus among the unranked following its controversial Hail Mary win over Western Michigan.
Previously No. 19 Washington (2-0) dropped out after a 16-14 win at home over Utah State. The Huskies picked off Utah State’s Hail Mary attempt in the end zone to narrowly avoid the loss.
By KOKI RILEY
Koki, you had Oregon ranked at #1 in your preseason poll. What metrics determined that, and what can they fix immediately?
Morgan
Thanks for making me look so good in front of everyone, Morgan.
Yes, Oregon was my preseason No. 1, which shows how perfect my rankings were ahead of Week 1.
I still think the Ducks have a shot to turn things around because of their pure roster talent, but Dante Moore and the passing game have to turn things around immediately, and the defense needs to be more aggressive.
I’ve been kinda stunned that they haven’t been wrecking games at the line of scrimmage defensively. — Sports writer Koki Riley has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @KokiRiley
By KOKI RILEY
I have Texas losing to both LSU and Texas A&M, so they can enjoy their ranking for now.
Dennis C.
That wouldn’t stun me, given that both of those games will be on the road.
I will note that Texas A&M didn’t look amazing this week despite the lopsided score. Arizona State outgained the Aggies by 114 yards. — Sports writer Koki Riley has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @KokiRiley
By MAURA CAREY
Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker proved to be a double-threat too difficult for Oregon to stop on Saturday. Mestemaker threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 109 yards and another score in the 39-31 upset.
The quarterback was one of nearly 20 players to follow coach Eric Morris from the University of North Texas to Oklahoma State.
Some of Mestemaker’s former North Texas teammates also played a critical role in the win this weekend. Caleb Hawkins rushed 23 times for 110 yards and a score and Wyatt Young caught five passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
A version of The AP Top 25 college football poll started in 1936, the brainchild of former Sports Editor Alan J. Gould.
The number of teams ranked, the number of voters on the panel and how the ballots are tabulated have fluctuated over the years, but no news organization has been ranking teams and naming a college football national champion longer than the AP.
By MAURA CAREY
Arch Manning bounced back from a rough first half in what would become the biggest statement-making game of his career. He finished the game 23-of-37 for 195 passing yards, a touchdown and a fluky first-quarter interception. He also led three consecutive touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to overcome a 20-point deficit and knock off No. 1 Ohio State.
Georgia’s Gunner Stockton had the best game of his career, tying a school record with five passing touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 70-20 win against Western Kentucky.
Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis threw for 366 yards, four passing touchdowns and one rushing score in a 52-21 rout of Weber State.
Louisville’s Lincoln Kienholz had another impressive outing, throwing for 332 yards and two touchdowns and running for 42 yards and two scores vs. Villanova.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
1. Texas
2. Georgia
3. Notre Dame
4. Indiana
5. Miami (Fla.)
6. Ohio State
7. LSU
8. Ole Miss
9. Texas A&M
10. Alabama
11. BYU
12. USC
13. Texas Tech
14. Penn State
15. Tennessee
16. SMU
17. Utah
18. Iowa
19. Michigan
20. Missouri
21. Oregon
22. Houston
23. Louisville
24. Oklahoma
Virginia
By MAURA CAREY
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood was under the spotlight this week after saying “that’s cool” in response to his job being in jeopardy. But he played Saturday like a fire was lit under him, carrying Michigan to a 17-10 win against No. 11 Oklahoma.
Underwood ran the ball in for a 38-yard rushing touchdown to give Michigan an early lead. And the Wolverines capitalized on a fourth-quarter interception with a one-yard rushing touchdown to break a tie.
It was a tough day for Sooners’ quarterback John Mateer, who lost all momentum after back-to-back scoring drives with a pick at Oklahoma’s 30-yard line.
By KOKI RILEY
How would you rank UGA after their first two weeks? They played cupcakes but scored a historic amount. Would this keep them at 1 over Texas?
Ethan C.
There’s very little we can take away from Georgia’s first two weeks. That’s why I’ve tended to lean on my preseason evaluation of the Bulldogs, which tends to be much lower than many of my colleagues in the poll.
I worry about Georgia’s lack of playmaking at receiver and its pass rush. The latter was especially an issue last season, and I’m not convinced the Bulldogs did enough this offseason to fix it.
I’m fascinated to see how right or wrong I am once they start playing better teams.
