Ohio State has surged to the No. 1 position in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll, capturing 55 out of 66 first-place votes following a notable victory over the preseason No. 1 ranked Texas.
This marks the first time the Buckeyes have occupied the top spot in a regular-season poll since November 2015.
In a shake-up of the rankings, LSU and Miami (Fla.) have entered the top five, while Florida State has made a return to the rankings, pushing Alabama out of the list altogether.
Alabama’s ranking has fallen to 21, the lowest it has been in 17 seasons, following their loss to Florida State in their head-to-head matchup this past weekend.
The dynamic movement in the rankings follows a chaotic Labor Day weekend, which witnessed an unprecedented situation where four top-10 teams lost, marking the first time since 1972 that two top-five teams lost in the opening week.
Penn State retained its position at No. 2, garnering seven first-place votes. LSU, which climbed six spots after their win against Clemson, follows, alongside Georgia and Miami, who received five and three first-place votes, respectively, in the fifth position.
Oregon, which captured the remaining first-place vote, is ranked sixth, followed by Texas at No. 7, Clemson at No. 8, Notre Dame at No. 9, and South Carolina at No. 10.
LSU’s rise in the rankings is particularly notable, having advanced six spots after a successful outing at Clemson. Meanwhile, Miami took a five-spot leap following a solid win against Notre Dame.
Florida State, once ranked No. 10 in the preseason poll, was outside of the Top 25 but has made a significant comeback, starting at No. 14 after their victory against Alabama, who has faced the steepest drop after starting the season at No. 8.
This marks Alabama’s lowest ranking since it was slotted at No. 24 in the 2008 preseason poll, during the second season for famed coach Nick Saban at the helm.
For Florida State, this recent ranking turnaround is commendable, after finishing a disappointing previous season with a record of 2-10, following a bleak start this year with two initial losses.
The poll also welcomed Utah into the rankings at No. 25, alongside Florida State as the only newcomers this week.
Utah’s rankings benefitted from an impressive away victory over UCLA, finishing 43-10, which garnered them more points than BYU, despite BYU’s commanding win over an FCS team.
Boise State, who began the season ranked No. 25, has now dropped out of the rankings entirely after facing a defeat to South Florida.
The other team dropping from the rankings is Kansas State, which lost its season opener to Iowa State, although they managed a last-minute home win against FCS opponent North Dakota.
Ohio State’s ascent to the top position marks a significant historical moment in college football, being the first team to claim the No. 1 spot in the first regular-season poll since Alabama achieved this feat in 2012.
Additionally, this jump to No. 1 is the most substantial movement to the top spot in a first regular-season poll since USC advanced from No. 3 back in 2008.
Texas’ slide to No. 7 is the most substantial drop for a preseason No. 1 team since Auburn fell to No. 8 in the first regular-season poll of 1984.
LSU has returned to a favorable ranking post-Week 1, being positioned at No. 3, their highest ranking at this stage since 2012, while Miami’s ranking is the highest it has experienced post-Week 1 since 2004.
South Carolina’s position at No. 10 marks their inclusion in the top ten during the regular season for the first time since reaching No. 8 in December 2013.
As conference standings are analyzed, the SEC continues to dominate with ten ranked teams, while the Big Ten holds six spots in the rankings.
The ACC has four teams represented, and the Big 12 has managed to feature four teams as well. Independent teams have a single representative in the top 25.
This upcoming weekend promises excitement as No. 15 Michigan travels to face No. 18 Oklahoma, marking their first encounter since Oklahoma’s victory in the Orange Bowl that secured the 1975 national championship.
As the season progresses, the rankings will continue to evolve, providing fans with thrilling matchups and potential for further shifts in the standings.
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