Utah football among biggest risers in latest Associated Press Top 25 poll

Utes move up seven spots in latest media poll

The Utah Utes celebrate a win over the Cincinnati Bearcats after the game at Rice-Eccles Stadium. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

A dominant victory over one of the hottest teams in the country helped Utah ascend into the top 20 of the Associated Press poll.

With some help from a wild weekend of upsets, the Utes (7-2, 4-2 Big 12) parlayed their 31-point win over Cincinnati into the No. 17 spot in the latest media poll that was released Sunday.

The second-best ranking for Kyle Whittingham and company this season was made possible following Utah's seventh win this season of 25 or more points, as the Utes crushed the Bearcats in all three phases of the game to come away with a 45-14 victory from Rice-Eccles Stadium.

Defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley dialed up another effective game plan, holding the Big 12's No. 3 scoring offense to a season-low in points while making life difficult for Brendan Sorsby and company. The Bearcats' redshirt junior quarterback threw his first interception since Week 1, coughed up two fumbles and was limited to a season-low 33.3% completion percentage.

The Utes' offense, meanwhile, controlled the clock with over 40 minutes of possession behind a strong run game. Wayshawn Parker crossed the 100-yard threshold for a second straight week as Utah tallied 267 yards on the ground.

Mana Carvalho delivered the knockout punch with a 75-yard punt return for a score, putting Utah up by 24 points after it appeared Cincinnati was gaining momentum.

Nov 1, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes wide receiver Mana Carvalho (28) returns a punt during the first quarter of the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Rice-Eccles Stadium. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

"I would say that we're playing very well, and we've got a lot of good players," Whittingham said after the game. "We had the two disappointing losses, but guys responded, bounced back and didn't miss a beat. So yeah, lot of good things going on, just got to keep things rolling."

Utah's seven-spot climb was tied with No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 13 Texas for the biggest leap from last week's poll.

Six teams ranked in the top 18 of last week's poll suffered losses, including three top 10 squads in No. 8 Georgia Tech, No. 9 Vanderbilt and No. 10 Miami. The Yellow Jackets checked in right in front of the Utes in the latest poll, while the Hurricanes weren't far behind at No. 18.

Down the board, Houston got dropped by a West Virginia squad that entered Week 10 on a five-game losing streak. The Mountaineers got back on with a 45-35 win over the previously-ranked No. 22 Cougars, giving West Virginia its first win over a ranked opponent since 2018.

Houston's surprising loss trimmed the Big 12's representation in the media poll to four teams, led by No. 8 BYU and No. 9 Texas Tech in the top 10. Cincinnati fell to No. 25 after suffering its first setback since Week 1.

The upper-echelon of the top 25 remained unscathed over the weekend with Ohio State claiming a majority of the votes to remain atop the poll following its 38-14 victory over Penn State.

Indiana and Texas A&M also received first-place votes and were followed by Alabama and Georgia in the top five.

AP Top 25 poll (post-Week 10)

1. Ohio State (8-0, 5-0 Big Ten) [54 first-place votes]
2. Indiana (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) [11]
3. Texas A&M (8-0, 5-0 SEC) [1]
4. Alabama (7-1, 5-0 SEC)
5. Georgia (7-1, 5-1 SEC)
6. Oregon (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten)
7. Ole Miss (8-1, 5-1 SEC)
8. BYU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12)
9. Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1 Big 12)
10. Notre Dame (6-2)
11. Oklahoma (7-2, 3-2 SEC)
12. Virginia (8-1, 5-0 ACC)
13. Texas (7-2, 4-1 SEC)
14. Louisville (7-1, 4-1 ACC)
15. Vanderbilt (7-2, 3-2 SEC)
16. Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1 ACC)
17. Utah (7-2, 4-2 Big 12)
18. Miami (6-2, 2-2 ACC)
19. Missouri (6-2, 2-2 SEC)
20. USC (6-2, 4-1 Big Ten)
21. Michigan (7-2, 5-1 Big Ten)
22. Memphis (8-1, 4-1 AAC)
23. Tennessee (6-3, 3-3 SEC)
24. Washington (6-2, 3-2 Big Ten)
25. Cincinnati (7-2, 5-1 Big 12)

Dropped out

No. 22 Houston

New to the poll

No. 24 Washington

Biggest riser

Three teams moved up seven spots — No. 11 Oklahoma, No. 13 Texas and No. 17 Utah

Others receiving votes

Iowa 71, James Madison 53, Pitt 35, San Diego State 30, North Texas 27, South Florida 23, SMU 7, Houston 6, Illinois 4, LSU 4, Arizona St. 4.