Picture this: the college football world is in utter shock as two powerhouse teams, once perched at the very top of the preseason rankings, get booted out after stumbling against unranked foes. It's a seismic shift that's got fans buzzing and experts scratching their heads—could this be the start of an unpredictable season? But here's where it gets controversial: is the AP Top 25 poll truly reflecting the strength of these teams, or is it punishing early-season hiccups too harshly? Let's unpack this drama together, step by step, so even if you're new to the game, you'll feel right at home.
To set the scene for beginners, the AP Top 25 is a weekly ranking system compiled by the Associated Press, where sports writers and broadcasters vote on the best college football teams based on their performances, schedules, and overall resumes. It's like a popularity contest mixed with a performance review, and it started way back in 1950. This week, after Week 6 games, Texas and Penn State—those preseason heavyweights at No. 1 and No. 2—plummeted out of the poll entirely following losses to teams that weren't even ranked. That's right, both fell to unranked opponents, a rare occurrence that leaves the field wide open for others to shine.
Leading the charge now is Ohio State, holding steady at No. 1 with a commanding 40 first-place votes. They've got a perfect 5-0 record, and their dominance on the field is hard to ignore. Right behind them, Miami surged back to No. 2, earning 21 first-place votes after a thrilling victory over Florida State on Saturday night. The Hurricanes are also undefeated at 5-0, and their wins against tough competition like Notre Dame and Florida State are making waves. Oregon, who sat idle this week, slipped to No. 3, while the SEC powerhouses Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma fill out the next spots. Indiana climbed to No. 7 and Alabama to No. 8 after Alabama's win over Vanderbilt, showcasing how a single game can shake things up.
Rounding out the top 10 are Texas Tech at No. 9 and Georgia at No. 10. For Texas Tech fans, this is a sweet spot—they haven't been this high since 2008, when legendary coach Mike Leach led them to a No. 2 finish in a heated Big 12 battle against Texas and Oklahoma, ultimately ending at No. 12. It's arguably one of the program's greatest seasons, and now, with this ranking, they're tantalizingly close to that elusive top-10 finish they've chased for so long. And this is the part most people miss: starting the year as highly touted as Texas and Penn State did—Texas as the program's first-ever preseason No. 1, and Penn State right alongside—only to vanish from the rankings mid-season is extraordinarily uncommon.
Diving into the history for context, the AP poll has been around since 1950, though it was just a top 10 from 1961 to 1967, and 2020 was shortened due to the pandemic. Excluding those periods, research from the College Poll Archive shows only seven instances where a preseason No. 1 or No. 2 team has ever been unranked at any point in the season. The most recent was USC in 2012, who started as No. 1. In fact, USC and Notre Dame in 1950 are the only teams to drop out in years when the poll included at least 20 teams. And get this—never before have both the preseason No. 1 and No. 2 fallen out in the same season. Add in Clemson, who was preseason No. 4 and is now unranked, and you've got three of the top four teams from the start of the year sidelined by early October. It's a plot twist that challenges our assumptions about preseason hype versus real-time results.
