Alabama’s football program stayed in the top tier of the Associated Press Top 25 poll this week, holding the No. 6 position even after a narrow 20‑17 loss to Georgia in Tuscaloosa. The Bulldogs, who earned 66 of the 70 first‑place votes from the media panel, moved up to No. 1 – their first poll‑top finish since September 8, 2024.
Game recap and poll impact
The Crimson Tide fell short in a hard‑fought contest that featured a controversial non‑call on a potential pass‑interference penalty in the end zone late in the fourth quarter. Georgia’s victory marked the Bulldogs’ first win in Tuscaloosa in a decade, and the win propelled them to the top of the rankings for the first time in the current season.
Even with the loss, Alabama’s overall performance kept voters from dropping the team further. The AP poll reflects the respect the program still commands nationally, and the Crimson Tide’s position at No. 6 underscores the strength of the SEC this season.
Other top‑25 movements
Georgia’s ascent to No. 1 was accompanied by several other notable shifts. Texas slipped six spots to No. 7 after a loss to rival Oklahoma. Oregon fell out of the poll for the first time in four years following a second loss in the past month.
Notre Dame, fresh off a 58‑7 rout of Stanford, moved up one spot to No. 2, earning a single first‑place vote and achieving its highest ranking since the 2024 season finale. Miami sits at No. 3 with two first‑place votes, followed by Ohio State and Indiana, the latter receiving the remaining first‑place vote after a narrow win at Nebraska.
The top‑10 now reads: No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Miami, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 Texas, No. 8 BYU, No. 9 Ole Miss, and No. 10 Texas Tech.
Mid‑season surprises
Oregon entered the season with a historic No. 2 preseason ranking but has struggled, falling to 3‑2 after a 17‑15 home loss to UCLA. The Ducks’ recent defeat knocked them out of the poll, ending a streak that began when they fell from No. 11 to unranked after a 49‑3 loss to Georgia in the 2022 opener.
UCLA climbed nine spots to No. 12 after beating Oregon, while Kentucky surged from unranked to No. 15 following a 35‑34 overtime victory over LSU, which dropped LSU from No. 10 to No. 22.
Teams entering and exiting the poll
Returning to the rankings are Kentucky, Wake Forest (No. 21, 5‑1), and Northwestern (No. 25, 4‑1 under fourth‑year coach David Braun). Dropping out are Oregon, Florida (which fell from No. 8 to No. 16 before disappearing), and Pittsburgh after a 21‑17 loss to North Carolina.
Upcoming ranked matchups
Fans can look forward to several high‑stakes games this weekend: No. 4 Ohio State visits No. 5 Indiana, No. 2 Notre Dame faces No. 8 BYU in the first top‑10 meeting at LaVell Edwards Stadium, and No. 6 Alabama travels to No. 14 Tennessee, a venue where the Crimson Tide have lost the last two visits.
Other notable contests include No. 13 Missouri at No. 9 Ole Miss, No. 16 Mississippi State at No. 22 LSU, and No. 18 Oklahoma State at No. 20 Houston.
Poll details
First‑place votes are shown in parentheses; SEC teams appear in bold. Teams receiving votes beyond the top 25 include Wisconsin (92), Oregon (86), Arizona (82), Nebraska (65), Oklahoma (44), James Madison (29), Florida (9), Duke (5), New Mexico (3), and Oregon State (1).
Original reporting: Alabama News Network — read the source article.
