{"id":886996,"date":"2026-10-18T21:08:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T21:08:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/886996\/"},"modified":"2026-10-18T21:08:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T21:08:12","slug":"miami-takes-no-1-in-the-latest-ap-top-25-after-a-week-of-upsets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/886996\/","title":{"rendered":"Miami takes No. 1 in the latest AP Top 25 after a week of upsets"},"content":{"rendered":"

The wildest week of college football<\/a> didn\u2019t disappoint in the polls: Not a single team stayed put in the latest AP Top 25 rankings<\/a>, after five of Saturday\u2019s top seven teams lost in a first for the poll<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Miami landed the No. 1 spot for the first time since 2002, No. 2 BYU has its highest ranking since its 1984 national championship season and Ohio State slid in at No. 3.<\/p>\n

Despite their losses, Notre Dame, Georgia and Indiana held tight in the top six, thanks to capital they built up with their 6-0 starts. Plus, the losses by the Fighting Irish and Hoosiers were against top-10 opponents.<\/p>\n

Follow live analysis and see what to look for this season below.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to know:<\/p>\n

Big 12 is on the rise<\/p>\n

By MAURA CAREY<\/a><\/p>\n

The Big 12 has a season-high of five teams in the AP Top 25 this week, led by No. 2 BYU, followed by No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 10 Utah, No. 14 Houston and No. 25 Arizona.<\/p>\n

BYU\u2019s No. 2 ranking is its highest since 1984, when the Cougars sat atop the poll for four weeks.<\/p>\n

Arizona is the conference\u2019s only newcomer this week, benefitting from an idle week after a Week 6 win over West Virginia.<\/p>\n

The Big 12 also boasts half of the nation\u2019s six remaining undefeated teams, with BYU, Texas Tech and Utah all still unbeaten.<\/p>\n

Ask a voter: Why didn\u2019t Georgia fall further after losing to an unranked Auburn?<\/p>\n

By KIRK BOHLS<\/a><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think Georgia should fall below 5. That\u2019s where I had the Dawgs.<\/p>\n

But they did drop 4 spots after losing on a walk-off field goal.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t like Georgia got trounced. I\u2019d defy anybody who says the Bulldogs don\u2019t pass the eyeball test.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re damn good. ___ Bohls has been an AP Top 25 voter since 1989.<\/p>\n

Kentucky\u2019s rise continues<\/p>\n

By MAURA CAREY<\/a><\/p>\n

Kentucky, one of the more unexpected contenders in the AP Top 25 this year, continues to ascend in the ranks. The Wildcats moved up three spots to No. 12, marking the program\u2019s highest ranking since 2022.<\/p>\n

Kentucky is now the fourth-highest-ranked SEC team, behind only No. 5 Georgia, No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 11 Tennessee. A 21-13 win over Oklahoma, paired with Alabama\u2019s loss to Tennessee, boosted the Wildcats over the Crimson Tide in the rankings.<\/p>\n

The Wildcats pulled off a late comeback with two fourth-quarter touchdowns. The latter was a 41-yard pick-six with just over a minute remaining, putting the game out of reach for Oklahoma.<\/p>\n

Ask a voter: Why is Notre Dame ranked so high?<\/p>\n

By KIRK BOHLS<\/a><\/p>\n

That\u2019s a great question.<\/p>\n

Notre Dame was my preseason No. 1. I think the Irish are loaded with a great QB in CJ Carr, a great CB in Leonard Moore and a terrific defense.<\/p>\n

I totally agree with you about ND\u2019s schedule. It\u2019s a joke. I hate that it has canceled series with USC (but bringing it back partly) and Michigan back in the day. ND\u2019s schedule may really hurt it in any tiebreaker with another deserving CFP.<\/p>\n

Texas is scheduled to play a home-and-home with ND in 2028-2029. I hope they don\u2019t cancel it.<\/p>\n

James Madison is unbeaten and unranked<\/p>\n

By MAURA CAREY<\/a><\/p>\n

Five of the six unbeaten teams sit comfortably in the AP Top 25. James Madison is the exception.<\/p>\n

The Dukes are 7-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play, but they haven\u2019t faced the same level of competition as most ranked teams. They also don\u2019t have a ranked opponent remaining on their schedule, making it harder to land the kind of marquee win that could boost their case.<\/p>\n

JMU\u2019s best path into the rankings may be to keep stacking wins and let their unbeaten record do the talking.<\/p>\n

