Share and Follow

Fans anticipating major upheavals in the AP Top 25 rankings might be in for a disappointment when the latest list is released at 2 p.m. ET. Week 9 of college football largely adhered to expectations, even though a few games were closer than many had predicted.
The true drama unfolded beyond the elite teams: Washington upset No. 23 Illinois, Memphis emerged victorious over No. 18 South Florida, and Houston triumphed against No. 24 Arizona.
No. 22 Texas and No. 16 Virginia both managed to survive nail-biting overtime games, with Texas defeating Mississippi State and Virginia narrowly edging out UNC.
Remaining undefeated, No. 11 BYU put forth a compelling argument for a spot in the top 10 by convincingly defeating Iowa State. However, breaking into the upper echelon will be challenging as all top 10 teams secured wins this week, unlike the previous week, which saw four top 10 teams falter.
This weekend’s action saw No. 7 Georgia Tech overcome Syracuse, No. 4 Alabama fend off South Carolina, No. 10 Vanderbilt clinch victory against Missouri, and No. 2 Indiana defeat UCLA.
So which teams will move up?
Follow live updates from The Associated Press below for poll projections, game recaps, analysis and voter answers to fan questions, all in one place.
Here’s the latest:
Hear from a voter: When it comes to parity, is anything different this season?
By MATT MURSCHEL
There has been a lot of parity, especially in the top 10.
Some of that can be attributed to the transfer portal. Schools are becoming more aggressive in attracting talent. Many of those players were No. 2 or No. 3 at places like Ohio State or Alabama, but now are getting chances to start elsewhere.
Plus, these programs are putting more resources into their programs and it’s starting to pay off. Indiana is a prime example of that with the hiring and retaining of Curt Cignetti. That’s really helped shift the power at the top.
Matt Murschel is a college football writer for The Orlando Sentinel and has been an AP Top 25 voter for over five years. You can follow him on X: @osmattmurschel.
Hear from a voter: How did your top 10 shake out this week?
By MATT MURSCHEL
My top 5 didn’t change much this week with Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama and Georgia.
The toughest spot was at No. 6 with Ole Miss. The Rebels had a great road win at Oklahoma, pushing them ahead of Oregon and Georgia Tech.
I had Vanderbilt leapfrogging over Miami to round out the top 10. The Commodores are one of the hottest teams in the nation right now.
Knocking on the door
Houston improved to 7-1 on Saturday night with a 24-16 win against No. 24 Arizona State.
The Cougars have been knocking on the door for weeks, receiving 34 votes in last week’s poll. Winning against the ranked Sun Devils could do the trick.
Memphis could return to the rankings after rallying in the fourth quarter to beat No. 18 South Florida, potentially offsetting the Tigers’ upset loss to UAB last week.
Navy remained unbeaten with a 42-32 win over Florida Atlantic, improving to 8-0 on the season.
Who might rise and fall this week
Stock up: BYU, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Cincinnati.
Stock down: LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Florida.
Top 10 teams all hold strong in Week 9
Week 9 unfolded mostly as expected after four top 10 teams lost in Week 8.
Indiana, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M and Miami cruised past opponents. Alabama held off South Carolina and Vanderbilt edged Missouri in a last-minute thriller.
Oregon knocked off Wisconsin and Ole Miss returned to the win column with a victory over Oklahoma.
Ohio State and Georgia had the week off.
Who votes in the poll, and how does it work?
No organization has been ranking teams and naming a major college football national champion longer than The Associated Press, since 1936.
AP employees don’t vote themselves, but they do choose the voters. AP Top 25 voters comprise around 60 writers and broadcasters who cover college football for AP members and other select outlets. The goal is to have every state with a Football Bowl Subdivision school represented by at least one voter.
There is a 1-to-25 point system, with a team voted No. 1 receiving 25 points down to 1 point for a 25th-place vote. After that, it’s simple: The poll lists the teams with the most points from 1 to 25, and others receiving votes are also noted.
Voting is done online, and the tabulation is automated.