The latest AP Top 25 rankings put two Big 12 teams in the top 10 for the first time in two years and Notre Dame returned to No. 10, reclaiming a playoff-worthy slot.
The Fighting Irish have won six straight, and this weekend’s victory over Boston College boosted them two spots in the poll. They had fallen out of the top 10 after a home loss to Texas A&M.
Losses by Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and Miami made room for BYU at No. 8 and Texas Techat No. 9.
Texas and No. 11 Oklahoma were the biggest climbers in the poll, jumping seven spots. The Sooners beat Tennessee on the road, while the Longhorns knocked off Vanderbilt at home.
No. 1 Ohio State is on top for the 10th straight week, again followed by Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and Ole Miss.
Here's the latest:
Top rankings are static, though changes come in spots 8 to 10
The highest changes in this week’s college football AP Top 25 came at spot Nos. 8 through 10.
BYU moved up to No. 8 despite having the week off. Texas Tech improved to No. 9 after a convincing 43-20 win against Kansas State paired with losses by Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and Miami.
Notre Dame moved up to No. 10, its highest ranking since Week 2, following a 25-10 win over Boston College.
AP Top 25 poll rankings
By
1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Oregon
7. Ole Miss
8. BYU
9. Texas Tech
10. Notre Dame
11. Oklahoma
12. Virginia
13. Texas
14. Louisville
15. Vanderbilt
16. Georgia Tech
17. Utah
18. Miami (Fla.)
19. Missouri
20. USC
21. Michigan
22. Memphis
23. Tennessee
24. Washington
25. Cincinnati
Manning impresses with Texas’ win vs. Vanderbilt
Texas quarterback Arch Manning (16) throws before an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt in Austin, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Arch Manning earned his highest passer rating of the season (189.2) in the Longhorns’ against Vanderbilt.
Manning looked sharp after spending much of the week in concussion protocol. He completed 25 of 33 passes for 328 yards and three touchdowns.
Saturday’s win marked the fourth straight SEC victory for the Longhorns and improved their record to 7-2 on the season, poising them to jump in this week’s rankings.
Top five likely to hold steady
No. 1 Ohio State’s defense rose to the occasion during the second half against Penn State. The Buckeyes kept the Nittany Lions scoreless in the third and fourth quarters, while putting up 21 points of their own to win it .
No. 2 Indiana improved to 9-0 on the season after cruising past Maryland in a .
No. 5 Georgia narrowly came out on top in a historic rivalry game against Florida. No. 4 Alabama was idle this week, and has a head-to-head win against Georgia already in the books, likely keeping the Bulldogs at No. 5 for another week.
No. 3 Texas A&M had the week off.
How the top 10 fared
Four top 10 teams came out on top of their matchups this week, but three lost games.
Ohio State (1), Indiana (2), Georgia (5) and Ole Miss (7) notched conference wins on Saturday.
The remaining top 10 teams weren’t as fortunate. NC State outscored No. 8 Georgia Tech 48-36, handing the Yellow Jackets their first loss of the season. No. 9 Vanderbilt dropped 34-31 to No. 20 Texas. And No. 10 Miami suffered its second defeat in the past three games, falling 26-20 to SMU in overtime.
Texas (3), Alabama (4), Oregon (6) and BYU (T-10) were idle.
Who votes in the poll and how does it work?
No organization has been ranking teams and naming a major college football national champion longer than The Associated Press, which has done the job since 1936.
AP employees don’t vote themselves, but they do choose the voters. AP Top 25 voters comprise around 60 writers and broadcasters who cover college football for AP members and other select outlets. The goal is to have every state with a Football Bowl Subdivision school represented by at least one voter.
Voting is a straight points system: A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote is worth 24 points, down to 1 point for a 25th-place vote.
Then it’s just a summary of which teams are 1-25 based on the totals. Others receiving votes are also noted.
Voting is done online, and the tabulation is automated.
