The new AP Top 25 poll, released on Sunday, November 1, delivered the latest shakeup in a wild college football season, with Miami staying No. 1, USC returning to the rankings, and Ohio State tumbling.
The AP Top 25 Week 10 poll reflects Saturday’s results, and the movers tell the story of Halloween weekend. Miami remains No. 1 after surviving North Carolina, Georgia moves up to No. 2, and Utah climbs into the top five.
USC’s return, Ohio State’s fall
USC catapulted back into the Top 25 at No. 18 after being unranked, following its 30-18 upset of Ohio State. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, fell to 11th, according to Bleacher Report, after their second loss of the season.
It was the fourth straight week, according to ClutchPoints, in which an AP Top 2 team fell, a run of upsets that has made this one of the most unpredictable seasons in recent memory. Just two teams remained static in some power rankings this week, such was the churn.
Utah and UCLA: the unbeaten surprise
Utah is a top-five team for the first time since 2019 after coasting past Cincinnati 49-25, while UCLA, the last of the three unbeaten FBS teams, claimed a top-five ranking for the first time since 2001 after shutting out Nevada 27-0.
Notre Dame sits at No. 4 in the new poll, Indiana fell out of the top five despite winning in overtime, and Alabama and Texas both sit inside the top 10. The bottom of the poll looks very different too, with Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, SMU and Northwestern all losing on Saturday, opening spots for Iowa, Syracuse and USC.
What the poll means
Polls do not decide the playoff, but they shape the conversation. Miami at No. 1, Georgia at No. 2 and Utah at No. 3 are now the teams to beat, and next week’s Miami at Notre Dame and BYU at Utah games could shake the rankings again.
For Ohio State, the message is clear: win out, and the playoff remains possible. For USC, the message is simpler: the Trojans are back, and Saturday proved it.
