Oregon Surges, ACC Scrambles: Final AP Top 25 Poll Before Rivalry Week

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The final full weekend of the 2025 college football regular season has yielded an AP Top 25 poll that, while static at the very top, features significant upheaval just outside the College Football Playoff (CFP) lock zones. With the CFP committee set to release its penultimate rankings next week, the Associated Press voters have sent a clear message by rewarding decisive victories and punishing missteps.

The Unmoved Top Four

For the sixth straight week, the nation’s top three remained locked in place, with the Ohio State Buckeyes (11-0), Indiana Hoosiers (11-0), and Texas A&M Aggies (11-0) occupying the first three spots. Ohio State received 58 of the 66 first-place votes, with Indiana claiming seven and Texas A&M earning one. Georgia (10-1) settled firmly at No. 4 for the second week in a row after an easy win over Charlotte, maintaining their hold on the projected last first-round CFP bye.

Oregon Leaps into the Top Five

The biggest mover near the top was the Oregon Ducks (10-1), who climbed one spot over idle Ole Miss to reach No. 5. The Ducks’ convincing 42-27 victory over then-No. 19 USC in their first Big Ten matchup of the year clearly impressed voters, propelling them to their highest ranking since early October and significantly strengthening their argument for a high at-large CFP berth. Oregon is followed by Ole Miss (10-1) at No. 6 and Texas Tech (10-1) at No. 7.

SEC Dominance and Vanderbilt’s Rise

The Southeastern Conference once again claimed the most ranked teams with eight, including five in the Top 10. Oklahoma (9-2) remained at No. 8 after a defensive slugfest victory over Missouri, strengthening their two-loss resume. Vanderbilt (9-2) made a notable move up to No. 12 following their monumental Senior Day rout of Kentucky, marking the Commodores’ highest ranking in decades. They are now officially a factor in the SEC race and a strong candidate for an at-large bid.

ACC Chaos: Georgia Tech Plummets

The Atlantic Coast Conference saw the week’s biggest shakeup due to a shocking upset. Georgia Tech (9-2), which would have clinched a spot in the ACC Championship with a win, fell at home to three-loss Pittsburgh, causing the Yellow Jackets to drop eight spots to No. 23.

The beneficiary of the chaos was Miami (9-2), which moved up to No. 13 as the highest-ranked ACC team. Pittsburgh (8-3) re-entered the poll at No. 24, just one spot behind the team they beat. With Virginia (9-2) also at No. 17 and SMU (8-3) re-entering at No. 25 after a blowout win, the ACC now has five ranked teams heading into a rivalry-fueled final week that will decide the conference championship participants.

Final Week Mega Matchups

The AP Top 25 sets the stage for a dramatic rivalry week, where several games will directly influence the final CFP standings:

No. 1 Ohio State travels to face No. 15 Michigan in the annual undefeated showdown.
No. 3 Texas A&M hosts No. 16 Texas in their rivalry tilt.
No. 12 Vanderbilt faces No. 18 Tennessee in a key SEC battle.

The results of these matchups will create the final hierarchy before the conference championship games, turning next Sunday’s CFP selection show into the most critical of the season.