AP Top 25 Shakeup Looms After Week 9 Upsets
Another major shuffle is coming to the college football rankings when the new Associated Press Top 25 poll is released Sunday afternoon. Week 9 delivered chaos across the country, marking the fourth straight week that either a No. 1 or No. 2 team fell to an unranked opponent. A total of seven Top 25 teams lost over the weekend, setting the stage for significant movement throughout the poll.
The biggest loss Saturday belonged to No. 2 Ohio State. Playing without injured quarterback Julian Sayin, the Buckeyes stumbled on the road in a 30-18 loss to Southern California. The setback marks Ohio State’s second loss of the season. The timing could not be more critical, as the team prepares to host Oregon in Columbus next Saturday.
Miami Escapes North Carolina as Utah Eyes Top Five
While the Buckeyes dropped off, the team at the very top managed to survive. Miami held off North Carolina 38-35 in a narrow escape, keeping the Hurricanes on track to hold the No. 1 ranking for a third straight week.
Further down the poll, winners are poised to capitalize on the carnage. No. 6 Utah stands ready to crack the top five for the first time since 2019, riding the momentum of a dominant 49-25 victory over Cincinnati.
Meanwhile, the lower tier of the rankings faces a massive overhaul. Six different teams ranked between Nos. 17 and 25 suffered losses during Week 9:
- No. 17 Florida fell to No. 3 Georgia.
- No. 19 SMU lost to Syracuse.
- No. 20 Northwestern dropped its matchup to Oregon.
- No. 22 Arizona lost to No. 13 Texas Tech.
- No. 24 Oklahoma State fell to Iowa State.
- No. 25 Wisconsin was shut out 30-0 at home by Iowa.
Those results pave the way for new faces to enter the conversation. Iowa is expected to return to the rankings following its shutout win against Wisconsin, bouncing back after a one-week absence. USC is also positioning itself for a return after securing its first top-five win since the 2018 Rose Bowl against Penn State—the program’s highest-ranked win since defeating Oklahoma in the 2004 season’s national championship game. New Mexico is 7-1 and eyeing a potential first-ever appearance in the AP Top 25.
