This week’s Associated Press Top 25 college football poll did not have a lot of movement, with few upsets over the weekend and the entirety of the top 10 from last week’s poll all winning their matchups.
The 10-0 weekend from the top 10 was the first time they all won since Week 2 of the 2019 season. Overall, AP Top 25 teams won 22 games over the weekend, the most since 24 teams won in Week 1 of 2019.
Georgia (No.1), Alabama (No.2), and Ohio State (No.3) stayed at the top of the latest poll, followed by Michigan at No.4 and Clemson at No.5.
The Big 12 has four teams in the top 25, led by Oklahoma at No.6. The Sooners torched Nebraska on Saturday in a 49-14 rout.
Oklahoma played complimentary football in the blowout win, with quarterback Dillon Gabriel passing for 230 yards and two touchdowns, to go along with 55 yards and a score on the ground.
Sooners running back Eric Gray led a dominant Oklahoma rushing attack with 113 yards and two touchdowns. As a team, Oklahoma rushed for 327 yards behind the running back rotation of Gray, Marcus Major, and Jovantae Barnes.
Next, the Sooners begin Big 12 play with a home game against Kansas State this Saturday
USC, coached by former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley, is one spot behind the Sooners in this week’s poll at No.7, while Kentucky comes in at No.8.
Oklahoma State is the second highest-ranked Big 12 team at No.9. The Cowboys closed their non-conference schedule over the weekend, manhandling Division 1-AA opponent Arkansas-Pine Bluff (UAPB) in a 63-7 romp.
Oklahoma State will get a week of rest before starting Big 12 play with a massive trip to Baylor on October 1. That game will be the first significant challenge for the Cowboys, who ran rampant through an undemanding non-conference schedule featuring Central Michigan, Arizona State, and UAPB.
Cowboys starting quarterback Spencer Sanders has excelled against the inferior opponents throwing for 916 yards, 10 touchdowns, and just one interception.
Arkansas stays in the No.10 spot for the second consecutive week after being the only top-10 team to not win in blowout fashion, squeaking past Division 1-AA opponent Missouri State 38-27.
Next up for the Razorbacks is the Southwest Classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Saturday against No.23 Texas A&M. The Aggies moved up one spot in the poll after bouncing back from an upset to defeat then-No.13 Miami.
Arkansas comes in as the higher-ranked team and beat A&M last season after the Razorbacks experienced nine consecutive losses in the series against the Aggies.
A&M and Arkansas will play in one of three matchups between ranked opponents this week.
No.5 Clemson will play at No.21 Wake Forest in the first matchup, with both teams ranked in the AP Top 25 since 1950.
No.20 Florida will play at No.11 Tennessee for the first matchup where both teams are ranked since 2017.
Big risers in this week’s poll include No.14 Penn State, No.15 Oregon, and No.18 Washington. Penn State moved up from the No.22 spot after defeating Auburn on the road, while Oregon moved up from No.25 after defeating then-No.12 BYU at home.
Washington is making its season debut in the Top 25 after dispatching then No.11 Michigan State at home over the weekend.
No.19 BYU and No.25 Miami dropped in the rankings after their losses to Oregon and Texas A&M, respectively, while Michigan State’s loss to Washington knocked them outside the top 25.
No.17 Baylor stays in the same spot this week after bouncing back from a loss to BYU by smashing Texas State 42-7. The Bears begin Big 12 play this weekend with a trip to Ames to face a 3-0 Iowa State team.
It should be a great game as the last three meetings between Baylor and Iowa State have been decided by a combined 11 points. Last season the Bears pulled out a thrilling 31-29 win at home.
No.22 Texas rounds out the Big 12 teams in this week’s poll. The Longhorns dropped one spot in this week’s poll despite running away with a 41-20 win against UTSA over the weekend.
The Longhorns will open Big 12 play at Texas Tech this Saturday in what might be their last trip to Lubbock as a member of the Big 12 conference.
Full AP Top 25 (First-Place Votes):
- Georgia (59), 3-0 Last week: 1
- Alabama (3), 3-0 Last week: 2
- Ohio State (1), 2-0 Last week: 3
- Michigan, 3-0 Last week: 4
- Clemson, 3-0 Last week: 5
- Oklahoma, 3-0 Last week: 6
- USC, 3-0 Last week: 7
- Kentucky, 3-0 Last week: 9
- Oklahoma State, 3-0 Last week: 8
- Arkansas, 3-0 Last week: 10
- Tennessee, 3-0 Last week: 15
- NC State, 3-0 Last week: 16
- Utah, 2-1 Last week: 14
- Penn State, 3-0 Last week: 22
- Oregon, 2-1 Last week: 25
- Ole Miss, 3-0 Last week: 22
- Baylor, 2-1 Last week: 17
- Washington, 3-0 Last week: NR
- BYU, 2-1 Last week: 12
- Florida, 2-1 Last week: 18
- Wake Forest, 3-0 Last week: 19
- Texas, 2-1 Last week: 21
- Texas A&M, 2-1 Last week: 24
- Pittsburgh, 2-1 Last week: 23
- Miami (FL), 2-1 Last week: 13
Others receiving votes: Michigan State 91, Florida State 85, Appalachian State 77, North Carolina 72, Washington State 62, Cincinnati 52, Oregon State 49, Minnesota 48, Kansas 23, Syracuse 7, LSU 6, Wisconsin 4.
