AP Top 25 Poll Prediction After USC, Alabama Escape Upsets

The No. 12 USC Trojans survived a brief upset scare against Rutgers on the road as quarterback Jayden Maiava and the offense ultimately led the team to a 42-35 win over the Scarlet Knights on Saturday. A win is a win, and USC now has four of them heading into a pivotal home game against No. 21 Oregon to begin Big Ten conference play.

How will AP voters treat USC in the latest AP Top 25 Poll, though? No. 7 LSU lost to No. 8 Ole Miss while No. 9 Texas A&M was upset by an unranked Kentucky team, potentially opening two spaces inside the top 10. Will the Trojans enter the top 10 before Big Ten play?

ap top 25 poll prediction lane kiffin lsu tigers ole miss rebels usc trojans lincoln riley rutgers oregon ducks dan lanning — Sep 19, 2026; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

How far both LSU and Texas A&M remains to be seen, but Ole Miss can expect to climb up after the resume-boosting victory. No. 13 Texas Tech struggled to put away No. 22 Houston and No. 16 lost to No. 23 Louisville as the chaos of college football has begun. No. 10 Alabama had a close call at home against Florida State before pulling away in the second half, No. 24 Oklahoma nearly fell to New Mexico at home, and West Virginia beat No. 25 Virginia.

As a result, Sunday's latest release of the AP Top 25 Poll is sure to see more shuffling than before. Which teams will be the biggest risers and fallers?

AP Top 25 Poll Prediction

1. Texas
2. Georgia
3. Ohio State
4. Notre Dame
5. Ole Miss
6. Indiana
7. Miami
8. Alabama
9. BYU
10. USC
11. LSU
12. Texas Tech
13. Penn State
14. Tennessee
15. Utah
16. Iowa
17. Louisville
18. Michigan
19. Missouri
20. Oregon
21. Texas A&M
22. Oklahoma
23. SMU
24. Virginia
25. Florida

This article will be updated when the AP Poll is released on Sunday.

AP Top 25 Poll Implications

Conference play has already started for some teams, but the schedule only continues to ramp up in week 4.

No. 12 USC hosts No. 21 Oregon in a key Big Ten matchup, and No. 18 Iowa travels to No. 19 Michigan in week 4 in another ranked conference game. Can the Wolverines stay undefeated and continue climbing up the AP Poll, or will the Hawkeyes stamp themselves as one of the top teams in the Big Ten?

As for USC vs. Oregon, the old Pac-12 rivalry could answer a lot of questions about both teams. The Trojans defense struggled to keep Rutgers off the field as the Scarlet Knights finished 6/11 on third down, 3/4 on fourth down, and gained 460 total yards on the day. The Ducks, on the other hand, already have a loss to unranked Oklahoma State with questions on both sides of the ball after losing both coordinators.

Can the Trojans defense disrupt Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, and can USC have success running the ball and protecting quarterback Jayden Maiava?

In the SEC, Texas A&M and LSU are set to square off, a contest that has lost some luster after both teams lost in week 3. However, now both the Aggies and the Tigers will be fighting to keep their seasons alive and stay in postseason contention with only one loss.

Staying in the SEC, No. 2 Georgia vs. Oklahoma and No. 1 Texas vs. No. 15 Tennessee round out the ranked conference games in week 4 in what should be an entertaining slate.

Week 2 AP Top 25 Poll

Sep 19, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up before a game against the UTSA Roadrunners at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

1. Texas
2. Georgia
3. Notre Dame
4. Indiana
5. Miami
6. Ohio State
7. LSU
8. Ole Miss
9. Texas A&M
10. Alabama
11. BYU
12. USC
13. Texas Tech
14. Penn State
15. Tennessee
16. SMU
17. Utah
18. Iowa
19. Michigan
20. Missouri
21. Oregon
22. Houston
23. Louisville
24. Oklahoma
25. Virginia

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