Associated Press
Sep 21, 2025, 02:18 PM ET
Miami jumped LSU and Penn State into the No. 2 spot behind Ohio State in the Associated Press college football poll on Sunday, while Oklahoma climbed into the top 10 for the first time in two years.
Indiana and Texas Tech also made big moves after lopsided wins over Top 25 opponents.
The Hurricanes have beaten two ranked opponents, and they turned in another complete performance in a 19-point home win over Florida to earn their highest ranking since 2017.
The last time Miami was ranked as high was in back-to-back polls in November 2017, when Mark Richt's Hurricanes were 9-0 and 10-0. That team lost three straight to end the season.
Penn State, which had been No. 2 since the preseason, was idle and slipped to No. 3. LSU fell one spot to No. 4 after an easy win over Southeastern Louisiana of the second-tier Football Championship Subdivision.
No. 5 Georgia and No. 6 Oregon held their positions and were followed by No. 7 Oklahoma, which beat previously ranked Auburn at home and returned to the top 10 for the first time since it started 7-0 in 2023.
Florida State, Texas A&M and Texas round out the top 10.
Ohio State had an open date and received 52 of 66 first-place votes from the media panel. Miami got seven first-place votes, four more than a week ago. Penn State had five first-place votes and Oregon and Oklahoma each received one.
The Sooners are the lowest-ranked team to receive a first-place vote in a regular season since then-No. 7 Washington got one on Sept. 24, 2023.
Indiana had played one of the softest schedules in the country through three games before raising eyebrows with its 63-7 hammering of then-No. 9 Illinois. The Hoosiers made the biggest move up, climbing eight spots to No. 11.
Illinois' 56-point loss was the most lopsided in Bret Bielema's five seasons and caused the Illini to tumble from No. 9 to No. 23.
Texas Tech got a five-rung promotion to No. 12 for its 24-point win at Utah. The Red Raiders won easily despite playing backup quarterback Will Hammond most of the second half in place of an injured Behren Morton.
It is the Red Raiders' highest ranking since Kliff Kingsbury's first team was No. 10 following a 7-0 start in 2013.
No. 24 TCU beat SMU to go 3-0 and earn its first regular-season ranking since it was a fixture in the top 10 the second half of the 2022 season. The Horned Frogs, beaten 65-7 by Georgia in the national title game that season, were No. 17 in the 2023 preseason poll and hadn't been back since.
No. 25 BYU, which finished last season No. 13, picked up a road win at East Carolina and is ranked for the first time this season.
Utah (16) and Auburn (22) dropped out.
CONFERENCE CALL
SEC (10): Nos. 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20.
Big Ten (7): Nos. 1, 3, 6, 11, 19, 21, 23.
Big 12 (4): Nos. 12, 14, 24, 25.
ACC (3): Nos. 2, 8, 16.
Independent (1): No. 22.
RANKED VS. RANKED
No. 4 LSU at No. 13 Ole Miss: They've split the last four meetings. Garrett Nussmeier dealt the Rebels a crushing overtime loss last year, throwing the tying touchdown with 27 seconds left in regulation.
No. 6 Oregon at No. 3 Penn State: It's a rematch of last year's Big Ten championship game, a 45-37 Oregon win that made the Ducks 13-0 and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The Ducks have beaten four overmatched opponents by an average of 41.5 points per game. Penn State's schedule has been even easier.
No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 5 Georgia: The Crimson Tide have won nine of 10 meetings since 2008. The loss was the 2021 season's national championship game. Georgia has won 33 straight at home, the nation's longest active streak.
No. 21 USC at No. 23 Illinois: Two teams on different tracks. The unbeaten Trojans are averaging 52.5 points per game. The Illini were riding high until they gave up 63 at Indiana. First meeting since the 2008 Rose Bowl.
