AP Top 25 Poll Shuffles After Multiple Upsets, Narrow Escapes

The No. 18 USC Trojans avoided the upset against Washington on Saturday, and coach Lincoln Riley and company moved down slightly as a result.

Oct 3, 2026; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer arrives before the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The No. 19 USC Trojans were one of a few programs that survived upset scares over the weekend, and the start of conference play has already created some intriguing matchups with key results. With outside noise growing louder around USC coach Lincoln Riley, the Trojans fell in the AP Top 25 Poll upon its release on Sunday.

In the Big Ten, then-No. 14 Iowa fell to No. 5 Ohio State, shuffling the pecking order once again in the conference with teams like the Trojans and the Hawkeyes fighting for positioning behind the Buckeyes, No. 7 Indiana, and No. 13 Oregon.

Oct 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch shake hands after the game at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Minnesota beat Michigan at home as the rest of the conference sorts itself out, and USC survived a key test against Washington. Can the Trojans assert themselves towards the top of the Big Ten in upcoming games against Penn State and Wisconsin, a team that could join the AP Top 25 Poll sooner than later?

In the SEC, the biggest surprise of Saturday's games came in then-No. 25 Missouri's upset of then-No. 8 Florida. The Gators fell to No. 16 while Missouri moved up to No. 14 in Sunday's AP Poll. Meanwhile, No. 6 Alabama climbed ahead of Indiana after beating then-No. 16 Mississippi State on the road. The Bulldogs moved to No. 17 as a result.

AP Top 25 Poll Week 5 Results

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

Outside of Mississippi State and Florida dropping after losses, how did AP Poll voters few teams like USC that avoided upset bids? 

Then-No. 10 BYU beat TCU by one possession, and then-No. 12 Texas Tech struggled against Colorado in a game that felt closer than the final score indicated. However, BYU moved up to No. 8, and Texas Tech to No. 11.

Then-No. 21 SMU also struggled to put away Boston College at home, causing the Mustangs to drop to No. 24.

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day is pictured during a Big Ten college football game against the Iowa Hawkeyes Oct. 3, 2026 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

On the other hand, Ohio State did not budge after picking up a top-15 in on the road instead of moving ahead of a less-tested team like No. 3 Notre Dame. The rankings should shift the most at the early parts in the season as voters and fans alike learn more about each team as they face tougher opponents in more difficult environments as conference play carries on.

No. 6 Alabama was rewarded for its dismantling of Mississippi State on the road, but the Bulldogs remain ranked inside the top 20.

AP Top 25 Poll Projection

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

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