Following the first major shake-up of the college football season, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) has claimed six of the top seven spots in the AP Top 25 rankings. This achievement is unprecedented in the 88-year history of these rankings. In a surprising turn of events, Notre Dame fell to No. 18 after suffering a shocking defeat at home.
Georgia maintained its strong position at No. 1, securing 54 out of 63 first-place votes. Meanwhile, Texas made a notable leap to No. 2 after decisively beating the defending national champions, Michigan, on their own turf, earning four first-place votes in the process. This marks the Longhorns’ highest ranking since they finished second in 2009.
Unfortunately for the Wolverines, they dropped to No. 17.
Ohio State, representing the Big Ten Conference, slipped to No. 3. Following them were four SEC teams: Alabama remained steady at No. 4, while Mississippi rose to No. 5.
Missouri also climbed three spots to No. 6, and Tennessee made a significant jump from No. 14 to No. 7 after a dominant victory over North Carolina State in Charlotte.
The SEC, now larger and appearing stronger than ever with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma, is making waves in college football. With six teams in the top seven, the SEC has set a new record, surpassing previous records where no single conference had ever held more than four of the top seven spots before.
As these teams prepare to face off against each other in the coming weeks, it’s unlikely that the SEC will maintain such dominance. However, this situation showcases the possibilities that emerge in the current landscape of superconferences.
This shake-up comes on the heels of a significant upset in college football: Notre Dame’s unexpected 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois. This marked the first occasion since the 2022 season that a top-five team lost to an unranked opponent, recalling Purdue’s victory over then-No. 2 Iowa on November 5, 2022.
The win for Northern Illinois is historic, as it represents the first time a Mid-American Conference team has defeated a top-five opponent. Consequently, NIU made its way into the rankings at No. 25, marking its return after being unranked since 2013 and becoming the first non-Power Four team to be ranked this season.
Completing the top 10 are No. 8 Penn State, No. 9 Oregon of the Big Ten, and No. 10 Miami. Oregon slipped two spots following a dramatic comeback win against Boise State.
Poll Points
Northern Illinois is among four teams newly introduced into the rankings this week, with Nebraska making the most prominent return at No. 23.
This is Nebraska’s first ranking since 2019, following their convincing win against Colorado at home. Despite starting that season ranked No. 24, the Huskers lost in Week 2 and fell out of the rankings, a trend they aim to change this year under second-year coach Matt Rhule and freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola.
It’s worth noting that Nebraska holds the record for the longest streak of appearances in the poll, with 348 weeks under coach Tom Osborne from 1981 to 2002. Alabama currently has the second-best streak with 264 consecutive weeks in the rankings.
In and Out
The shake-up in the rankings saw Kansas, Iowa, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina State fall out after their losses.
No. 21 Iowa State effectively swapped positions with Iowa after defeating the Hawkeyes.
Georgia Tech had just made its first appearance in the AP Top 25 since 2015, ending a long absence among power conference teams. However, they only lasted a week before losing to Syracuse. In contrast, another Atlantic Coast Conference team, Boston College, returned to the rankings at No. 24 for the first time since 2018.
Conference Call
The last time a conference held four of the top five spots was the SEC on October 19, 2014, when Mississippi State was No. 1, Ole Miss was No. 3, Alabama was No. 4, and Auburn was No. 5.
Current conference rankings: SEC — 8 teams (Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, 16); Big Ten — 6 teams (Nos. 3, 8, 9, 11, 17, 23); Big 12 — 5 teams (Nos. 12, 13, 14, 20, 21); ACC — 4 teams (Nos. 10, 19, 22, 24); MAC — 1 team (No. 25); Independent — 1 team (No. 18).
Ranked vs. Ranked
This week features a matchup between No. 20 Arizona and No. 14 Kansas State on Thursday—this is a non-conference game that was scheduled prior to realignment.
Additionally, No. 24 Boston College will face No. 6 Missouri on Saturday, presenting an exciting ACC-SEC showdown.
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