A resilient 20-17 victory in Tuscaloosa propelled the Bulldogs to the nation's premier ranking on Sunday, while Texas slid to seventh following a rivalry setback against Oklahoma in Dallas.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Georgia ascended to the sport's summit on Sunday, capturing the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press college football poll after grinding out a 20-17 road victory over Alabama. The Bulldogs replaced Texas atop the rankings following a weekend of rivalry showdowns that radically altered the national championship race.
Coach Kirby Smart's squad gathered 66 of 70 first-place votes and 1,745 total points from the media panel. The triumph at Bryant-Denny Stadium delivered Georgia its first victory in Tuscaloosa in a dozen years, restoring the program to the top spot for the first time since September 8, 2024. Alabama held firm at No. 6 despite the defeat.
Texas surrendered the leading position after suffering a 27-24 loss against archrival Oklahoma in Dallas. The Longhorns tumbled six spots to No. 7 after a field goal in the final seconds decided the outcome. Arch Manning threw two interceptions during the defeat. The six-place slide matched the tumble Texas experienced after falling to Ohio State in last season's opener.
The shakeup produced a vintage alignment directly beneath Georgia. Notre Dame advanced to No. 2 following a 58-7 dismantling of Stanford in South Bend, picking up one first-place vote. The ranking represents the highest mark for the Fighting Irish since finishing second in the final poll of 2024. Miami moved to No. 3 with two first-place votes, placing the Hurricanes alongside Notre Dame in the top three for the first time since November 9, 1993.
Ohio State held fourth position, while Indiana climbed two spots to No. 5 after securing a road victory over Nebraska. The Hoosiers collected the remaining first-place vote. Behind Alabama and Texas, the top ten was completed by eighth-ranked BYU, ninth-ranked Ole Miss, and tenth-ranked Texas Tech. This season marks the second occurrence in three years that at least three programs have held No. 1 within the opening six polls, mirroring 2024 when Georgia, Texas, and Alabama traded the top spot.
Beyond the top ten, several established programs absorbed severe setbacks. Oregon suffered the week's sharpest decline, dropping out of the Top 25 entirely. The Ducks entered autumn carrying their highest preseason ranking at No. 2, but a turnover-filled 17-15 home defeat against UCLA dropped Oregon to 3-2. The loss left Oregon unranked for the first time across four seasons.
UCLA vaulted nine spots to No. 12 after winning in Eugene. Kentucky engineered a startling entrance, jumping to No. 15 following a 35-34 overtime victory against LSU. Wildcats quarterback Kenneth Minchey scored on an untouched two-point conversion run to seal the win. The defeat dropped LSU twelve spots to twenty-second.
Florida departed the rankings entirely following a 38-19 home setback against South Carolina. The Gators slid from eighth to sixteenth before tumbling out of the poll. Pittsburgh similarly dropped out after a 21-17 home defeat against North Carolina, managing only one touchdown across eight second-half possessions.
Two newcomers stepped into the vacated positions. Wake Forest entered at No. 21 after opening the season 5-1, securing its first ranking since late October 2022. Northwestern joined at No. 25 with a 4-1 record, giving fourth-year coach David Braun his first Top 25 ranking with the Wildcats.
The Southeastern Conference leads nationally with nine ranked programs, followed by the Big Ten with six, the Big 12 with five, and the ACC with three. Boise State represents the reformed Pac-12 at No. 23, while independent Notre Dame holds second place.
The refreshed hierarchy faces immediate examination next Saturday with six matchups pitting ranked teams against each other. Indiana hosts Ohio State in Bloomington in a top-five battle, revisiting their 2025 conference title meeting won 13-10 by the Hoosiers. Notre Dame travels to face BYU in Provo in the first top-ten showdown ever staged at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
In the SEC, Alabama travels to fourteenth-ranked Tennessee, where the Crimson Tide dropped their previous two road visits to Knoxville. Thirteenth-ranked Missouri visits ninth-ranked Ole Miss, while Mississippi State travels to LSU and Oklahoma State visits Houston. With six weeks completed, college football enters mid-October with minimal separation among the elite and no guarantee of long-term stability.
ESPN — Georgia climbs to No. 1 in AP Top 25 poll; Texas falls to 7
Published: October 11, 2026
The Associated Press — Georgia takes over at No. 1 in AP Top 25 with Notre Dame, Miami next
Published: October 11, 2026