In a stunning twist in college football rankings, Ohio State secures the top position while Texas and Penn State dramatically exit the Top 25.
This past Sunday, Miami (Fla.) surged to the second spot in The Associated Press college football rankings, with Texas Tech reaching its highest ranking since 2008. Meanwhile, both Penn State and Texas have fallen off the leaderboard entirely for the first time since 2022, following unexpected defeats against unranked teams.
Ohio State, ranked No. 1, showcased a commanding performance against Minnesota, yet interestingly, it recorded the lowest number of first-place votes, totaling 40, since climbing into the top five just five weeks ago. Meanwhile, the Miami Hurricanes, who were previously ranked No. 2 before an open week, bounced back strongly by defeating Florida State, leading to a significant jump in first-place votes from just four to 21, enough to place them ahead of the idle Oregon team.
Oregon, which received the remaining five first-place votes, was closely followed by No. 4 Ole Miss, which had a week off, and No. 5 Texas A&M. The Aggies made headlines by demolishing Mississippi State, marking their highest ranking since Jimbo Fisher's squad also held the fifth position back in early September 2021.
Despite achieving a resounding 44-0 victory against Kent State, Oklahoma found itself slipping one spot to No. 6. Indiana, benefiting from an open week, claimed the No. 7 spot, while No. 8 Alabama gained two positions after outscoring Vanderbilt by 16 points.
Texas Tech, now ranked No. 9 after a convincing 35-11 victory over previously unbeaten Houston, has re-entered the top ten for the first time since finishing No. 8 in the final regular-season poll of 2008. Georgia rounded out the top ten, moving up two slots after defeating Kentucky.
It's worth noting that both Texas and Penn State began the season ranked as the preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams, respectively; now, they find themselves unranked. Penn State suffered a crushing blow, falling one of the largest drops in the 99-year history of the poll after their shocking defeat at the hands of winless UCLA, just a week following the Bruins firing their coach. Once ranked No. 2, the Nittany Lions plummeted to No. 7 after their previous loss to Oregon, entering their game against UCLA as 24.5-point favorites but ultimately losing in a nail-biting match that ended 42-37. This marks the first time since September 2022 that Penn State has found itself outside the ranked teams.
The drop from rankings mirrors the significant fall experienced by Oklahoma in 1959, which holds the record for the second-largest fall without considering preseason polls and the unprecedented disruptions caused by the pandemic season of 2020. The '59 Sooners had a similarly dramatic exit from No. 2 to unranked after losing their opener against Northwestern.
Texas's slide began with a loss to Ohio State, where they were initially crowned the preseason No. 1 and held the No. 9 position leading into their contest at Florida. However, a setback at The Swamp, losing 29-21, saw them knocked out of the Top 25 for the first time since November 2022.
It’s intriguing to note that the last time two top-10 teams fell out of the rankings simultaneously was nearly four decades ago, on September 16, 1986, involving No. 8 Tennessee and No. 10 Ohio State.
Here's the complete Top 25 for your reference:
1. Ohio State
2. Miami (Fla.)
3. Oregon
4. Ole Miss
5. Texas A&M
6. Oklahoma
7. Indiana
8. Alabama
9. Texas Tech
10. Georgia
11. LSU
12. Tennessee
13. Georgia Tech
14. Missouri
15. Michigan
16. Notre Dame
17. Illinois
18. BYU
19. Virginia
20. Vanderbilt
21. Arizona State
22. Iowa State
23. Memphis
24. South Florida
25. Florida State
Conference Distribution:
- SEC: 9 (Positions 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 20)
- Big Ten: 5 (Positions 1, 3, 7, 15, 17)
- Big 12: 4 (Positions 9, 18, 21, 22)
- ACC: 4 (Positions 2, 13, 19, 25)
- American: 2 (Positions 23, 24)
- Independents: 1 (Position 16)
Reporting provided by The Associated Press.
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