Georgia Takes Over No. 1 Spot in AP Top 25 as Oregon Falls Out

Georgia has climbed to the top of The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll after defeating Alabama 20–17, while Notre Dame and Miami occupy the second and third positions, respectively.

The latest rankings, released on Sunday, October 11, reflect a dramatic weekend of college football in which several highly ranked teams suffered defeats. Georgia received 66 of the 70 first-place votes from the media panel, returning to the No. 1 position for the first time since September 2024.

The Bulldogs secured the top ranking after a hard-fought victory over Alabama in Tuscaloosa. The result marked Georgia’s first win at Alabama since 2014 and strengthened its position among the leading contenders in the national championship race.

Notre Dame moved up one place to No. 2 after delivering a dominant 58–7 victory over Stanford. The Fighting Irish received one first-place vote and improved their standing ahead of a major matchup against BYU.

Miami climbed to No. 3 after maintaining its unbeaten record. The Hurricanes received two first-place votes, while Ohio State and Indiana completed the top five at fourth and fifth, respectively. Indiana moved up two places following a narrow 20–17 win over Nebraska.

Alabama remained at No. 6 despite its defeat to Georgia, while Texas suffered one of the biggest falls in the poll. The Longhorns dropped from first to seventh after losing 27–24 to arch-rival Oklahoma, whose late field goal secured the upset.

Oregon was among the biggest casualties of the weekend, falling out of the Top 25 altogether after losing 17–15 to UCLA. The Ducks entered the season ranked second in the preseason poll, but the defeat marked their second loss in the opening five games and ended a four-year run in the rankings.

UCLA benefited significantly from the victory, rising nine places to No. 12 and preserving its unbeaten record. Kentucky also made a major return to the rankings, jumping to No. 15 after defeating LSU 35–34 in overtime. LSU dropped from 10th to 22nd following the loss.

Wake Forest entered the poll at No. 21, earning its first ranking since 2022, while Northwestern returned at No. 25 for the first time since the 2020 season. Florida and Pittsburgh dropped out alongside Oregon.

The Southeastern Conference continued to lead all conferences with nine ranked teams, including Georgia, Alabama, Texas and LSU. The Big Ten followed with six teams in the rankings.

The latest poll sets up several important matchups in the coming week, including Ohio State against Indiana and Notre Dame’s meeting with BYU. The results could further reshape the rankings as teams compete for position ahead of the postseason.