Ohio State's fall opens No. 2 as Georgia, Utah and UCLA press their claims
Ohio State's second loss created a vacancy behind unbeaten Miami, while Georgia beat a ranked rival and Utah and UCLA stayed perfect. State & Nation's opinion covers every team in the Oct. 25 AP Top 25 through 7 a.m. Eastern on Nov. 1.
Games covered: Oct 25, 2026–Nov 1, 2026. Baseline: Associated Press Top 25 college football poll, Oct 25, 2026. Ranking-change assessments and projections are by State & Nation.
A vacancy behind Miami
The No. 2 position changed from a privilege into an eviction notice for the third straight week. Southern California's 30-18 win over Ohio State gave the Buckeyes a second loss and cleared the way for Georgia, Indiana, Notre Dame, Utah and UCLA to make different cases for the space behind Miami.
Georgia supplied the strongest single result, a 27-8 win over No. 17 Florida. Utah won 49-25 at Cincinnati and UCLA shut out Nevada 27-0, keeping both teams unbeaten. Indiana and Notre Dame won, too, though Indiana needed overtime at home against Minnesota. Miami should remain first after surviving North Carolina 38-35; the Hurricanes stayed unbeaten and no challenger assembled a better full-season case before the cutoff.
State & Nation's ranking view
The assessments below are State & Nation predictions and opinion, not official AP results. They weigh opponent quality, game location, margin, the full-season record and the results of nearby teams. A win can expose weaknesses, a close loss to a ranked opponent can preserve part of a resume, and an open date does not create new evidence.
The Oct. 25 AP poll is the baseline. The coverage window runs from Sunday, Oct. 25 at 7 a.m. Eastern through Sunday, Nov. 1 at 7 a.m. Eastern. The next AP poll is scheduled for 2 p.m. Eastern on Nov. 1 and had not been released at the cutoff.
The bottom of the poll must turn over
SMU, Northwestern, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin lost to unranked opponents, and Wisconsin was shut out. Arizona's loss at No. 13 Texas Tech is easier to absorb, while Missouri's 34-10 road win at Arkansas gives the Tigers a clear upward case. Boise State remained 7-1 but a 46-45 escape against Texas State should limit its movement.
The next ballot should reward results without pretending every victory is equal. Texas, Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Wake Forest built useful momentum. Kentucky, Alabama, LSU, Tennessee and Houston were idle, so their positions should be decided by the evidence around them rather than by an automatic bye-week bump.
The Top 25, team by team
No. 1 · Miami (Fla.)
Oct. 31: defeated North Carolina 38-35 on the road.
Miami needed two fourth-quarter touchdowns to escape an unranked opponent, but the Hurricanes remained unbeaten and answered when the game tightened.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Hold at No. 1. The margin invites scrutiny, but no other unbeaten contender paired a better full-season case with a result strong enough to take the top spot.
No. 2 · Ohio State
Oct. 31: lost at Southern California 30-18.
A second loss, this one to an unranked opponent, removes Ohio State from the immediate No. 1 discussion. The Buckeyes were playing without their starting quarterback, but the ballot still has to reflect the result on the field.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Fall out of the top five, likely into the No. 8-11 range. The full resume keeps Ohio State in the top half of the poll, while the second loss prevents a modest drop.
No. 3 · Georgia
Oct. 31: defeated No. 17 Florida 27-8 at a neutral site in Atlanta.
Georgia delivered the most convincing result among the teams chasing Miami, beating a ranked rival by 19 points and limiting Florida to eight.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Rise to No. 2. A decisive ranked win gives Georgia the clearest claim to the vacancy created by Ohio State's loss.
No. 4 · Indiana
Oct. 31: defeated Minnesota 23-16 in overtime at home.
Indiana survived another low-scoring test, forcing overtime with a field goal as regulation expired and finishing the win in the extra period. The Hoosiers are 8-1, but consecutive narrow victories leave room for unbeaten teams to pass them.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Hold near No. 4. Indiana should move ahead of Ohio State, while Utah or UCLA has a reasonable argument for the same space.
No. 5 · Notre Dame
Oct. 31: defeated Navy 35-13 at a neutral site in Baltimore.
Notre Dame handled a service-academy opponent by 22 points and avoided the volatility that hit several teams below it.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Rise one place or hold in the top five. The result was solid, though Georgia's ranked win and the unbeaten records behind the Irish limit the ceiling.
No. 6 · Utah
Oct. 31: defeated Cincinnati 49-25 on the road.
Utah stayed unbeaten and produced the largest scoring output among the top-six contenders while winning away from home.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Rise into the top five, with a credible case for No. 3. An 8-0 record and a 24-point road win deserve more than movement by attrition.
No. 7 · UCLA
Oct. 31: defeated Nevada 27-0 at home.
UCLA improved to 8-0 with a shutout. Nevada did not offer a ranked-opponent test, but complete defensive control strengthens the Bruins' position.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Rise into the top six and receive consideration for No. 4 or No. 5. The unbeaten record should carry increasing weight.
No. 8 · BYU
Oct. 31: defeated Arizona State 27-20 at home.
BYU answered its first loss with a one-possession win. The Cougars stabilized their resume, though the narrow home margin does not rebuild the top-two case they held two weeks ago.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Hold near No. 8. Teams above lost, but Utah and UCLA supplied stronger unbeaten evidence.
No. 9 · Kentucky
Open date; Kentucky's official schedule lists Oct. 31 as an open date.
