Live updates: More big changes in the AP Top 25
No. 1 Miami was the only team to hold its spot in the latest AP Top 25 rankings after another major reordering in the poll in the wake of BYU’s loss at UCF.
The Cougars fell to No. 8, allowing an idle Ohio State to move up to No. 2.
Georgia moved up a spot to No. 3 after its open date, Indiana jumped two rungs to No. 4 after winning at Michigan in overtime, and Notre Dame slipped a spot to No. 5 after being idle. Utah, UCLA, BYU, Kentucky and Alabama rounded out the top 10.
Miami, Utah and UCLA are the only remaining unbeaten teams, the fewest at this point in a season since there were three left in 1977, according to Sportradar.
See what to look for this season and follow live analysis on the rankings below.
October 25, 2026
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These Cats are scratching and clawing their way up
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Slumping Oregon makes a change
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Big 12 ties its own record with 6 teams ranked
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SEC leads the way again with 9 ranked teams
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Ask a voter: Is Miami just playing on a whole other level?
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Texas and Arch Manning make for must-see TV in the fourth quarter
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Hurricanes handle business as No. 1
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A second unbeaten team from the Big 12 goes down
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No. 2 BYU loses in controversial fashion in the ‘Bounce House’
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Another chaotic week in the Top 25
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Three undefeated teams remain in FBS
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AP Top 25 live updates: Every team changed except No. 1 Miami
By MARK LONG
Updated 3:25 PM EDT, October 25, 2026
No. 1 Miami was the only team to hold its spot in the latest AP Top 25 rankings after another major reordering in the poll in the wake of BYU’s loss at UCF.
The Cougars fell to No. 8, allowing an idle Ohio State to move up to No. 2.
Georgia moved up a spot to No. 3 after its open date, Indiana jumped two rungs to No. 4 after winning at Michigan in overtime, and Notre Dame slipped a spot to No. 5 after being idle. Utah, UCLA, BYU, Kentucky and Alabama rounded out the top 10.
Miami, Utah and UCLA are the only remaining unbeaten teams, the fewest at this point in a season since there were three left in 1977, according to Sportradar.
See what to look for this season and follow live analysis on the rankings below.
By MARK LONG
The Southeastern Conference fined South Carolina $500,000 on Sunday for allowing fans to storm the field following a 27-24 victory over then-No. 11 Tennessee.
The fine will be paid to the Volunteers in accordance with SEC policy.
South Carolina was one of four schools whose fans rushed the field Saturday, joining celebrations at Minnesota (which beat Iowa 13-10), UCF (which stunned then-No. 2 BYU 39-31 in double overtime) and Cincinnati (which shocked then-No. 8 Texas Tech 37-24).
The SEC policy permits schools to establish procedures that would allow fans to celebrate on the playing surface after all visiting team personnel and game officials have safely exited the field or court.
Commissioner Greg Sankey may reduce the fine to $100,000 if South Carolina can prove that a full attempt to prevent the field rush was made, few individuals breached the competition area and minimal interaction with the visiting team occurred.
The SEC has the most teams ranked in the Top 25. Do you think it’s the best conference, and why/why not?
AP sports editor Oscar Dixon
The SEC, for one, has the geographic advantage as it has access to some of the best recruits in the South region.
On the NIL side of it, SEC schools are ahead of the curve when it comes to booster funding. The Big 10 has caught up in the past few years with programs like Oregon and Michigan backed by billionaires.
The SEC speaks for itself, though. The best players want to play for the games of the most storied programs.
By MARK LONG
There’s a third Atlantic Coast Conference team rising in the AP Top 25 rankings, and it’s one no one saw coming two months ago.
No. 14 Wake Forest (6-1, 4-1 ACC) is up 12 spots over the last three weeks. The Demon Deacons have won four in a row, three of those on the road. They won at Louisville, beat Stanford, won at N.C. State and won at Cal. The last three have been lopsided victories.
Wake Forest’s lone loss in 2026? A 33-20 setback to now-No. 1 Miami. The Demon Deacons were picked to finish 13th in the preseason by league media.
