The latest Associated Press Top 25 college football poll released Sunday shows a significant shift in the national landscape. Ohio State has fallen out of the top ten for the first time in five years, while New Mexico has made its first-ever appearance in the rankings.
The Buckeyes' 86-poll top-ten streak ends in Los Angeles
Ohio State's long-standing dominance in the college football rankings came to an abrupt halt this weekend. Following a 30-18 loss to USC on Saturday, the Buckeyes fell from the No. 2 spot to No. 11, ending a streak of 86 consecutive polls spent in the top ten.
According to the AP,this deefeat in Los Angeles marks the first time in five years that the program has slipped out of the top ten. The loss also serves as a milestone for USC coach Lincoln Riley,marking the most signifficant victory of his five seasons at the helm.
New Mexico's historic No. 22 debut and UCLA's 25-year climb
New Mexico has reached a historic milestone by entering the AP rankings at No. 22. This marks the first time in prgram history that the Lobos have appeared in the poll, coming during head coach Jason Eck's second season and following a 21-16 win over San Jose State that brought their record to 7-1.
UCLA has also made a significant leap, entering the top five at No. 5 for the first time in 25 years. Under first-year coach Bob Crismon, the Bruins are currently 8-0, their best start since 2005, following a 27-0 shutout of Nevada.
Miami's 62 first-place votes and the Tuesday playoff deadline
Miami remains the undisputed leader of the college football world, holding the No. 1 ranking for the third consecutive week. As the report states, the Hurricanes secured 62 of the 71 first-place votes after narrowly escaping North Carolina with a 38-35 victory.
The upcoming schedule features several high-stakes matchups that could define the season,including Miami's visit to Notre Dame—a game echoing the famous 1988 "Catholics vs Convicts" clash. The current landscape is heavily influenced by the SEC, which leads with ten ranked teams, while the Big 12 and Big Ten each boast five. This poll serves as the final edition before the College Football Playoff selection committee unveils its initial rankings this Tuesday.
Will the College Football Playoff committee favor unranked winners after four consecutive top-two upsets?
The current trend of instability in the top of the rankings has raised significant questions for the upcoming playoff selection. This week marks the fourth consecutive time that a No. 1 or No. 2 ranked team has lost to an unranked opponent.
There are several unanswered questions regarding how the selection committee will weigh these recent upsets. Will the committee prioritize the undefeated 8-0 UCLA over a surging New Mexico team,or will the recent volatility of top-tier teams like Ohio State open the door for more unranked programs to enter the playoff conversation?
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