The latest AP Top 25 poll, released Sunday after Week 9, brought significant movement near the top of the college football rankings. Georgia jumped back to No. 2 following a 27-8 rout of rival Florida, while Ohio State fell out of the top 10 entirely after absorbing its second loss of the season.
The Bulldogs overwhelmed the Gators with a defense that forced four turnovers and returned one of them for a touchdown, a performance that could serve as a springboard as Georgia chases another national title. Florida, meanwhile, slid to No. 25 after picking up its third loss.
Voters showed little sympathy for Ohio State, which started freshman quarterback Luke Fahey against USC in sloppy conditions with star quarterback Julian Sayin sidelined by injury. The Buckeyes now sit outside the top 10 with several tricky games still ahead, and attention turns to how the College Football Playoff committee will judge them when its rankings arrive Tuesday night. The situation echoes 2023, when undefeated Florida State was left out of the playoff field after Jordan Travis was lost for the season. USC climbed back into the poll at No. 18 with new life heading into the home stretch.
Utah benefited from Ohio State's tumble, rising to No. 3. That sets up this weekend's Holy War against No. 7 BYU as a top-10 matchup. Saturday night will also bring a top-four clash in South Bend, as No. 1 Miami visits No. 4 Notre Dame. The Hurricanes held the top spot after surviving a Halloween scare from North Carolina, while the Fighting Irish moved up on the strength of a dominant second half against Navy.
Georgia now faces a curious trend: the No. 2 team has lost in three consecutive weeks, with Notre Dame, BYU and Ohio State all falling from that spot. The last No. 2 team to win was Georgia itself on Oct. 10. To break the streak, the Bulldogs must win on the road at Ole Miss despite lingering questions about their passing game. That likely means either the defense bottling up Trinidad Chambliss in Oxford or quarterback Gunner Stockton delivering big throws.
The poll also produced a milestone. Following its win over San Jose, New Mexico is ranked in the AP Top 25 for the first time in program history. The Lobos are 7-1 and eyeing a path to the College Football Playoff as its Group of Six participant, another achievement for coach Jason Eck, who figures to be one of the hottest names on the coaching carousel this offseason. For now, New Mexico is focused on running the table in hopes of passing Boise State as the highest-ranked Group of Six team.
Among teams receiving votes outside the top 25, Northwestern led the group with 79 points, followed by Oregon with 55, UTSA with 43, SMU with 27, Virginia Tech with 12, Duke with 10, Minnesota with eight, Liberty with four, Oklahoma State with three and Louisville with one. The season now heads into Week 10 with several marquee matchups on deck.
