AP Top 25 Poll Reaction After Historically Chaotic College Football Saturday

The amount of top-ranked AP Top 25 Poll teams that lost on Saturday was historic.

Oct 17, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts during the first half against the Brigham Young Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Saturday, Oct. 18, marked a historic day in which five teams ranked inside the top seven of the AP Top 25 Poll lost their respective matchups. Losses from then-ranked No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 5 Indiana, No. 6 Alabama, and No. 7 Texas shifted the landscape of college football as well as potential at-large bids for the postseason.

After beating then-No. 2 Notre Dame, the BYU Cougars jumped up from No. 8 in the AP Poll to replace the Fighting Irish at the No. 2 ranking. With the loss to Georgia, No. 1 Miami is now atop the poll.

Oct 17, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) passes against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Notre Dame's loss came with some controversy, though, as one second remained on the clock after what appeared to be the final play of the game with the Fighting Irish in striking distance. As a result, Notre Dame now sits at No. 4 in the AP Poll.

Then-No. 1 Georgia and then-No. 5 Indiana didn't move much, staying inside the top 10, but their losses led to some shuffling. The Hoosiers only dropped one spot to No. 6 after losing to Ohio State while Georgia rounds out the top five. The addition of the Cougars into the top five has knocked everyone else down.

Texas and Alabama could have fallen out of the top 15 for losing on Saturday, but the depth of the SEC keeps the Longhorns and the Crimson Tide closer to the top of the rankings than expected. On the other hand, Tennessee sits at No. 11 now while Florida re-enters the rankings at No. 20.

The Oregon Ducks remain unranked, receiving the 27th-most votes for a second consecutive week.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning, left, embraces Oregon Ducks quarterback Dylan Raiola after the Ducks win as the Oregon Ducks host the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Oct. 17, 2026, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

AP Top 25 Poll Week 7

1. Miami
2. BYU
3. Ohio State
4. Notre Dame
5. Georgia
6. Indiana
7. Ole Miss
8. Texas Tech
9. UCLA
10. Utah
11. Tennessee
12. Kentucky
13. Alabama
14. Houston
15. Iowa
16. USC
17. Wake Forest
18. LSU
19. Texas
20. Florida
21. Boise State
22. Missouri
23. SMU
24. Northwestern
25. Arizona

Should Oregon Ducks Be Ranked?

The Ducks did receive the 27th-most votes in the week 6 AP Poll, placing coach Dan Lanning and company two positions out of the rankings. A win over Nebraska should be enough to propel the Ducks back into the top 25, but there was not be much room to climb, even despite the chaos of Saturday. With two early season losses, Oregon has fell considerably after starting the year at No. 2 in the country.

Then-No. 18 Oklahoma State lost to then-No. 20 Houston, and the Cowboys are the first team out of the rankings at No. 26, one spot ahead of Oregon.

Lanning and company do have more opportunities to make their case as the season goes on, including ranked opponents like No. 24 Northwestern and Ohio State on the schedule.

Oct 10, 2026; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Georgia head coach Kirby Smart comes onto the field to check on an injured player at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

AP Top 25 Poll Prediction

1. Ohio State
2. Miami
3. Georgia
4. Indiana
5. Ole Miss
6. BYU
7. Tennessee
8. Notre Dame
9. Texas Tech
10. Utah
11. UCLA
12. Alabama
13. Texas
14. Kentucky
15. Iowa
16. Houston
17. USC
18. LSU
19. Wake Forest
20. Missouri
21. Boise State
22. Oklahoma State
23. SMU
24. Northwestern
25. Florida

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