On , the Associated Press Top 25 poll placed Ohio State at No. 1 after the Buckeyes’ victory over preseason No. 1 Texas; Ohio State collected 55 of 66 first-place votes while Penn State remained No. 2 and LSU rose to No. 3 following a Week 1 slate of upsets.
Key Takeaways
- Ohio State moved up to No. 1 in the AP Top 25, earning 55 of 66 first-place votes.
- Penn State stayed at No. 2 with seven first-place votes; LSU received three.
- Preseason No. 1 Texas fell to No. 7 after its opening-week loss.
- Florida State jumped from outside the preseason Top 25 to No. 14 after beating Alabama.
- Alabama dropped to No. 21 — its lowest ranking since the 2008 preseason poll.
- Utah and Florida State were the week’s new entries; Boise State and Kansas State dropped out.
- It was an unusually chaotic Week 1: two top-five teams lost (second time since 1972) and four top-10 teams fell.
Verified Facts
The AP poll released after Labor Day weekend reflects major early-season movement. Ohio State is atop a regular-season Top 25 for the first time since November 2015. The Buckeyes secured 55 of the 66 available first-place votes; Penn State received seven, LSU three and Oregon one.
LSU climbed to No. 3 after a road win at Clemson. Miami (Fla.) moved into the top five following its victory over Notre Dame. Oregon, Texas, Clemson, Notre Dame and South Carolina round out the top 10 behind the leaders.
Florida State’s 31-17 win over Alabama produced the biggest single-week jump among ranked teams: FSU rose from outside the preseason Top 25 to No. 14. Alabama fell from No. 8 in the preseason to No. 21, marking the lowest ranking for the Crimson Tide since a No. 24 position in the 2008 preseason poll.
| Rank | Team |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio State |
| 2 | Penn State |
| 3 | LSU |
| 4 | Georgia |
| 5 | Miami (Fla.) |
| 6 | Oregon |
| 7 | Texas |
| 8 | Clemson |
| 9 | Notre Dame |
| 10 | South Carolina |
| 11 | Illinois |
| 12 | Arizona State |
| 13 | Florida |
| 14 | Florida State |
| 15 | Michigan |
| 16 | Iowa State |
| 17 | SMU |
| 18 | Oklahoma |
| 19 | Texas A&M |
| 20 | Ole Miss |
| 21 | Alabama |
| 22 | Tennessee |
| 23 | Indiana |
| 24 | Texas Tech |
| 25 | Utah |
Context & Impact
The Week 1 upheaval highlighted how quickly preseason assumptions can shift. Two top-five teams losing in the opening week has happened only once since 1972; this weekend also marked the first time four top-10 teams lost in the season opener. Media voters reshuffled the poll in response to several marquee upsets and statement wins.
Conference representation in the poll underlines the SEC’s depth, with 10 teams ranked. The Big Ten placed six teams in the Top 25, while the ACC and Big 12 each had four and one independent (Notre Dame) remained inside the list.
- SEC: 10 teams ranked (Nos. 3, 4, 7, 10, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
- Big Ten: 6 teams (Nos. 1, 2, 6, 11, 15, 23)
- ACC: 4 teams (Nos. 5, 8, 14, 17)
- Big 12: 4 teams (Nos. 12, 16, 24, 25)
Official Statements
The Associated Press noted that Ohio State’s 55 of 66 first-place votes propelled the Buckeyes to the top of the regular-season poll for the first time since November 2015.
The Associated Press
Unconfirmed
- No team-released statement on how the new rankings will alter game planning was available at the time of publication.
Bottom Line
Ohio State’s ascent to No. 1 after defeating Texas and LSU’s jump to No. 3 underscore a volatile start to the 2025 season. Early losses by several highly ranked teams leave the race open and elevate the importance of upcoming conference showdowns.
Key matchups to watch include Michigan at Oklahoma and other ranked-vs-ranked games that could produce further major shifts in next week’s poll.
Sources
- The Associated Press — AP Top 25 report
- FOX Sports — coverage summarizing AP poll changes