The China Mail - Georgia Returns to No. 1 in AP Top 25; Ohio State Drops to No. 21

Georgia has reclaimed the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 for the second time this season, ending a brief period at the top of the polls and reasserting its position as the college football landscape's premier team. The Bulldogs secured 53 of the 70 first-place votes from the media voting panel, finishing with a wide margin over Utah and Notre Dame.

The return to the summit follows Georgia’s dominant 42-7 victory at Mississippi on Saturday. The win marks a significant rebound for the program, which had held the No. 1 spot for only one week before suffering an upset loss to Auburn on Oct. 17. Despite that setback, Georgia never dropped out of the top five in subsequent polls and was ultimately selected as the voters' choice to resume its reign at the top.

Utah moved up one spot to No. 2 after defeating rival BYU 28-20. The victory elevates the Utes to their highest-ever AP ranking during the regular season. Utah received 12 first-place votes in the latest poll, while Notre Dame, which climbed to No. 3 after a 31-24 win over Miami, garnered five.

The shift at the top of the rankings marks a notable milestone for the Big 12 conference. It is the first time since 2015 that two teams from the conference have reached No. 2 or higher in the same season; BYU held the No. 2 spot in the Oct. 18 poll. Additionally, Utah’s current ranking matches its highest position since the final poll of the 2008 season.

Notre Dame’s rise to No. 3 carries historical context as well. The Fighting Irish hold the lowest ranking for a top-five team that has just defeated a No. 1 opponent since Auburn moved from No. 4 to No. 3 after beating Alabama in 2013. Meanwhile, Miami fell to No. 5 following its first loss of the season.

UCLA advanced to No. 4, marking its highest ranking since 2001 when the Bruins were ranked No. 4 following a 6-0 start. The current 9-0 record is the first time the program has achieved that mark since 1998. Indiana, which remained idle during the week, stayed at No. 6, making it the only team in the Top 25 to maintain its exact position from the previous poll.

Alabama and Texas both moved up two spots to No. 7 and No. 8, respectively, rewarded for road victories. The Crimson Tide defeated LSU, while the Longhorns won at Missouri. Alabama’s win also contributed to the SEC’s strong showing in the rankings, with eight ranked teams total, including Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi, South Carolina, and LSU.

Tennessee jumped from No. 16 to No. 9, achieving its highest ranking in two years after a 34-6 victory over top-10 opponent Kentucky. Texas Tech returned to the top 10 at No. 10 after outscoring West Virginia 53-48. The Big Ten conference was represented by six teams, including UCLA, Indiana, USC, Iowa, Oregon, and Ohio State.

Ohio State’s fall to No. 21 represents a sharp decline for the Buckeyes, who were ranked No. 2 just two weeks ago. After dropping to No. 11 following a loss at Southern California, the team fell further to No. 21 after a 41-28 home defeat to Oregon. The Buckeyes had not been ranked this low, excluding the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, since 2014.

Oregon’s victory propelled the Ducks into the poll at No. 18 for the first time in five weeks. This ranking followed a ranked home win over Northwestern and the significant upset at Ohio State. SMU also re-entered the rankings at No. 25 after being unranked following a loss at Syracuse, rebounding with a win over Virginia Tech.

Several teams exited the Top 25 this week. Missouri dropped out after its loss to Texas, leaving the Tigers with a 1-3 record against ranked opponents in their last three games. Florida also fell out of the poll after losing four of its last five games, despite starting the season 4-0.

Looking ahead, No. 2 Utah travels to face No. 22 Arizona, where the Utes have not won since 2021. No. 8 Texas visits No. 24 LSU, where a win would give the Longhorns a 5-0 record against Top 25 opponents this season. In the ACC, No. 11 Wake Forest plays at No. 25 SMU, with the Demon Deacons seeking to secure a spot in the conference championship game. Meanwhile, No. 15 USC faces No. 6 Indiana, continuing a difficult road record against ranked opponents under head coach Lincoln Riley.

The ACC is represented by three teams: Miami at No. 5, Wake Forest at No. 11, and SMU at No. 25. The Mountain West Conference has one representative in New Mexico at No. 23.

L.Johnson--ThChM