Texas Takes No. 1 as AP Top 25 Gets Major Shakeup

Texas has taken over the top spot in the Associated Press Top 25 following one of the most dramatic weekends of the young 2026 college football season. The Longhorns moved from No. 4 to No. 1 after rallying from a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat previously top-ranked Ohio State 24-23. Texas received 56 first-place votes and holds the No. 1 regular-season ranking for the first time since October 2024. According to AP, the comeback was the largest fourth-quarter rally ever in a victory over an AP No. 1 team.

Other Games

Georgia remained No. 2 and Notre Dame stayed at No. 3, while defending national champion Indiana climbed to No. 4 and Miami moved to No. 5. Ohio State’s loss sent the Buckeyes down five places to No. 6, their lowest position in two seasons. Oregon experienced an even more dramatic fall. The Ducks dropped 15 positions to No. 21 after a stunning 39-31 loss at Oklahoma State. Oregon allowed 554 yards against a Cowboys program that entered the matchup having lost 21 consecutive games against FBS opponents. Michigan returned to the rankings at No. 19 following a 17-10 victory over Oklahoma. The Sooners dropped from No. 11 to No. 24. The SEC now accounts for nine of the 25 ranked teams and six of the top 10, tying a conference record.

AP Top 25

The latest rankings are:

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

The next weekend will offer another chance for movement. No. 7 LSU travels to No. 8 Ole Miss in the first top-10 matchup between the programs since 1962. No. 13 Texas Tech also hosts No. 22 Houston, while No. 16 SMU travels to No. 23 Louisville.

National Championship Betting Odds

Interestingly, the No. 1 team isn’t necessarily the betting favorite. Ohio State remains near the top of national championship futures betting despite its loss at Texas. DraftKings and Caesars Sportsbook also differ on several contenders, making an average of the two books useful for comparing the market.

A look at the Odds

Using the DraftKings and Caesars prices available in the latest sportsbook comparison, the approximate average odds for the top 10 betting choices are:

• Ohio State: +550 — DraftKings +550; Caesars +550
• Texas: +650 — DraftKings +650; Caesars +650
• Notre Dame: about +630 — DraftKings +610; Caesars +650
• Georgia: about +700 — DraftKings +720; Caesars +675
• Miami: +850 — DraftKings +900; Caesars +800
• Indiana: about +890 — DraftKings +950; Caesars +825
• LSU: +1050 — DraftKings +1100; Caesars +1000
• Oregon: about +1375 — DraftKings +950; Caesars +1800
• Texas A&M: +2500 — DraftKings +2500; Caesars +2500
• Texas Tech: +2350 — DraftKings +2200; Caesars +2500

Oregon shows why shopping futures prices can matter: the gap between DraftKings and Caesars is especially large following the Ducks’ upset loss. The prices are also moving quickly; more recent reporting has Ohio State around +500 to +510 at some books and Oregon around +1800 after Week 2.