Oregon strengthened its bid for the top spot in the College Football Playoff selection committee’s first rankings of the season by being unanimously chosen as No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll. The Ducks earned this top spot for the third consecutive week after their impressive 21-point road win against Michigan. Following closely behind, Georgia remained at No. 2, overcoming Carson Beck’s three interceptions to pull away late and defeat Florida. Ohio State climbed one spot to No. 3 with a victory over Penn State, while Miami and Texas moved up to No. 4 and No. 5, respectively. Penn State, previously in the top five, slipped to No. 6.
The College Football Playoff’s expansion to 12 teams this season means that losses by top teams to other top teams may not necessarily disqualify them from the race for the national championship. The committee’s first rankings will be released Tuesday and updated weekly until the bracket is announced on December 8th. Tennessee held onto its No. 7 spot despite struggling against Kentucky, eventually winning 28-18. Indiana saw a significant jump to No. 8, their highest ranking since 2020, after a 47-10 road victory over Michigan State. BYU at No. 9 and Notre Dame at No. 10 both had bye weeks.
SMU made the biggest upward movement this week, jumping from No. 20 to No. 13 after a 48-25 win over Pittsburgh. This is their highest ranking since 1985. Clemson and Iowa State experienced the biggest drops in the rankings after losing at home; Clemson fell to No. 19, while Iowa State dropped to No. 17. Other notable movements include Army reaching its highest ranking since 1960 at No. 18, and Boise State achieving its best ranking since 2011 at No. 12. Indiana’s ranking ahead of Notre Dame is a significant historical moment, as it marks the first time since 1979 that they have been ranked higher in the final poll.
Vanderbilt’s win over Auburn propelled them back into the rankings at No. 24, while Louisville returned to the top 25 after upsetting Clemson. Illinois, who had been in the rankings for seven weeks, dropped out after a loss to Minnesota, and Missouri fell out after an open week despite previously being ranked as high as No. 6. The distribution of ranked teams by conference includes 8 from the SEC, 5 from the ACC, 4 each from the Big Ten and Big 12, and 1 each from the AAC, Mountain West, and Pac-12, as well as an independent team.
Upcoming matchups between ranked teams include No. 2 Georgia visiting No. 16 Mississippi, and No. 11 Alabama facing off against No. 14 LSU. These games are expected to be highly competitive and could potentially impact the rankings in future weeks. Fans can stay updated on the AP Top 25 throughout the season for the latest poll alerts and updates. Be sure to sign up for notifications to keep track of all the action in college football. The AP college football hub is also a great resource for staying informed about all things college football.
