The latest Associated Press Top 25, released Sunday, places Georgia back at No. 1 for the second time this season after a dominant 42‑7 victory over Mississippi. The Bulldogs earned 53 of the 70 first‑place votes, a wide margin over Utah (12 votes) and Notre Dame (5 votes).
Key Movements in the Rankings
Georgia’s return to the summit follows a 42‑7 win that underscored the team’s offensive firepower and defensive solidity. The Bulldogs had briefly lost the top spot after an upset by Auburn on Oct. 17, but they never fell out of the top five.
Utah moved up one spot to No. 2 after a 28‑20 victory over rival BYU, giving the Utes their highest‑ever regular‑season AP ranking. Notre Dame rose to No. 3 after a 31‑24 win over Miami, while the Hurricanes fell to No. 5 following their first loss of the season.
UCLA, now 9‑0 for the first time since 1998, climbed to No. 4, matching the highest ranking the program achieved in 2001. Miami, after being knocked out of the No. 1 spot, dropped to No. 5.
Alabama and Texas each moved up two spots after road victories—Alabama at LSU and Texas at Missouri—placing the Crimson Tide at No. 7 and the Longhorns at No. 8.
Tennessee surged from No. 16 to No. 9, its highest ranking in two years, after a convincing 34‑6 win over top‑10 Kentucky. Texas Tech re‑entered the top ten after a 53‑48 win over West Virginia.
Iowa, now 7‑2 following a win at Northwestern, jumped five spots to No. 16. The Hawkeyes host Purdue on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., a matchup that could further influence their standing.
Traditional Powers See Shifts
Ohio State, once No. 2 just two weeks ago, fell to No. 21 after a 41‑28 home loss to Oregon. This is the Buckeyes’ lowest ranking since 2014, excluding the pandemic‑affected 2020 season.
Oregon’s big win at Ohio State earned the Ducks a spot at No. 18, marking their first appearance in the poll in five weeks.
Other notable moves include SMU returning to the poll at No. 25 after a loss at Syracuse, and Indiana remaining steady at No. 6, the only team unchanged from the previous week.
Conference Overview
The SEC leads with eight teams in the Top 25, followed by the Big Ten with six, the Big 12 with five, the ACC with three, and single representatives from the Independent, Pac‑12, and Mountain West conferences.
Key conference matchups this weekend include Utah (No. 2) at Arizona (No. 22), Texas (No. 8) at LSU (No. 24), and Wake Forest (No. 11) at SMU (No. 25). These games offer opportunities for further movement in the poll.
Poll Details
The AP Top 25 for Week 10 (Nov. 8, 2026) is as follows:
- 1. Georgia (8‑1)
- 2. Utah (9‑0)
- 3. Notre Dame (8‑1)
- 4. UCLA (9‑0)
- 5. Miami (8‑1)
- 6. Indiana (8‑1)
- 7. Alabama (7‑2)
- 8. Texas (7‑2)
- 9. Tennessee (7‑2)
- 10. Texas Tech (8‑1)
- … through No. 25 SMU (7‑2)
Other teams receiving votes include Missouri, Duke, Oklahoma State, Liberty, Louisville, and North Texas.
What’s Next?
With conference championships looming, the rankings will likely continue to shift. Fans of Iowa will be watching the upcoming Purdue game closely, while Georgia aims to solidify its No. 1 position with another win before the postseason.
Original reporting: KCCI Des Moines — read the source article.
