The latest Associated Press Top 25 College Football Poll looks wildly different after a weekend where nine ranked teams lost. Only Ohio State managed to hold onto its spot, while chaos reshuffled nearly everything else.
Vanderbilt even crashed the top 10 for the first time since 1947. Quite a shakeup, honestly. Who saw that coming?
The Unstoppable Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State keeps rolling, still sitting pretty at No. 1 for the eighth week in a row. They just blanked Wisconsin 34-0, which helped them pick up 60 first-place votes—10 more than last week.
The Buckeyes really do look like a juggernaut right now. If they keep this up, it’s hard to imagine anyone dethroning them.
Indiana’s Historic Rise
Indiana just hit a program-best No. 2 after knocking off Michigan State. Their quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, has been on fire—he’s tossed four or more touchdowns in four different games.
That kind of play has put Mendoza squarely in the Heisman conversation and lifted Indiana to heights they’ve never seen before.
Top 10 Shakeup: New Entrants and Surprises
The top 10 is a whole new world this week. Some teams made big jumps:
- Texas A&M: Up to No. 3, which is their best ranking since 1995.
- Alabama: Climbs to No. 4, their highest mark this season.
- Georgia: Back in the top five at No. 5 after a short absence.
- Vanderbilt: Leaps to No. 10, which hasn’t happened for them since the 1940s.
Teams on the Rise
Oregon, Georgia Tech, and Mississippi all made moves of their own. Oregon rebounded from a rough week with a blowout win against Rutgers.
Georgia Tech’s win over Duke shot them into the top 10 for the first time since 2014. Mississippi slipped three spots after losing to Georgia but still hangs around in the top 10.
Major Upsets and Falling Giants
There were upsets all over the place this weekend. Four top-10 teams lost, and nine ranked teams overall took a hit. That meant some big drops:
- Texas Tech: Down seven spots to No. 14 after losing to Arizona State.
- LSU: Took the biggest tumble, falling 10 spots to No. 20 after losing to Vanderbilt.
- Miami: Dropped seven spots to No. 9 after Louisville beat them.
New Entrants and Returning Teams
Plenty of new faces and some old ones popped back into the rankings:
- Louisville: Jumps in at No. 19 after upsetting Miami.
- Illinois: Back at No. 23, even though they didn’t play this week.
- Arizona State: Returns at No. 24 after beating Texas Tech.
- Michigan: Slides in at No. 25 after taking down Washington.
Key Matchups to Watch
Next week could get even wilder. Here are a few games that might shake things up again:
- No. 3 Texas A&M vs. No. 20 LSU: The home team has won the last eight meetings. That trend could keep going, or maybe not—who knows?
- No. 8 Mississippi vs. No. 13 Oklahoma: The Rebels are hoping to repeat last year’s nine-sack performance.
- No. 15 Missouri vs. No. 10 Vanderbilt: Vandy’s kicker Brock Taylor is chasing a streak of 17 straight field goals.
Historic Streaks and Milestones
A few teams are closing in on some pretty cool milestones:
- Ohio State: Ten straight weeks in the top five—currently the best active streak.
- Georgia: 140 consecutive weeks in the poll, second only to Alabama’s whopping 287.
- Vanderbilt: Only their fifth time ever in the top 10.
- Virginia: No. 16 is their highest ranking since 2007.
Conference Breakdown
SEC schools are everywhere in this poll, with 10 teams in the top 25. The Big Ten follows with five. Here’s a quick look at where everyone stands:
- SEC: Nos. 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22.
- Big Ten: Nos. 1, 2, 6, 23, 25.
- Big 12: Nos. 11, 14, 21, 24.
- ACC: Nos. 7, 9, 16, 19.
- American: No. 18.
- Independent: No. 12.
Teams on the Brink
Several teams are sitting just outside the top 25. They’re picking up votes and could break into the rankings soon if things go their way.
- Southern Cal: 97 votes
- Utah: 40 votes
- Tulane: 37 votes
- Houston: 34 votes
- Navy: 28 votes
- San Diego State: 7 votes
- James Madison: 6 votes
- Boise State: 4 votes
- TCU: 2 votes
- Minnesota: 1 vote
The college football season is getting wild. With so many teams clawing for a spot in the top 25, anything can happen next week.
If you want all the details and a closer look at the biggest shifts, check out the source article.
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