19 teams in the AP Top 25 take new spots as the playoff matchups loom

James Madison of the Sun Belt Conference would represent the Group of Five in the College Football Playoff on a bracket based on this week’s Top 25 rankings. Georgia Tech and Texas also would be among the 12 teams.

James Madison, at No. 24, is the highest-ranked G5 team in the AP poll. Memphis, which had been the highest-ranked, lost at home to Tulane on Friday and dropped off the bracket.

Georgia Tech was idle and returned to the bracket as the highest-ranked Atlantic Coast Conference team following Virginia’s home loss to Wake Forest. Texas moved up to No. 10 in the AP poll after BYU and Virginia lost.

The CFP committee will release its second rankings of the season Tuesday night.

▶ Read more about the AP Top 25 playoff predictions

Week 12 is a pivotal one in the playoff race, especially in the SEC.

No. 10 Texas has revived its season with a four-game winning streak and heads to Athens to face Georgia, ranked No. 5 in both the AP Top 25 and the CFP rankings. The Longhorns likely need to win out to keep their playoff hopes intact.

Meanwhile, No. 11 Oklahoma heads to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 4 Alabama. It’s a must-win for Alabama to retain a top-four ranking and first-round bye. Georgia is on Alabama’s heels, ready to take over if the Crimson Tide stumbles.

Oklahoma needs the win to stay in the playoff conversation. As of now, the Sooners would be knocked out of the bracket by a Group of Five team entitled to an automatic bid.

Missouri struggled to get momentum rolling on offense without quarterback Beau Pribula on Saturday, falling 38-17 to an undefeated Texas A&M team.

Matt Zollers, the first true freshman quarterback to start for Missouri since Drew Lock, felt pressure all game long. By halftime, he had completed 3 of 11 passes for 31 yards, was sacked twice and fumbled once.

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed looked sharp, completing 20 of 29 passes for 221 yards and hitting KC Concepcion and Ashton Bethel-Roman for touchdowns. Reed ran the ball five times for 29 yards.

Louisville dropped from No. 14 to No. 19 after a 29-26 overtime loss to California.

Virginia fell from No. 12 to No. 20 after failing to find the end zone for four quarters in a 16-9 loss against Wake Forest.

Georgia Tech benefitted, moving up two spots to No. 14 despite being idle this week. The Yellow Jackets are now the highest ranked ACC team in the AP Top 25.

Miami also jumped over Louisville and Virginia, coming in at No. 16.

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Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer throws a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Texas at the Cotton Bowl, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in Dallas. Texas won 23-6. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

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BYU running back Preston Rex (12) is tackled by Texas Tech’s Cole Wisniewski (5) and during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Texas Tech, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Annie Rice)

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Virginia safety Ethan Minter (30) saves a big from Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne (1) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Charlottesville, Va. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)

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Texas didn’t play over the weekend, but they still managed to jump three spots in this week’s poll.

They leapfrogged BYU (which lost to Texas Tech), Virginia (which fell to Wake Forest) and an idle Oklahoma. The Longhorns beat Oklahoma 23-6 on Oct. 11.

I don’t have a problem with another expansion.

I’ve covered Division III football for many years, and the lower divisions have had a playoff system for decades. Why not make all the divisions consistent?

I would like to see all the Division I conferences receive an automatic bid, as is done in D-II and D-III. If conferences like the MAC have no path to the playoff, they should have a separate playoff.

David Jablonski is a sports reporter for the Dayton Daily News and has been an AP Top 25 college football voter for six years. You can follow him on X: @davidpjablonski.

A handful of teams moved up two or three spots in this week’s rankings thanks to losses by Louisville and Virginia.

No. 13 Vanderbilt, No. 14 Georgia Tech, No. 15 Utah and No. 16 Miami each moved up two spots. No. 17 USC and No. 18 Michigan jumped three spots over Virginia, Louisville and Missouri, which lost 38-17 to Texas A&M on Saturday.

Heating up: Ole Miss (6), Texas Tech (8), Notre Dame (9), Texas (10), Vanderbilt (13), Georgia Tech (14), Utah (15), Miami (16), USC (17), Michigan (18), Tennessee (21), Cincinnati (22), Pitt (23), JMU (24), USF (25).

Cooling down: Oregon (7), BYU (12), Louisville (19), Virginia (20).

Steady: Ohio State (1), Indiana (2), Texas A&M (3), Alabama (4), Georgia (5), Oklahoma (11).

