AP college football poll reaction: What's next for each Top 25 team

ByESPN staff ESPN logo
Sunday, October 29, 2023

The new AP Top 25 college football poll is out.

In Week 9, previously unbeaten Oklahoma took its first loss, while Georgia, Florida State, Ohio State and Washington all remained unblemished. Oregon went on the road to Utah and dominated, while Michigan and Alabama both had the week off.

What does it mean for the new AP Top 25? Let's break down the rankings.

Stats courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information.

All times Eastern

No. 1Georgia Bulldogs

Previous ranking: 1

2023 record:8-0

Week 9 result:Defeated Florida 43-20

Stat to know:The 43 points from the Bulldogs were the most they have scored against the Gators since 1982, as Georgia won its 25th straight game.

What's next:Saturday vs. Missouri, 3:30 p.m., CBS

No. 2Michigan Wolverines

Previous ranking: 2

2023 record:8-0

Week 9 result:Idle

Stat to know:J.J. McCarthy is now the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. The last Michigan quarterback to be a finalist for the award? Current head coach Jim Harbaugh in 1986.

What's next:Saturday vs. Purdue

No. 3Ohio State Buckeyes

Previous ranking:3

2023 record:8-0

Week 9 result:Defeated Wisconsin 24-10

Stat to know:Marvin Harrison Jr. had six receptions for 123 yards and two touchdowns. He now has 25 receiving touchdowns, tied for fifth most in Ohio State history with Santonio Holmes.

What's next:Saturday at Rutgers

No. 4Florida State Seminoles

Previous ranking:4

2023 record:8-0

Week 9 result:Defeated Wake Forest 41-16

Stat to know:Florida State has held its past two opponents, Duke and Wake Forest, to a combined 14 pass completions. The last time it held two FBS opponents to fewer than 15 completions was 1998.

What's next:Saturday at Pitt

No. 5Washington Huskies

Previous ranking:5

2023 record:8-0

Week 9 result:Defeated Stanford 42-33

Stat to know:The Huskies are 8-0 for the first time since 2016, when they made their only College Football Playoff appearance.

What's next:Saturday at USC, 7:30 p.m., ABC

No. 6Oregon Ducks

Previous ranking: 8

2023 record: 7-1

Week 9 result: Defeated Utah 35-6

Stat to know: Bo Nix has had at least a 70% completion percentage and multiple passing touchdowns in nine straight games, passing Kellen Moore in 2010 for the longest streak by an FBS player in the past 20 seasons.

What's next: Saturday vs. California

No. 7Texas Longhorns

Previous ranking:7

2023 record:7-1

Week 9 result: Defeated BYU 35-6

Stat to know:The Longhorns are off to their best start since 2009, when they started the season 8-0.

What's next:Saturday vs. Kansas State

No. 8Alabama Crimson Tide

Previous ranking:9

2023 record: 7-1

Week 9 result: Idle

Stat to know:The Crimson Tide are 5-0 in SEC play for the 11th time in 17 seasons under Nick Saban, which is more than every other SEC school combined in that span.

What's next: Saturday vs. LSU, 7:30 p.m., CBS

No. 9Penn State Nittany Lions

Previous ranking:10

2023 record:7-1

Week 9 result: Defeated Indiana 33-24

Stat to know:Before throwing his first career interception in the fourth quarter, Drew Allar had thrown 19 career touchdown passes, the third most by an FBS quarterback in the past 25 years before his first pick.

What's next:Saturday at Maryland, 3:30 p.m., Fox

No. 10Oklahoma Sooners

Previous ranking: 6

2023 record: 7-1

Week 9 result: Lost to Kansas 38-33

Stat to know: Dillon Gabriel became the first Oklahoma quarterback to rush for three touchdowns in a game since Jalen Hurts.

What's next: Saturday at Oklahoma State

No. 11Ole Miss Rebels

Previous ranking:12

2023 record:7-1

Week 9 result:Defeated Vanderbilt 33-7

Stat to know:Ole Miss is 7-1 in consecutive seasons for the first time since it did so seven years in a row from 1957 to 1963.

What's next:Saturday vs. Texas A&M, Noon, ESPN

No. 12Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Previous ranking:14

2023 record:7-2

Week 9 result:Defeated Pitt 58-7

Stat to know:Notre Dame's 58 points are its most against a Power 5 opponent in the past 20 years. And the Irish have now scored 40 or more points six times this season, tied for its most ever.

