College Football Rankings: Georgia & Notre Dame Punished for Losing; New No.1 Program & More

A massive upset week for high ranked teams. Georgia lost 27-24 to Auburn at Sanford Stadium, Notre Dame fell 28-24 at BYU, and Miami survived Florida State in double overtime. Ohio State also stopped Indiana’s 22-game winning streak, while Alabama and Texas took damaging defeats. With contenders dropping everywhere, the race for the AP’s No. 1 spot could look very different.

AP Top 25 predictions after Week 7

1. Miami Hurricanes (6-0)

Previous Rank: 3

Result: 43-35 (2OT) win vs. Florida Stat

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Miami had to earn this one the hard way. The Hurricanes outlasted Florida State in a double-overtime rivalry game, surviving a frantic finish to remain unbeaten.

Georgia’s loss to Auburn and Notre Dame’s defeat at BYU make the timing even sweeter. The Hurricanes are 4-0 in ACC play, too. A win over their biggest rival keeps the playoff case intact and puts Miami in position to claim the top spot.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1)

Previous Rank: 4

Result: 19-15 win at Indiana

Ohio State went into Bloomington and ended Indiana’s 22-game winning streak. The Buckeyes also avenged their loss to the Hoosiers in the 2025 Big Ten Championship. Julian Sayin’s shoulder injury, however, leaves a significant question hanging over the offense.

Indiana nearly stole it late, but Nick Marsh’s apparent go-ahead touchdown was ruled incomplete after he stepped out of bounds. Ohio State escaped with the win, though freshman Luke Fahey may now have to carry the offense for several weeks.

3. BYU Cougars (6-0)

Previous Rank: 8

Result: 28-24 win vs. Notre Dame

BYU beat No. 2 Notre Dame 28-24 in Provo, moving to 6-0 and delivering a landmark win in the first meeting between two top-10 teams at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

QB Bear Bachmeier scored through the air, on the ground and as a receiver, an unusual triple that helped define the night. His late touchdown pass to Walker Lyons gave BYU the lead, and the defense survived Notre Dame’s final push to finish the upset.

4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-1)

Previous Rank: 2

Result: 28-24 loss at BYU

Notre Dame had a chance to climb to No. 1 after Georgia stumbled earlier in the day. But the Irish left Provo with their first loss of the season and their 16-game winning streak snapped.

CJ Carr moved Notre Dame into position to steal the game late, but the final pass to Jaden Greathouse fell incomplete near the goal line. The lack of a pass-interference flag became a talking point, though the bigger problem for the Irish was letting the game reach that final play.

5. Indiana Hoosiers (6-1)

Previous Rank: 5

Result: 19-15 loss vs. Ohio State

Indiana’s remarkable winning run is over, but one narrow loss doesn’t erase what the Hoosiers have built. They pushed Ohio State to the final minute in the first top-five matchup ever played at Memorial Stadium, only to lose a game that could have strengthened their hold on the national race.

Nick Marsh appeared to make the winning catch before the sideline took it away. Indiana will have to regroup after losing at home, but its performance showed the reigning champions remain capable of trading punches with the country’s best.

6. Georgia Bulldogs (6-1)

Previous Rank: 1

Result: 27-24 loss vs. Auburn

Georgia was favored heavily at Sanford Stadium, but Auburn walked out with a 27-24 victory after the Bulldogs’ late turnover turned a tied game into a disaster. The defeat followed their win over Alabama and wrecked its unbeaten start.

Gunner Stockton fumbled with 58 seconds left, giving Auburn the opening it needed for a game-winning field goal. Undisciplined penalties proved costly for Georgia. But what stings most was losing at home to an unranked rival when the top spot was there to defend.

7. Ole Miss Rebels (5-1)

Previous Rank: 9

Result: 31-3 win vs. Missouri

Ole Miss shut down Missouri in a game with major playoff implications. The Rebels held the Tigers to three points and just 39 rushing yards, giving a defense that had faced questions a chance to answer them emphatically.

Trinidad Chambliss accounted for four touchdowns, while former Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons struggled in his Oxford return with Missouri. The Rebels still have a difficult schedule ahead, including Texas and Georgia, but this was the sort of win they needed before that stretch arrives.

8. Texas Tech Red Raiders (6-0)

Previous Rank: 10

Result: 53-25 win vs. Arizona State

Building on a 43-10 halftime lead, Texas Tech keeps rolling. The Red Raiders put Arizona State away and stayed unbeaten at 6-0. The Red Raiders also grabbed sole possession of first place in the Big 12.

Arizona State handed them another opening when it fumbled near the goal line. Three plays later, LB Ben Roberts picked off a pass and took it 24 yards to the house. The game was getting away from the Sun Devils, and that sequence made sure of it.

9. Tennessee Volunteers (6-1)

Previous Rank: 14

Result: 26-10 win vs. Alabama

Tennessee delivered one of the weekend’s strongest statements, beating Alabama 26-10 at Neyland Stadium. The Vols forced four turnovers and held the Tide to 201 total yards, putting themselves firmly back into the playoff conversation after entering the week outside the top 10.

Freshman QB George MacIntyre managed the game, while DeSean Bishop supplied the physical running that helped Tennessee pull away.

10. Utah Utes (5-0

Previous Rank: 11

Result: 27-24 win at Colorado

Utah escaped Boulder with a 27-24 win over Colorado, moving to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big 12. The No. 11 Utes were favored by 15.5 points, but Deion Sanders’ team made them sweat, with former Utah QB Isaac Wilson adding an extra twist to the rivalry.

