Despite Michigan’s win over New Mexico Saturday, the Wolverines are ranked slightly lower in the AP Top 25 to start Week 2 of the NCAA regular season.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Michigan Wolverines still have more to prove to the voting members of the Associated Press after slipping slightly in the polls ahead of Week 2 of the NCAA Football regular season.
Week 1 of the regular season saw some big top-10 matchups and a couple big top-25 upsets, which saw some serious shake ups in the AP Top 25 rankings.
Ohio State is now in the top spot after defeating Texas 14-7. Texas was ranked No. 1 heading into the matchup against the No. 3 Buckeyes. Now, Texas is sitting at No. 7 in the AP Top 25.
The Wolverines slipped from No. 14 to No. 15 despite their somewhat decisive 34-17 win over New Mexico on Saturday. However, the game for the Wolverines didn’t really provide much opportunity for movement in the AP Top 25, outside of a Michigan loss or a complete blowout of New Mexico.
AP Top 25 College Football Poll from Sep. 2, 2025
The Big Ten in the AP Top 25
Six Big Ten teams are in the Top 25 to start Week 2 of the season, with the No. 1 and No. 2 spots held by Ohio State and Penn State. Oregon rounds out the Big Ten’s presence in the top 10 at No. 6.
No. 11 Illinois, No. 15 Michigan and No. 23 Indiana also made the list. USC and Nebraska both received votes following their Week 1 wins.
All six ranked Big Ten teams won their first game of the season, but Ohio State had the only Big Ten game in Week 1 that saw a ranked opponent.
The SEC has 10 teams in the Top 25 while the ACC has 4, the Big 12 has 4 and No. 9 Notre Dame is the only independent team ranked.
An Inside Look Into AP Top 25 Ranking
An AP Top 25 voter, Scott Hamilton, wrote that this early into the season, voters are still looking at teams potential and not strictly ranking teams by on-field results. He says that the rankings are more reflective of only on-field performance after about three weeks of the regular season.
“[Voters] usually [start ranking teams strictly by on-field results] after about three weeks, though it depends in large part on the schedule,” Hamilton said. “I’ve seen lots of hyped teams run roughshod over the Sisters of the Poor over the first few weeks, only to get exposed when conference play starts. I can’t say it enough that the eye test matters, too. A hyped team might struggle against a lesser opponent, but it could be because of things that are easily cleaned up and they otherwise look as expected.”
Hamilton also went on to explain how road wins and losses against a top opponent can impact the team’s rankings. He says that the Clemson-LSU game is a great example of how a win or loss to a top opponent can affect its rankings.
“LSU not only played stellar football against a really good opponent but did it on the road and during primetime. The lights haven’t been that hot for LSU in a few years, and it really stepped up. I wouldn’t have lost any sleep at ranking them No. 1 even though I had them ninth in the preseason. Quality win all the way around,” said Hamilton. “Likewise, not a terribly damning defeat for Clemson, either. It managed only 31 yards rushing, but remained within one score up until the final couple of minutes. And the spotlight was on Clemson just as it was on LSU.”