Miami moved to No. 1 in the Associated Press college football poll for the first time since 2002 after one of the most disruptive weekends in recent ranking history. The Hurricanes received 40 first-place votes following a double-overtime win over Florida State. BYU climbed to No. 2, its highest ranking since its 1984 national championship season, while Ohio State took the No. 3 spot. Five of the previous top seven teams lost, creating a major reshuffle near the top of the rankings.
Miami’s return to No. 1 ends a long wait
The Hurricanes were one of college football’s dominant programs around the turn of the century, but the program has spent more than two decades trying to return to that level.
Reaching No. 1 does not guarantee a championship, but it marks the strongest national position Miami has held since the early 2000s.
The Florida State win carried extra weight
Miami’s double-overtime victory came against its biggest in-state rival, adding emotional value to the result. Rivalry games often ignore rankings and form, making the win more difficult than the poll numbers alone suggest.
Surviving a close game also mattered because several other highly ranked teams failed to do the same.
Five top-seven teams lost
The weekend became historically chaotic when five of the seven highest-ranked teams were defeated. According to the AP, it was the first time in the poll’s history that so many teams in that group lost during the same weekend.
That created opportunities for programs that simply handled their own business while others collapsed.
BYU’s rise is equally striking
BYU climbed to No. 2 after beating Notre Dame 28-24. The ranking is the Cougars’ best since the 1984 season, when they won the national championship.
The rise reflects both BYU’s performance and the unusual number of losses by teams previously ahead of it.
Ohio State remains in the championship picture
Ohio State moved into the No. 3 position and remains one of the programs most capable of reaching the expanded playoff.
The Buckeyes benefit from strong recruiting depth and a schedule that gives them several opportunities to build a high-quality résumé.
Georgia stayed high despite the Auburn loss
Georgia’s last-second defeat to Auburn was one of the weekend’s biggest surprises. The Bulldogs fell from No. 1 but remained near the top because voters still view the roster and earlier results as championship-caliber.
In the playoff era, one loss no longer automatically removes an elite team from contention.
Texas and Alabama took major hits
Other traditional powers also suffered costly defeats, producing larger drops in the poll. Those teams now face less margin for error as conference play continues.
Another loss could turn a playoff chase into a race merely to reach a major bowl.
The expanded playoff changes the meaning of No. 1
College football’s larger postseason format means the top ranking is important but not decisive. Teams can lose during the regular season and still qualify for the national-title bracket.
That reduces some of the pressure associated with the poll while increasing the importance of conference standings and late-season health.
Miami now has to handle expectation
Being the hunter and being the No. 1 team are different experiences. Every opponent now has additional motivation, and every close game will be interpreted through championship expectations.
Miami’s next challenge is to show that the ranking reflects sustained quality rather than one chaotic weekend.
A memorable week for the poll
The combination of Miami at No. 1 and BYU at No. 2 gives the rankings a look that would have seemed unlikely at the start of the season.
It also shows how quickly college football can change when several contenders lose at once. For Miami, the immediate reward is historical: the Hurricanes are back on top of the AP poll for the first time in 24 years.
Sources
- Associated Press Top 25 poll, Oct. 18, 2026
- AP college football coverage
- Official team and game results
