Will There Be a New No. 1 Team in the College Football Rankings After This Week?

In a season full of drama at the top of the college football rankings, it looks like we’re about to see some more when AP top 25 pollsters cast their ballots this weekend.

It’s not often the No. 1 team in the country goes down, but after what transpired at the Cotton Bowl in one of college football’s great rivalry games, we should see a new name at the top of the polls on Sunday.

No. 1 Texas Goes Down

Will There Be a New No. 1 Team in the College Football Rankings After This Week? — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At first, it looked like what most expected: a stagnant Oklahoma offense and an inspired Texas attack led by Arch Manning. And at first, that’s what happened.

But the Sooners overcame an early deficit and capitalized on two critical takeaways on defense, picking off Manning and taking it to the house, and then setting up the game-winning field goal with no time remaining after intercepting him again late.

The defeat drops Texas to 4-1 and finally removes the Longhorns from the ranks of the undefeated. For a team that had held the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 for a couple weeks, the loss represents a significant setback in both the rankings picture and the College Football Playoff conversation.

Voters will almost certainly move Texas down a couple spots when the new poll is released Sunday.

How Alabama and Georgia Can Capitalize

Attention now shifts to Saturday night’s prime-time clash in Tuscaloosa between undefeated Georgia and undefeated Alabama.

Both teams enter the weekend near the top of the rankings – Georgia at No. 2 and Alabama at No. 6 – and have looked like complete, championship-caliber squads. Now it looks like whoever wins that game will have the path to the No. 1 ranking.

For the Bulldogs, the logic is only too clear. They would easily move up one spot to No. 1 by beating the Crimson Tide. For Bama, they would have a solid argument for voters to consider that they have the best win the country.

Georgia has been praised for its balance and depth, while Alabama has shown explosive offense and improved defensive play. Either side emerging with a signature win would present a clearer path to the top of the polls than a one-loss Texas team.

The Bigger AP Rankings Picture

Other undefeated or one-loss contenders will also factor into the conversation, but the combination of Texas’ defeat and the high-stakes SEC matchup makes a change at No. 1 highly a certainty.

The AP and Coaches polls have historically rewarded teams that win their biggest games, especially when the previous top team falls. A winning performance by either Georgia or Alabama should be enough to seize the top spot.

What Comes Next?

Texas will look to rebound quickly and rebuild its résumé, but the path to a national title becomes a little more complicated with a loss to an unranked team already on the books.

Meanwhile, the winner in Tuscaloosa gains immediate national momentum and a firmer hold on the top of the rankings. By the time the new polls are released, college football will have a new No. 1 team.

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