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Texas is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football Top 25 poll for the first time in 16 years, replacing Georgia on Sunday after the Bulldogs struggled to remain undefeated.
The Longhorns moved up one spot from second place and received 35 first-place votes and 1,540 points. The Bulldogs, who have been No. 1 since the preseason poll, received 23 first-place votes and 1,518 points.
Ohio State received five first-place votes and remained in third place through a bye week. Fourth-ranked Alabama and fifth-ranked Mississippi maintained their spots and Tennessee moved up one spot to sixth, swapping positions with Southeastern Conference rival Missouri.
The last time the Longhorns were in the top spot was midway through the 2008 season, when they spent three weeks atop the polls before losing a memorable game at Texas Tech in early November. The Longhorns are likely to settle into the top spot for at least one more week with a home game against Louisiana-Monroe next, possibly with Arch Manning as the starting quarterback.
Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, stepped in Saturday night against UTSA when Quinn Ewers left with an abdominal injury that coach Steve Sarkisian said was not serious.
“There’s nothing like being in the game. Playing in front of 105,000 people is not the easiest thing. I’m very proud of Arch,” Sarkisian said.
A week after the SEC became the first conference to hold onto six of the top seven spots, the league repeated the feat.
There were some changes in the back half of the top 10, with No. 8 Miami moving up two spots, Oregon holding at ninth and Penn State falling back to No. 10.
Voting Points
It’s not unusual for states to gain and fall out of the top spot. It’s the 94th time this has happened since the survey began in 1936, and the first time since Georgia and Alabama traded the top spot for a few weeks in 2022.
The Bulldogs needed a second-half comeback to win 13-12 over Kentucky, the same Kentucky team that was beaten at home a week earlier by South Carolina. That was the fewest points scored by a No. 1 team in a win since Alabama beat LSU 10-0 in 2016.
“I don’t know a lot about this team, but tonight I found out more than I ever knew,” coach Kirby Smart told reporters after the game.
Georgia has dominated the top spot in the AP poll since 2021, making 39 appearances.
In its first season as a member of the SEC, Texas maintains the conference’s No. 1 ranking, where it has remained for 50 of the past 52 polls, dating to the start of the 2021 season. Only the Big Ten’s Michigan in the final two polls of last season has interrupted the SEC’s streak of No. 1 rankings, which includes 10 appearances by Alabama.
Looking ahead, both the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs are off next week to prepare for a likely top-five showdown in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Sept. 28 that should get voters thinking again about who is No. 1.
Inside and outside
Boston College joined fellow Atlantic Coast Conference member Georgia Tech in the club of those who are staying put after a long drought. The Eagles lost at Missouri and fell out of the standings after moving last week for the first time since 2018.
Arizona is also out for the first time this season after being defeated by Kansas State.
For the first time this season, Illinois entered at No. 24. Texas A&M climbed back into the rankings at No. 25.
Conference
The 18-team Big Ten tied a conference record (set 11 times previously) with seven teams qualifying.
SEC — 9 (nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 15, 16, 25).
Ten big: 7 (nos. 3, 9, 10, 11, 18, 22, 24).
Big 12 — 4 (numbers 12, 13, 14, 20).
ACC — 3 (Numbers 8, 19, 21).
MAC — 1 (No. 23).
Independent — 1 (No. 17).
Ranked vs. ranked
On Friday, No. 24 Illinois will take on No. 22 Nebraska. The last time the Cornhuskers hosted a game with both ranked teams was in 2013, when No. 16 UCLA beat No. 23 Nebraska 41-21.
On Saturday, Tennessee (6th) and Oklahoma (15th). The Volunteers welcome the Sooners to the SEC.
On Saturday, No. 11 USC will face No. 18 Michigan. The Trojans’ first game in Big Ten play is exactly what Fox executives were hoping for.
On Saturday, Utah (12th) and Oklahoma State (14th). The first big game between Big 12 teams that actually counts toward the conference standings.