What's next:Saturday at Clemson

No. 13LSU Tigers

Previous ranking: 15

2023 record:6-2

Week 9 result: Idle

Stat to know:Quarterback Jayden Daniels has accounted for three or more touchdowns in seven straight games, which is tied with Joe Burrow in 2019 for the longest streak by a LSU player in the past 20 seasons.

What's next: Saturday at Alabama, 7:30 p.m., CBS

No. 14Missouri Tigers

Previous ranking:16

2023 record: 7-1

Week 9 result: Idle

Stat to know:Luther Burden III had 90 receiving yards and a touchdown in the Tigers' win over South Carolina last week. He has only had fewer than 90 receiving yards in one game this season.

What's next: Saturday at Georgia, 3:30 p.m., CBS

No. 15Louisville Cardinals

Previous ranking: 18

2023 record: 7-1

Week 9 result: Defeated Duke 23-0

Stat to know: This is the first time the Cardinals have had consecutive wins against ranked opponents in a single season since 2006.

What's next: Saturday vs. Virginia Tech, 3:30 p.m., ACC Network

No. 16Oregon State Beavers

Previous ranking: 11

2023 record: 6-2

Week 9 result: Lost to Arizona 27-24

Stat to know: Oregon State's loss snaps a six-game win streak as ranked team against unranked opponents.

What's next: Saturday at Colorado, 10 p.m., ESPN

No. 17Air Force Falcons

Previous ranking:19

2023 record:8-0

Week 9 result: Defeated Colorado State 30-13

Stat to know:The Falcons are 8-0 for the first time since 1985 and earned their 13th straight win dating back to last year, the fourth longest active FBS winning streak.

What's next:Saturday vs. Army, 2:30 p.m., CBSSN

No. 18Utah Utes

Previous ranking: 13

2023 record: 6-2

Week 9 result: Lost to Oregon 35-6

Stat to know: This was the Utes' third-worst conference loss since joining the Pac-12 in 2011 and snapped an 18-game home winning streak.

What's next: Saturday vs. Arizona State, 2 p.m., Pac-12 Network

No. 19Tennessee Volunteers

Previous ranking:21

2023 record:6-2

Week 9 result:Defeated Kentucky 33-27

Stat to know:The Vols earned their first true road win of the season and 36th victory over Kentucky in their past 39 meetings.

What's next:Saturday vs. UConn, Noon, SEC Network

No. 20UCLA Bruins

Previous ranking: 23

2023 record: 6-2

Week 9 result: Defeated Colorado 28-16

Stat to know: The Bruins pressured Shedeur Sanders on 26 of his 56 dropbacks, the sixth-most pressures any team has recorded in a game this year.

What's next: Saturday at Arizona

No. 21Tulane Green Wave

Previous ranking: 22

2023 record:7-1

Week 9 result: Defeated Rice 30-28

Stat to know:Tulane's six-game winning streak is its longest within a single season since going 12-0 in 1998. season.

What's next:Saturday at East Carolina, 3:30 p.m.

No. 22Kansas Jayhawks

Previous ranking: NR

2023 record: 6-2

Week 9 result: Defeated Oklahoma 38-33

Stat to know: With the upset of the Sooners, the Jayhawks earned their first home win against an AP top-10 team since 1984.

What's next: Saturday at Iowa State

No. 23James Madison Dukes

Previous ranking:25

2023 record:8-0

Week 9 result:Defeated Old Dominion 30-27

Stat to know:The Dukes are the second Sun Belt team to start a year 8-0 (joining 2020 Coastal Carolina) and have won 11 in a row overall, dating back to last year.

What's next:Saturday at Georgia State, 3:30 p.m.

No. 24USC Trojans

Previous ranking: 24

2023 record: 7-2

Week 9 result: Defeated Cal 50-49

Stat to know: The Trojans are only the second Pac-12 team to allow 40 or more points in four different regular-season games while ranked in the AP Poll, joining 2005 UCLA.

What's next: Saturday vs. Washington, 7:30 p.m., ABC

No. 25Kansas State Wildcats

Previous ranking: NR

2023 record: 6-2

Week 9 result: Defeated Houston 41-0

Stat to know: The Wildcats earned their 15th 40-point shutout win as a Big 12 team, the most in conference history. It also tied for their fourth-largest win against a Big 12 team in the past 20 years.

What's next: Saturday at Texas

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