Oregon has claimed the No. 1 position in the latest college football rankings, becoming the fourth team this season to achieve this honor. This is the first time in 12 years that Oregon has held the top spot, following Texas’s defeat at home against Georgia.
Vandy made its comeback to the rankings, debuting at No. 25 for the first time since the 2013 season, while defending champion Michigan fell out of the rankings after suffering its second consecutive loss, bringing its record to 4-3.
The unbeaten Oregon team secured its place at the top after narrowly beating Ohio State by one point at home, and then achieving a remarkable 35-0 win over Purdue—marking its first road shutout in over three decades. They received 59 out of 61 first-place votes from the poll.
Georgia, having bounced back with three straight wins since its loss to Alabama, climbed three spots to No. 2 after defeating the previously top-ranked Texas by a score of 30-15. The Bulldogs were awarded the remaining two first-place votes.
Both Ohio State and Penn State remained in their positions at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, as they did not play on Saturday. Texas’s drop to No. 5 came after Georgia limited them to 28 points below their scoring average.
Meanwhile, Miami edged out Louisville and maintained its ranking at No. 6. Tennessee climbed four slots to No. 7 after their victory over Alabama. The top ten concluded with LSU, Clemson, and Iowa State.
Throughout this season, no team has been able to hold the No. 1 position for more than three consecutive weeks. Georgia was at the top during the preseason, but a close victory over unranked Kentucky in Week 3 led to their fall from grace. Texas then took over the top position for two weeks before Alabama claimed it after their win against Georgia, but Alabama was short-lived at No. 1 due to an upset against Vanderbilt. This allowed Texas to reclaim their position again for an additional two weeks.
Notably, Chip Kelly was the coach who guided Oregon during their previous journey to No. 1. The Ducks, led by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, spent one week at No. 1 in November 2012 before suffering a loss to Stanford. Their 2010 squad notably reached No. 1 for six weeks, ultimately falling to Auburn in the BCS championship game.
This is the first occurrence since 2012 that four different teams have held the top rank in a single season, with Oregon being included among them. Other seasons since 2000 that featured four or more teams ranked No. 1 included 2007, 2008, and 2010.
Tennessee’s victory against Alabama, ending with a score of 24-17, resulted in a significant upward shift for the Volunteers, moving from No. 11 to No. 7. Conversely, Alabama faced an eight-spot drop to No. 15, marking the lowest ranking for the Crimson Tide since 2010.
Texas’s loss to Georgia was historic as it represented the first time a No. 1 team lost at home to a top-five opponent since Miami defeated Florida State in 1991.
Vanderbilt’s inclusion in the rankings marks the first since finishing at No. 24 in the last poll of the 2013 season. The Commodores, with a record of 5-2 after their triumph over Ball State, are experiencing their strongest start since a 5-0 record in 2008—when they were last ranked during the regular season.
Michigan, following a lackluster performance resulting in a 21-7 loss to Illinois, has now seen its ranking disappear after being included in 54 consecutive polls since 2021.
In terms of conference representation, the SEC leads with nine teams in the rankings (Nos. 2, 5, 7, 8, 14, 15, 18, 21, and 25), followed by the Big Ten with five teams (Nos. 1, 3, 4, 13, and 20) and the ACC with four (Nos. 6, 9, 19, and 22). The Big 12 has three ranked teams (Nos. 10, 11, and 16), while the American and Mountain West Conferences have two and one, respectively, along with one independent team on the list at No. 12.
Upcoming ranked matchups include No. 20 Illinois facing No. 1 Oregon, a notable occasion since the Illini last played a top-ranked opponent in 2007. Texas will square off against No. 25 Vanderbilt in their first meeting since a series of encounters from 1899 to 1928. No. 8 LSU will play No. 14 Texas A&M, a rivalry that has produced competitive results lately, while No. 12 Notre Dame will compete against No. 24 Navy in a matchup that sees both teams ranked for just the 11th time in their 97 meetings—this being their first encounter since 2019. Lastly, No. 21 Missouri is set to challenge the struggling No. 15 Alabama, which has not experienced such difficulties since 2006.