Auburn pulls off a stunner but can\u2019t crack the rankings<\/p>\n

By MAURA CAREY<\/a><\/p>\n

Auburn knocked off then-No. 1 Georgia as underdogs of more than 20 points in Bulldogs territory, but that wasn\u2019t enough to convince voters to add them to the rankings this week.<\/p>\n

Auburn received the third-most votes of any unranked team behind Oklahoma State and Oregon.<\/p>\n

The 4-2 Tigers\u2019 two losses came against a then-unranked Florida team in mid-September and then No. 17-ranked Tennessee at Neyland Stadium two weeks ago.<\/p>\n

Byrum Brown\u2019s versatility was on full display against Georgia, as the former South Florida quarterback surpassed 100 yards on foot and in the air.<\/p>\n

Conference breakdown<\/p>\n

By MAURA CAREY<\/a><\/p>\n

The SEC leads the pack with nine ranked teams: Georgia (5), Ole Miss (7), Tennessee (12), Kentucky (12), Alabama (13), LSU (18), Texas (19), Florida (20), Missouri (22).<\/p>\n

The Big Ten has six ranked teams: Ohio State (3), Indiana (6), UCLA (9), Iowa (15), USC (16), Northwestern (24).<\/p>\n

The Big 12 has five ranked teams: BYU (2), Texas Tech (8), Utah (10), Houston (14), Arizona (25).<\/p>\n

The ACC has three ranked teams: Miami (1), Wake Forest (17), SMU (23).<\/p>\n

Notre Dame (4) is independent.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next for Miami?<\/p>\n

By MAURA CAREY<\/a><\/p>\n

The top-ranked Canes have six regular season games remaining, and Nov. 7 is likely highlighted, bolded and underlined on the calendar.<\/p>\n

Miami\u2019s only remaining ranked matchup is against No. 4 Notre Dame \u2013 one that will inevitably impact the playoff picture.<\/p>\n

The Canes host Pittsburgh next week and travel to UNC the following week before their trip to South Bend, Indiana.<\/p>\n

Ask a voter: Why is the SEC constantly overrated?<\/p>\n

By KIRK BOHLS<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll agree to disagree. I do not think the SEC is overrated.<\/p>\n

Listen, I covered Texas and the Big 12 for 28 years, and I\u2019m sorry but in no way does it compare to the SEC after covering Texas and SEC teams for three years now.<\/p>\n

There really isn\u2019t a bad team in the SEC, save maybe for Vanderbilt. Arkansas is thin without the firepower of some SEC teams, but still has three wins.<\/p>\n

Alabama and Texas suffer back-to-back losses<\/p>\n

By MAURA CAREY<\/a><\/p>\n

Two of the SEC\u2019s top teams this year, Alabama and Texas, have now turned one-off losses into back-to-backs.<\/p>\n

Florida upset the 11.5-point favorite Longhorns with a 27-24 road win, while Alabama fell 26-10 at Tennessee in the third Saturday in October rivalry game.<\/p>\n

Both teams now have their backs against the wall with two losses, and it doesn\u2019t necessarily get easier as SEC teams continue to beat on each other.<\/p>\n

The Longhorns have Ole Miss up next and Alabama faces Texas A&M before taking on LSU at Death Valley.<\/p>\n

Ask a voter: How much do you consider injuries when ranking teams?<\/p>\n

By KIRK BOHLS<\/a><\/p>\n

I do consider injuries.<\/p>\n

I think that\u2019s an important metric because it may not be the same team as it would obviously be without the injury.<\/p>\n

Of course, sometimes, as was the case with Florida, the Gators were actually better with their backup quarterback. I probably would have put Ohio State No. 2 if Julian Sayin was healthy.<\/p>\n

Quick turns at No. 1<\/p>\n

By TIM REYNOLDS<\/a><\/p>\n

Miami\u2019s climb to No. 1 marks the first time in nearly 14 years that three different schools have been atop the poll in a three-week span.<\/p>\n

Texas held the No. 1 spot two weeks ago and Georgia held it last week. In 2012, Alabama (Week 10), Oregon (Week 11) and Notre Dame (Week 12) all took a turn at No. 1 in a three-poll span.<\/p>\n

Ohio State also has been No. 1 at times this season. That makes this the first time since 2008 that at least four different schools have been No. 1 in the first eight weeks of a season.<\/p>\n