Ole Miss and Oregon swapped places in the poll this week.

Ole Miss improved to No. 6 after a 49-0 victory over Citadel. The Week 11 matchup offered a break from SEC action for the Rebels before their final two games against Florida and Mississippi State.

The Ducks just barely escaped Iowa with a win on Saturday, coming out on top 18-16 thanks to a 39-yard field goal in the final three seconds of the game. Oregon fell to No. 7 as a result.

Texas Tech’s 29-7 win against BYU reshuffled the top 10 this week.

The Red Raiders moved from No. 9 to No. 8 as BYU dropped four spots to No. 12. The results paved the way for the Texas Longhorns to crack the top 10 for the first time since Week 5, coming in at No. 10.

Notre Dame moved up one spot to No. 9.

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Texas Tech wide receiver Reggie Virgil (1) catches a pass ahead of BYU cornerback Therrian Alexander III (1) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Annie Rice)

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Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr, right, hands off to running back Jeremiyah Love, left, near the goal line during the first quarter of an NCAA football game against Navy, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

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If we’re nitpicking Ohio State, its weakness is the run game.

It’s 10th in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game but second in passing. I’m sure Ryan Day would like to be a bit more balanced.

Indiana might pose the biggest challenge to the Buckeyes. The Hoosiers look like a team of destiny after that victory against Penn State. On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine Indiana beating Ohio State because they haven’t done so since 1988.

David Jablonski is a sports reporter for the Dayton Daily News and has been an AP Top 25 college football voter for six years. You can follow him on X: @davidpjablonski.

▶ Ask him a question about the Top 25 poll

South Florida re-entered the rankings this week, coming in at No. 25 after a 55-23 win over UTSA on Thursday night.

USF has been in and out of the rankings this season and was unranked the past two weeks.

No. 24 James Madison cracked the AP Top 25 for the first time this season after a 35-23 win against Marshall. The Dukes are 8-1 and have a real shot at the Group of Five CFP spot given that Memphis lost over the weekend.

USF, Tulane and North Texas are other contenders.

1. Ohio State
2. Indiana
3. Texas A&M
4. Alabama
5. Georgia
6. Ole Miss
7. Oregon
8. Texas Tech
9. Notre Dame
10. Texas
11. Oklahoma
12. BYU
13. Vanderbilt
14. Georgia Tech
15. Utah
16. Miami (Fla.)
17. USC
18. Michigan
19. Louisville
20. Virginia
21. Tennessee
22. Cincinnati
23. Pittsburgh
24. James Madison
25. South Florida

There were tough calls at the bottom of my ballot, too.

The American Conference has two eight-win teams and three seven-win teams. I decided to rank South Florida, which has been dominant in conference play outside of a loss to Memphis, and Tulane, which won at Memphis on Friday.

Memphis might deserve to be ranked ahead of South Florida, except it has a loss to a 3-6 UAB. One-loss North Texas is another deserving team, but it lost 63-36 at home to South Florida.

David Jablonski is a sports reporter for the Dayton Daily News and has been an AP Top 25 college football voter for six years. You can follow him on X: @davidpjablonski.

▶ Ask him a question about the Top 25 poll

No. 9 Texas Tech improved to first place in the Big 12 after a 29-7 win against No. 8 BYU on Saturday.

Texas Tech kicker Stone Harrington led the team to the win with a school-record of five field goals. The Red Raiders’ defense held the Cougars scoreless until midway through the fourth quarter, when BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier found Chase Roberts in the end zone.

If both teams win out, they’ll meet again in the Big 12 Championship game, but BYU’s late November matchup against Cincinnati could be a challenge.

Another big question for me was what to do with Notre Dame and Miami. Miami beat Notre Dame in Week 1. They’re both 7-2.

I’ve kept Miami ahead of Notre Dame (unlike the College Football Playoff committee), but that has limited my ability to move Notre Dame up in the poll. With Virginia and Louisville losing this week, Miami and Notre Dame both rose on my ballot.

David Jablonski is a sports reporter for the Dayton Daily News and has been an AP Top 25 college football voter for six years. You can follow him on X: @davidpjablonski.

▶ Ask him a question about the Top 25 poll

I have tried hard to respect head-to-head results, so I had Miami ranked ahead of Notre Dame last week, even though Miami had lost two of its last three games, and I stuck to that thinking this week.