Kentucky added no new result. Its 7-1 record remains useful, but the teams immediately behind it produced wins that voters can evaluate.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Hold around No. 9 or slip one place. A bye alone should neither reward nor punish the Wildcats.
No. 10 · Alabama
Open date; Alabama's official schedule lists Oct. 31 as an open date.
Alabama rested after returning to the top 10. The two-loss resume remains strong enough for this range, but the Crimson Tide offered no new evidence.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Hold around No. 10, with a small downward adjustment possible as Texas and Ole Miss add wins.
No. 11 · Texas
Oct. 31: defeated Mississippi State 31-3 at home.
Texas followed its ranked win over Ole Miss with a 28-point conference victory. The Longhorns have now answered consecutive losses with two clear improvements.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Rise into the top 10. The two defeats cap the climb, but the recent trajectory is stronger than that of the idle teams directly ahead.
No. 12 · Ole Miss
Oct. 31: defeated Auburn 45-15 at home.
Ole Miss responded to the Texas loss with a 30-point win and never allowed Auburn to make the second half competitive.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Rise toward No. 10 or No. 11. The response was emphatic, though the head-to-head loss keeps the Rebels behind Texas.
No. 13 · Texas Tech
Oct. 31: defeated No. 22 Arizona 34-26 at home.
Texas Tech stopped its slide by beating a ranked opponent. An eight-point home win is not overwhelming, but it is a meaningful rebound after the Cincinnati loss.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Rise modestly into the No. 11-13 range. The ranked win should be rewarded without erasing last week's unranked loss.
No. 14 · Wake Forest
Oct. 31: defeated Virginia 51-7 at home.
Wake Forest produced the weekend's most decisive result among teams in the middle of the poll, winning by 44 points.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Rise several places, potentially to No. 11 or No. 12. The opponent was unranked, but the margin and 7-1 record support a clear move.
No. 15 · LSU
Open date; LSU's official schedule lists Oct. 31 as an open date.
LSU carried a 6-2 record through the open week. Results around the Tigers improved some resumes and damaged others, but LSU itself supplied no new basis for a major move.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Hold near No. 15, perhaps sliding one place behind a team with a strong win.
No. 16 · Tennessee
Open date; Tennessee's official schedule has no game between Oct. 24 and Nov. 7.
Tennessee could not repair the South Carolina loss during its open week. The Volunteers remain ranked on the strength of the full season rather than fresh evidence.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Hold in the mid-to-high teens. A small drop is justified if voters reward Missouri and Boise State.
No. 17 · Florida
Oct. 31: lost to No. 3 Georgia 27-8 at a neutral site in Atlanta.
Florida's third loss came against an elite opponent, but the 19-point margin and eight-point output weaken the Gators' claim to a comfortable place in the poll.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Fall to the low 20s. Ranked wins keep Florida in the discussion, while the decisive loss makes a drop unavoidable.
No. 18 · Houston
Bye week; Houston's official schedule lists Oct. 31 as its open week.
Houston had no game after losing at Utah. That defeat aged reasonably well when Utah remained unbeaten, but the Cougars did not add a result of their own.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Hold near No. 18 or slip slightly as teams with wins move past.
No. 19 · SMU
Oct. 31: lost at Syracuse 30-27.
SMU surrendered a late lead to an unranked opponent and took its second loss. The three-point road margin softens the damage, but not enough to protect a top-20 position.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Fall out of the poll or to No. 25. The Mustangs now depend on voters valuing the earlier resume over Saturday's finish.
No. 20 · Boise State
Oct. 31: defeated Texas State 46-45 at home.
Boise State survived by one point against an unranked opponent. The Broncos remain 7-1, but the result raises more questions than a typical win.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Hold near No. 20. The record supports staying ranked, while the narrow escape does not justify a meaningful rise.
No. 20 · Northwestern
Oct. 31: lost at Oregon 34-26.
Northwestern's four-game winning streak ended against an unranked Oregon team. The eight-point road loss is competitive, but it removes the momentum that carried the Wildcats into the tie at No. 20.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Fall to the edge of the poll or just outside it.
No. 22 · Arizona
Oct. 31: lost at No. 13 Texas Tech 34-26.
Arizona lost by one score on the road to a ranked opponent. That is less damaging than the unranked losses around it, but it is still a second defeat.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Fall a few places but remain in the No. 23-25 discussion.
No. 23 · Missouri
Oct. 31: defeated Arkansas 34-10 on the road.
Missouri produced a 24-point conference road win and improved to 6-2. The Tigers supplied the strongest result among the teams near the bottom of the poll that won.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Rise into the high teens or around No. 20.
No. 24 · Oklahoma State
Oct. 31: lost at Iowa State 51-49 on a field goal as time expired.
Oklahoma State returned to the poll and immediately lost to an unranked opponent. The two-point road margin shows competitiveness, but a third loss leaves little protection at No. 24.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Drop out of the Top 25.
No. 25 · Wisconsin
Oct. 31: lost at Iowa 30-0.
Wisconsin followed its return to the poll with a shutout loss to an unranked rival. No team in the baseline poll had a more damaging result relative to its position.
State & Nation ranking outlook: State & Nation outlook: Drop out of the Top 25.
Sources
Associated Press — AP Top 25 poll hub
NCAA — AP Top 25 through games of Oct. 24
NCAA — Week 9 football scores and schedule
NCAA — FBS football scoreboard
Associated Press — Ohio State loss and poll outlook
Kentucky Athletics — 2026 schedule
Alabama Athletics — 2026 schedule
LSU Athletics — 2026 game notes and open date