AP Top 25: Ohio State Holds No. 1, Texas and Penn State Fall From Rankings
NEW YORK – Ohio State remains the nation’s top-ranked team in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll, released Sunday, while preseason favorites Texas and Penn State both dropped out following recent losses. The Buckeyes’ continued dominance, highlighted by their impressive roster, solidified their position at No. 1, narrowly edging out Miami for the top spot despite the inherent difficulty of ranking teams without degrees of separation.
The shakeup sees Texas A&M climb to No. 3,jumping Oregon,whose best win is currently a road victory at Penn state. The Aggies’ own signature win came at notre Dame. While acknowledging oregon’s potential, the voter noted the Ducks “definitely look the part” despite the shift.
Both Texas and penn State, previously ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively on the preseason ballot, are now unranked. The voter indicated both programs have the potential to return to the rankings, citing Penn State’s recent loss to UCLA as a setback, not a definitive fall from contention. However, both teams “need to show me something” to earn their way back into the poll.
Memphis enters the Top 25 at No. 23, becoming the first bowl-eligible team in the country with a 6-0 record. They finished last season ranked No. 24. The addition of Memphis, alongside a ranked Vanderbilt despite a loss to Alabama, gives the state of Tennessee three teams in the AP Top 25 – joining no. 12 Tennessee – for the first time, according to the College Poll Archive. USF returns to the rankings at No. 24, largely due to a prior win against Florida.
Looking ahead,three ranked matchups highlight next week’s schedule:
* No. 1 Ohio State at No. 17 Illinois: This will be the tenth meeting between the teams while both are ranked, with Ohio State holding a 3-6 record in previous encounters, and having lost all four since 1964. Illinois has previously defeated top-ranked Ohio State teams in 1950 and 2007.
* No. 7 Indiana at No. 3 Oregon: This is only the third meeting between Indiana and Oregon, and the first since Indiana won in Eugene in 2004, a game marked by seven oregon turnovers.
* no. 8 Alabama at No. 14 Missouri: Since Missouri joined the SEC, Alabama has won both previous ranked matchups against the Tigers by a combined score of 76-13.
