Alabama rises to No. 8 in latest AP Top 25 College Football Poll
ACTION 8 LACE UP SPORTS (WAKA) – Alabama has jumped two spots to No. 8 in the latest AP Top 25 College Football Poll, which now features 10 SEC teams.
Alabama overcame a slow start and two weather delays to defeat Florida State 50-36 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide was defeated by Florida State in the season-opening game in Tallahassee last season.
Here is a list of all 10 SEC teams in this week’s poll: No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Georgia, No. 4 Ole Miss, No. 8 Alabama, No. 10 LSU, No. 14 Tennessee, No. 19 Missouri, No. 21 Florida, No. 23 Texas A&M, No. 24 Mississippi State. Florida and Mississippi State have now made it into the poll while Oklahoma has dropped out.
Ole Miss moved into the top five with its win over LSU, while the Tigers stayed in the top 10 as head coach Lane Kiffin suffered his first defeat since leaving Ole Miss for LSU.
Overall, Texas was No. 1 for the second straight week. The Longhorns followed up their win over Ohio State with a solid 30-6 victory over UTSA and topped the ballots of 58 of the 69 media members on the Top 25 voting panel. Indiana got four first-place votes, Georgia and Ole Miss three apiece and Miami one.
Louisville was the biggest gainer, rising seven spots to No. 16 after its 41-31 victory over SMU, which dropped six rungs to No. 22. Texas A&M took the biggest fall, going from No. 9 to No. 23 after its 31-21 home loss to unranked Kentucky.
AP Top 25 College Football Poll (first-place votes in parentheses; SEC teams in bold):
1 Texas (58)
2 Georgia (3)
3 Notre Dame
4 Ole Miss (3)
5 Indiana (4)
6 Miami (1)
7 Ohio State
8 Alabama
9 BYU
10 LSU
11 Texas Tech
12 USC
13 Penn State
14 Tennessee
15 Utah
16 Louisville
17 Iowa
18 Michigan
19 Missouri
20 Oregon
21 Florida
22 SMU
23 Texas A&M
24 Mississippi State
25 Houston
Others receiving votes: Washington, Kentucky, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Boise State, Virginia Tech, Western Michigan, Duke, Tulsa, Arizona, Pittsburgh, UCLA, James Madison, North Dakota State, Kansas State, Nebraska 2.
In and out
No. 21 Florida made its season debut in the rankings following a 44-39 road win over Auburn. The Gators are 3-0 for the first time since 2019 under first-year coach Jon Sumrall and in the Top 25 for the first time since Sept. 2, 2025.
No. 24 Mississippi State is in the Top 25 for the first time since 2022, when its coach was Mike Leach. That team was No. 20 in the final poll. Jeff Lebby’s Bulldogs, led by rising star quarterback Kamario Taylor, has won back-to-back road games for the first time since 2014, erasing a 16-point deficit to beat South Carolina 41-34.
Oklahoma struggled offensively for a second straight game in its 14-6 win over New Mexico and went from No. 24 to out of the Top 25. Virginia, which had been No. 25 two straight weeks, was knocked out after losing 38-27 to West Virginia.
Games featuring ranked vs. ranked teams this coming weekend:
No. 1 Texas at No. 14 Tennessee: First meeting since the 1969 Cotton Bowl.
No. 4 Ole Miss at No. 21 Florida: Kewan Lacy ran for 224 yards and three touchdowns in Rebels’ come-from-behind win last year. Will Lacy be health for this one?
No. 17 Iowa at No. 18 Michigan: Iowa’s 111 points through three games are its most since 2003.
No. 19 Missouri at No. 24 Mississippi State: Bulldogs go for their first 2-0 SEC start since 2014.
No. 20 Oregon at No. 12 Southern California: Ducks playing for a fifth straight win in the series.
No. 23 Texas A&M at No. 10 LSU: Aggies look to win two straight years at Death Valley.
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