College Sports

AP Top 25 college football new poll: As Miami, Georgia fall, Big Ten teams dominate top

Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive back John Saunders Jr. (5) reacts after an interception during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive back John Saunders Jr. (5) reacts after an interception during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Imagn Images

Just after the College Football Playoff committee placed Georgia and Miami in prime positions for top seeds when the tournament begins next month, good old fashioned college football chaos struck Saturday.

Mississippi toppling Georgia, 26-10, and Georgia Tech’s stunning 28-23 win over Miami will change the playoff standings when they are released Tuesday.

But first, we got an idea about the national opinion of their resumes when the new Associated Press Top 25 poll saw Georgia (7-2, 5-2 SEC) fall nine spots to No. 11 while Miami (9-1, 5-1 ACC) plummeted eight spots to No. 12.

Who benefited from those upsets? The Big Ten.

While Oregon remained the unanimous No. 1 team for the second week in a row, Ohio State (8-1, 5-1) moved up a slot to No. 2 while Texas (8-1, 4-1 SEC) jumped two spots to No. 3, Penn State (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) also moved up two spots to No. 4 and Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) jumped four spots to No. 5.

Yes, that gives the Big Ten four of the top five teams in the poll.

The SEC takes control of the second half of the top 10, with No. 6 Tennessee (8-1, 5-1 SEC) joined by No. 9 Alabama (7-2, 4-2 SEC) and No. 10 Mississippi (8-2, 4-2 SEC).

Alabama was due to jump back into the top 10 after hammering LSU 42-13, on Saturday night. Alabama holds a head-to-head win over Georgia and Miami, though with one fewer loss, has compiled that record without facing a ranked team. So it was logical for Alabama to jump both teams.

No. 21 LSU (6-3, 3-2 SEC), after such a humiliating defeat at home, fell seven spots but stayed in the poll.

In other poll happenings this week, Iowa State (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) departed the poll losing 45-36 to Kansas (3-6, 2-4 Big 12). That’s two losses in a row for the Cyclones and Saturday’s loss was a dud.

No. 23 Pittsburgh also suffered its second loss in a row and fell out of the poll. The Panthers (7-2, 3-2 ACC) fell, 24-19, at home to Virginia (5-4, 3-3 ACC).

The ACC now has no top-10 teams and just four teams in the poll: No. 12 Miami, No. 14 SMU (8-1, 5-0 ACC), No. 17 Clemson (7-2, 6-1 ACC) and No. 22 Louisville (6-3, 4-2 ACC).

South Carolina won 28-7 at Vanderbilt (6-4, 3-3 SEC) and the Gamecocks (6-3, 4-3 SEC) moved into the poll at No. 23 while Vanderbilt disappeared from the rankings.

After just missing the top 25 last week, Missouri (7-2, 3-2 SEC) moved back in at No. 24 after winning, 30-23, over Oklahoma.

Tulane (8-2, 6-0 American) took the last open spot at No. 25.

This week’s AP Top 25 poll

RankTeam
1Oregon
2Ohio State
3Texas
4Penn State
5Indiana
6Tennessee
7BYU
8Notre Dame
9Alabama
10Mississippi
11Georgia
12Miami
13Boise State
14

SMU

15Texas A&M
16Army
17Clemson
18Colorado
19Washington State
20Kansas State
21

LSU

22Louisville
23South Carolina
24Missouri
25Tulane

This story was originally published November 10, 2024 at 10:23 AM with the headline "AP Top 25 college football new poll: As Miami, Georgia fall, Big Ten teams dominate top."

Steve Wiseman
The News & Observer
Steve Wiseman was named Raleigh News & Observer and Durham Herald-Sun sports editor in May 2025. He covered Duke athletics, beginning in 2010, prior to his current assignment. In the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest, he placed in the top 10 in beat writing in 2019, 2021 and 2022, breaking news in 2019, event coverage in 2025 and explanatory writing in 2018. Before coming to Durham in 2010, Steve worked for The State (Columbia, SC), Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.), The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.), Charlotte Observer and Hickory (NC) Daily Record covering beats including the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, University of South Carolina athletics and the S.C. General Assembly. He’s won numerous state-level press association awards. Steve graduated from Illinois State University in 1989. 
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