The Latest: AP Top 25 college football rankings see Oregon jump to No. 2 as top five shuffles
Oregon claimed the No. 2 spot in the AP Top 25 college football rankings, marking the top of the poll with the first of several shakeups.
Miami, which had a bye, slipped one spot to No. 3 and was followed by top-five newcomers No. 4 Mississippi and No. 5 Oklahoma. That’s a nine-rung promotion for Ole Miss, which beat LSU Saturday, giving the Rebels their highest ranking since 2015.
Ohio State remained No. 1 for the fifth straight week, but the margin of first-place votes between the top two teams is the closest of the regular season.
Follow live updates from The Associated Press below for game recaps, ranking analyses and voter answers to fan questions, all in one place.
Here’s the latest:
Oregon knocks Penn State out of top three
A gritty 30-24 win over Penn State in double overtime convinced voters that Oregon deserved a spot in the top three. The Ducks jumped to No. 2 in the poll, knocking Penn State out of the top three for the first time this season.
Key stat: Oregon beat Penn State in all major offensive categories, holding the edge in first downs (20), yards per play (5.4), rushing yards (176), passing yards (248) and time of possession (33:52).
Next test: Oregon has the week off before hosting Indiana on Oct. 11.
AP Top 25 temperature check
Heating up: Oregon (2), Ole Miss (4), Oklahoma (5), Texas A&M (6), Alabama (10).
Cooling off: Penn State (7), Georgia (12), LSU (13).
Steady: Ohio State (1), Iowa State (14), Tennessee (15).
AP Top 25 college football poll rankings
1. Ohio State
2. Oregon
3. Miami (Fla.)
4. Ole Miss
5. Oklahoma
6. Texas A&M
7. Penn State
8. Indiana
9. Texas
10. Alabama
11. Texas Tech
12. Georgia
13. LSU
14. Iowa State
15. Tennessee
16. Vanderbilt
17. Georgia Tech
18. Florida State
19. Missouri
20. Michigan
21. Notre Dame
22. Illinois
23. BYU
24. Virginia
25. Arizona State
Hear from a voter: Why the bias against BYU?
What’s with the against-BYU bias? Return a lot of starters on defense and a new QB, but teams in the top also had new QBs.
BYU is a good football team and was ranked last week. Some voters aren’t impressed with the Cougars’ wins so far this season. The close win over Colorado in Week 5 won’t help its case.
You can have all the talent, but you still need to produce on the field. Voters haven’t felt like they’ve produced.
Hear from a voter: Why is Penn State awful?
By SPENCER RIPCHIK
Penn State had some flashes, especially in the fourth quarter against Oregon. The Nittany Lions had a chance to win, but came up short. Quarterback Drew Allar continues to make mistakes in big moments.
Penn State is still a good football team and still has a shot at the Big Ten Championship and a College Football Playoff berth. It might be frustrating, but there’s still a lot of season to play.
Hear from a voter: How much does overtime really matter?
By SPENCER RIPCHIK
Everything in a game has to be considered. Not just wins and losses.
An overtime win means the game was really close and could’ve gone either way. An overtime win isn’t as impressive as a team winning by one or two scores in regulation.
Hear from a voter: Why continue valuing the preseason rankings?
By SPENCER RIPCHIK
As the season gets deeper, there’ll be more of a sample size to evaluate where each team is ranked.
After five weeks, the top teams are emerging, and it’ll only get easier as the season goes on.
Hear from a voter: Is Utah’s play calling to blame for their low ranking?
By SPENCER RIPCHIK
I wouldn’t say Utah’s play calling is why the Utes aren’t highly ranked. Utah’s 34-10 loss at home is the biggest reason. You could say the offensive play calling was bad that game, so it did play a little role in it.
The lopsided loss is the biggest reason, though. Utah’s offense bounced back this weekend against West Virginia, where it was nearly perfect, so it could be back in the Top 25.
Hear from a voter: Should Miami stay at No. 2?
By SPENCER RIPCHIK
There’s a chance Miami is still at No. 2, but most voters will have Oregon jump the Hurricanes after the Ducks’ big road win over No. 3 Penn State.
It’s not Miami’s fault; Oregon’s win was just that impressive.
Knocking on the door
An unranked Virginia team turned heads with a 46-38 win over No. 8 Florida State in overtime. With a 4-1 record and coming off a win against a top-10 opponent, the Cavaliers could work their way into the Top 25 for the first time since 2019.
Arizona State could return to the rankings after a 27-24 win against No. 24 TCU on Friday. The Sun Devils fell out of the Top 25 after losing to Mississippi State in Week 2.
Four Top 25 games included OT
It was an overtime-heavy week for college football, starting with No. 8 Florida State against Virginia on Friday night in a matchup pulled out by Virginia.
On Saturday, No. 16 Georgia Tech climbed back from a 20-3 deficit, then sent the clock into to overtime and solidify a 30-29 win.
Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop helped the Vols win in overtime with a 25-yard rushing score, beating Mississippi State 41-34.
No. 6 Oregon beat No. 3 Penn State in double overtime with a 25-yard touchdown by receiver Gary Bryant Jr.
Four top 10 teams stumble
The top 10 is almost certain to shift after No. 2 Penn State, No. 4 LSU, No. 5 Georgia and No. 8 Florida State each lost in Week 5.
It’s the second time this season that more than four top 10 teams have lost in a single week. In Week 1, preseason No. 1 Texas dropped to Ohio State, preseason No. 4 Clemson lost to LSU, preseason No. 6 Notre Dame fell to Miami and preseason No. 8 Alabama lost to Florida State.
Four top ten teams have lost in the same week at least two times (sometimes more) in three of the past four years (2022, 2024, 2025).
Who to watch to rise and fall this week
26. No. 17 Alabama will likely skyrocket in the rankings after a 24-21 win at No. 5 Georgia on Saturday night.
27. No. 13 Ole Miss is set to crack the top 10 after a 24-19 win against No. 4 LSU.
28. No. 6 Oregon could see its highest ranking this season after knocking off No. 3 Penn State in double overtime.
29. Georgia and LSU, fresh off conference losses, are likely to tumble out of the top five. Georgia’s lowest regular-season ranking was No. 6, while LSU has been a top-five team since winning its season opener against Clemson.
30. Penn State is at risk of dropping out of the top five for the first time this season after a loss to Oregon in double overtime.
Who votes in the poll and how does it work?
No organization has been ranking teams and naming a major college football national champion longer than The Associated Press, since 1936.
AP employees don’t vote themselves, but they do choose the voters. AP Top 25 voters comprise around 60 writers and broadcasters who cover college football for AP members and other select outlets. The goal is to have every state with a Football Bowl Subdivision school represented by at least one voter.
There is a 1-to-25 point system, with a team voted No. 1 receiving 25 points down to 1 point for a 25th-place vote. After that, it’s simple: The poll lists the teams with the most points from 1 to 25, and others receiving votes are also noted.
Voting is done online, and the tabulation is automated.
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