Oregon has maintained its position as the unanimous No. 1 team in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll for the fifth consecutive week, following a nail-biting victory at Wisconsin. After jumping up two spots each, Notre Dame and Alabama now sit at No. 3 and No. 4 respectively, while Georgia has made a return to the top 10. For the first time in two years, LSU finds itself unranked.
The unbeaten Ducks are leading the AP rankings after scoring just 16 points—their lowest total in 37 games—against Wisconsin, which resulted in a close 16-13 win. They have received all 62 first-place votes for three weeks in a row and surpassed Texas as the team with the most weeks at No. 1 this season.
Looking ahead, Oregon will host Washington in two weeks, aiming for its first perfect regular season since 2010, and they also sit atop the College Football Playoff rankings.
Following Oregon in the AP poll are No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Penn State, and No. 5 Indiana, who remain in the same positions as last week. This ranking could see a shake-up soon, however, with Indiana set to visit Ohio State for one of the season’s most anticipated matchups.
In the top 10, Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee round out the list. Georgia climbed three spots to No. 8 after defeating Tennessee with a score of 31-17.
Mississippi, which was idle on Saturday, moved up one position while Tennessee fell four spots but still remains in the top 10. The Big Ten continues to dominate with four of the top five spots, while the Southeastern Conference boasts five teams within the top 10.
After suffering a 17-13 loss at home to Kansas, BYU fell from No. 7 to No. 14, placing them in a tie for first in the Big 12 with Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes, who are ranked No. 16.
This week saw a record four Group of Five teams in the Top 25. Boise State remains the highest-ranked among them at No. 12, in the best position for a guaranteed playoff spot. UNLV has joined them in the rankings at No. 23, while Army and Tulane have earned spots at No. 18 and No. 20 respectively, giving the American Athletic Conference two ranked teams.
LSU, now standing at 6-4 after a third consecutive loss (27-16 at Florida), is out of the Top 25 for the first time since October 16, 2022. This ends a streak of 36 straight weeks of being ranked.
Poll points
Oregon’s narrow win against Wisconsin marks the third time this season they have won by three points or fewer. The Ducks’ 16 points were their lowest since a humbling 49-3 defeat to Georgia at the start of the 2022 season.
Tulane made a notable jump from No. 25 to No. 20, marking the week’s largest rise after a dominant 35-0 victory against Navy that was their first shutout of a conference opponent since 1960. This victory sets them up for a matchup against No. 18 Army in the AAC championship game on December 6.
No. 16 Colorado achieved its best ranking since December 4, 2016, while No. 19 South Carolina has reached its highest spot since being ranked No. 13 on September 21, 2014.
In and out
No. 21 Arizona State returns to the Top 25 for the first time since October 10, 2021, with an 8-2 record after their recent victory over Kansas State. This marks their highest win total since 2021.
No. 22 Iowa State is back in the rankings after defeating Cincinnati, shaking off two straight losses. Similarly, No. 23 UNLV, which briefly held a rank after starting 4-0, has bounced back by winning four of its last five games.
No. 24 Illinois makes its eighth Top 25 appearance this season, marking its most times ranked since 2001. Meanwhile, Missouri, Kansas State, and Louisville were all dropped from the rankings after losses, following LSU out of the Top 25.
Conference call
SEC — 7 teams (Nos. 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 19).
Big Ten — 5 teams (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 24).
Big 12 — 4 teams (Nos. 14, 16, 21, 22).
ACC — 3 teams (Nos. 11, 13, 17).
AAC — 2 teams (Nos. 18, 20).
Mountain West — 2 teams (Nos. 12, 23).
Pac-12 — 1 team (No. 25).
Independent — 1 team (No. 6).
Ranked vs. ranked
— No. 5 Indiana at No. 2 Ohio State: The stakes have grown for this game with Indiana’s strong run through their schedule, and it will be a true test of the Hoosiers’ capabilities.
— No. 14 BYU at No. 21 Arizona State: The Sun Devils now have control of their own fate following Kansas’ win over BYU, and a victory here could mean a tie for first in the Big 12 and the tiebreaker advantage for the conference championship game.
— No. 18 Army vs. No. 6 Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium: This is a historic matchup as it’s the first time since 1958 that both teams are ranked entering this game. Notre Dame has dominated the series with 15 consecutive victories since Army’s last win in ’58.
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