Miami and SMU are ranked as expected, but Louisville, Clemson and Georgia Tech have come up short of expectations midway through the season. Wake Forest plays Virginia on Saturday.
By MARK LONG
There are seven teams with new coaches in the latest AP Top 25.
No. 24 Oklahoma State reentered the poll Sunday after beating Colorado 57-24. The Cowboys have won five of six under first-year coach Eric Morris. No. 6 Utah (Morgan Scalley), No. 7 UCLA (Bob Chesney), No. 9 Kentucky (Will Stein), No. 12 Ole Miss (Pete Golding), No. 15 LSU (Lane Kiffin), and No. 17 Florida (Jon Sumrall) also are ranked with new guys in charge.
Those are the kind of turnarounds that prompt schools to make changes despite having to pay multimillion-dollar buyouts. Three programs made coaching changes over the last five days, with Maryland parting with Mike Locksley on Wednesday, N.C. State firing Dave Doeren on Saturday and Baylor dumping Dave Aranda on Sunday.
By MARK LONG
Northwestern’s resurgence is one of the best stories in college football this season.
The 20th-ranked Wildcats (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten) have won four in a row in coach David Braun’s fourth year to earn their highest ranking since being No. 10 in the final poll of the 2020 season.
Northwestern’s lone loss came at defending national champion Indiana in Week 3, 29-23.
Braun’s team has three consecutive tough tests on deck: at Oregon, against Iowa and at No. 2 Ohio State. Win those, and the Cats could get a rematch with the Hoosiers in the Big Ten title game.
BYU's loss to UCF put me in an interesting spot that saw me move Georgia and Ohio State ahead of them.
The Notre Dame win kept the Cougars ahead of the Fighting Irish in my poll as well.
Utah’s victory over Houston moved them inside my top 10. However, I kept them behind the streaking UCLA. Kentucky and Ole Miss got my final two spots at 9 & 10.
By MARK LONG
No. 9 Kentucky has its highest ranking in more than four years.
The Wildcats have the longest winning streak in the SEC at six games, raising expectations under first-year coach Will Stein.
Oregon’s struggles surely can be traced to Stein leaving Eugene for Lexington. He was Oregon’s offensive coordinator between 2023 and 2025.
If the Wildcats are going to climb inside the top 10 for the first time since being ranked No. 7 in 2022, they will need to win at No. 16 Tennessee on Nov. 7. It’s the first of a three-game stretch that will decide whether or not Kentucky makes the College Football Playoff.
The Cats face No. 17 Florida at home and No. 23 Missouri on the road after traveling to Knoxville.
Oregon fired offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer on Sunday, the latest change for a Power Four school.
Coach Dan Lanning made the move after the Ducks failed to top 17 points in three consecutive games, including losses to UCLA and Illinois.
Mehringer joined the Oregon staff in 2022 as the tight ends coach, and he added co-offensive coordinator duties ahead of the 2025 season. He was the primary play-caller this season after Will Stein took over at Kentucky.
“This was a decision I felt was in the best interest of our football program, as I believe a new direction is necessary to move our offense forward,” Lanning said. “I thank Drew for his efforts and wish him all the best.”
Oregon opened the season ranked No. 2 but has been unranked for three consecutive weeks.
The move follows head coaching changes at Maryland, N.C. State and Baylor.
By MARK LONG
The Big 12 has six teams ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2012. That ties its own mark set 23 previous times.
No. 6 Utah, No. 8 BYU, No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 18 Houston lead the way. No. 22 Arizona and 24th-ranked Oklahoma State round out the rankings. The Wildcats entered the Top 25 last week, and the Cowboys reentered the rankings Sunday.
It’s the first time the Big 12 has had more ranked teams than the Big Ten since the final poll of the 2023 season.
By MARK LONG
The Southeastern Conference has nine teams ranked in the latest AP poll, with eight of them slotted in the top 17.
No. 3 Georgia, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 10 Alabama, No. 11 Texas, No. 12 Ole Miss, No. 15 LSU, No. 16 Tennessee and No. 17 Florida give the SEC the most ranked teams of any conference. No. 23 Missouri is the last of the league’s ranked teams.
