In a dramatic shift in The Associated Press Top 25 released on Sunday, Ohio State fell out of the top 10 for the first time in five years, UCLA surged into the top five for the first time in 25 years, and New Mexico secured its inaugural ranking in program history.
The Buckeyes tumbled from No. 2 down to No. 11 after falling 30-18 to USC. This defeat marks the fourth consecutive week that a top-two team has fallen to an unranked opponent.
Miami held onto the top spot for the third consecutive week after narrowly defeating North Carolina 38-35. Georgia climbed one position to No. 2, followed closely by Utah, Notre Dame, and UCLA.
The Hurricanes, set to face Notre Dame in a highly anticipated top-five showdown on Saturday, secured 62 of the 70 first-place votes from the media panel. Georgia claimed seven first-place votes, while Utah received one.
Indiana dropped two spots to No. 6 following a 23-16 overtime victory over Minnesota. BYU, Kentucky, Alabama, and Texas rounded out the top 10.
Prior to this week, Ohio State had remained in the top 10 since September 26, 2021. The Buckeyes fell to No. 11 after a dominant 52-point win over Akron, returned to the top 10 the following week following a 39-point victory against Rutgers, and maintained their streak for 86 consecutive polls.
UCLA is off to an 8-0 start for the first time since 2005, led by first-year head coach Bob Chesney. The Bruins stepped out of conference action to shut out Nevada 27-0. Reaching No. 5, UCLA claims its highest ranking since sitting at No. 4 after a 6-0 start in 2001.
New Mexico, a program with football roots dating back to 1892, entered the AP rankings for the first time in history at No. 22 after securing a 21-16 victory at San Jose State. This historic milestone arrives during head coach Jason Eck’s second season, marking the Lobos’ first 7-1 start since 1982.
In And Out
USC jumps back into the top 25 at No. 18(Photo by Peter Zhan/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
In: No. 18 USC’s victory over Ohio State stands as the most significant win of Lincoln Riley’s five seasons, propelling the Trojans back into playoff contention.
In: No. 21 Iowa continued its recent dominance over Wisconsin with a 30-0 shutout, returning to the poll after a one-week hiatus.
In: No. 22 New Mexico stands as the sole unbeaten team in Mountain West conference play, emerging as a serious contender for the Group of Six playoff spot.
In: No. 23 South Carolina’s season and Shane Beamer’s tenure were nearly written off just a month ago, but the Gamecocks have now won three consecutive games, earning a ranking for the first time since September 2025.
Out: SMU’s playoff hopes are fading following a last-minute 30-27 loss at Syracuse, unless they win the ACC championship.
Out: Northwestern led deep into the fourth quarter but failed to close out the game against Oregon.
Out: Oklahoma State lost a 51-49 shootout in Ames after handing Iowa State a short field for a walk-off field goal due to unsportsmanlike conduct.
Out: Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell, who earned a one-week reprieve with a dominant win over USC, finds himself back on the hot seat after a humiliating defeat at Iowa.
Poll Points
Utah climbs to No. 3 after an impressive 8-0 start to the season. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images)
— No. 3 Utah has matched its highest ranking since October 18, 2015, when it started the season 6-0.
— Indiana now holds the longest active streak of consecutive top-10 rankings, spanning 22 weeks.
— The Mountain West had not featured a ranked team since Boise State sat at No. 25 in the 2025 preseason poll. The Broncos have since transitioned to the Pac-12.
— The No. 2 team has now lost for three consecutive weeks, a first since 2007 when it occurred twice.
Conference Call
Georgia moves up to No. 2 after defeating Florida 27-8. (Photo by Perry McIntyre/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
SEC (10 ranked teams): No. 2 Georgia, No. 8 Kentucky, No. 9 Alabama, No. 10 Texas, No. 12 Ole Miss, No. 15 LSU, No. 16 Tennessee, No. 19 Missouri, No. 23 South Carolina, No. 25 Florida.
Big 12 (5): No. 3 Utah, No. 7 BYU, No. 13 Texas Tech, No. 17 Houston, No. 24 Arizona.
Big Ten (5): No. 5 UCLA, No. 6 Indiana, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 18 USC, No. 21 Iowa.
ACC (2): No. 1 Miami, No. 14 Wake Forest.
Independent (1): No. 5 Notre Dame.
Pac-12 (1): No. 20 Boise State.
Mountain West (1): No. 22 New Mexico.
Ranked vs. Ranked
Miami stays atop the rankings at No. 1 and Notre Dame sits at No. 4. (Photo by Doug Murray/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
No. 1 Miami at No. 4 Notre Dame: The teams face off with the same rankings they held in 1988 during the legendary “Catholics vs. Convicts” matchup at Notre Dame Stadium, which resulted in a 31-30 victory for the Fighting Irish.
No. 2 Georgia at No. 12 Ole Miss: The Bulldogs seek revenge for last season’s 39-34 CFP quarterfinal loss in the Sugar Bowl.
No. 7 BYU at No. 3 Utah: This Holy War clash is a top-10 showdown where the winner will take control of the Big 12.
No. 8 Kentucky at No. 16 Tennessee: The Volunteers have won five consecutive games against Kentucky, while the Wildcats have won six straight and are tied with Georgia for the SEC lead.
No. 10 Texas at No. 19 Missouri: The Longhorns and Mizzou meet for the first time as SEC members in what is shaping up to be a crucial playoff knockout game.
No. 9 Alabama at No. 15 LSU: Both teams are fighting to stay alive for the playoff, with the Crimson Tide having won the last three meetings in the series.
Full AP Top 25
25. Florida
24. Arizona
23. South Carolina
22. New Mexico
21. Iowa
20. Boise State
19. Missouri
18. USC
17. Houston
16. Tennessee
15. LSU
14. Wake Forest
13. Texas Tech
12. Ole Miss
11. Ohio State
10. Texas
9. Alabama
8. Kentucky
7. BYU
6. Indiana
5. UCLA
4. Notre Dame
3. Utah
2. Georgia
1. Miami (Fla.)
Reporting by the Associated Press.
