AP Top 25 poll: Texas jumps to No. 1 after wild win vs. Ohio State in Week 3 college football rankings CBS Sports Texas rises to No. 1 in AP Top 25; Ohio State, Oregon tumble ESPN Texas takes No. 1 in the AP Top 25, Oreg...
By Nexvoro Tech Wire
PUBLISHED SUN, SEP 13, 2026 9:42 PM UTC • 6 MIN READ
Primary Journalistic Dispatch & Direct Reporting
After an all-time comeback, Texas is your new top-ranked team in the country.
The Longhorns are No. 1 in Associated Press Top 25 rankings following a thrilling 24-23 win over then-No. 1 Ohio State on Saturday night. Texas scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to stun the Buckeyes who became the first No. 1 team since 1988 to blow a 20-point lead. It is the earliest Texas is ranked No. 1 in a regular season poll since 1965.
Ohio State (1-1) dropped to No. 6 in the new Top 25 rankings. Behind Texas, the rest of the top five are No. 2 Georgia, No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 4 Indiana and No. 5 Miami. All received at least one first-place vote as did No. 7 LSU. Interestingly, Miami received more first-place votes than any team other than Texas even though it sits at No. 5 in the rankings.
In-Depth Developments & Factual Context
The Buckeyes weren't the only Big Ten team to take a big tumble in the polls. Oregon dropped from No. 6 to No. 21 after a shocking road loss to Oklahoma State . The Ducks started the season ranked No. 2 in the country before its precipitous fall.
All eyes will be on Oxford next weekend as No. 7 LSU travels to No. 8 Ole Miss in Lane Kiffin's hotly anticipated return to his former home.
Also receiving votes : Washington 172, Florida 83, Boise State 57, Oklahoma State 36, Western Michigan 35, Tulsa 18, Mississippi State 17, South Carolina 15, Virginia Tech 11, UCLA 9, James Madison 6, Arizona 5, North Dakota State 3, Pittsburgh 1, Kansas State 1
Industry Impact & Strategic Analysis
Not only does the SEC have the new No. 1 team in the country, it has taken over the top 10. The SEC has a whopping six teams in this week's top 10. It is well deserved so far with how the league has fared, starting with a 16-0 Week 1 record and non-conference wins over Ohio State, Arizona State , Georgia Tech , Minnesota and Kansas in Week 2. The only disappointments for the conference were Oklahoma's loss to Michigan and Utah throttling Arkansas , 43-10.
The SEC will inevitably beat itself up as conference play begins -- the loser of LSU-Ole Miss is likely to drop out of the top 10 -- but it is the kind of strong early start the SEC needs ahead of the debut of a 9-game conference slate. The path to matching last season's five College Football Playoff teams is very much still there.
The SEC leads the way with nine total top 25 teams, edging out the Big Ten's seven and the ACC's four.
Forward Outlook & Market Perspective
No. 7 LSU at No. 8 Ole Miss isn't the only big game being played next weekend, even if it might feel that way in the South. There are two non-SEC games that could have a significant impact on conference and playoff races.
On Friday night, No. 22 Houston travels to Lubbock to take on No. 13 Texas Tech. Houston looked dominant against the vastly overmatched Southern, 77-6, while Texas Tech struggled to put away Oregon State . The Red Raiders easily won this game a year ago (35-11) but this one should be closer. Texas Tech was the popular pick to win the Big 12, but the Cougars could put themselves into the driver's seat with a win.
No. 16 SMU at No. 23 Louisville on Saturday afternoon could be crucial for the ACC's efforts to get multiple teams into the playoff. No. 5 Miami looks like a good bet right. now, but the second option could emerge out of this game. SMU survived a wild game at Florida State while Louisville lost a close one against Ole Miss. A second loss for the Cardinals before the month of September ends would be damaging.
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Reporting synthesized and verified under Nexvoro.tech editorial guidelines. Full primary records referenced via Google News US Sports.
Reporting synthesized under Nexvoro.tech Editorial Standards • Referenced via Google News US Sports
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