Ohio State claims top spot in AP Top 25 college football rankings

In the first AP Top 25 college football poll rankings of the regular season, the Ohio State Buckeyes took the lead, followed by Penn State at No. 2 and LSU at No. 3.

The Buckeyes slid into position to dominate this week’s rankings with 55 first-place votes after besting the preseason poll’s No. 1 Texas Longhorns on Saturday.

Follow live updates from The Associated Press below for game recaps, poll predictions, ranking analyses and answers to fan questions, all in one place.

Oregon moves up one after impressive debut

Week 1 went to plan for the Ducks, who defeated Montana State 59-13 in the season opener. Quarterback Dante Moore impressed, completing 18 of 23 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns.

Oregon moved up from No. 7 to No. 8 in this week’s poll, receiving 1,302 points and a first-place vote.

The Ducks aim to accumulate wins early before the start of the Big Ten competition in late September.

Miami rounds out the top 5 after Notre Dame upset

Miami jumped from No. 10 to No. 5 following a 27-24 Sunday night win against Notre Dame.

The Hurricanes held onto the lead despite a late-game resurgence from the Fighting Irish and quarterback CJ Carr. The Irish tied it up at 24 with 3:21 remaining. Transfer quarterback Carson Beck led a 10-play, 46-yard drive, putting the Hurricanes in field goal range with 1:07 remaining. Kicker Carter Davis hit a 47-yard field goal to seal the deal.

The Hurricanes last cracked the Top 5 in 2024 after a 9-0 start.

Georgia remains in the top 5 with dominant win

Georgia moved up one spot in this week’s poll, coming in at No. 4 after an authoritative 45-7 win over Marshall in the home opener.

Gunner Stockton fared well in his second start for the Bulldogs, taking full command of the passing and running games. Stockton threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns and led the Bulldogs with 73 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.

Penn State holds steady at No. 2

Penn State’s 46-11 win over Nevada was enough to retain the No. 2 spot. The Nittany Lions finished with 1,558 points and seven first-place votes.

It was the kind of dominant win expected of a team of Penn State’s caliber against a Nevada team that finished 3-10 in 2024. Drew Allar completed 22 of 26 passes for 217 yards and a score. Nick Singleton scored a team-high two rushing touchdowns. Kaytron Allen and Ethan Grunkemeyer each found the end zone on foot.

Allar connected with Kyron Hudson for Penn State’s sole receiving touchdown of the outing, a 31-yard reception just before half.

LSU makes statement, jumps 6 spots

A statement-making 17-10 road victory against then-No. 4 Clemson helped LSU jump six spots, from No. 9 to No. 3 in this week’s poll. LSU received the third-most first-place votes (3) and 1,514 points overall.

LSU’s 2024 leading rusher Caden Durham picked up where he left off, rushing for a team-high 74 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Aaron Anderson connected with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier for six receptions and 99 yards. Trey’Dez Green notched the game-winning touchdown early in the fourth quarter on an 8-yard pass.

It’s LSU’s highest ranking since topping the poll during a historic 2019 campaign, when ironically, they beat Clemson in the National Championship game.

Ohio State dethrones Texas, tops Week 1 poll

Ohio State’s hiatus from No. 1 was short-lived, returning to the top spot after a 14-7 week 1 victory against then top-seeded Texas. The Buckeyes received 55 first-place votes, 44 more than they received in the preseason poll (11), and 1,636 total points.

Ohio State last topped the poll after defeating Notre Dame 34-23 in the National Championship game. It’s the Buckeyes’ first regular-season No. 1 ranking since Nov. 1, 2015.

Julian Sayin performed well in his Buckeyes debut, completing 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. It was a stout performance by Ohio State’s defense, holding the Longhorns scoreless until late in the fourth quarter.

The Buckeyes leaped over Penn State, which maintained the No. 2 spot.

AP Top 25 college football poll rankings