Miami Rises to No. 2 in AP Top 25 as Texas and Penn State Fall Out
In a dramatic shakeup of the college football landscape, Miami has reclaimed the No. 2 spot in the AP Top 25 poll following their victory over Florida State. Meanwhile, preseason favorites Texas and Penn State have fallen completely out of the rankings after suffering losses to unranked opponents. The Hurricanes received 21 first-place votes, their highest October ranking since 2003, while Ohio State maintained the top position despite seeing their first-place vote count drop to 40. This marks the first time since 2022 that both Texas and Penn State are unranked, creating one of the most significant poll shakeups in recent memory.
In a stunning reversal of preseason expectations, the college football landscape underwent a dramatic transformation this week as Miami surged back to the No. 2 position in the AP Top 25 poll. The Hurricanes' ascent came at the expense of preseason favorites Texas and Penn State, both of whom tumbled completely out of the rankings following unexpected losses to unranked opponents.
Poll Shakeup Highlights
The latest AP Top 25 poll reveals one of the most significant shakeups in recent college football history. Miami's convincing victory at Florida State propelled them from their previous position to reclaim the No. 2 spot they held two weeks ago. The Hurricanes received 21 first-place votes, a substantial increase from the four they earned last week, marking their highest ranking in an October poll since 2003.
Ohio State maintained its grip on the No. 1 position despite seeing its first-place vote count drop to 40, the fewest for any top-ranked team since Alabama received the same number in September 2024. The Buckeyes' dominant performance against Minnesota wasn't enough to prevent some voters from looking elsewhere for their top choice.
Historic Falls for Preseason Favorites
The most dramatic storylines emerged from the complete collapse of preseason No. 1 Texas and preseason No. 2 Penn State. Texas' 29-21 loss at Florida sent the Longhorns tumbling out of the Top 25, marking their first time being unranked since November 2022. The defeat came after Texas had already slipped to No. 9 following their earlier loss to Ohio State.
Penn State's fall was even more precipitous. The Nittany Lions' 42-37 loss to previously winless UCLA, who had just fired their coach, resulted in Penn State dropping out of the rankings entirely. This marked the first time Penn State has been unranked since September 2022. The plunge matched the 1959 Oklahoma team for the second-biggest drop out of the rankings in poll history, excluding preseason polls and the 2020 pandemic season.
Conference Distribution and Notable Movers
The SEC leads all conferences with nine ranked teams, followed by the Big Ten with five and the Big 12 and ACC with four each. Texas A&M earned its highest ranking since Jimbo Fisher's 2021 team was No. 5 in early September, moving up to No. 5 after hammering Mississippi State.
Texas Tech cracked the top 10 for the first time since 2008, landing at No. 9 following their 35-11 victory at previously unbeaten Houston. Several teams received five-spot promotions, including Missouri, Michigan, Notre Dame, Illinois, BYU, and Virginia, all moving into the Nos. 14-19 positions.
Looking Ahead
The upcoming week features several compelling matchups between ranked opponents, including No. 1 Ohio State traveling to face No. 17 Illinois and No. 7 Indiana visiting No. 3 Oregon. These games will provide further opportunities for poll movement as teams jockey for position in the College Football Playoff race.
The dramatic reshuffling of the AP Top 25 underscores the unpredictable nature of college football and serves as a reminder that preseason rankings often bear little resemblance to midseason reality. As teams continue through conference play, further surprises likely await in what has already proven to be a compelling season.
