The Texas Longhorns maintained their hold on the No. 1 ranking in the newly released AP Top 25 Poll, leading a massive weekend shakeup that saw Texas remain at the top spot followed by Georgia at number two.
Florida entered the top 10 as multiple previously ranked teams dropped completely out of the standings after a wild slate of games.
The Newcomers: Who Entered the Rankings?
The widespread poll carnage cleared the way for five teams to break into the national spotlight, whether by making their season debut, scaling unprecedented heights, or staging a historic top-10 heist:
No. 8 Florida Gators (Unranked Newcomer Tier): While technically entering the upper tier of the poll, Florida is the ultimate “newcomer” to the national conversation this week.
After punishing then-No. 4 Ole Miss in a 52–28 blowout under head coach Jon Sumrall, the undefeated Gators orchestrated an unprecedented 13-spot vault directly into the top 10. This marks Florida’s highest AP rank since 2020 and its first top-10 appearance in five years.
No. 16 Mississippi State Bulldogs: The Bulldogs exploded onto the ballot as a force to be reckoned with. By knocking off Missouri at home in front of a raucous crowd, Mississippi State captured a prominent middle-tier ranking to lead the true first-time poll entries.
No. 19 Oklahoma State Cowboys: Taking care of business on the road, the Cowboys crossed the threshold back into national relevance following a gritty victory against West Virginia.
No. 20 Houston Cougars: Houston made its statement with a tough road victory at Georgia Southern, keeping their strong start alive and forcing poll voters to award them the No. 20 spot.
The Fallen: Who Dropped Out?
A brutal Saturday of upsets punished ranked teams that failed to take care of business, notably thinning the ranks of the Big Ten and SEC:
Penn State Nittany Lions (Previously No. 13): The Nittany Lions suffered the weekend’s most severe drop. A shocking home upset at Beaver Stadium by an unranked Wisconsin squad erased their flawless record and banished them completely from the Top 25.
Michigan Wolverines (Previously No. 18): The Wolverines are out after a heartbreaking, last-second 20–19 defeat. Iowa marched into Ann Arbor and knocked off Michigan on the final play, dealing a crushing blow to the defending champions.
Louisville Cardinals (Previously No. 16): Louisville’s unblemished start came to a screeching halt. An unranked Wake Forest team ambushed the Cardinals on the road in a 30–27 thriller, pulling the rug out from underneath their national ranking.
Texas A&M Aggies (Previously No. 23): The Aggies completely lost their footing in the poll after traveling to Baton Rouge. LSU completely choked out the Texas A&M offense in a brutal 35–6 blowout, handing the Aggies a decisive eviction notice from the rankings.
Updated AP Top 25 Rankings (Entering Week 5)
| School (1st) | Record | Last Week: |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Texas (62) | 4-0 | 1 |
| 2. Georgia (6) | 4-0 | 2 |
| 3. Notre Dame | 4-0 | 3 |
| 4. Miami (1) | 4-0 | 6 |
| 5. Ohio State | 3-1 | 7 |
| 6. Indiana (1) | 4-0 | 5 |
| 7. Alabama | 4-0 | 8 |
| 8. Florida | 4-0 | 21 |
| 9. Ole Miss | 3-1 | 4 |
| 10. BYU | 3-0 | 9 |
| 11. LSU | 3-1 | 10 |
| 12. Texas Tech | 4-0 | 11 |
| 13. Utah | 4-0 | 15 |
| 14. Iowa | 4-0 | 17 |
| 15. Oregon | 3-1 | 20 |
| 16. Mississippi State | 4-0 | 24 |
| 17. Tennessee | 3-1 | 20 |
| 18. USC | 4-1 | 12 |
| 19. Oklahoma State | 3-1 | NR |
| 20. Houston | 3-1 | 25 |
| 21. SMU | 3-1 | 22 |
| 22. Boise State | 3-1 | NR |
| 23. UCLA | 4-0 | NR |
| 24. Kentucky | 3-1 | NR |
| 25. Missouri | 3-1 | 19 |
Weekend Scores & Game Notes
Several high-profile matchups reshaped the landscape on Saturday:
No. 1 Texas 20, No. 14 Tennessee 17: The Longhorns survived a fierce SEC road test at Neyland Stadium behind a relentless defense that registered five sacks.
No. 2 Georgia 41, Oklahoma 13: The Bulldogs dominated the Sooners in Athens to assert their national title credentials.
No. 21 Florida 52, No. 4 Ole Miss 28: The Gators authored the biggest statement of the weekend, blowing out the Rebels to catapult back into the top 10.
No. 20 Oregon 41, No. 12 USC 27: The Ducks pulled off a stellar road victory at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
No. 10 LSU 35, No. 23 Texas A&M 6: LSU dismantled the Aggies in Death Valley, completely keeping the A&M offense out of the end zone.
No. 17 Iowa 20, No. 18 Michigan 19: The Hawkeyes walked off the Wolverines with a thrilling 1-point win in Ann Arbor.
Wake Forest 30, No. 16 Louisville 27: The Demon Deacons pulled off a notable upset on the road, bumping Louisville out of the Top 25 tier.
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