In a significant reshuffling of the college football rankings per ESPN.com, Oklahoma surged to No. 5 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, while 25th-ranked Miami faced a close call to maintain its position. Meanwhile, six prominent basketball blue bloods made history by simultaneously holding football rankings.
The No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs regained some of the first-place votes they lost last week after an impressive victory over Kentucky. Georgia received 50 first-place votes, compared to 35 in the previous poll. The No. 2-ranked Michigan Wolverines received 11 first-place votes, maintaining their unbeaten record. Ohio State and Florida State each moved up a spot and secured a first-place vote.
Oklahoma made a significant leap, climbing seven spots to No. 5 after defeating Texas. This marks the Sooners’ return to the top 10 for the first time since September of the previous year. Both Oklahoma and Texas have open dates ahead before embarking on a crucial six-week stretch that could potentially lead to a showdown in the Big 12 championship game.
The No. 6-ranked Penn State, No. 7-ranked Washington, and No. 8-ranked Oregon retained their positions in the rankings, setting the stage for their upcoming Pac-12 showdown.
Despite narrowly escaping with a triple-overtime victory against Arizona, USC slipped to No. 10 and continues to fall in the rankings, despite maintaining an undefeated record.
Miami managed to hold on to its ranking despite an eight-place drop after suffering its first loss of the season. The Hurricanes’ heartbreaking 23-20 defeat to Georgia Tech included a late-game gaffe, resulting in a memorable yet painful loss.
In an unusual turn of events, six basketball powerhouse schools, including Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, UCLA, and Louisville, simultaneously held positions in the AP football poll. North Carolina ranked No. 12, Louisville secured the 14th spot, Duke stood at No. 17, UCLA occupied the 18th position, Kansas was placed at No. 23, and Kentucky rounded out the group at No. 24. Louisville’s impressive victory over Notre Dame propelled them 11 spots higher to their highest ranking since 2017.
Georgia’s 17-week streak of No. 1 appearances now ties for the fourth-longest in history, equaling Florida State’s record from 1999. The Bulldogs seem poised to challenge the second-longest streak of 18 weeks at No. 1 by USC in the early 1970s. Miami holds the ultimate record with 21 consecutive weeks at No. 1 from 2001 to 2002.
While Georgia’s dominance appears secure in the near future, upcoming challenges against Missouri, Ole Miss, and Tennessee will put their No. 1 ranking to the test.
Seven undefeated teams suffered losses on Saturday, resulting in two teams dropping out of the Top 25 rankings. Fresno State and Missouri, both previously ranked, fell out of the rankings after two weeks. Meanwhile, UCLA climbed to No. 18 after defeating Washington State, and Kansas re-entered the rankings at No. 23 after a one-week absence following a resounding victory over UCF.
