The top spot in the AP Top 25 Poll remain unchanged for the first time in three weeks following Week 7 action across college football. Miami is still No. 1 in the poll, but the rest of the group had plenty of shakeup.
The latest edition of the AP Top 25 Poll hit the press per usual Sunday morning. While we didn’t see a dramatic overhaul of the rankings like we did after last week’s chaos, it does feel like we’ve corrected course in terms of how authentically teams are ranked. Especially in the top 10.
Miami remains No. 1 after an impressive 53-24 win over Pittsburgh, propelled by another uber-efficient day from quarterback Darian Mensah and a lights-out performance from receiver Malachi Toney that put “Baby Jesus” back among the Heisman frontrunners. The Hurricanes received 59 of 70 first-place votes, up from a more modest 40 last week.
Ohio State moved up to No. 2 after BYU’s upset loss to UCF, despite the fact the Buckeyes were on bye. No. 3 Georgia and No. 4 Indiana each moved up two spots respectively, while No. 5 Notre Dame fell one spot to round out the top five. Utah rose four spots to No. 6, largely boosted by an inexplicable first-place vote that we’ll talk more about in a minute.
Iowa and USC each fell out of the rankings despite entering last week ranked No. 15 and No. 16, respectively, after the Trojans lost to Wisconsin and the Hawkeyes lost to Minnesota. No. 24 Oklahoma State re-entered the rankings after a blowout win over Colorado, and Wisconsin’s win over USC led to its first appearance this season at No. 25.
The win by Texas over Ole Miss vaulted the Longhorns up 8 spots up to No. 11 making them the biggest the biggest mover in the latest AP Top 25 Poll.
BYU was the biggest faller now down to No. 8. Miami remains No. 1.
Did the voters get it right? 🤔 https://t.co/sdty6ga2pc
— teamfb (@teamfbseven) October 25, 2026
Top Takeaways Following The Week 7 Release Of The AP Top 25 Poll
The latest AP Top 25 Poll leaves plenty of room for discussion. Here are some takeaways from this week’s rankings.
Voters, Stop Using First-Place Votes To Make Statements
AP poll first place votes:
59 – Miami
10 – Ohio State
1 – Utah— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) October 25, 2026
I’ve often complained about the voting habits of this season’s panel of AP Poll voters, and lo and behold, I have another grievance. For the second straight week, a first-place vote has been given to a team that is not even remotely close to the conversation. Last week, it was Texas Tech that received a single first-place vote en route to a No. 8 ranking before unranked Cincinnati ran them it the field this weekend.
This time, it’s Utah, which moved up four spots to No. 6 after beating then-No. 18 Houston on Saturday. I understand the Utes are unbeaten, but not all ranked wins are created equal and that’s especially true in the Big 12. Let’s keep the No. 1 conversation to teams that actually have the resume to be No. 1, and the only plausible argument to be made right now is one for Miami.
I Conceded Too Early On BYU
After BYU stole the No. 2 spot last week thanks to that timely win against Notre Dame, I conceded a point I made earlier in the season, where I stated the Cougs were overrated poll darlings and that they were being given too much respect by voters because of their potential as opposed to who they really were.
WHAT A FINISH IN DOUBLE OT@UCF_Football UPSETS NO. 2 BYU pic.twitter.com/ZjBcPwJP0N
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 24, 2026
After BYU’s disastrous overtime loss to an unranked and middling UCF program, I’m here to renege my concession. The Cougars are overrated, they are poll darlings, and the fact they are still ranked No. 8 this week after such a deflating outcome only furthers my point. When they beat a floundering Arizona State team by a few touchdowns next week, I’m sure we’ll have voters trying to put them in the top 3 again.
G6 Playoff Spot Remains Major Question
Boise State’s current resume still lends to the Broncos being the G6 playoff representative if the season ended today. However, the season doesn’t end today and the road ahead for the Boys on the Blue is hardly enviable. In a few weeks, they’ll face off against a red-hot Oregon State team that’s taking the country by storm.
Hearing growing chatter from the national folks about Oregon State at Boise State on Nov. 14. It would be great if it's the showdown most hope it appears to be.
But first, OSU must win at Fresno State. Anyone who has been to Fresno knows this will not be an easy test for OSU.
— Nick Daschel (@nickdaschel) October 26, 2026
If Oregon State wins through that game, it’d have the same record as Boise State with a more respectable pair of losses as both came against ranked Power 4 opponents. If the Beavers lose, however, they are essentially eliminated from the playoff race with a third loss. Still, unless either team slips up unexpectedly, the two wagons will also likely meet in the Pac-12 Championship Game, where Oregon State could then spoil Boise State’s playoff chances — granted New Mexico wins out en route to a Mountain West title.
Unbeaten UCLA Poised To Spoil IU/OSU Rematch
When Ohio State narrowly beat Indiana on Oct. 17 to establish itself as the second-place team in the Big Ten standings, I’d be willing to say most of us just assumed the two teams would meet again for yet another battle in the Big Ten Championship Game. Keep in mind, UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava had just suffered a season-ending injury the prior week, and the uncertainty at the position seemingly put hopes of a conference title on pause.
However, the Bruins have completely revamped their defensive identity since the start of the season and have given up just 8.8 points per game since allowing 38 points to Purdue on Sept 19. Ty Dieffenbach is a serviceable backup, but UCLA has been able to play with a huge margin of error on offense lately because of the defensive dominance.
Bob Chesney off to the hottest start of any first-year coach at UCLA with the Bruins now 7-0 after defeating Michigan State @teamfbseven https://t.co/BlWdSMePrW
— Matt Moreno (@MattRMoreno) October 24, 2026
With five currently unranked opponents left on the schedule, the prospect of a 12-0 season for the Bruins can no longer be discounted as fantasy. And unless they slip up, the only possibility of an IU/OSU rematch is in the College Football playoff.
Until Miami Loses, Respect The No. 1 Ranking
I’ve noticed a bit of desperation from fans, pundits and even some AP top 25 voters to move Miami off that top line, and I can already hear the arguments about how it hasn’t played a schedule as tough as some of the one-loss powerhouses folks trying to sneak above them. The thing is, Miami isn’t just escaping these games with close, hard-fought victories. The Hurricanes completely demoralize teams on both sides of the ball.
Malachi Toney HAT TRICK
Miami Hurricanes 50 BURGER pic.twitter.com/0CyBcgL8ie
— Underdog CFB (@UnderdogCFB) October 24, 2026
This roster is a vastly improved and more experienced version of the team we saw finish as the national runners up last season, with one of the most efficient quarterbacks in modern college football history, a generational talent at wide receiver and one of the most stout defenses in the country. Let’s not galaxy brain this one.