Braden Pegan caught eight passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns to keep Utah moving, while Rabbit Evans and James Chenault picked off Wilson to disrupt Colorado’s comeback hopes. Devon Dampier threw two interceptions himself, but Utah’s defense cleaned up enough of the mess to preserve the unbeaten record.

11. UCLA Bruins (6-0)

Previous Rank: 12

Result: 17-7 win vs. Wisconsin

UCLA stayed unbeaten despite losing starting QB Nico Iamaleava to a serious knee injury. Backup Ty Dieffenbach threw for 264 yards, and the Bruins’ defense limited Wisconsin to 66 passing yards. After beating Oregon the previous week, UCLA showed it could handle a different kind of challenge without its usual starter.

12. Kentucky Wildcats (6-1)

Previous Rank: 15

Result: 21-13 win at Oklahoma

Kentucky’s playoff argument looks stronger after a physical road win in Norman. The Wildcats forced four turnovers and improved to 6-1 overall, moving into a tie for first in the SEC standings. After consecutive overtime escapes against South Carolina and LSU, beating Oklahoma offered more convincing evidence that this team belongs in the conversation.

13. Alabama Crimson Tide (5-2)

Previous Rank: 6

Result: 26-10 loss at Tennessee

Alabama has taken two straight regular-season losses, something the program hadn’t experienced since 2007. Tennessee forced four turnovers and held the Tide to 201 total yards, exposing an offense that never found its footing. At 5-2, Kalen DeBoer’s team has little room left for another damaging afternoon if it hopes to reach the playoff.

14. Iowa Hawkeyes (5-1)

Previous Rank: 17

Result: BYE

Iowa didn’t play, but the chaos around the country helped its playoff case. The Hawkeyes entered the weekend at 5-1 after a convincing road win over Washington. Their physical style and improving resume could keep them in the discussion, although the remaining Big Ten schedule will determine whether that talk becomes something more substantial.

15. USC Trojans (6-1)

Previous Rank: 19

Result: BYE

USC had a week to recover and study the teams it must face next. The Trojans are 6-1 after beating Penn State on the road, and the results elsewhere opened some breathing room in the national picture. Their upcoming games against Ohio State and Indiana will offer a much clearer test of their playoff credentials.

16. Houston Cougars (6-1)

Previous Rank: 20

Result: 35-32 win vs. Oklahoma State

Houston survived Oklahoma State in a 35-32 shootout, reaching bowl eligibility in October and strengthening its Big 12 title hopes. The Cougars improved to 6-1, while the Cowboys suffered their first conference loss.

17. Missouri Tigers (5-2)

Previous Rank: 13

Result: 31-3 loss at Ole Miss

Missouri’s trip to Oxford went badly in just about every department. The Tigers managed three points, and their rushing attack produced only 39 yards. Austin Simmons also endured a difficult return against his former team. At 5-2, Missouri can still recover, but the schedule ahead leaves little room for another performance like this.

18. Texas Longhorns (4-2)

Previous Rank: 7

Result: 27-24 loss vs. Florida

Texas has fallen a long way from its No. 1 ranking. The Longhorns lost their second straight game, this time surrendering a late opportunity to Florida. Arch Manning helped bring Texas within three points before a strip-sack ended the comeback attempt. The playoff picture is suddenly uncomfortable in Austin and another defeat would deepen the trouble.

19. Florida Gators (5-2)

Previous Rank: Unranked

Result: 27-24 win at Texas

Florida’s upset in Austin gives the Gators a result capable of changing the direction of their season. Backup QB Tramell Jones Jr. led the comeback from a 17-3 deficit, delivering a signature win for Jon Sumrall. Florida still has work to do after earlier defeats, but beating a former No. 1 team puts it back on the national radar.

20. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-1)

Previous Rank: 21

Result: 41-7 win at California

Wake Forest hammered Cal 41-7, moving to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the ACC. That’s four Power Four road wins already, with Purdue, Louisville and NC State among the teams they’ve beaten away from home. Back in the rankings for the first time since 2022, the Demon Deacons gave voters a pretty good reason to keep them there.

21. LSU Tigers (5-2)

Previous Rank: 22

Result: 31-0 win vs. Mississippi State

LSU answered its loss to Kentucky with a shutout, blanking Mississippi State 31-0 at Tiger Stadium. The defense needed a performance like this after recent struggles, and the result keeps the Tigers from slipping further out of the playoff conversation. At 5-2, though, LSU will need consistency rather than another isolated bounce-back.

22. Boise State Broncos (5-1)

Previous Rank: 23

Result: BYE

Boise State spent Week 7 on a bye after beating Fresno State 38-31 to reclaim the Milk Can. That earlier victory kept the Broncos’ Group of Five playoff hopes alive and improved their season record to 5-1.

23. SMU Mustangs (5-1)

Previous Rank: 24

Result: 23-13 win vs. Virginia

SMU took care of Virginia 23-13, improving to 5-1 and extending its unbeaten home record in ACC conference games to 10. Kicker Brendan Baird went three-for-three on field goals, a welcome change after recent special-teams problems.

24. Northwestern Wildcats (5-1)

Previous Rank: 25

Result: 24-21 win at Michigan State

Northwestern upped its rankings count by winning at Michigan State. QB Aidan Chiles faced his former team, adding another layer to a tight game that the Wildcats eventually edged 24-21.

25. Oklahoma State Cowboys (4-2)

Previous Rank: 18

Result: 35-32 loss at Houston

Oklahoma State rallied after falling behind Houston but couldn’t finish the comeback, losing 35-32 and dropping its first Big 12 game. The Cowboys scored 29 second-half points, showing their offense can still make a game uncomfortable for opponents. The defeat ends a four-game winning streak and leaves them chasing ground in the conference race.

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