AP Top 25 temperature check<\/p>\n

By MAURA CAREY<\/a><\/p>\n

Not a single team stayed put in this week\u2019s AP Top 25.<\/p>\n

Heating up: Miami (1), BYU (2), Ohio State (3), Ole Miss (7), Texas Tech (8), UCLA (9), Utah (10), Tennessee (11), Kentucky (12), Houston (14), Iowa (15), USC (16), Wake Forest (17), LSU (18), Florida (20), Boise State (21), SMU (23), Northwestern (24), Arizona (25).<\/p>\n

Cooling down: Notre Dame (4), Georgia (5), Indiana (6), Alabama (13), Texas (19), Missouri (22), Oklahoma State (OUT), Mississippi State (OUT).<\/p>\n

Major poll shuffle<\/p>\n

By DAVE ZELIO<\/p>\n

Not a single team stayed put from last week\u2019s Top 25: Every slot has a new team this week.<\/p>\n

The biggest movers were No. 14 Houston, which climbed six spots, and No. 19 Texas (down 12), No. 22 Missouri (down 9) and No. 13 Alabama (down 7).<\/p>\n

No. 20 Florida returned to the poll and No. 25 Arizona also made the rankings. Oklahoma State and Mississippi State dropped out.<\/p>\n

AP Top 25 rankings<\/p>\n

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<\/p>\n

1. Miami (Fla.)<\/p>\n

2. BYU<\/p>\n

3. Ohio State<\/p>\n

4. Notre Dame<\/p>\n

5. Georgia<\/p>\n

6. Indiana<\/p>\n

7. Mississippi<\/p>\n

8. Texas Tech<\/p>\n

9. UCLA<\/p>\n

10. Utah<\/p>\n

11. Tennessee<\/p>\n

12. Kentucky<\/p>\n

13. Alabama<\/p>\n

14. Houston<\/p>\n

15. Iowa<\/p>\n

16. USC<\/p>\n

17. Wake Forest<\/p>\n

18. LSU<\/p>\n

19. Texas<\/p>\n

20. Florida<\/p>\n

21. Boise State<\/p>\n

22. Missouri<\/p>\n

23. SMU<\/p>\n

24. Northwestern<\/p>\n

25. Arizona<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/p>\n

Others receiving votes: Oklahoma State, Oregon, Auburn, James Madison, Mississippi State, New Mexico, Oregon State.<\/p>\n

Notre Dame-BYU could have unfolded differently<\/p>\n

By MAURA CAREY<\/a><\/p>\n

Notre Dame\u2019s last chance to beat BYU fell incomplete in the end zone, but according to the Big 12, there was an officiating mistake and there was time for one last attempt in the 28-24 upset<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cFollowing the Big 12\u2019s review of the final play of Saturday\u2019s Notre Dame-BYU game, it was determined that time remained on the clock when the ball hit the ground and the play was incorrectly cleared by the replay officiating crew,\u201d the Big 12 said in a statement. \u201cThe Conference will conduct a complete review of its end-of-game officiating process in advance of next week\u2019s games.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who decides the rankings?<\/p>\n

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS<\/p>\n

AP Top 25 voters are writers and broadcasters who cover college football<\/a>.<\/p>\n

AP employees do not vote, but they do choose the voters, and they seek wide representation from all over the country. This season, there are 69 voters.<\/p>\n

The focus begins with voter representation in states with a Bowl Subdivision school, and the total number of voters from each state increases with the number of FBS teams. There are also spots reserved for national voters.<\/p>\n

The AP allows broad latitude for voters to determine their rankings. They are urged to base their votes on performance, not reputation or preseason speculation (except, of course, for the always provocative preseason poll); to avoid regional bias, for or against; to pay attention to head-to-head results; and to make significant changes if desired.<\/p>\n

A historic week in the Top 25<\/p>\n

By ERIC OLSON<\/a><\/p>\n

After a weekend never before seen for teams in The Associated Press Top 25,<\/a> a major shake-up is on tap.<\/p>\n

Five of the top seven teams<\/a> in the rankings \u2014 No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Alabama and No. 7 Texas \u2014 lost on the same day in the regular season for the first time in the history of the poll that began in 1936<\/a>. It\u2019s the first time Nos. 1 and 2 lost on the same day in the regular season since 2012 and eight Top 25 teams lost in all.<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The wildest week of college football didn\u2019t disappoint in the polls: Not a single team stayed put in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":886997,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4,450,451,3,99,452,453,795],"class_list":["post-886996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-breaking-news","tag-breaking-news","tag-breakingnews","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-sports","tag-top-stories","tag-topstories","tag-u-s-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/886996","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=886996"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/886996\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/886997"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=886996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=886996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=886996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}