Notre Dame is on quite a roll and would have been higher on my ballot, but Miami’s recent losses have kept Notre Dame from climbing higher. They’re tied together for me as long as they have the same records and we don’t have a standout victory to separate them.

If Notre Dame wins at Pittsburgh next week, that might be enough for me to move them past Miami as the Notre Dame-Miami result moves further into the rearview mirror.

David Jablonski is a sports reporter for the Dayton Daily News and has been an AP Top 25 college football voter for six years. You can follow him on X: @davidpjablonski.

▶ Ask him a question about the Top 25 poll

I ranked Texas Tech seventh.

It’s having a great season but is just behind Georgia and Ole Miss in my poll. It will need those teams, or others, to stumble to move into the top five.

David Jablonski is a sports reporter for the Dayton Daily News and has been an AP Top 25 college football voter for six years. You can follow him on X: @davidpjablonski.

▶ Ask him a question about the Top 25 poll

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Virginia defensive back Ja’Son Prevard (10) pervents a reception from Wake Forest wide receiver Chris Barnes (10)during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Charlottesville, Va. (AP Photo/Robert Simmons)

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California linebacker Jayden Wayne, left, attempts to tackle Louisville running back Keyjuan Brown (22) during overtime of an NCAA college football game in Louisville, Ky., Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

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No. 12 Virginia and No. 14 Louisville both lost in Week 11, improving an idle Georgia Tech team’s chances at the ACC Championship game.

Virginia lost 16-9 to Wake Forest on Saturday. Cavaliers’ quarterback Chandler Morris went down with an injury early in the game and Virginia failed to find the end zone under backup quarterback Daniel Kaelin.

Louisville fell 29-26 in an overtime thriller against California, marking the Cardinals’ second conference loss this season.

Stock up: Texas Tech, Miami, Notre Dame, USC, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt.

Stock down: BYU, Memphis, Missouri, Washington, Virginia, Louisville.

James Madison is chasing the Group of Five spot in the College Football Playoff, with this weekend’s 35-23 win against Marshall strengthening its resume.

The Dukes are on a seven-game winning streak and top the Sun Belt with a perfect 6-0 conference record. They’re 8-1 overall. The team’s only loss was early in the season against Louisville, which went on to crack the rankings.

It was a busy day in the top 25 with six teams losing, including one defeated team, and some close calls involving top-10 teams.

Fortunately, my dog Fergus woke me up at 6 a.m., so I had plenty of time to analyze the results. I had to balance that with attending to my 7-year-old son’s needs. That’s the challenge every Sunday morning.

I moved Texas A&M up a spot on my ballot, past Indiana, to reward the Aggies for their victory against Missouri. Anyone putting Texas A&M at No. 1, ahead of Ohio State, wouldn’t be wrong.

Ohio State, Texas A&M and Indiana should all receive first-place votes this week. I like to mix it up with my poll, especially with the top spot, but I wasn’t ready to drop the Buckeyes.

David Jablonski is a sports reporter for the Dayton Daily News and has been an AP Top 25 college football voter for six years. You can follow him on X: @davidpjablonski.

▶ Ask him a question about the Top 25 poll

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Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) scores a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Auburn, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

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Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (5) tries to break a tackle by Iowa defensive lineman Jonah Pace (91) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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Indiana State wide receiver Torey French catches a pass from quarterback Keegan Patterson as Illinois State defensive back Doreon Dubose closes in during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in Terre Haute, Ind. (Joseph C. Garza/The Tribune-Star via AP)

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Indiana, Oregon and Vanderbilt narrowly avoided losses on Saturday.

The Hoosier’s Fernando Mendoza found Omar Cooper Jr. in the back of the end zone for a touchdown with 36 seconds remaining in the fourth against Penn State, turning a 26-24 deficit into a 27-24 lead. The Nittany Lions couldn’t answer and Indiana improved to 10-0.

Oregon’s 18-16 win against Iowa also came down to the final whistle. Iowa scored a touchdown to take a late one-point lead, but Oregon responded with a game-winning field goal in the final three seconds.

Vanderbilt allowed an Auburn touchdown and two-point conversion late in the fourth to force overtime, but Diego Pavia and Co. came out on top with a game-winning touchdown in OT.

College football writer and Top 25 voter David Jablonski will answer fan questions before and after the rankings drop.

No organization has been ranking teams and naming a major college football national champion longer than The Associated Press, 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.

▶ Read more about the history of the AP Top 25 poll and how it works