AP Top 25: Texas ranked No. 1 ahead of Georgia visit; Oregon moved up to No. 2
Oregon moved up to No. 2 behind top-ranked Texas in the AP Top 25 College Football Poll on Sunday after a dramatic win over Ohio State.
The Ducks jumped up one spot after defeating Ohio State 32-31 in a thriller at Autzen Stadium on Saturday night. spot, as they fell behind Penn State, which moved up to No. 3 after defeating USC in overtime.
Texas received 56 first-place votes after blowing out Oklahoma, while Oregon received six. The Longhorns' hold at No. 1 will be on the line next Saturday night when No. 5 Georgia visits Austin in another top-five matchup in the SEC. It's the third AP top-five matchup in four weeks.
The biggest mover is LSU, which jumped five spots to No. 8 after beating Ole Miss, which dropped nine spots to No. 18. The Tigers have won five straight games since their first loss at USC. Unbeaten Iowa State also moved up to No. 9 in the top ten after a win at West Virginia.
Tennessee dropped to No. 3 despite needing overtime to beat Florida.
AP Top 25 after 7 weeks
|
rank |
team |
record |
previous |
Matt's vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
6-0 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
6-0 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
3 |
6-0 |
4 |
4 |
|
|
4 |
5-1 |
2 |
3 |
|
|
5 |
5-1 |
5 |
7 |
|
|
6 |
6-0 |
6 |
5 |
|
|
7 |
5-1 |
7 |
6 |
|
|
8 |
5-1 |
13 |
15 |
|
|
9 |
6-0 |
11 |
9 |
|
|
10 |
5-1 |
10 |
8 |
|
|
11 |
5-1 |
8 |
16 |
|
|
12 |
5-1 |
11 |
13 |
|
|
13 |
6-0 |
14 |
10 |
|
|
14 |
5-1 |
15 |
14 |
|
|
15 |
5-1 |
17 |
11 |
|
|
16 |
6-0 |
18 |
12 |
|
|
17 |
5-1 |
18 |
17 |
|
|
18 |
5-2 |
9 |
24 |
|
|
19 |
5-1 |
21 |
22 |
|
|
20 |
6-0 |
22 |
18 |
|
|
21 |
5-1 |
25 |
19 |
|
|
22 |
5-1 |
23 |
25 |
|
|
23 |
6-0 |
NR |
21 |
|
|
24 |
4-2 |
24 |
NR |
|
|
25 |
5-0 |
NR |
20 |
|
|
NR |
4-2 |
NR |
23 |
Others receiving votes: Vanderbilt 68, Nebraska 62, Arizona State 39, Oklahoma 36, Washington State 32, Iowa 29, Texas Tech 18, Syracuse 13, Arkansas 13, Utah 7, Louisville 6, Southernville 5, Liberty 1
inside and outside
Oklahoma fell out of the rankings for the first time since 2022 when the Sooners lost to Texas in the Red River Revelry. Utah is also unranked for the first time this season after the Utes lost their second straight game to Arizona State on Friday night.
In their spots are undefeated Army (No. 23) and Navy (No. 25). This is the first poll since the 1960s that the Black Knights and Midshipmen have appeared together. Vanderbilt missed out after wins over Alabama and Kentucky, as it was the first team out.
Why I Voted Oregon No. 1
Most of my adjustments this week have been relatively subtle, with one or two spot moves for most of the top 20. But, I decided to vote for another new No. 1: Welcome to the top of my ballot, Oregon.
Yes, it seems odd to take down a team like Texas after the Longhorns outscored their rival by 31 points, but the decision was more about giving Oregon the respect it deserves for notching what could be its best win of the season so far against Ohio. State, which I dropped just one spot to No. 3. In addition, the Ducks also won against a Boise State team ranked 11th behind Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Genty. Ducks have the best combination of talents And resume
Of course, if Texas beats Georgia next week, I'll probably make another swap to the top of my rankings. – Matt Brown, College Sports Management Editor
Does Penn State deserve to be No. 3?
The Nittany Lions have their best ranking since reaching No. 2 in 2017, but they seem to be more beneficiaries of another big game outcome than deserving of that high ranking.
Penn State is only 23 points ahead of No. 4 Ohio State, so voters aren't likely to flock to the Nittany Lions.
To be clear, Penn State has done well against respectable opposition. Especially when you consider the road games at West Virginia and USC and the thorough handling of Illinois.
Voters are rewarding the undefeated record, but it seems like a stretch that the Nittany Lions are better than Ohio State and Georgia, with their narrow and dramatic losses to Oregon and Alabama, respectively.
And if voters lean toward a zero in the loss column, a similar case could be made for Miami ahead of the Buckeyes and Bulldogs.
Of course, Penn State will get a chance to prove it on the field in a few weeks against the Buckeyes, who they haven't beaten since 2016. — Ralph Russo, senior college sports writer
What's next in week 8?
No. 5 Georgia headlines the visit of No. 1 Texas, and the Longhorns host a matchup of two AP top-five teams for the first time since losing to Ohio State in September 2006. The SEC has a pair of high-profile matchups, with No. 7 Alabama visiting No. 11 Tennessee in a game between two one-loss teams that have been on shaky ground over the past few weeks.
The other ranking matchup is No. 24 Michigan at No. 22 Illinois, though Nebraska is eyeing No. 16 Indiana, undefeated in the Big Ten.
Oregon, meanwhile, will try to avoid the hangover Friday night at Purdue. Both Penn State and Ohio State are inactive.
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(Photo: Sam Hode / Getty Images)
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