Now, let's look at the full AP Top 25 after Week 6, with teams, records, and previous rankings for clarity:
- Ohio State (40 first-place votes) - 5-0 (Prev: 1)
- Miami (21) - 5-0 (Prev: 3)
- Oregon (5) - 5-0 (Prev: 2)
- Ole Miss - 5-0 (Prev: 4)
- Texas A&M - 5-0 (Prev: 6)
- Oklahoma - 5-0 (Prev: 5)
- Indiana - 5-0 (Prev: 8)
- Alabama - 4-1 (Prev: 10)
- Texas Tech - 5-0 (Prev: 11)
- Georgia - 4-1 (Prev: 12)
- LSU - 4-1 (Prev: 13)
- Tennessee - 4-1 (Prev: 15)
- Georgia Tech - 5-0 (Prev: 17)
- Missouri - 5-0 (Prev: 19)
- Michigan - 4-1 (Prev: 20)
- Notre Dame - 3-2 (Prev: 21)
- Illinois - 5-1 (Prev: 22)
- BYU - 5-0 (Prev: 23)
- Virginia - 5-1 (Prev: 24)
- Vanderbilt - 5-1 (Prev: 16)
- Arizona State - 4-1 (Prev: NR)
- Iowa State - 5-1 (Prev: 14)
- Memphis - 6-0 (Prev: NR)
- South Florida - 4-1 (Prev: NR)
- Florida State - 3-2 (Prev: 18)
Others receiving votes include Cincinnati (129), Texas (111), Penn State (97), Utah (84), Nebraska (60), USC (46), UNLV (19), North Texas (16), TCU (14), Washington (10), Mississippi State (10), Navy (4), Louisville (3), and Auburn (1). Teams also considered were Nebraska, Arizona State, Mississippi State, Utah, Duke, Louisville, and Washington.
As for my own voting process, it was straightforward at first: Ohio State at No. 1 and Miami at No. 2 felt like no-brainers after a quick review before bed. But after some sleep, doubts crept in. I try not to rely too heavily on indirect comparisons, but a matchup between two teams outside my current top 25 gave me pause. Ohio State's early win over Texas looked impressive initially, but Texas's recent loss to Florida dims that glow. When comparing resumes, Miami's victories over Notre Dame, USF, Florida, and Florida State stack up stronger than Ohio State's against Texas, Washington, and Minnesota. Yet, watching Ohio State dominate with their roster of standout players made it tough to swap them with Miami for the top spot. There's no nuance in first-place votes, but Ohio State versus Miami was a razor-close decision for me.
I also tweaked my rankings at No. 3 and 4. Oregon's top win is against Penn State, while Texas A&M's is over Notre Dame. That led me to bump the Aggies to No. 3 and drop the Ducks to No. 4. I could have pushed Oregon even lower, behind Oklahoma and Ole Miss, but seeing the Ducks perform live made me hesitate. Regarding Texas and Penn State, they were my preseason Nos. 1 and 2 too, but they're off my ballot this week. They might bounce back—yes, even Penn State after their loss to UCLA—but for now, they need to prove themselves again.
I'm relieved most voters agreed, as Texas and Penn State exited, and Memphis entered the Top 25 for the first time this season at No. 23. The Tigers, with a 6-0 record, are the first team bowl-eligible in the nation and finished last year at No. 24. Joining them is AAC rival USF at No. 24, boosted not just by their win over Charlotte but by their earlier victory against Florida.
Looking ahead to next week, the Red River Rivalry between Oklahoma (No. 6) and Texas is no longer a ranked affair, but three intriguing matchups remain:
No. 1 Ohio State at No. 17 Illinois: This marks the 10th time these teams meet while both are ranked. Ohio State is just 3-6 in the first nine, losing all four since 1964 (last in 2001). Illinois has beaten top-ranked Buckeyes twice: in 1950 as an eighth-ranked team and in 2007 as unranked, en route to the Rose Bowl.
No. 7 Indiana at No. 3 Oregon: It's still surreal seeing Indiana in big games, and this Big Ten clash is only the third between them, with Indiana winning the last in 2004 at Oregon thanks to seven turnovers by the Ducks.
No. 8 Alabama at No. 14 Missouri: Since Missouri joined the SEC, they've faced Alabama twice when both were ranked, and Alabama has won both, including a 76-13 combined margin last season.
These games could reshuffle the rankings yet again. But here's the controversial twist: do these early drops mean the preseason polls are overhyped, or is it just part of the sport's unpredictability? Some might argue that punishing teams for losses to unranked opponents ignores the bigger picture of talent and potential. What do you think—should Texas and Penn State be given more leeway, or is this a fair shake? Share your thoughts in the comments; I'd love to hear if you agree, disagree, or have a counterpoint to spark the debate!
