College Football AP Top 25: Risers, Fallers, and Panic Buttons After a Chaotic Week 4

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One-third of the teams in the AP Top 25 lost this past weekend, leaving pollsters to clean up the carnage on their Week 5 ballots. While the very top of the rankings remained steady with the Texas Longhorns surviving a brutal road test to retain the No. 1 spot, the middle and bottom of the poll have been completely reshuffled. The college football landscape has already seen a major shift.

Here is a deep dive into the brand new Week 5 AP Top 25, highlighting the teams surging up the board, those tumbling down, and the programs suddenly staring at a season on the brink.

The Top of the Mountain

At the very top, the status quo held serve. Texas (4-0) remains No. 1, capturing 62 first-place votes following its gritty 20-17 victory over Tennessee in Knoxville. Georgia stays anchored at No. 2 with six first-place votes, followed by undefeated Notre Dame at No. 3. Miami (FL) and Ohio State round out the top five, with Miami surprisingly snagging a first-place vote to move to No. 4.

The Biggest Risers

UCLA Bruins (Up 14 spots to No. 23): The Bruins are the biggest mathematical movers of the week. After improving to a flawless 4-0 with a blowout road victory over Maryland, UCLA lands firmly in the poll at No. 23
Florida Gators (Up 13 spots to No. 8): The Gators were the weekend’s most explosive headline, completely dismantling then-No. 4 Ole Miss 52-28. Behind a relentless rushing attack that surpassed 300 yards, Florida catapulted into the top 10.
Oklahoma State Cowboys (Up 11 spots to No. 19): Sometimes a team moves up purely based on how their resume ages. OSU’s previous win against Oregon looks far more impressive now that the Ducks dominated USC on the road, bumping the Cowboys to 19.
Oregon Ducks (Up 5 spots to No. 15): Playing with a backup quarterback, the Ducks strolled into Los Angeles and dropped 41 points on USC, firmly re-establishing themselves as Big Ten title contenders.

The Fallers

USC Trojans (Down 6 spots to No. 18): USC’s defense was exposed at home against Oregon. Surrendering 41 points to a backup quarterback cost the Trojans six spots and severely damaged their momentum.
Ole Miss Rebels (Down 5 spots to No. 9): Lane Kiffin’s squad was embarrassed on defense, giving up 52 points to Florida. They managed to stay inside the top 10—and just ahead of an LSU team they beat earlier in the year—but their aura of invincibility is gone.
Tennessee Volunteers (Down 3 spots to No. 17): The Vols were not punished too harshly for a tight three-point loss to the top-ranked team in the nation, but dropping to No. 17 leaves them with zero margin for error in the SEC going forward.

Panic Buttons: Seasons on the Brink

For three notable programs, October is arriving with alarm bells ringing. The pollsters were ruthless to the weekend’s biggest disappointments, completely dropping three ranked teams out of the Top 25:

Penn State (Unranked): Entering the weekend at No. 13, James Franklin’s Nittany Lions suffered a catastrophic home loss to unranked Wisconsin. The Badgers stole their momentum, while Penn State tumbled entirely out of the poll, receiving just 98 votes.
Michigan (Unranked): The Wolverines are staring at a season quickly spiraling out of control following a brutal loss to Iowa. As the heart of the Big Ten schedule looms, Michigan finds itself on the outside looking in with only 54 votes.
Louisville (Unranked): Just when the Cardinals appeared poised to make noise in the ACC, a disastrous loss to Wake Forest derailed their campaign and dropped them out of the Top 25 altogether.

Full AP Top 25 (Week 5)

https://t.co/T23NtgfCyw
Florida makes a big leap in the AP Top 25 poll while Ole Miss, USC and Missouri tumble. See where your team landed. pic.twitter.com/R7M9vx51oJ

— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) September 27, 2026