Georgia wide receiver Talyn Taylor (1) catches a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Western Kentucky, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Colin Hubbard)
— Sports writer Koki Riley has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @KokiRiley
By MAURA CAREY
The Southeastern Conference’s pair of promising freshman quarterbacks, Faizon Brandon and Keelon Russell, were each tested on the road this week, and they both passed.
Brandon followed a historic debut by leading Tennessee to a 45-24 win against Georgia Tech. Coach Josh Heupel said his performance may not have been flashy on paper, but with 148 passing yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers, it was what the Volunteers needed from the young signal-caller.
Meanwhile, Russell completed 16 of 23 passes for 188 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He led four second-half touchdown drives to put the game out of reach and boost Alabama to a 45-17 win over Kentucky after the Tide trailed 14-13 at halftime.
By KOKI RILEY
Will Michigan be considered for ranking after beating Oklahoma?
Gage
Spoiler alert, but Michigan made my Top 25 this week.
I don’t think this win fully makes up for last week’s debacle against Western Michigan, especially given how poor Oklahoma looked on offense, but give credit where credit is due.
Michigan looked much better this week. I was particularly impressed with how the Wolverines controlled the line of scrimmage defensively. — Sports writer Koki Riley has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @KokiRiley
By KOKI RILEY
Koki, please walk us through your balloting for Oregon from the preseason poll to today’s poll, where you dropped them out altogether.
AP sports editor Dave Zelio
Not to spoil my column too much, which is up now at Nola.com, but it was always going to take a pretty crazy turn of events for Oregon to drop from No. 1 in my preseason poll to unranked in two weeks.
That’s what we saw on Saturday when the Ducks were outgained by nearly 300 yards against Oklahoma State following a rough showing the week before at home against Boise State.
The Ducks will probably crack my rankings again soon, but almost nothing they’ve done so far suggests they’re a Top 25 team.
— Sports writer Koki Riley has been an AP Top 25 voter for three seasons. You can follow him on X: @KokiRiley
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
For decades, voters called, emailed and faxed their votes to the AP and ballots were tabulated by hand.
Now voting happens online and the count is automated first before AP checks for miscues.
The poll operates on a 1 to 25 point system, with the No. 1 team receiving 25 points down to the 25th team receiving 1 point. In between, the poll lists the teams with the most points from 24 down to 2. Teams that receive votes but not enough to make the top 25 are noted separately.
By MAURA CAREY
Week 2 was rife with viral moments, starting with a $1.2 million kick on College GameDay. In Pat McAfee’s kicking contest, Texas freshman Connor Kacena-Merrell won $600,000 personally and $600,000 for charity after drilling a barefoot 33-yard field goal.
Oklahoma State’s upset over Oregon led fans to storm the field — and in 2024 Vanderbilt fashion, the goalpost was carried off into the nearest body of water: the Theta Pond.
Akron’s “OC for a day” winner Marty Whims led the Zips’ opening drive as promised. The drive had a promising start before ending in a lost fumble.
It wasn’t a great week for the Big Ten, which saw its two highest-ranked programs suffer road losses. Ohio State and Oregon entered the season at Nos. 1 and 2. Now the question is whether they will retain top-five status.
Ohio State allowed 21 unanswered points in the final 15 minutes after leading 23-3 through the first three quarters. The Buckeyes fell to Texas 24-23.
The Oregon Ducks lost 39-31 in a major upset by Oklahoma State.
On the upside, Indiana held its own among the top 10-ranked Big Ten teams with a 55-0 win over Howard.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AP Top 25 voters are writers and broadcasters who cover college football.
AP employees do not vote, but they do choose the voters, and they seek wide representation from all over the country. This season, there are 69 voters.
The focus begins with voter representation in states with a Bowl Subdivision school, and the total number of voters from each state increases with the number of FBS teams. There are also spots reserved for national voters.
The AP allows broad latitude for voters to determine their rankings. They are urged to base their votes on performance, not reputation or preseason speculation (except, of course, for the always provocative preseason poll); to avoid regional bias, for or against; to pay attention to head-to-head results; and to make significant changes if desired.
By MAURA CAREY
Texas is eyeing the No. 1 spot after scoring 21 unanswered points in a come-from-behind 24-23 win against Ohio State. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, hope to retain top-five status.
Oklahoma State delivered a 39-31 upset over No. 6 Oregon, putting the Ducks’ status in question.
Michigan could be on its way back into the rankings after a 17-10 win against No. 11 Oklahoma.
