FLORIDA RIDES WIN OVER REBELS TO NO. 8 RANKING IN AP TOP 25; TEXAS, GEORGIA, NOTRE DAME TOP 3 AGAIN
Florida made a massive jump in The Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday and landed in the top 10 for the first time in five years while four new teams joined the rankings in a major shuffle.
The Gators’ 24-point win over then-No. 4 Mississippi under first-year coach Jon Sumrall on Saturday earned them a 13-rung promotion to No. 8, their highest ranking since 2020 and first top-10 appearance since 2021.
Texas, Georgia and Notre Dame continued to hold the top three spots, Miami was a season-high No. 4 and Ohio State moved up two spots to No. 5. Indiana, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and BYU completed the top 10.
The Longhorns received 62 first-place votes from the media voting panel, four more than last week, after they held off Tennessee 20-17 in their first road game.
Georgia, coming off a convincing win over Oklahoma and outscoring opponents by an average of 41.5 points per game, got six first-place votes, double its number last week. Miami and Indiana each received one first-place vote.
Mississippi State moved up eight spots to No. 16, its highest ranking in four years, for beating Missouri at home. Oregon was up five spots to No. 15 after winning on the road against Southern California. Houston also moved up five spots to No. 20 after winning at Georgia Southern.
Iowa earned its highest ranking since 2021, at No. 14, for knocking off Michigan on the road on the final play of the game.
Seven ranked teams lost in Week 4 and four dropped out of the poll. Penn State took the biggest fall, going from No. 13 to unranked after losing to Wisconsin at home.
In and out
No. 19 Oklahoma State, which won at West Virginia for its third straight victory after losing 21 straight against Bowl Subdivision opponents, is ranked for the first time in two years.
No. 22 Boise State of the Pac-12 is the first Group of Six team to crack the Top 25 this season. The Broncos’ 25-point win at Western Michigan was their third straight win after a narrow loss at Oregon. They hadn’t been ranked since the 2025 preseason poll.
No. 23 UCLA is 4-0 for the first time in four years after a 51-point road win over Maryland and is ranked for the first time in three years.
No. 24 Kentucky followed its win at Texas A&M with an easy victory at South Alabama to earn its first ranking since 2023.
In addition to Penn State, Michigan, Louisville and Texas A&M fell out of the Top 25.
Poll points
— Florida’s rise was the biggest since LSU leapt 14 spots, from No. 25 to No. 11, on Sept. 4, 2018.
— The Big 12’s five ranked teams are the most since the conference had the same number ranked Oct. 26, 2025. It’s just the sixth time in the 2020s the Big 12 has had that many in the Top 25.
— Georgia is in the Top 25 for the 700th time, which is 10th-most all-time.
— Alabama made its 300th straight appearance in the Top 25, the longest active streak and nearly double that of the next team (Georgia, 153).
Conference call
SEC (10 ranked teams): No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Georgia, No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Florida, No. 9 Mississippi, No. 11 LSU, No. 16 Mississippi State, No. 17 Tennessee, No. 24 Kentucky, No. 25 Missouri.
Big Ten (6): No. 5 Ohio State, No. 6 Indiana, No. 14 Iowa, No. 15 Oregon, No. 18 USC, No. 23 UCLA).
Big 12 (5): No. 10 BYU, No. 12 Texas Tech, No. 13 Utah, No. 19 Oklahoma State, No. 20 Houston.
ACC (2): No. 4 Miami, No. 21 SMU.
Pac-12 (1): No. 22 Boise State.
Independent (1): No. 3 Notre Dame.
Ranked vs. ranked
No. 5 Ohio State at No. 14 Iowa: Buckeyes were ranked No. 3 when they last visited Kinnick Stadium, in 2017, and the 55-24 loss killed their playoff hopes.
No. 7 Alabama at No. 16 Mississippi State: Crimson Tide have won 16 straight in the series, and most of the games haven’t been close.
No. 8 Florida at No. 25 Missouri: Tigers have won last two meetings in Columbia, on a field goal with 5 seconds left in 2023 and on a 2-point conversion pass in overtime in 2021.
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USC SUSPENDS LB DESMAN STEPHENS FOR 1 GAME FOR HIS DANGEROUS HIT ON OREGON QB DANTE MOORE
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California suspended linebacker Desman Stephens for one game Sunday for his dangerous late hit on Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and his celebration afterward.
Stephens apologized and expressed empathy for Moore and his family in a statement issued by the Trojans. Coach Lincoln Riley called Stephens’ actions “unacceptable” while announcing the suspension for his starting linebacker, who won’t play when No. 18 USC hosts Washington next weekend.
Stephens, a junior from Clarkston, Michigan, was ejected for targeting after he dived in to hit Moore while the quarterback slid to the turf in the red zone during the second quarter of Oregon’s 41-27 victory Saturday night at the Coliseum.
Moore’s head snapped back and hit the turf hard, and he was motionless on the grass while the Ducks confronted the celebrating Stephens in a melee on the field. Moore eventually left the field on a stretcher and in an ambulance with a neck brace.
“I want to sincerely apologize for my actions during yesterday’s game,” Stephens said. “Seeing a player injured like that is incredibly serious, and my reaction in the moments afterward was completely inappropriate and inexcusable. Regardless of what was going through my mind at the time, there is no justification for smiling or celebrating while another player receives medical attention. I take full responsibility for my actions. That is not the person or teammate I want to be, and I will learn from this.
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REPORTS: LSU LB WHIT WEEKS SUFFERS FRACTURE IN LEG
LSU senior linebacker Whit Weeks has suffered a fracture in right leg, according to multiple sources.
Weeks exited in the third quarter of Saturday’s 35-6 win over Texas A&M.
It is not the first significant injury for the 21-year-old. Last season, he missed five games due to a leg injury.
In 2024, he was a first-team All-SEC selection, racking up 125 combined tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception.
This season, Weeks has posted 24 combined tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss across four games.
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