Texas moved to the No. 1 position in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. The ranking change followed the Longhorns' 24-23 victory over previously top-ranked Ohio State on Saturday night, in which Texas overcame a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
The win by Texas marked the largest fourth-quarter comeback ever recorded for a victory against an AP No. 1 team, according to Sportradar. Texas received 56 first-place votes from a panel of writers and broadcasters, reclaiming the top spot for the first time since Oct. 13, 2024. Ohio State, which had held the No. 1 position in 17 of the last 20 polls, fell to No. 6, marking the first time the program has been ranked outside the top five in two seasons.
Other significant shifts in the rankings included Oregon falling 15 spots to No. 21 after a 39-31 road loss to unranked Oklahoma State. Michigan returned to the poll at No. 19 following a 17-10 win over Oklahoma, while the Sooners dropped 13 places to No. 24. Georgia remained at No. 2, followed by Notre Dame at No. 3, Indiana at No. 4, and Miami at No. 5. Five teams other than Texas received at least one first-place vote, including Miami (4), Georgia (3), Indiana (3), Notre Dame (1), and LSU (1).
The rankings affect the standing of 25 college football programs. The Southeastern Conference (SEC) currently holds six positions in the top 10, tying a record set in 2024. Oregon's No. 21 ranking is the program's lowest in four years, while Texas reached No. 1 earlier in a regular season than at any point since 1965. Additionally, Washington became the first 2-0 team to win a game and still drop out of the rankings since 2014 after a 16-14 win over Utah State as a 26.5-point favorite.
The current rankings set the stage for several conference matchups. Next, No. 7 LSU is scheduled to play at No. 8 Mississippi in a top-10 matchup that has not occurred between these two teams since 1962. Other games include No. 22 Houston at No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 16 SMU at No. 23 Louisville. The poll is updated weekly on Sundays throughout the regular season.