The AP Top 25 is ready for a new No. 1 team thanks to a historic day on the field for No. 4 Texas. The Longhorns beat top-ranked Ohio State in the largest fourth-quarter rally ever seen vs. an AP No. 1 team.
Expect other changes down in the rankings, too, after a stunning loss by the Big Ten’s No. 6 Oregon to Oklahoma State.
Teams ranked No. 12 and below all won their matchups. But there could still be movement down the ballot or even new teams making the rankings, given that No. 19 Washington and No. 21 Iowa both struggled despite being heavily favored.
Stick around for more predictions, voter Q&A and live updates when the latest rankings drop at 2 p.m. EDT.
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.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, center and Texas players celebrate their win over Ohio State in an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
