Indiana Jumps to No. 3 in AP Top 25; Texas and USC Return to the Poll
Indiana vaulted into the No. 3 spot in the Associated Press college football poll, achieving the highest ranking in the program’s history. Meanwhile, Texas and USC reentered the Top 25 after a weekend marked by several major upsets.
Ohio State and Miami held steady at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Indiana’s rise came after a convincing road victory over then-No. 3 Oregon, earning the Hoosiers a four-spot climb. The win snapped Indiana’s long history of losing on the road against top-five teams and marked the first time the team has ever been ranked higher than No. 4.
Texas A&M and Ole Miss swapped positions at Nos. 4 and 5. The Aggies moved up after a strong 17-point home win over Florida, while Ole Miss held on in a tight three-point victory at home against Washington State.
The Buckeyes solidified their hold on the top slot with a sound road victory over Illinois, earning 50 first-place votes—ten more than the prior week. Miami, although idle, picked up 13 first-place votes, and Indiana secured the remaining three.
Alabama moved up two places to No. 6, followed by Texas Tech, Oregon, Georgia, and LSU. Oregon dropped five spots, reaching its lowest ranking in several years.
Oklahoma suffered the harshest fall, tumbling eight spots to No. 14 after a loss to Texas in the Red River Rivalry. Texas, on the other hand, reentered the poll at No. 21. The Longhorns’ defense held Oklahoma without a touchdown—the first time they’ve prevented a top-10 opponent from scoring in that fashion since 1979.
Among other moves, Missouri slipped two places to No. 16 following a tight defeat to Alabama. USC, Texas, Utah, Cincinnati, and Nebraska all earned spots in the Top 25 this week thanks to strong performances and vacancies created by ranked losses.
With these shifts, the AP Poll continues to reflect the volatility of the early 2025 season and intensifies the spotlight on the playoff race ahead.
