texas A&M surged to No. 10 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 college football poll, released Sunday, while Notre Dame became the first ranked team with a 0-2 record since 1988 after falling out of the rankings. The Aggies’ rise reflects a strong start to the season and a notable moment - appearing in the top 10 alongside Texas for the first time since Sept. 20, 2020, and excluding the pandemic season, the first time since Oct. 2, 1978.Notre Dame’s struggles mark a critically important downturn for the program and a rare occurrence for a traditionally powerful team.
The shakeup at the top and the Fighting Irish’s unprecedented fall highlight the volatility of the early college football season. These shifts impact conference standings, playoff aspirations, and recruiting efforts for teams across the nation. The AP Top 25 serves as a crucial barometer for postseason opportunities, and the coming weeks will determine weather teams can maintain or improve their positions.
Here’s a look at the current AP Top 25:
- Texas
- Michigan
- Georgia
- Clemson
- Florida State
- Ohio State
- Washington
- Alabama
- Illinois
- Texas A&M
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- LSU
- Penn State
- notre Dame (previously ranked, now out)
- Utah
- Texas Tech
- Iowa
- Indiana
- Ole Miss
- Wisconsin
- Auburn
- Missouri
- Kansas
- Louisville
South Florida’s weeklong stay in the Top 25 ended with its 49-12 loss at Miami. Clemson, ranked No. 4 in the preseason, hasn’t been 1-2 since 2014. South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers was knocked out of the game with a concussion as the Gamecocks fell to 1-2.
USC has been ranked at least once in 24 straight seasons, the sixth-longest streak in the nation. No. 17 Texas tech’s ranking is its highest since entering November 2013 at No. 15.
Conference Representation:
* SEC (11): Nos. 3,5,8,10,11,13,14,15,20,22,23
* Big Ten (7): Nos. 1, 2, 6, 9, 19, 21, 25
* ACC (3): Nos. 4, 7, 18
* Big 12 (3): Nos. 12,16,17
* Independant (1): No. 24
Ranked vs. Ranked Matchups:
* No. 17 Texas Tech at No. 16 Utah: Texas Tech leads the nation with 58 points per game,facing a Utah defense allowing under 250 yards per game.
* No. 22 Auburn at No. 11 Oklahoma: Auburn QB Jackson Arnold previously started 10 games for Oklahoma, while current OU QB John Mateer is a Heisman Trophy candidate.
* No. 9 Illinois at No. 19 Indiana: A clash of top-10 offenses and defenses, with Indiana scoring 156 points against weaker opponents and Illinois allowing only 22 points over three games.
