Miami ascended to No. 1 in The Associated Press Top 25 on October 17, the first time the program has held the top spot since 2002. BYU also saw a significant rise to No. 2, marking the Cougars' highest ranking since their 1984 national championship season.
The recent rankings reflect a week of significant volatility in college football, with five of the top seven teams suffering losses. This represents a first in the 90-year history of the AP poll. Miami moved to the top position from Georgia, which dropped after losing to Auburn at home. The Hurricanes reached the No. 1 spot after a double overtime victory against rival Florida State, which kept their undefeated record intact. Miami received 40 of the 70 first-place votes from the media voting panel.
BYU secured the No. 2 position after a 28-24 victory over Notre Dame in Provo, Utah, on October 17. Despite entering the game as a 10.5-point underdog, the Cougars improved to a 6-0 record for the third consecutive year. The team earned 20 first-place votes and finished 26 points ahead of No. 3 Ohio State. This ranking is the highest for the Cougars since 1996, when they were ranked No. 4.
The Top 25 saw widespread movement, with every single spot occupied by a new team. While Notre Dame, Georgia, and No. 6 Indiana remained in the top five following their respective losses, other teams saw significant shifts. Alabama dropped seven spots to No. 13 following a loss to Tennessee, and Texas fell 12 spots to No. 19 after a loss to Florida. Florida returned to the rankings at No. 20, while Arizona made its season debut at No. 25.
Miami is the first ACC team to hold the No. 1 ranking since Clemson in 2020. Other ACC teams in the rankings include No. 17 Wake Forest and No. 23 SMU. In the Big 12, BYU is followed by No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 10 Utah, No. 14 Houston, and No. 25 Arizona. The SEC's highest-ranked team is No. 5 Georgia.
