SEC sets AP poll record despite Florida’s disastrous Week 2 loss

SEC dominates with record AP Top 25 rankings.

After Week 2, the SEC set a record with 11 teams ranked in the AP Top 25. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

South Florida stunned Florida in Gainesville on Saturday night, delivering one of the weekend’s biggest upsets and shaking up the Associated Press Top 25. With an 18-16 walk-off field goal win, the Bulls knocked the Gators out of the poll and vaulted into the rankings for the first time since 2018.

Their arrival at No. 18 coincided with an SEC milestone. The league set a new record with 11 ranked teams, more than any conference in AP poll history. Auburn and Missouri joined the poll to push the league past its previous benchmark of 10, underscoring the SEC’s depth even as one of its top-15 programs faltered.

Meanwhile, Ohio State held firm at No. 1 with 57 first-place votes after throttling Grambling 70-0. Penn State remained at No. 2 with five first-place votes, followed by LSU at No. 3 and Oregon, which climbed two spots to No. 4 after its win over Oklahoma State. Miami rounded out the top five, while Georgia slipped two spots to No. 6.

South Florida Ends Drought With Upset At The Swamp

The Bulls’ win over Florida ended a seven-year wait to return to the Top 25. Coach Alex Golesh, now in his third season, has turned a program that endured four consecutive losing campaigns into an early-season storyline.

South Florida had dropped 19 straight games to ranked opponents entering this season, but the team flipped that trend in back-to-back weeks.

South Florida Bulls coach Alex Golesh has his team off to a 2-0 start after taking down the Florida Gators in Week 2. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

After a decisive victory over then-No. 25 Boise State in Week 1, the Bulls followed with a shocking road win against Florida, capped by a clutch field goal.

The program’s rise is a revival for fans who remember USF’s 2007 surge to No. 2 in the rankings. Saturday’s victory marked the Bulls’ first road win over a ranked team since beating Notre Dame in 2011. With Miami on deck this week, USF has a chance to string together one of the most remarkable three-week stretches in recent college football memory.

SEC Depth On Display With 11 Ranked Teams

Florida’s tumble out of the rankings was the lone blemish for the SEC in Week 2. Auburn entered at No. 24 after wins over Baylor and Ball State, while Missouri secured the final spot at No. 25 after defeating Kansas. Combined with three top-10 teams and perennial contenders like Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, the league now accounts for nearly half the Top 25.

The achievement comes as the SEC begins life as a 16-team conference, making the numbers slightly less daunting. Still, surpassing the previous record reinforces the league’s claim as the deepest in the nation. Eleven of its programs are ranked, leaving only Florida, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas on the outside looking in.

Missouri Tigers linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez celebrated his team's Week 2 win over rival Kansas. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

With Oklahoma beating Michigan in the week’s marquee ranked matchup and Tennessee setting up a clash with Georgia, the SEC’s grip on the poll reflects more than reputation. It is the product of quality wins, scheduling ambition, and early-season stability. As conference play begins, the SEC’s crowded Top 25 presence sets the stage for a season defined by heavyweight showdowns.

The balance of power is clear. The SEC has established an unprecedented foothold in the rankings, and South Florida’s rise provides another layer of unpredictability to a season just two weeks old.

AP Top 25 after Week 2

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