Six SEC teams -- including ranked Alabama, Kentucky, LSU and Tennessee -- have Halloween weekend off.
The league’s game of the week is Florida versus Georgia in Atlanta. The rivalry known as “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” was moved from its usual home in Jacksonville, Florida, to Atlanta this year because of a $1.4 billion renovation to EverBank Stadium.
Ask a voter: Should BYU serve a more severe penalty?
The Cougars’ victory over Notre Dame should keep their resume strong down the stretch. Georgia moving back up to No. 3 in this week’s poll proves that BYU still has room to climb.
They still have a ranked matchup with Utah on the road to look forward to.
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 MARK LONG
No. 1 Miami was the only team to hold its spot in the latest AP Top 25 rankings after another major reordering in the poll in the wake of BYU’s loss at UCF.
The Cougars fell to No. 8, allowing an idle Ohio State to move up to No. 2.
Georgia moved up a spot to No. 3 after its open date, Indiana jumped two rungs to No. 4 after winning at Michigan in overtime, and Notre Dame slipped a spot to No. 5 after being idle. Utah, UCLA, BYU, Kentucky and Alabama rounded out the top 10.
Miami, Utah and UCLA are the only remaining unbeaten teams, the fewest at this point in a season since there were three left in 1977, according to Sportradar.
See what to look for this season and follow live analysis on the rankings below.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
1. Miami (Fla.) 2. Ohio State 3. Georgia 4. Indiana 5. Notre Dame 6. Utah 7. UCLA 8. BYU 9. Kentucky 10. Alabama 11. Texas 12. Ole Miss 13. Texas Tech 14. Wake Forest 15. LSU 16. Tennessee 17. Florida 18. Houston 19. SMU 20. Boise State (tie) 20. Northwestern (tie) 22. Arizona 23. Missouri 24. Oklahoma State 25. Wisconsin
— Others receiving votes: Iowa, New Mexico, Cincinnati, Oregon State, South Carolina, Minnesota, USC, UTSA, Virginia Tech
By MARK LONG
Texas and Arch Manning have experienced some extreme highs and lows in the second half of games this season. Their latest win was no different.
After Manning fumbled and threw an interception in the second half Saturday to help No. 7 Mississippi tie the game at 24 in the fourth quarter, he answered by leading the Longhorns on consecutive scoring drives to win 34-27. It was reminiscent of his play against Ohio State in September, when Texas scored the final 21 points to stun the Buckeyes 24-23.
Sandwiched between those victories were two stinkers. Manning fumbled late in a home loss to Florida and threw two fourth-quarter interceptions in a loss to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry.
Sometimes you’ll have a case where injuries could play a role in some matchups. I’m really big on strength of schedule and conferences.
By MARK LONG
Top-ranked Miami routed Pittsburgh 52-23 in the Hurricanes’ first game atop the poll since 2002.
Coach Mario Cristobal’s team ended a two-week run of No. 1 teams losing to conference rivals. In recent weeks then-No.1 Texas was stunned by Oklahoma followed by Georgia being upset by Auburn.
Miami’s Malachi Toney and Darian Mensah shone in this one. Toney finished with a school-record 16 catches for 194 yards and three touchdowns, and Mensah threw for 387 yards and four scores as Miami proved it’s ready to carry the No. 1 torch.
The Hurricanes’ next two games are far from gimmes. They play at North Carolina on Saturday, a week before facing Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
I left them off my ballot simply because of how competitive the SEC is. The Gamecocks are still 2-3 in the conference, with losses to Alabama, Mississippi State & Kentucky.
By MARK LONG
Three college football head coaches have been fired this week: Baylor’s Dave Aranda and N.C. State’s Dave Doeren joined Maryland’s Mike Locksley.
Doeren lost his job on Saturday, one day after his team lost at Stanford. Doeren spent the last 14 seasons in charge of the Wolfpack and was under contract through December 2029.
The school will owe him $9.75 million in base salary for the remaining years, plus any remaining payments for the 2026 calendar year, which would ultimately push his buyout past the $10 million mark.
