Georgia returned to the No. 1 position in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026. The Bulldogs received 53 of 70 first-place votes from the media panel following a 42-7 road victory over Mississippi on Saturday. Georgia replaces Miami, which fell to No. 5 after losing its first game of the season to Notre Dame.
The shift at the top of the rankings follows a weekend of play that came after the release of the first College Football Playoff rankings. Miami is the fourth team to lose the No. 1 spot this season, the highest frequency of top-ranking changes since 2008. Among the Top 25, only No. 6 Indiana remained in its previous week's position; the Hoosiers did not play this weekend.
Utah rose one spot to No. 2, its highest-ever regular season ranking, after a 28-20 win over BYU. The Utes received 12 first-place votes. Notre Dame climbed to No. 3 after defeating Miami 31-24, earning five first-place votes. UCLA moved to No. 4 with a 9-0 record, matching its highest ranking since 2001. Ohio State fell from No. 11 to No. 21 after losing 41-28 at home to Oregon, marking the program's lowest ranking since 2014, excluding the 2020 season.
Tennessee jumped to No. 9 after a 34-6 win over Kentucky. A total of 70 first-place votes were split between the top three teams. While the AP poll serves as a media-driven benchmark, the College Football Playoff committee's rankings will ultimately determine which teams qualify for the championship bracket. The next full round of scheduled games will take place through Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026.