In a stunning development in the world of college football, Ohio State has ascended to the coveted No. 1 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 college football poll as of Tuesday. This remarkable leap came after the Buckeyes secured a significant victory over the preseason No. 1 team, Texas. Following this win, Ohio State received an impressive 55 out of 66 first-place votes, marking their rise of two spots in the rankings.
This week’s rankings reflect a dramatic shake-up in the college football landscape, particularly after a tumultuous Labor Day weekend. The Longhorns experienced a noticeable drop, falling to No. 7, as media voters recalibrated the rankings. This Labor Day weekend was particularly noteworthy, as it marked only the second occasion—first since 1972—where two top-five teams lost in Week 1, with four top-10 teams also suffering defeats.
Interestingly, only three teams maintained their positions from the preseason poll. Penn State, which received seven first-place votes, held steady at No. 2. Meanwhile, LSU, with three first-place votes, made a significant leap in the rankings, followed closely by Georgia and Miami, who rounded out the top five.
Oregon received the remaining first-place vote and is positioned just behind Texas, followed by Clemson, Notre Dame, and South Carolina. LSU's jump of six spots comes after their impressive victory at Clemson, while Miami saw a five-spot increase following their triumph over Notre Dame. The most significant changes in this week’s poll were seen with Florida State and Alabama. Florida State secured a 31-17 victory against Alabama, propelling them back into the rankings at No. 14 after starting the season outside the Top 25.
Conversely, Alabama plummeted from No. 8 to No. 21, marking their lowest ranking in 17 seasons. This drop represents a significant decline for a program that has been a dominant force in college football under the leadership of Nick Saban, who had previously guided the team to a No. 24 ranking in the 2008 preseason poll.
The turnaround for Florida State is notable; they were ranked No. 10 in the 2024 preseason but suffered two early losses, ending the previous season with a disappointing 2-10 record. Now, they have made a comeback and are back in the rankings. Joining Florida State in this week’s poll is Utah, ranked at No. 25, marking the Utes’ first appearance in the rankings since last October. Utah’s ascent is attributed to their road victory over UCLA, which garnered them more points than BYU, despite the latter’s win over FCS opponent Portland State.
In contrast, Boise State dropped out of the poll entirely after suffering a 34-7 defeat against South Florida, ending their streak of 14 consecutive appearances in the rankings. Similarly, Kansas State also fell out of the Top 25 following their season-opening loss to Iowa State, despite managing a narrow win over an FCS team.
Ohio State's rise marks a significant moment in college football, as they become the first team to take the top spot in the first regular-season poll since Alabama in 2012. This move also represents the largest jump to No. 1 in the first regular-season poll since USC moved up from No. 3 in 2008. The fall of Texas is particularly notable, as it marks the largest drop for a preseason No. 1 since Auburn fell to No. 8 in the first regular-season poll of 1984.
In terms of conference representation, the rankings reveal the following breakdown: the SEC leads with 10 teams (Nos. 3, 4, 7, 10, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22), followed by the Big Ten with 6 teams (Nos. 1, 2, 6, 11, 15, 23), the ACC with 4 teams (Nos. 5, 8, 14, 17), and the Big 12 with 4 teams (Nos. 12, 16, 24, 25), while one independent team (No. 9) also made the list.
