AP Top 25: LSU Soars, Michigan Plummets Out After Week 1 Chaos

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The Week 2 AP Top 25 poll was released on Tuesday following an opening weekend that completely reshuffled the national championship landscape. Ohio State solidified its hold on the No. 1 ranking after dismantling Ball State 56–3, gathering 46 first-place votes. However, the real story of the poll resides just below the Buckeyes, where high-profile blowouts and near-disasters triggered seismic movements across the rankings.

AP Poll Rank	Team (Record)	Movement	Primary Week 1 Catalyst
No. 1	Ohio State (1–0)	—	Consolidated top spot with 46 first-place votes after a 56–3 rout.
No. 2	Georgia (1–0)	+1	Rose to No. 2 following a clinical opening-round performance.
No. 3	Notre Dame (1–0)	+1	Claimed 4 first-place votes to move into the top three.
No. 4	Texas (1–0)	-1	Slid one spot despite winning, as Notre Dame jumped ahead on points.
No. 5	Indiana (1–0)	+1	Secured 8 first-place votes to lock down a top-five position.
No. 8	LSU (1–0)	+3	Biggest top-10 riser following a 51–10 destruction of Clemson.
NR (RV – 69 PTS)	Michigan (1–0)	Dropped Out	Tumbled completely out of the Top 25 after a controversial 13–12 win.
NR (0 PTS)	Clemson (0–1)	Dropped Out	Unranked after a lopsided 41-point loss to LSU in Baton Rouge.

The Big Risers: LSU Makes the Ultimate Statement

No program engineered a more impressive week-one statement than Lane Kiffin’s LSU Tigers. Jumping three spots to No. 8, LSU utterly dismantled Clemson 51–10 in Baton Rouge, piling up 500-plus yards of total offense while holding Clemson’s offense without a touchdown until late in the second half. The performance earned LSU five first-place votes from electors who viewed the win as the most dominant showing against a marquee opponent all weekend. Indiana also surged into the top five at No. 5, picking up eight first-place votes to cap off a dominant program transformation under second-year head coach Curt Cignetti.

College football is finally back, and so is the regular-season AP Top 25. Follow along for poll predictions, Q&A with a voter and live updates when the latest rankings drop at 2 p.m. EDT. https://t.co/gQTRPntjkx

— The Associated Press (@AP) September 8, 2026

The Freefalls: Michigan and Clemson Cast Out

The most drastic polling voters’ reaction hit Ann Arbor and Clemson. Previously ranked No. 16, Michigan dropped completely out of the AP Poll to the “Others Receiving Votes” category (69 points). Despite officially recording a 13–12 victory over MAC contender Western Michigan, the controversial broadcast-clock malfunction and offensive stagnation alienated AP voters. Meanwhile, Clemson suffered an even harsher fate; after entering the season in the top 20, Dabo Swinney’s Tigers received zero AP votes following their 41-point loss, officially unranked for the first time in three seasons.

What Lies Ahead in Week 2

No. 11 Oklahoma vs. Michigan (Unranked/RV): Michigan gets an immediate opportunity for redemption in Norman. A win over the 11th-ranked Sooners would instantly vault the Wolverines back into the Top 25, while an Oklahoma victory would cement the Sooners’ push toward the top 10.
No. 4 Texas vs. San Jose State: After dropping one spot behind Notre Dame despite winning, Arch Manning and the Longhorns look to deliver a high-scoring statement at home to reclaim their top-three standing.
No. 8 LSU vs. Louisiana Tech: The newly minted top-10 Tigers return home looking to solidify their new ranking and maintain offensive momentum following their Week 1 outburst.