Doeren’s dismissal came three days after Maryland moved on from coach Mike Locksley following his team’s fifth consecutive loss. The Terrapins owe Locksley 65% of his remaining salary, which amounts to $9.2 million.
Aranda is also out.
Who could be next? Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, Washington’s Jedd Fisch, Florida State’s Mike Norvell, TCU’s Sonny Dykes, USC’s Lincoln Riley and Colorado’s Deion Sanders are ones to watch.
South Carolina’s Shane Beamer and Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell appear to have moved off proverbial hot seats.
Utah’s win over Houston will give them the validation to move inside the top 10.
I personally ranked UCLA over Utah because of the Bruins’ wins over Oregon and Wisconsin.
By MARK LONG
No. 8 Texas Tech joined the ranks of one-loss teams even before No. 2 BYU on Saturday.
The Red Raiders allowed 21 consecutive points in the second quarter in a 37-24 loss at Cincinnati.
It was the Bearcats’ first win over a top-10 team at home since Nov. 18, 2006. The Red Raiders were trying to get to 7-0 for the first time since 2013 and were plagued by mistakes all afternoon.
“I’m as frustrated as I’ve ever been in my 32 years of coaching,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said.
BYU’s stunning 39-31 loss at UCF came after a questionable call. It was somewhat fitting considering all the late-game craziness that played out in “The Bounce House.”
The Cougars forced a 26-yard field goal to start the second overtime, but defensive end Kendal Wall was flagged for roughing the kicker: replays showed he was partially blocked into Will Stone. The penalty gave the Knights a first down. They scored two plays later and added the 2-point conversion. BYU failed to answer.
The end of regulation was even wilder. BYU was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct with 14 seconds to play, moving UCF into field-goal range. BYU’s Faletau Satuala blocked the field goal on third down. Stone recovered and looked like he would get another shot. But his helmet came off during the play, incurring a 10-second clock runoff (UCF had no timeouts to prevent it) and sending the game into overtime.
Georgia and Kentucky are the only Southeastern Conference teams remaining with one loss – just like everyone predicted two months ago, right?
The Bulldogs had a bye week while the Wildcats beat Vanderbilt, 34-17. It was Kentucky’s sixth consecutive win, the longest current streak in the league.
The SEC has shown a penchant for parity this season, with six teams following huge wins with losses: Ole Miss lost at Florida a week after beating then-No. 7 LSU; Florida lost at Missouri a week after beating then-No. 4 Ole Miss; Georgia lost at home to Auburn a week after winning at then-No. 6 Alabama; Oklahoma lost at home to Kentucky a week after stunning then-No. 1 Texas; Auburn got handled at home by LSU a week after shocking then-No. 1 Georgia on the road; and Tennessee lost at South Carolina on Saturday a week after knocking off then-No. 6 Alabama.
Week 8 of the college football season was nearly as eventful as Week 7, and significant adjustments to The Associated Press Top 25 are likely when the poll is released at 2 p.m. EDT.
No. 2 BYU, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 11 Tennessee, No. 15 Iowa and No. 16 USC lost to unranked opponents on the road Saturday. No. 7 Mississippi and No. 14 Houston lost to ranked teams away from home, with the Rebels falling at No. 19 Texas and the Cougars stumbling against No. 10 Utah in Salt Lake City.
Last week, five of the top seven teams lost on the same day for the first time in the poll’s 90-year history.
For those counting at home, that means 11 top-10 teams have lost over the last three weeks. And either No. 1 or No. 2 has fallen over three consecutive weeks.
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.
Half of the six unbeaten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision lost this weekend, leaving Miami, Utah and UCLA as the only teams without a blemish in 2026.
Utah beat Houston 21-13 in Salt Lake City to reach 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big 12. UCLA handled Michigan State in Los Angeles, winning 28-10 to go 7-0 overall for the first time since 2005. The Bruins are 5-0 in the Big Ten. Miami is 7-0, including 5-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Interesting note: Utah (Morgan Scalley) and UCLA (Bob Chesney) both have new head coaches.
Three previously undefeated teams — James Madison, BYU and Texas Tech — suffered their first losses of the season this weekend. All three stumbled on the road.
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