The latest Associated Press Top 25 college football poll, released Sunday, places the Texas Longhorns at No. 1, marking the program’s first regular‑season No. 1 ranking since October 13, 2024. Texas earned 56 first‑place votes from the panel of writers and broadcasters, a testament to the dramatic 24‑23 victory over Ohio State that featured the biggest fourth‑quarter rally ever against a team holding the No. 1 ranking, according to Sportradar.
How Texas Earned the Top Spot
Trailing by 20 points late in the fourth quarter, the Longhorns engineered a 24‑23 win that not only avenged a season‑opening loss to the Buckeyes a year ago but also secured the coveted No. 1 ranking. The win propelled Texas back into the national spotlight and gave the team its first regular‑season No. 1 placement in nearly a decade.
Impact on Ohio State and Other Powerhouses
Ohio State’s fall from No. 1 to No. 6 is the steepest drop since Texas slipped to No. 7 after a loss to the Buckeyes last season. The Buckeyes, who had held the top spot in 17 of the previous 20 polls following their 2024 national championship, now sit outside the top five for the first time in two seasons. Their recent record stands at 1‑3 in the last four games, each loss coming against top‑10 opponents.
Oregon experienced a 15‑spot slide to No. 21, its lowest ranking in four years, after a 39‑31 road defeat to Oklahoma State. The Ducks’ early‑season hopes, bolstered by a strong returning roster and a promising transfer class, have been tempered by recent defensive struggles.
Other Notable Movements
Michigan re‑entered the Top 25 at No. 19 following a 17‑10 victory over No. 11 Oklahoma, after briefly dropping out after a narrow win over Western Michigan. The Sooners fell 13 spots to No. 24.
Georgia and Notre Dame held steady at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Indiana moved up one spot to No. 4, while Miami climbed two spots to No. 5. LSU, Mississippi, Texas A&M and Alabama round out the top ten.
Conference Landscape
The SEC dominates the rankings with nine teams, including the top two and six of the top ten. The Big Ten follows with seven, the Big 12 and ACC each contribute four, and independent Notre Dame sits at No. 3.
Key upcoming matchups include No. 7 LSU versus No. 8 Mississippi – the first top‑10 clash between the programs since 1962 – and No. 22 Houston against No. 13 Texas Tech, a rivalry that has favored the Red Raiders in recent years.
Historical Context
Texas has not held the No. 1 spot so early in a regular season since 1965. Ohio State’s drop from No. 1 to No. 6 is the largest since Texas’s own slide to No. 7 last year. Oklahoma’s recent fall from No. 5 to outside the Top 20 mirrors its worst non‑pandemic year since a 1968 opening loss to Notre Dame.
The SEC’s six top‑10 teams ties the record set in September 2024 and matches the six‑team top‑10 presence during the 2020 pandemic season, when the Big Ten was not playing.
What This Means for Fans
Texas supporters can celebrate a historic comeback and a return to the summit of college football, while Ohio State fans will be watching closely to see how the Buckeyes respond to their first top‑five exit in two seasons. The shifting rankings underscore the competitive balance across the nation’s premier conferences as the season progresses.
Original reporting: Fort Worth, TX Sports (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
