Miami is now ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25, marking its first time at the top since 2002. BYU, at No. 2, achieved its highest ranking since winning a national title in 1984.
This week was particularly chaotic, with five of the top seven teams suffering losses, the most in the AP poll's nearly century-long history. Miami and BYU capitalized on this turmoil, while Ohio State rounds out the top three.
Miami took over the No. 1 position from Georgia, which fell after a home loss to Auburn. This marks the second consecutive week that a top-ranked team lost to an unranked opponent, following Texas's earlier defeat.
The Hurricanes' victory over rival Florida State in double overtime allowed them to maintain their unbeaten record. They received 40 of 70 first-place votes, finishing just ahead of BYU, which garnered 20 votes.
Historic Rankings and Notable Shifts
This week’s poll shows how unpredictable college football can be, with teams rising and falling dramatically.
Sports Analyst
BYU's victory against Notre Dame, where they were 10.5-point underdogs, pushed them to 6-0 for the third straight year. This is their best ranking since 1996, with their previous peak being No. 4.
- Miami last ranked No. 1 in 2002 after the national championship game against Ohio State.
- BYU's last top ranking was in 1984 during their championship season.
- Georgia remains the only other ACC team ranked No. 1 since Clemson in 2020.
All 25 spots in the latest rankings featured new teams, but only two fell out. Despite losses, Notre Dame and Georgia remained in the top five due to their earlier strong performances.
The SEC continues to dominate with nine ranked teams, led by Georgia at No. 5, while the Big Ten follows with six teams. The ACC boasts three ranked teams, including Miami.